Gesture-based interaction for an office syndrome prevention : health communication through integrating experience into daily life for an arm-swing input device

Abstract

Arm swing is a well-known exercise practiced throughout Asia. The benefits of regular exercise affect a person’s gait, shoulder function as well as head and body strength. This research presents a new study of gesture-based interaction by using arm swing as a gestural input command applied to any digital device used by people aged 21 to 50 years of age during their workday. After selecting five different occupations, i.e., student, lecturer, office worker, designer and industrial worker, their different routine tasks were studied. The sampling comprised 30 participants, 6 persons representing each occupation. Data was collected through focus groups. The objective of this study is to provide possibilities to integrate proper user experience of gesture-based interaction towards an arm-swing input device onto participants’ routine activities as a message of self-health communication. The arm-swing input device acts as a medium that transmits a health message to participants. It is believed this research can have a significant impact on the quality of a modern lifestyle. User experience methodology, like a field experiment, is applied to provoke participants to follow the correct sequence case by case.

This action research applied a qualitative approach, focusing on user experience measurement. A proper user experience occurs when one understands how strength and weakness are affected by gestural input. An input gesture, feedback, system, and output can then be mapped together into a complete scenario of a person’s daily life. The embodied interaction while performing the exercise has motivated participants to swing their arms. Each participant was encouraged to raise various ideas on how they access technology rather than on how technologies allow them to access information.

Based on the experimental results, this dissertation will then discuss the possible tasks performed in the five occupations in which an arm-swing input gesture is integrated. The influence of this integration into the participants’ daily activities presents confirmation of a preferable wearable input device for all focus groups. Office syndrome prevention is communicated to participants via the act that can contribute to wellbeing in their workplace. This wearable input device can then be integrated into activities without any interruption in a person’s main actions. The awareness of office syndrome prevention on a new arm-swing device could possibly lead to changes in an individual’s health-oriented behavior.

Ultimately, sign consumption of arm-swing action in terms of a postmodern perspective is reflected after a participant’s performing the exercise. The meanings of a new form of health communication through the arm-swing input device have been integrated into workplaces, which create a paradigm shift of some of the participants. There are more than 80% positive opinions for the arm-swing input deice and the gesture in all participants' reflection.