Evaluating a Gaze-Controlled Navigation Interface: A User-Centered Approach

The design and acceptability of new products are essential factors in their development, particularly for assistive devices that users rely on for everyday tasks. Gathering user feedback is vital to ensuring that these devices are intuitive, simple to use, and not overwhelming. This study involved 19 participants who tested a newly developed gaze-controlled interface, navigated through predefined paths, and completed questionnaires. This study involved two predefined paths, with participants navigating the first path twice before proceeding to the second path. On average, participants reported low mental, physical, and temporal demands. While younger participants finished the tasks more quickly, participants over the age of 50 showed notable improvement in performance during the second round, likely due to greater familiarity with the system, suggesting that the interface is easy to learn. Furthermore, a significant correlation was found between lap completion time and self-reported mental demand (r = 0.609, p = 0.007), indicating a connection between task performance and perceived cognitive load. These results emphasize the importance of designing assistive technology that is accessible and effective for users of varying ages and abilities.