Possible applications for gestures while driving

The ongoing trend of integrating new comfort and entertainment functionality into cars is leading to an increase in the number of controls operated by the driver. In order to position as much functionality as possible within optimum reach of the driver, complex control designs such as rotary buttons and touchscreens are increasingly being implemented to guide the driver through multi-level menus. However, this also increases the mental effort, hand-eye coordination, visual distraction, and time required to operate these controls. Touch-free gesture control represents an innovative control design with the potential to improve the efficiency of human-machine interactions while driving. The Institute of Ergonomics & Human Factors (IAD) at the Technische Universität Darmstadt is currently researching which gestures could theoretically be implemented, based on the criteria of distinguishability, intuitiveness, and efficiency of operation. This paper presents the first results of a preliminary study, as well as a comprehensive catalogue of gestures that meet the criteria identified thus far that should be met by any efficient gesture-based control design.