Effects of Type and Strength of Force Feedback on the Path of Movement in a Target Selection Task

摘要

New flight deck technologies being developed under the proposed NextGen National Airspace System will require precise and efficient input from flight crews. The benefits of force feedback for these types of inputs in terms of a reduction in overall movement times have been shown in the past; however, an important component of input efficiency is the path taken by the cursor. The present study investigates the effects of multiple levels of two types of force feedback (gravitational and spring forces) on the path of movement for a target selection task. Mean square error from an ideal straight line path and cursor speeds in terms of the distance from the target were measured. Results suggest that increasing the gravitational force has an effect on path error at short distances and produces higher cursor speeds as the target is approached.