Evaluating of Wearable User Interfaces: How to Simulate a Primary Manual Task?

We introduce an apparatus capable of simulating real-world primary tasks typically encountered in wearable computing. The apparatus allows for controlled and reproducible primary task simulations in laboratory experiments while retaining the properties of wearable computers being used in mobile environments different from the desktop. The paper discusses the construction of the so-called HotWire apparatus including available software. The software helps to conduct user interface studies with the HotWire where the application domains' primary task is characterized by manual work. Moreover, we provide guidance on how the HotWire can be used by researchers for their own studies on wearable user interfaces and dual-task interaction design.