An experimental comparison of touch interaction on vertical and horizontal surfaces

Touch input has been extensively studied. The influence of display orientation on users' performance and satisfaction, however, is not well understood. In an experiment, we manipulate the orientation of multi-touch surfaces to study how 16 participants tap and drag. To analyze if and when participants switch hands or interact bimanually, we track the hands of the participants. Results show that orientation impacts both performance and error rates. Tapping was performed 5% faster on the vertical surface, whereas dragging was performed 5% faster and with fewer errors on the horizontal surface. Participants used their right hand more when dragging (85% of the trials) than when tapping (63% of the trials), but rarely used bimanual interaction. The vertical surface was perceived as more physically demanding to use than the horizontal surface. We conclude by discussing some open questions in understanding the relation between display orientation and touch.

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