DUMask

Interactions using the face, not only enable multi-tasking but also enable us to create hands-free applications. Previous works in HCI used sensors attached directly to the person’s face or inside their mouth. However, a mask, which has now become a norm in our everyday life and is socially acceptable, has rarely been used to explore facial interactions. We designed, “DUMask”, an interface that uses face parts covered by a mask to discretely enable 14 (+1 default) interactions. DUMask uses an infrared camera embedded inside an off-the-shelf face mask to recognize the gestures, and we demonstrate the effectiveness of our interface through in-lab studies. We conducted two user studies evaluating the experience of both the wearer and the onlooker, which validated that the interface is indeed inconspicuous and unobtrusive.

DUMask is a wearable that conceals electronics within the mask, allowing it to create a non-intrusive way to capture facial gestures (tongue, lips, and cheeks) as input. The form factor of the mask completely occludes the mouth, which hides gestures that may seem unnatural or awkward to onlookers. Our work makes the following contributions: 1) We present a novel interface that recognizes tongue, lip, and cheek gestures in a form factor that is socially acceptable, discreet as well as non-intrusive; 2) We also present the results and insights gained from a comprehensive evaluation of the usability of our interface (from the wearer’s perspective) and its social acceptability (from an observer’s perspective).