Elastic Control for Navigation Tasks on Pen-based Handheld Computers

Isotonic pen and finger interfaces for handheld devices are very suitable for many interaction tasks (eg. pointing, drawing). However, they are not appropriate for rate controlled techniques, as required for other tasks such as navigation in 3D environments. In this paper, we investigate the influence of elastic feedback to enhance user performance in rate controlled interaction tasks. We conducted an experiment, which proves evidence that elastic feedback, given to input movements with the pen, provides better control for 3D travel tasks. Based on these findings, we designed several prototypes that illustrate the ease of applying various elastic control conditions to contemporary handheld computers with finger- or pen-based input capabilities.