Engineers Fight Back Against Cyberslacking with Tap-Kick-Click System

Demonstrating the Tap-Kick-Click system. (Image courtesy of University of Waterloo.)

I’m all for improving productivity, but this may be going too far.

Researchers have developed a way to put your feet to work while you labor your day away at a standing desk. The Tap-Kick-Click system incorporates a depth camera and instrumented shoes to monitor foot movements, which translate into on-screen application control.

The technique has thus far been demonstrated with a Web browser, a document reader and a code debugger, but could be applied to any number of applications. One such application could be the bane of slackers the world over. By only allowing access to social media or other “cyberslacking” sites while the user stands in an uncomfortable position, a forward lunge for example, it would act as a natural deterrent to spending too much time on Internet frivolity.

“People already use a standing desk to be healthier and more productive,” said University of Waterloo professor Daniel Vogel. “Increasing physical activity by using your feet to enter commands is our main focus, but the anti-cyberslacking pose is something that really pushes the whole idea farther. Some people already install software to completely block sites like Facebook when they want to get work done. Our technique lets people use those sites, but since they need to stand in an uncomfortable pose while viewing them, they’re naturally encouraged to keep it brief.”

Cyberslacking aside, the system could definitely add to the physical activity that is all too rare while working at a desk, while breaking up the monotony of the day by allowing individuals to take over some basic computer control with their feet, giving their hands a rest. Control is limited though, with the dexterity of the feet being a major obstacle.

Tap-Kick-Click interaction enables a) physically and productive “foot input–only” breaks, b) increased physical activity with mouse and keyboard input and (c) the ability to self-control cyberslacking. (Image courtesy of University of Waterloo/Daniel Vogel.)

“There’s plenty of research showing that using feet to type or move a cursor isn’t a very good idea,” said Vogel. “We demonstrate that with the right style of interaction, feet are a good fit for slower tasks with intermittent input, like scrolling a webpage while reading or interactive code debugging. We hope our system can make computing more physically active and maybe even a bit more fun.”

If you combine a working computer input system incorporating foot movements and something akin to the Tap wearable keyboard, we end up moving distinctly away from the traditional mouse and keyboard layout. While it currently works well for keeping employees off Facebook during working hours, better controls linked to foot movements may also work well with virtual reality controllers and for assisting people with specific disabilities where any ability to input is useful.

To stay up to date on the Tap-Kick-Click developments, visit the Cheriton School of Computer Science website.