Futuristic Smartwatch Gestures Study

Frequently Asked Questions

Answers to common questions about participation in this study

This study explores the design of futuristic input gestures for smartwatch wearables using an emerging technique called bioacoustic sensing. Instead of interacting with the small touchscreen, you make gestures on your body near the watch — such as tapping your palm, wrist, or forearm — providing a much larger interaction surface.
We are looking for adults aged 18 and older who have eyesight or corrective vision able to read small text on smartwatch displays, and who have dexterity of both hands and ten digits to perform the full set of gestures. You must be able to attend in-person sessions at Rochester Institute of Technology.
The study has three in-person sessions, and you may participate in one or more. Session 1 (Gesture Elicitation & Training) takes about 1.5 hours, Session 2 (Model Validation) takes 30 minutes to 1 hour, and Session 3 (Prototype Evaluation) takes about 1 hour.
You will be reimbursed for each session you complete: $20 for Session 1, $10 for Session 2, and $10 for Session 3. You do not need to participate in all three sessions to receive compensation.
No collected data will be personally identifiable. You will be referred to using anonymized identifiers (e.g., P01, P02). Non-identifying data may be used in future publications or posted to public repositories such as GitHub or HuggingFace to promote transparency and open science. Raw audio and transcripts will not be disseminated; video, if recorded, will only feature hands and will never be published.
Yes, your participation is entirely voluntary. You may withdraw at any time without penalty. You are free to leave or stop at any time. To withdraw, simply stop participating or contact the research team.
No. There is no active component. A sensor in the smartwatch simply measures the tiny vibrations that occur routinely throughout your day — any time you flex a muscle, tap your fingers together, or touch something. The smartwatch prototype is sanitized between participant sessions.
All three sessions are conducted in person at Rochester Institute of Technology. You will wear an Apple Watch running prototype software and interact with a laptop application during the sessions.
For questions about the study, contact the principal investigator, Sidney Grabosky. For questions about your rights as a research participant, contact the Rochester Institute of Technology IRB at 585-475-7673. Full contact details are available on the Study Details page.