Increasing Interaction Fidelity: Training Routines for Biomechanical Models in HCI

Biomechanical forward simulation holds great potential for HCI, enabling the generation of human-like movements in interactive tasks. However, training biomechanical models with reinforcement learning is challenging, particularly for precise and dexterous movements like those required for touchscreen interactions on mobile devices. Current approaches are limited in their interaction fidelity, require restricting the underlying biomechanical model to reduce complexity, and do not generalize well. In this work, we propose practical improvements to training routines that reduce training time, increase interaction fidelity beyond existing methods, and enable the use of more complex biomechanical models. Using a touchscreen pointing task, we demonstrate that curriculum learning, action masking, more complex network configurations, and simple adjustments to the simulation environment can significantly improve the agent's ability to learn accurate touch behavior. Our work provides HCI researchers with practical tips and training routines for developing better biomechanical models of human-like interaction fidelity.