Abstract
This paper presents a framework providing a collection of techniques to enhance reliability, accuracy and overall effectiveness of gesture-based interaction applied to the Geographic Information Systems context. We propose, indeed, an interaction framework featuring a gestural interface, operated by two-hand gestures, for an enhanced manipulation of 3D geographic data immersively visualized by means of a Head Mounted Display (HMD). The interaction paradigm, exploits one-hand, two-hand and time-dependent gesture patterns to allow the user to perform inherently 3D tasks, like arbitrary object selection and manipulation, or measurements of relevant features, in a more intuitive yet accurate way. As the HMD orientation is tracked, the user is able to see a much greater amount of geographic information by simply turning its head. The preliminary experiments conducted so far shows a measurable and user-wise perceptible improvement in performing 3D interactive tasks, like the selection of particular geographic locations even on a complex 3D surface or the distance measurement between two geographic features.