Automatic Adjustment of Mouse Settings to Improve Pointing Performance.

Area of Science:

• Assistive Technology
• Human-Computer Interaction
• Rehabilitation Engineering

Background:

• Computer accessibility is crucial for individuals with physical impairments.
• Standard mouse settings often do not meet the unique needs of users with upper extremity impairments.
• Optimizing pointing device configuration can enhance computer usability and user productivity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a software tool for automatic configuration of mouse and pointing devices.
• To improve computer task productivity and user comfort for individuals with physical impairments.
• To personalize Windows mouse settings based on individual user activity and needs.

Main Methods:

• Development of a prototype software tool to monitor user activity during computer tasks.
• Recommendation of personalized Windows mouse settings based on monitored user performance.
• Evaluation of the software with twelve individuals with upper extremity impairments.

Main Results:

• Recommended mouse settings significantly improved pointing performance in users with upper extremity impairments.
• A significant improvement was observed in trial time, entries, and error-free trials at the 0.05 significance level.
• Average trial time decreased by 29.3% with the software-recommended settings, indicating a strong positive effect.

Conclusions:

• The developed software effectively determines appropriate mouse settings for individuals with physical impairments.
• Personalized mouse configurations lead to significant enhancements in pointing performance and computer task efficiency.
• This adaptive software holds potential for improving computer accessibility and user experience for a diverse range of users.