Ergonomic Design with Virtual Applications

Lecture 8 Controls and Displays

Professor Keith Case School of Technology and Society University of Skvde Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering Loughborough University

The Human-Machine Interface

Controls and Displays in Train

Control Selection, Design & Use

Type of Control
Consider as extension of operators limb Use natural motion of arm, wrist, leg, ankle, foot, etc and avoid awkward postures or motions

Control Selection, Design & Use

Feedback
Provide feedback to indicate what is being accomplished by the control input

Resistance
Sufficient resistance to dampen spurious input, but not so much as to cause muscle fatigue or difficulty in maintaining operating position

Control Selection, Design & Use

Position
To give suitable posture for user population throughout the motion of the control (may need to consider dynamic interaction with other control movements)

Control Selection, Design & Use

Size and Shape
Compatible with operators hands, fingers or feet Implications of shoes or gloves Consider grip, inadvertent use and adequate clearance Shape compatible with control motion eg round knobs for rotation

Control Selection, Design & Use

Interface Surface
Depends on activity may be smooth so that position can be easily changed (eg mousepad), knurling for grip, etc

Control Selection, Design & Use

One/Two Handed Operation
Two hands give greater precision and force but may prevent the simultaneous use of another control

Hand vs Foot operated Controls

Hand Precise inputs Limited force Usually easier to see Foot Limited precision High force capability Usually cannot operation be seen during

Wide range of motions. eg push, pull, Few motions, eg push, press rotate and press and squeeze Two hands operations Sit/stand Rapid repetitive motions Extremely versatile finger motions performing different Similar operations Standing difficult Difficult and slow Use of toes impractical

This is a specific Fitts List

Control Selection Guide

The general principles outlined above can be used to generate specific controls (most of the following examples come from Woodsons Human Factors Design Handbook)

Control Selection Guide

Non-critical operations. Place within easy reach

Critical operations (panic buttons). Locate so that inadvertent operation is impossible

Use with hand controller to change control mode etc, multi-button keyboards, fire button, etc. Often thumb operated position accordingly

Finger or thumb operation

Control Selection Guide

Binary operation. eg on/off, start/stop. May be spring-loaded to return after giving a momentary reading. May use three position, but avoid four or more. Guard against accidental use.

Alternative to toggle switch may be illuminated. Do not mix toggle and rocker switches on same panel. 2-24 selections (channels, circuits, etc) to save space. Identify pointing end and provide mechanical detents.

Control Motion Stereotypes

Some control motions seem more natural due to: Musculo-skeletal configuration Handedness Habit etc. Where these are well-established it can be extremely dangerous to try to change them. e.g. all people would expect a car to turn right with a clockwise motion of the steering wheel

Control Motion Stereotypes

Other examples:

Control Motion Stereotypes

Pull knobs have a well-established direction of operation (conflicts with previous stereotypes) National conventions. eg UK light switches down/ON, US up/ON. Left is usually LOW/OFF and right HIGH/ON Rotary switches clockwise to increase value or ON Rotary switches used by the left hand should use anti-clockwise for increase in value !

Control Motion Stereotypes

Knowledge of the operating mechanics of a control may determine the motion

Control Motion Stereotypes

Location of the control in relation to the operator may affect perception of its use. Generally assume that it will be operated as if the operator is facing the panel

Keypads/Keyboards
Keypads have become stereotyped according to function without reference to human orientation. The QWERTY keyboard is an extreme example where engineering totally dominated human issues

Non-stereotypical Keyboards

Control and Display Direction of Motion Relationships

These are dominated by right-handed expectations and the perceived mechanical relationship. The left-handed arrangement is considered less desirable (as blind operation would almost certainly revert to righthanded expectation).

Expectation versus Appearance

Push buttons extending out of the panel to imply that it is to be depressed Pointer shaped controls imply positioning in discrete steps Circular knobs imply continuous value control. Serrations reinforce this perception Pull type knob (again serrations would imply that it should also be rotated) Rocker or toggle suggests a switch with two positions

Size and Shape

General principles maximise hand-control contact area where large forces are required, for precision control ensure that diameter is sufficient for all fingers and thumb. If space is limited use small diameter but longer controls.