Improving the Performance of Input Interfaces Through Scaling and Human Motor Models

Abstract

The performance of interfaces is affected by human factors, which vary from one person to another, and by the inherent characteristics of the various devices involved. A set of techniques has been studied in order to improve the efficiency and efficacy of input interface devices. These techniques are based on the modification of the motor scaling factor, a transformation similar to the known Control-Display ratio (CD ratio). Operation time, the accuracy of the task and user workload are the indicators used in this work. By means of models based on the various human motor behaviors, the improvement of such indicators has been demonstrated. Using some common input interface devices, a number of experiments have been carried out to evaluate the presented methodology. The results show that the overall performance of input interfaces is significantly improved by applying such methodology.

Additional information

Funding

This work has been done in the frame of project DPI2011-29660-Co4-01 and DPI2011-29660-C04-03, under the Spanish Research Program, MINECO and FEDER.

Notes on contributors

Luis Miguel Muñoz

Luis Miguel Muñoz ([email protected]) is a Control and Automation Engineer with an interest in human–machine interaction, focusing on ergonomics in teleoperation; he is Associate Professor in the Department of Automatic Control at the Technical University of Catalonia. Alicia Casals ([email protected]) is an Electrical and Electronic Engineer with an interest in human–robot interaction, mainly applied to the field of medical robotics; she is Professor at the Technical University of Catalonia and leads the Robotics group in the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia.

Alicia Casals

Luis Miguel Muñoz ([email protected]) is a Control and Automation Engineer with an interest in human–machine interaction, focusing on ergonomics in teleoperation; he is Associate Professor in the Department of Automatic Control at the Technical University of Catalonia. Alicia Casals ([email protected]) is an Electrical and Electronic Engineer with an interest in human–robot interaction, mainly applied to the field of medical robotics; she is Professor at the Technical University of Catalonia and leads the Robotics group in the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia.