Evaluating Non-Visual Feedback Cues for Touch Input Device

Selina SharminSelina.Sharmin@uta.fi

Project for the course

New Interaction TechniquesSpring 2003

Introduction to the problem:

Texture plays an important role in displaying images and forming subjective impression about natural objects and simulated surfaces

Development of haptic communication and appearance of input device with tactile feedback provide scope to investigate systematically how people perceive the world indirectly through the use of various intermediate objects

Texture may be used efficiently as tactile output of textual and graphic information for people who can not see well.

Blind manipulations in different situations when vision is occupied by another task or visual field is hidden or in some situations when the user eyes cannot leave a primary focus point

Surface of touch input devices are not always convincing as sensible markers

Background

The tactile feedback is the quickest one for a target selection task

under five different sensory feedback conditions involving normal,

auditory, color, tactile, and combined [MacKenzie et al].

Tactile feedback allows user to use a wider area of the target and

to select targets more quickly once the cursor is inside the target

[MacKenzie et al].

An application ifeelpixel [http://www.ifeelpixel.com/ ] is designed

to create tactile sensation based on picture

Supplementing visual and audio feedback, touch gives users an

improved perceptual experience [

http://www.ifeelpixel.com/supportimmersion/background/background.

htm ]……..

Objectives in general

The project aims at developing new techniques for human computer interaction through touch input device

In particular doing comparative research to evaluate non-visual feedback cues - tactile and sound during navigation in a Maze

Schedule:

The schedule of the project:

Project activity Time Result

Study the topic (tactile perceptive features & methods for simulation virtual textures)

Week 1-2 Brief survey for introduction

software designing Week 3-5 Software

Usability testing Week 6 Data collection and analysis

Project report Week 7-8 Project paper

Research methods:

Brief scientific survey within the field of human interface technology and cognitive psychology including tactile perception features

Constructive research to design and simulate the new techniques, software tools and algorithms for evaluation of user behaviours in a dynamic navigational task with tactile and sound feedback

Experiment & procedure 8 participants to test each type of non-visual feedbacks in

2 sessions per 10 trials

The experiment will be conducted with a tactile pen/mouse

over a maze on the ELO touch screen

The participants will go through the maze with the

pen/mouse and they needs to close their eyes. If the

mouse moves correctly the participants will receive one

type of tactile or sound feedback; if they cross the maze

line, the participants will receive another type of tactile and

sound feedback accordingly and those will be considered

as error.

User performance: time & errors will be counted until the

participant reach the end position of the maze.

Resources

Design of the maze will be something like as below:

Start

End

http://www.elotouch.com/

Resources

Experimental setup:

A software which will have the maze, timer and error counter.

iFeel MouseMan, a tactile mouse to get tactile feedback or a tactile pen prototype

ELO touch screen for usability testing

Prospective applications

The results of the project can be used both for

development of information kiosks, novel pen input

devices, haptic interfaces and for special applications

for people with special needs.

References:1. Akamatsu M., MacKenzie S., and Hasbrouc T. (1995), A comparison of Tactile,

Auditory, and Visual Feedback in a Pointing Task Using a Mouse-Type Device. Ergonomics, 38, 816 – 827.

2. Chavas, M. (1996) Discrimination tactile de textures, in Int. Conf. "New technologies in the education of the visually handicaped" (ed. D. Burger), Colloque INSERM, V. 237, Posters, Paris.

3. Hollins, M., Bensmaia, S. & Risner, R. (1998). The duplex theory of tactile texture perception. In Proceedings of the International Society for Psychophysics, 4th Annual Meeting, 115-120.

4. Klatzky, R. L., & Lederman, S. J. (1999). Tactile perception with a rigid link from surface to skin. Perception & Psychophysics, 61(4), 591-607.

5. Lederman, S. J. (1983). Tactual roughness perception: Spatial and temporal determinants. Canadian Journal of Psychology, 37, 498-511.

6. Lederman, S. J., & Klatzky, R. L. (1999). Sensing and displaying spatially distributed fingertip forces in haptic interfaces for teleoperator and virtual environment systems. Presence: Teleoperators and Virtual Environments, 8, 86-103.

7. Lederman, S. J., Loomis, J. M., & Williams, D. A. (1982). The role of vibration in the tactual perception of roughness. Perception & Psychophysics, 32, 109-116.

8. Taylor, M. M. & Lederman, S. J. (1975). Tactile roughness of grooved surfaces: A model and the effect of friction. Perception & Psychophysics, 17, 23-36.

Thank you