Multi-Scale Cursor: Optimizing Mouse Interaction for Large Personal Workspaces

As increasingly large displays are integrated into personal workspaces, mouse-based interaction becomes more problematic. Users must repeatedly "clutch" the mouse for long distance movements [61]. The visibility of the cursor is also problematic in large screens, since the percentage of the screen space that the cursor takes from the whole display gets smaller. We test multi-scale approaches to mouse interaction that utilize dynamic speed and size techniques to grow the cursor larger and faster for long movements. Using Fitts' Law methods, we experimentally compare different implementations to optimize the mouse design for large displays and to test how they scale to large displays. We also compare them to techniques that integrate absolute pointing with head tracking. Results indicate that with some implementation level modifications the mouse device can scale well up to even a 100 megapixel display with lower mean movement times as compared to integrating absolute pointing techniques to mouse input while maintaining fast performance of the typical mouse configuration on small screens for short distance movements. Designs that have multiple acceleration levels and 4x maximum acceleration reduced average number of clutching to less than one per task in a 100 megapixel display. Dynamic size cursors statistically improve pointing performance. Results also indicated that dynamic speed transitions should be as smooth as possible without steps of more than 2x increase in speed.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Science

Level thesis:degree_level

masters

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Computer Science

Department dc:contributor.department

Computer Science

Grantor dc:publisher

Virginia Tech

Year dc:date.issued

2008

Author dc:creator

• Dasiyici, Mehmet Celal

Chair dc:contributor.committeechair

• North, Christopher L.

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Bowan, Douglas A.
• Quek, Francis K. H.

• Pointing
• large displays
• Fitts' law
• interaction techniques
• mouse cursor
• interaction styles
• multiple monitors
• high-resolution
• large tiled display
• user interface design
• user study
• multi scale cursor.

Statement dc:rights

• In Copyright

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Dc Identifier Other

etd-05132008-143411

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/32706