Human motor performance involving panel displays that incorporate visual and haptic feedback

The mainstream application of haptic displays in Human Computer Interfaces is partly limited by the lack of generalizable guidelines and principles directing their implementation. The objective of this research was to provide a framework upon which design guidelines and principles can be developed for the implementation of haptic knobs in instrument panel interfaces. The research effort in meeting this objective involved two distinct phases. The first phase was the development, testing, and evaluation of a single degree-of-freedom rotary haptic display within the context of a multi-modal virtual environment. The second phase investigated human motor behavior while using the haptic-knob developed in phase-one.; The core research involved a Fitts' Law paradigm. Performance measures included movement time to complete the task as a function of the index of difficulty of the task, the type of haptic emulation provided during the task, as well as continuous versus intermittent visual feedback conditions. Movement profiles were also examined. The recorded motor behavior gave insight into the fundamental relationship between visual and haptic percepts. The results indicate that ambient damping forces over target areas resulted in the greatest performance levels. On the other hand, haptic emulations using detent profiles resulted in the lowest performance levels. The benefit of using haptic feedback was more pronounced under intermittent versus continuous visual feedback conditions. Emergent principles and guidelines for the implementation of haptic displays were established based on performance.