Subtle, natural and socially acceptable interaction techniques for ringterfaces : finger-ring shaped user interfaces

Abstract

This study analyzes interaction techniques in previously proposed 16 user interface concepts that utilize the form factor of a finger-ring, i.e. “ringterfaces”. We categorized the ringterfaces according to their interaction capabilities and critically examined how socially acceptable, subtle and natural they are. Through this analysis we show which kind of ringterfaces are likely to become general-purpose user interfaces and what factors drive their development toward commercial applications. We highlight the need for studying context awareness in ambient intelligence environments and end-user programming in future research on ringterfaces.