Fatigue Minimisation and Input Simplification

The User Reality: Sustained physical pressure (e.g., holding a "grip" button to carry an object) can be exhausting for some users. This can increase the likelihood of objects being dropped or incomplete actions. Similarly, extended interaction periods with arms raised lead to rapid shoulder and arm fatigue, a phenomenon known as "Gorilla Arm Syndrome." For users with limited muscle tone or restricted movement, generating the vertical angle required to reach high-placed UI elements can be impossible. Both these scenarios lead to frustration and limit session duration.

Research:

The Openality Standard

• Avoid actions requiring sustained contraction like "hold-to-grip." Instead, use interactions that function as state changes - e.g., a single tap initiates a hold, and a second tap releases it. This removes the requirement for physical endurance, ensuring that objects remain grasped even if the user's hand muscles relax.
• Avoid placing interactive elements high in the user's field of view. Instead, interfaces should default to a "lap-height" comfort zone. By keeping interactions low and physically close, developers can prevent the rapid fatigue that limits session duration.
• Constraint: The system must not require sustained physical pressure (holding buttons) or sustained arm extension (holding hands aloft).
• Requirement: Interactions that typically require sustained pressure (e.g., "hold-to-grab") should function as state changes, allowing users to initiate an action with a single tap and maintain it without physical endurance, while interactive elements should be placed, or be capable of being moved, within a "lap-height" comfort zone to prevent fatigue.

Core Behaviours

• Gaze-Dwell Activation - Users should be able to activate UI elements by looking at them for a short period, providing an alternative to physical button presses for selection.
• Gesture Abstraction - Complex physical interactions should be abstracted into simple inputs, allowing users to perform the same actions without needing to mimic the physical motion.
• Input Remapping - Allow users to customise controls to fit their specific abilities and preferences, such as remapping a complex gesture to a single button press.
• Toggle State Persistence - Interactions that typically require sustained pressure (e.g., "hold-to-grab") should function as state changes, allowing users to initiate an action with a single tap and maintain it without physical endurance.

Primary Interaction Patterns

• The Auto Grip System - Automatically maintains a "grip" state without requiring sustained button pressure, allowing users to grab and hold objects with a single tap.
• The UI Summoner - A system that allows users to summon menus and UI elements to their immediate reach zone with a simple gesture or button press, eliminating the need for physical traversal to access important interfaces.
• The Gaze Cursor - A gaze-assisted aiming system that allows users to target objects by looking at them, reducing reliance on precise hand movements.