Haptic force-feedback devices for the office computer: Performance and musculoskeletal loading issues

Pointing devices, essential input tools for the graphical user interface (G UI) of desktop computers, require precise motor control and dexterity to us e. Haptic force-feedback devices provide the human operator with tactile cu es, adding the sense of touch to existing visual and auditory interfaces. H owever, the performance enhancements, comfort, and possible musculoskeletal loading of using a force-feedback device in an office environment are unkn own. Hypothesizing that the time to perform a task and the self-reported pa in and discomfort of the task improve with the addition of force feedback, 26 people ranging in age from 22 to 44 years performed a point-and-click ta sk 540 times with and without an attractive force field surrounding the des ired target. The point-and-click movements were approximately 25% faster wi th the addition of force feedback (paired t-tests, p < 0.001). Perceived us er discomfort and pain, as measured through a questionnaire, were also smal ler with the addition of force feedback (p < 0.001). However, this differen ce decreased as additional distracting force fields were added to the task environment, simulating a more realistic work situation. These results sugg est that for a given task, use of a force-feedback device improves performa nce, and potentially reduces musculoskeletal loading during mouse use. Actu al or potential applications of this research include human-computer interf ace design, specifically that of the pointing device extensively used for t he graphical user interface.