Does the Hand Anthropometric Dimension Influence Touch Interaction?

ABSTRACT

Amid the increasing popularity of smartphones fitted with touch screens, many studies have been conducted on touch screen input methods. In contrast to standardized stylus pens, the size and anthropometric features of the fingers can be vastly different depending on the person. These features significantly impact the touch screen’s usability for an individual. In this paper, the relationship between the anthropometrical dimensions of the thumb (i.e., length, breadth) and touch task performance was analyzed. Based on the results, subjects with relatively longer fingers required more time on average to complete the task. However, no correlation was evident between the thumb length and number of errors, or among the thumb breadth, task completion time, and error frequency. The results of this study are expected to be useful in the development of a mobile interface that considers the specific features of the user’s thumb.

KEYWORDS:

• Anthropometry
• hand-held device
• thumb breadth
• thumb length
• touch screen

Funding

This work was supported by the Incheon National University Research Grant in 2016 (Grant No.: 20162000).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Incheon National University Research Grant in 2016 (Grant No.: 20162000).