Whistling User Interface (U³I)

Abstract

The paper describes the design, implementation and user evaluation of a system that allows a user to control a mouse pointer through whistling or humming. The pointer can be controlled in two ways: orthogonally (the pointer can only move with variable speed either horizontally or vertically at a time) and melodically (the pointer can move with fixed speed in any direction). The user study indicates that the users thought the orthogonal control was easier to operate than the melodic control. The orthogonal control was considered useful for controlling mouse movement while the melodic control was more useful for entertainment purposes. Humming was considered less tiring than whistling. This study makes several contributions to the field. First, it is perhaps the first published study investigating the use of whistling to operate a mouse pointer. Second, the system can be used as a low-cost alternative pointing device for people with motor disabilities.