In the early stages of 3D design, sketches are used to quickly conceptualize ideas and gain insight into
problems and possible solutions. Computer-aided design tools are widely used for 3D modeling and
design, but their required precision and 2D mouse and screen-based interface inhibit the flow of ideas. A
study was conducted to explore the efficiency of hand tracking and virtual reality (VR) for 3D object
manipulations in conceptual design. Based on existing research on conceptual design and hand
gestures, an intuitive hand-based interaction model is proposed. An experiment on basic 3D manipulation
shows that participants using a simple VR and hand-tracking interface prototype have similar
performance to those using a traditional mouse and screen interface. For the improvement of gestural
conceptual design interfaces, the relevant issues are identified.