Augmenting User Interfaces with Haptic Feedback

Asque, Christopher (2014) Augmenting User Interfaces with Haptic Feedback. Doctoral thesis, University of East Anglia.

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Abstract

Computer assistive technologies have developed considerably over the past decades.
Advances in computer software and hardware have provided motion-impaired operators
with much greater access to computer interfaces. For people with motion
impairments, the main di�culty in the communication process is the input of data
into the system. For example, the use of a mouse or a keyboard demands a high level
of dexterity and accuracy. Traditional input devices are designed for able-bodied
users and often do not meet the needs of someone with disabilities. As the key feature
of most graphical user interfaces (GUIs) is to point-and-click with a cursor this
can make a computer inaccessible for many people.
Human-computer interaction (HCI) is an important area of research that aims
to improve communication between humans and machines. Previous studies have
identi�ed haptics as a useful method for improving computer access. However, traditional
haptic techniques su�er from a number of shortcomings that have hindered
their inclusion with real world software. The focus of this thesis is to develop haptic
rendering algorithms that will permit motion-impaired operators to use haptic assistance
with existing graphical user interfaces. The main goal is to improve interaction
by reducing error rates and improving targeting times. A number of novel haptic
assistive techniques are presented that utilise the three degrees-of-freedom (3DOF)
capabilities of modern haptic devices to produce assistance that is designed speci�-
cally for motion-impaired computer users. To evaluate the e�ectiveness of the new
techniques a series of point-and-click experiments were undertaken in parallel with
cursor analysis to compare the levels of performance. The task required the operator
to produce a prede�ned sentence on the densely populated Windows on-screen keyboard
(OSK). The results of the study prove that higher performance levels can be
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achieved using techniques that are less constricting than traditional assistance.

Item Type:	Thesis (Doctoral)
Faculty \ School:	Faculty of Science > School of Computing Sciences
Depositing User:	Users 2259 not found.
Date Deposited:	09 Jul 2014 12:00
Last Modified:	09 Jul 2014 12:00
URI:	https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/49471
DOI:

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