Lean & Zoom: Proximity-Aware User Interfaces and Content Magnification

The size and resolution of computer displays has increased dramatically, allowing more information than ever to be rendered on-screen. However, items can now be so small or screens so cluttered that users need to lean forward to properly examine them. This behavior may be detrimental to a user’s posture and eyesight. Our Lean and Zoom system detects a user’s proximity to the display using a camera and magnifies the on-screen content proportionally. This alleviates dramatic leaning and makes items more readable. Results from a user study indicate people find the technique natural and intuitive. Most participants found on-screen content easier to read, and believed the technique would improve both their performance and comfort.

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Harrison, Chris and Dey, Anind K. Lean and Zoom: Proximity-Aware User Interface and Content Magnification. In Proceedings of the SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems. CHI '08. ACM, New York, NY. 507-510.