Comparison of Panel and Pie Menus for Mid-Air Interaction in a Photo Booth: Muscle Activity, Performance, and User Experience

Abstract

Research on visual menus, specifically panel and pie menus, has gained widespread attention in recent times. However, limited research focuses on the mid-air interaction when comparing these two menu types. This study aimed to conduct a comprehensive comparison between panel and pie menus in the context of cursor-based mid-air interaction within a photo booth setting. The evaluation involved analyzing muscle activities, performance metrics, and user experience to quantify the differences between the two menus across three menu operations. Our results indicated that the pie menu offered notable advantages by reducing muscular loads, achieving shorter task completion times, and delivering an overall more enjoyable user experience, making it a preferable choice for mid-air interaction in photo booth settings. Conversely, the panel menu exhibited superior scores of learnability and demonstrated enhanced accuracy in the switching operation, suggesting that it might be a better choice for complex and precision-demanding tasks.

Keywords:

• Mid-air interaction
• photo booth
• panel menu
• pie menu
• eMG

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work is supported by financial assistance from the Japanese Government (MEXT) scholarship.

Notes on contributors

Lujin Mao

Lujin Mao is a doctoral student at Chiba University and majors in Designing Course. He obtained Master of Industrial Design Engineering in 2021, Bachelor of Engineering & Bachelor of Science in Agriculture in 2018, all from Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.

Kenta Ono

Kenta Ono is currently a professor at Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Chiba University. He received his Ph.D. in Global Environmental Science from Chiba University of Japan in 2001. His research focuses on product design and system design.

Mengyao Qi

Mengyao Qi is a doctoral student at Chiba University and majors in Designing Course. She obtained Master of Design Science in 2021 from Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China. Her research focuses on user interface design and ergonomics.

Makoto Watanabe

Makoto Watanabe is currently a professor at Graduate School of Global and Transdisciplinary Studies, Chiba University. He received his Ph.D. in Environmental Science from Chiba University of Japan in 1992. His research focuses on design management, design system, and product design.

Jinghua Huang

Jinghua Huang is currently an associate professor at International Design Institute, Zhejiang University. She received her Ph.D. in Industrial Design from Chiba University of Japan in 2006. She has published over 30 research papers in various reputable journals and conference proceedings.