Glossary » gesture

gesture

an input method commonly used in pen-based systems -or- a physical movement used in communication such as a hand motion or a facial expression.

1. input method – gestures are pen movements that can be recognized as various symbols or commands. For example, a circling movement may indicate selection, a zigzag movement deletion, or a rapid swipe may indicate scrolling.
2. communicative gestures – any body, face, or hand movement which is used in conversation to communicate or to reinforce what is being spoken. Gestures are particularly relevant in synchronous groupware systems such as videoconferencing or shared drawing. Videoconferencing systems, for instance, are often designed to transfer images of the face and miss out on hand gestures. In collaborative applications such as shared drawing, objects can be moved to communicate some physical gestures, and telepointers communicate other gesture information.