The use of gestures in computer aided design

Computer aided design systems are particularly useful in detailing, analysis and documentation but are not well-suited to the very early, conceptual aspects of design. This paper describes investigations of novel methods of interfacing between the designer and his computer system using stereotyped gestures to modify dimensional, positional and orientational parameters for simple three-dimensional geometric models. A prototype implementation using a virtual reality visualisation system enhanced by the provision of a six degree of freedom real-time tracking device is described.