User performance with trackball-mice

Trackball-mice are devices that include both a trackball and a mouse. In this paper we discuss our experiences in building and testing trackball-mouse prototypes. We report four experiments on user performance with the prototypes used as trackball-mice, conventional mice, and in two-handed configuration with a separate trackball for the non-dominant hand. The results show that user performance with the two-handed configuration was better than in one-handed operation of a trackball-mouse and in one-handed operation of a mouse. Trackball-mouse use and conventional mouse use were more evenly matched. However, Trackball-mouse operation involves a skill that most users do not have whereas mouse operation is familiar to most. Therefore, widespread introduction of trackball-mice does not appear to be justified on performance grounds alone. However, trackball-mice can be used as regular mice by ignoring the ball. This makes them compatible with traditional graphical user interfaces while offering two extra degrees of freedom in tasks where they are beneficial.

[1]  Abigail Sellen,et al.  Two-handed input in a compound task , 1994, CHI Conference Companion.

[2]  S.D.P. Harker,et al.  The development of ISO DIS 9241 Part 2: visual display terminals (VDTs) used for office tasks-ergonomic requirements. 2. Task requirements , 1989 .

[3]  W. Buxton,et al.  A study in two-handed input , 1986, CHI '86.

[4]  Ravin Balakrishnan,et al.  The PadMouse: facilitating selection and spatial positioning for the non-dominant hand , 1998, CHI.

[5]  Stéphane Chatty,et al.  Extending a graphical toolkit for two-handed interaction , 1994, UIST '94.

[6]  Edward Cutrell,et al.  Quantitative analysis of scrolling techniques , 2002, CHI.

[7]  Shumin Zhai,et al.  Manual and cognitive benefits of two-handed input: an experimental study , 1998, TCHI.

[8]  P. Fitts.  The information capacity of the human motor system in controlling the amplitude of movement. , 1954, Journal of experimental psychology.

[9]  Mike Sinclair,et al.  Interaction and modeling techniques for desktop two-handed input , 1998, UIST '98.

[10]  Shumin Zhai,et al.  Refining Fitts' law models for bivariate pointing , 2003, CHI '03.

[11]  Myron W. Krueger,et al.  VIDEOPLACE—an artificial reality , 1985, CHI '85.

[12]  H. Zelaznik,et al.  Motor-output variability: a theory for the accuracy of rapid motor acts. , 1979, Psychological review.

[13]  Shumin Zhai,et al.  Improving Browsing Performance: A study of four input devices for scrolling and pointing tasks , 1997, INTERACT.

[14]  Shumin Zhai,et al.  Characterizing computer input with Fitts' law parameters-the information and non-information aspects of pointing , 2004, Int. J. Hum. Comput. Stud..

[15]  J I Todor,et al.  Handedness and hemispheric asymmetry in the control of movements. , 1978, Journal of motor behavior.

[16]  Ravin Balakrishnan,et al.  Symmetric bimanual interaction , 2000, CHI.

[17]  Sarah A. Douglas,et al.  Testing pointing device performance and user assessment with the ISO 9241, Part 9 standard , 1999, CHI '99.

[18]  K. Flowers,et al.  Handedness and controlled movement. , 1975, British journal of psychology.

[19]  Joëlle Coutaz,et al.  A design space for multimodal systems: concurrent processing and data fusion , 1993, INTERCHI.

[20]  I. Scott MacKenzie,et al.  Fitts' Law as a Research and Design Tool in Human-Computer Interaction , 1992, Hum. Comput. Interact..

[21]  I. Scott MacKenzie,et al.  Extending Fitts' law to two-dimensional tasks , 1992, CHI.

[22]  Roope Raisamo,et al.  TrackMouse: a new solution for 2+2D interactions , 2004, NordiCHI '04.

[23]  Myron W. Krueger,et al.  Artificial reality II , 1991 .

[24]  Ivan E. Sutherland,et al.  Sketchpad: a man-machine graphical communication system , 1899, AFIPS '63 (Spring).

[25]  Hanqi Zhuang,et al.  Simultaneous rotation and translation fitting of two 3-D point sets , 1997, IEEE Trans. Syst. Man Cybern. Part B.

[26]  Michael Westergaard,et al.  Supporting Multiple Pointing Devices in Microsoft Windows , 2002 .

[27]  George W. Fitzmaurice,et al.  The Rockin'Mouse: integral 3D manipulation on a plane , 1997, CHI.

[28]  Y. Guiard.  Asymmetric division of labor in human skilled bimanual action: the kinematic chain as a model. , 1987, Journal of motor behavior.

[29]  I. Scott MacKenzie,et al.  Towards a standard for pointing device evaluation, perspectives on 27 years of Fitts' law research in HCI , 2004, Int. J. Hum. Comput. Stud..

[30]  Abigail Sellen,et al.  Two-handed input in a compound task , 1994, CHI 1994.

[31]  Yves Guiard,et al.  Evaluating two-handed input techniques: rectangle editing and navigation , 1999, CHI EA '99.

[32]  Jo W. Tombaugh,et al.  Measuring the true cost of command selection: techniques and results , 1990, CHI '90.

[33]  Charles L. A. Clarke,et al.  Bimanual and unimanual image alignment: an evaluation of mouse-based techniques , 2005, UIST '05.

[34]  J. Annett,et al.  The Control of Movement in the Preferred and Non-Preferred Hands* , 1979, The Quarterly journal of experimental psychology.

[35]  Charles L. A. Clarke,et al.  symSpline: symmetric two-handed spline manipulation , 2006, CHI.