2D vs 3D in a touch-free hand gesture based interface : An exploration of how 2D and 3D visual aids affect a user’s ability to learn a new interface

Abstract: 3D is a popular topic as an increasing amount of media and technology begin to support 3D interaction.  With the rise of interest in 3D interaction, the question of why there is a demand and desire for 3D over 2D interaction becomes relevant. This thesis compares the differences between a 3D heads up display and a 2D heads up display for a touch free gesture based virtual keyboard.  The gesture interface used in the tests is a way of communicating with a system using gestures of the hands tracked by a motion sensor.  This thesis tested 16 users where half of the users used a 2D version of a heads up display and the other half used a 3D version of a heads up display.  Both user groups were tested with identical conditions and in an identical environment.  Raw statistical data was gathered from a logging mechanism in the interface and qualitative data was gathered from questionnaires and observation notes.  The results from the experiment showed that the 2D and 3D heads up display gave very similar results. However, results also showed slightly better qualitative results from the 3D heads up display observation and questionnaire data.  The conclusion indicated no clear advantage for the 2D version or the 3D version.  The discussion shows that many other factors in the design process and selection of users, play a large role in the comparison of 2D vs 3D visualizations.  Factors such as age and familiarity with different levels of technology are indicated to be contributing factors when comparing 2D vs 3D.  The results and discussion hope to provide a starting point for future comparison research in the field of 2D compared to 3D visualization.