Abstract: A system and method to generate a touch-based user interface that allows users to reliably carry out tasks in a low-attention environment. The touch-based user interface relies upon swipe and tap gestures that are easily entered by a user without having to concentrate on a touchscreen or display associated with a touchpad on which the gestures are entered. For gestures that are swipes, only the direction of the swipe is utilized by the system in interpreting the entered command. For tap gestures, only the number of taps in a sequence, as well as the duration of taps, is utilized by the system in interpreting the entered command. By not correlating the location of the entered gestures with what is displayed on the associated display screen, the touch interface disclosed herein is well suited for environments where a user is unable to look at the display screen while performing gestures.