Skip to main content

Improving Mouse Navigation — A Walk through the “Hilly Screen Landscape”

  • Conference paper
  • First Online:
Interactive Systems:Design, Specification, and Verification (DSV-IS 2002)

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((LNCS,volume 2545))

Abstract

During computer interaction much time is spent navigating the graphical user interface to find and invoke functions through interface controls. If this navigation process could be optimised, users would spend less time searching for and navigating to interface controls. This paper presents a walk through an ongoing research project aimed at developing and assessing a navigation support module for mouse based interaction, which enhances standard screen pointer behaviour with position context sensitive functionality - creating a “hilly screen landscape”. The main hypothesis of this work is that a context sensitive screen pointer prevents navigation to and selection of erroneous and inappropriate interface controls, decreases pointing and selection times and contributes to increased overall usability of the application. A description of the navigation support module and hypothetical situations where such a module could prove to be useful are provided together with major implementation and evaluation issues of the project.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 39.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  1. Accot, J. and Zhai, S. (1999): Performance Evaluation of Input Devices in Trajectory-based Tasks: An Application of The Steering Law. In Conference Proceedings: Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, ACM Press, pp. 466–472.

    Google Scholar 

  2. Akamatsu, M. and MacKenzie, I.S. (1996): Movement Characteristics Using a Mouse With Tactile and Force Feedback. International Journal of Human-Computer Studies (45), pp. 483–493.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Arsenault, R. and Ware, C. (2000): Eye-Hand Co-ordination with Force Feedback. In CHI 2000 Conference Proceedings: Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, ACM Press, pp. 408–414.

    Google Scholar 

  4. Campbell, C., Zhai, S., May, K. and Maglio, P. (1999): What You Feel Must Be What You See: Adding Tactile Feedback to the Trackpoint. In Human-Computer Interaction-Proceedings of INTERACT’ 99, IOS Press, pp. 383–390.

    Google Scholar 

  5. Cooper, A.(1999): The Inmates Are Running the Asylum: Why High Tech Products Drive Us Crazy and How To Restore The Sanity, Indianapolis, Indiana, SAMS.

    Google Scholar 

  6. Dennerlein, J. T., Martin, D. B. and Hasser, C. (2000): Force-Feedback Improves Performance For Steering and Combined Steering-Targeting Tasks. In CHI 2000 Conference Proceedings: Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, ACM Press, pp. 423–429.

    Google Scholar 

  7. Fraser, J. and Gutwin, C. (2000): A Framework of Assisive Pointers for Low Vision Users. Fourth Annual ACM Conference on Assistive Technologies (ASSETS 2000), ACM Press, pp. 9–16.

    Google Scholar 

  8. http://www.immersion.com

  9. http://java.sun.com

  10. http://java.sun.com/products/java-media/3D/index.html

  11. MacKenzie, I. S. (1995): Input Devices and Interaction Techniques for Advanced Computing. In Virtual environments and Advanced Interface Design, pp. 437–470, Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK.

    Google Scholar 

  12. Miller, T. and Zeleznik, R. (1998): An Insidious Haptic Invasion: Adding Force Feedback to the X Desktop. In proceedings of the 11th annual ACM symposium on User Interface Software and Technology, ACM Press, pp. 59–64.

    Google Scholar 

  13. Mithal, A.K. and Douglas, S.A. (1996): Differences in Movement Microstructure of the Mouse and the Finger-Controlled Isometric Joystic. In CHI 1996 Conference Proceedings: Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, ACM Press, pp. 300–307.

    Google Scholar 

  14. Oakley, I., McGee, M. R., Brewster, S., and Gray, P. (2000): Putting the Feel in “Look and Feel”. In CHI 2000 Conference Proceedings: Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, ACM Press, pp. 415–422.

    Google Scholar 

  15. http://www.sensable.com

  16. Trewin, S. (1996): A Study of Input Device Manipulation Difficulties. 2nd ACM/SIGCAPH Conference on Assistive Technologies, ACM Press, pp. 15–22.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2002 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

About this paper

Cite this paper

Ahlström, D., Hitz, M., Leitner, G. (2002). Improving Mouse Navigation — A Walk through the “Hilly Screen Landscape”. In: Forbrig, P., Limbourg, Q., Vanderdonckt, J., Urban, B. (eds) Interactive Systems:Design, Specification, and Verification. DSV-IS 2002. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 2545. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-36235-5_14

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-36235-5_14

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-540-00266-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-540-36235-7

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics