This research examines the use of a computer mouse by motion-impaired users, with an aim to improving GUI interactions through an understanding of movement and investigations into the use of haptic feedback as a form of assistance. This research proposes measures, derived from a submovement representation of movement, that are appropriate for motion-impaired users, and applies them in a study of cursor trajectories. The measures are shown to be sensitive to differences between users with dissimilar physical capabilities, and can provide insight into the ways in which motion-impaired users differ from able-bodied users. This research also investigates the use of haptic feedback, provided through a low-cost force feedback mouse, as a means of assisting motion-impaired users with GUI interactions. Haptic interfaces provide feedback to the user through the sense of touch. The use of haptic feedback with single targets is investigated first. Three effects are studied: gravity wells, tunnels, and damping. Results show that these effects can reduce times and errors in a target selection task, but the degree of benefit is related to a user’s characteristic movement. As GUI interactions typically involve selecting from one of multiple targets on the screen, this research also includes four studies investigating situations where multiple targets are all enabled with gravity wells. Results show that the haptic feedback can provide benefits in terms of times and errors, but in some cases, can also be detrimental to performance.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:604908 |
| Date | January 2007 |
| Creators | Hwang, Faustina |
| Publisher | University of Cambridge |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Source | https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/handle/1810/284076 |
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