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Evaluating the utility of two gestural discomfort evaluation methods
Minseok Son1, Jaemoon Jung1, Woojin Park1
1Department of Industrial Engineering, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea.
Plos One
|April 20, 2017
Summary
This study validates two methods for assessing physical discomfort from designed gestures. Both the subjective rating method and the Rapid Upper Limb Assessment tool effectively predict discomfort from repetitive gesture use.
Area of Science:
- Human-Computer Interaction (HCI)
- Ergonomics
- Usability Engineering
Background:
- Evaluating physical discomfort in designed gestures is crucial for safe and usable gesture-based interaction systems.
- Existing methods for gestural discomfort evaluation lack extensive study and experimentally confirmed utility in HCI.
- Prolonged, repetitive gesture use can lead to physical discomfort and potential musculoskeletal issues.
Purpose of the Study:
- To empirically demonstrate the utility of the subjective rating method for evaluating gestural physical discomfort.
- To propose and demonstrate the utility of a gesture discomfort evaluation method based on the Rapid Upper Limb Assessment (RULA) tool.
- To provide interaction designers with validated tools for creating safer and more usable gesture-based systems.
Main Methods:
- Empirical validation of the subjective rating method using a maximum of four gesture repetitions.
- Application and validation of a novel gesture discomfort evaluation method derived from the Rapid Upper Limb Assessment (RULA) tool.
- Comparison of the proposed methods against a baseline method involving discomfort ratings after prolonged, repetitive gesture use.
Main Results:
- The subjective rating method, with minimal repetitions, showed good agreement with the baseline discomfort evaluation.
- The RULA-based method also demonstrated good agreement with the baseline, indicating its utility in predicting gestural discomfort.
- Both validated methods proved effective in predicting physical discomfort associated with prolonged, repetitive gesture use.
Conclusions:
- The subjective rating method and the RULA-based method are useful for predicting discomfort from repetitive gesture use.
- These validated methods can assist interaction designers in developing safer and more usable gesture-based interaction systems.
- Further research can build upon these findings to enhance the design and evaluation of gestural interfaces.
