DTUI Booksite Project 16: Device Speed and Accuracy Experiment [Project 15] [Projects Menu] [Project 17]

Introduction

Goals

The object is for the user to point to this pattern using a simple cross-hair cursor, as closely to the center as possible, and signal completion of the task by pressing a button. Once the user has pressed the button, the pattern should be moved to a random location, and the task is repeated.

The overall task is to judge which of several input pointing devices is the fastest and/or most accurate to use. Speed is to be judged by the ratio of the number of pixels the user must move the cursor and the time it takes to move the cursor. Accuracy is to be judged by a point system for placing the cursor inside one of the color circles of the target at the time the signal button is pressed.

You are to develop statistics for this experiment using at least three of the following devices: touch screen, mouse, touch tablet, joystick, trackball. You should conduct 50 trials for each device, in groups of 10 (i.e. do not perform more than 10 trials for a single device in a row).

Before conducting the experiments, form hypotheses about how the set of selected devices will do in these tests. List your hypotheses as tables showing the ranked order of the devices.

In addition to testing this system on yourself, enlist at least 2 friends not enrolled in this course. Perform statistical analyses on the results (as discussed in class).

Submissions

The source code for the experimental system.

• A description of your hypotheses.
• Tables showing the raw data you have collected.
• Appropriately displayed statistical analyses of the data using MS Excel.
• A report with your findings using MS Word.

Please send comments and suggestions to the Booksite Director Last Updated: 12 March 2000