|
|
|
|
 |
|
Spring 2004, Volume 3, Number 1, Pages 36-48
|
|
|
|
|
Table of contents Previous Full text Next PDF
|
|
|
|
| Original Article |
|
| Feel the information with VisPad: a large area vibrotactile device |
|
| Doanna Weissgerber1, Bruce Bridgeman2 and Alex Pang1 |
|
1Computer Science, Computer Science Department, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA U.S.A.
2Psychology and Psychobiology, Psychology Department, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, U.S.A.
|
Correspondence to: Alex Pang, Computer Science, University of California, Computer Science Department, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, U.S.A. Tel: +1 831 459 2712; Fax: +1 831 459 4829; E-mail: pang@soe.ucsc.edu |
|
|
| Abstract |
| A new haptics design for visualizing data is constructed out of commodity massage pads and custom controllers and interfaces to a computer. It is an output device for information that can be transmitted to a user who sits on the pad. Two unique properties of the design are: (a) its large feedback area and (b) its passive nature, where unlike most current haptics devices, the user's hands are free to work on other things. To test how useful such a device is for visualizing data, we added the VisPad interface to our protein structure-alignment program (ProtAlign) and performed usability studies. The studies demonstrated that information could be perceived significantly faster utilizing our multi-modal presentation compared to vision-based graphical visualization alone.
Information Visualization (2004) 3, 36-48. doi:10.1057/palgrave.ivs.9500060 |
|
| Keywords |
| Haptics; usability study; bioinformatics; multi-modal; user interface |
| Received 13 July 2003; revised 15 October 2003; accepted 15 October 2003 |
|
|
Table of contents Previous Full text Next PDF
|
|
|
|
|
