Social acceptability of wearable technology use in public: an exploration of the societal perceptions of a gesture-based mobile textile interface

Abstract

Textile forms of wearable technology offer the potential for users to interact with electronic devices in a whole new manner. However, the operation of a wearable system can result in non-traditional on-body interactions (including gestural commands) that users may not be comfortable with performing in a public setting. Understanding the societal perceptions of gesture-based interactions will ultimately impact how readily a new form of mobile technology will be adopted within society. The goal of this research is to assess the social acceptability of a user's interaction with an electronic textile wearable interface. Two means of interaction were studied: the first was to assess the most acceptable input method for the interface (tapping, sliding, circular rotation); and the second assessment was to measure the social acceptability of a user interacting with the detachable textile interface at different locations on the body. The study recruited participants who strictly identified themselves as being of American nationality so as to gain insight into the culture-specific perceptions of interacting with a wearable form of technology.M