HSIs that employ vision as interaction modality are the most common devices to present information to the operator. This mode of interaction is uni-directional only (device to observer). New developments use cameras and sensors to detect user gaze and motion and use this to create an interactive dimension for displays. Examples are already found in entertainment-related devices like Microsoft’s Xbox® Kinect, Nintendo® Wii. Sony PlayStation® Move and the Leap Motion® gesture controllers. Other devices use gaze detection to determine where the user is looking and use this data to display contextual information or to enable users to navigate through the system by gaze only.

While standard desktop flat screen displays will continue to be the most common means to display information for everyday use, a variety of advanced visual devices are becoming attractive options for textual, graphical and video information. Three types can be identified, ranging from large screen displays that are already available, to more sophisticated technologies that will be available in consumer markets within the next few years.