A kinematic analysis of directional effects on mouse control

Abstract

The directional effects associated with cursor movement controlled by a computer mouse have long been studied to improve mouse performance during precise tasks. However, those studies have rarely considered the kinematic variables associated with directional effects and have only analysed the projection of trajectories along the main axes of movement, eventually reducing the original dimensions of the data. In addition, as the angle of approach has a limited number of levels, it has been difficult to observe singular behaviour in the horizontal directions. In this study, we investigated the directional effects on kinematic variables when using a mouse to select circular targets. In this experiment, the measured trajectory of 16 different angles of approach was measured after separating the x and y components. The results revealed interesting biomechanical and cognitive features of mouse control and led to the suggestion of two improvements to be made upon the typical mouse design.

Abstract

Practitioner Summary: The angle of approach was varied to determine its effect on the kinematic variables of a cursor trajectory. We analysed both the x and y coordinates separately without reducing the original dimensions of the data. Therefore, we succeeded in identifying previously unknown characteristics of mouse control.

Keywords::

• mouse
• kinematic analysis
• directional effect
• ISO 9241-9