Gesture interaction for smart vehicle control: a study of the possible use of American sign language and gender differences in preferences

Gesture-based interaction in smart vehicles has been introduced to improve usability, minimize distraction, and enhance road safety. However, existing gestures vary across vehicle brands and are not always intuitive for users. This study examines current trends in gesture control technology and investigates user preferences for in-vehicle gesture interfaces. In particular, it explores the inclusion of American Sign Language (ASL) as a gesture set and analyzes potential gender differences in preferences. A mixed-methods approach was employed: (i) a quantitative closed card sorting study evaluating predefined gestures from commercial vehicle systems and ASL and (ii) a qualitative gesture elicitation study capturing user-defined proposals. Results show that simple one-handed gestures, such as swiping and pointing, were consistently preferred for their versatility and low cognitive demand. ASL gestures were generally perceived as unsuitable for vehicle control due to their complexity and frequent requirement of two-handed execution. Gender analysis revealed no significant differences in gesture preferences. While the relatively small sample size (n = 19 for the elicitation study) limits generalizability, the findings provide design implications for developing intuitive gesture control systems in smart vehicles. They highlight the importance of simplicity, consistency, and integration with other modalities (e.g., voice or touch) to support safer and more effective multimodal interaction.