Wearable Interactions for Users with Motor Impairments: Systematic Review, Inventory, and Research Implications

We conduct a systematic literature review on wearable interactions for users with motor impairments and report results from a meta-analysis of 57 scientific articles identified in the ACM DL and IEEE Xplore databases. Our findings show limited research conducted on accessible wearable interactions (e.g., just four papers addressing smartwatch input), a disproportionate interest for hand gestures compared to other input modalities for wearable devices, and low numbers of participants with motor impairments involved in user studies about wearable interactions (a median of 6.0 and average of 8.2 participants per study). We compile an inventory of 92 finger, hand, head, shoulder, eye gaze, and foot gesture commands for smartwatches, smartglasses, headsets, earsets, fitness trackers, data gloves, and armband wearable devices extracted from the scientific literature that we surveyed. Based on our findings, we propose four directions for future research on accessible wearable interactions for users with motor impairments.