Can brain activity be used to evaluate the usability of smartphone devices?

Usability is a critical area of concern in the development of smartphone devices. In the present study, we aimed to determine whether changes in oxyhemoglobin concentration, as measured via functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), are associated with the usability of touchscreen devices. Our findings indicate that interface usability can be predicted based on brain activity, as measured via fNIRS. Thus, our results may aid in redefining usability based on objective measurements of brain activity.