Human-Machine Interaction

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en2014-05 Interhapt

InterHapt: Research into Haptic Feedback while using Input Devices

Touch-sensitive screens not only display information, but also provide means to manipulate information in the same place. Thus, it is possible to perform complex interactions in a small area while remaining flexible at low cost. However, the familiar tactile feedback that mechanical keyboards provide, is lost. Especially those persons, who have developed skills in using mechanical controls during their life, for example in typing, experience inconvenience. In general, manipulation using a flat, steady surface is more difficult than using mechanical keys, which results in lower input speed and higher error rate.

To address this problem, currently artificially generated vibrations provide tactile feedback. While this simple haptic feedback is already largely used, no design recommendations exist for a task-appropriate haptic feedback, consistent to expectation and to established mechanical keys.

Project InterHapt empirically explores both human perception regarding haptic sensation and technical options to generate haptic feedback. Using different scenarios, laboratory experiments for input to stationary and mobile touch-sensitive screens will be set up and equipped with various forms of haptic feedback. Different feedback methods will be evaluated by human subjects applying subjective measures and objectively assessed behaviour and performance indicators.

Finally, design recommendations are derived from the experimental results covering both professionals (e.g., using POS systems) and everyone (e.g., using ticket machines). Even mobile devices such as smartphones will be covered by these design recommendations. This will close knowledge gaps about human characteristics in haptic perception and set grounds for application in future applied research projects. The visual and auditory interfaces of today's interactive systems already termed multimodal will be enriched in future with an additional useful modality. Transfer of the project results will be ensured by continuous dialogue with users and implementation partners, and a final workshop.

Participating Scientists

Univ.-Prof. Dr.-Ing. Ludger Schmidt
Dr.-Ing. Bernd-Burkhard Borys
Martin Seeger, M. Sc.
Tobias Stein M. Sc.

Support and Duration

Federal Ministry of Education and Research (Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung), 5 / 2014 - 10 / 2015

Further Informationen about this Project

www.interhapt.de

Visualization of Flight Parameters in the Peripheral Visual Field, shown in the Design of Helicopter Cockpits

Working with the helicopter, the pilot’s visual focus is located outside the cockpit. Thus, flight instruments are visible only in the peripheral visual field.

A new approach was developed in this thesis to present helicopter system parameters in the peripheral visual field, using dynamic indicators. Information is coded into patterns of size and motion. Simulator experiments demonstrated that the perception of peripherally information is clearly improved by the novel dynamic display components.

Professional pilots participated in designing, improving, and validating the display concept. Due to the experimental results it is expected that the fault diagnosis in the cockpit of helicopters can be facilitated and that an allocation of the required information is possible on the whole visual field.

Doctoral Candidate

Dr.-Ing. Jörg-O. Hartz, 1997