Design 5: I/O Devices

Objectives

By the end of class you will be able to…• Select appropriate input and output

devices for a given application and justify your choice

• Critique the design & appropriateness of interface devices

• Design custom I/O devices.

What type of input would you use for a…

• Text messaging on a cell phone or PDA

• Tennis computer - to record the current score and final score for each game / set / match

• Toddler’s math video game

• 3D computer aided design system

• Urban planning system

Entering text on small devices

Spatial Input - 2DWhich are direct? Which are indirect?

Spatial Input - 3D

Gesture

Eyegaze

Tangible InterfacesBeat Blocks http://www.jeffhoefs.com/index.php?page=beatblocks

Designers’ Outposthttp://guir.berkeley.edu/projects/outpost/

Illuminating Clayhttp://tangible.media.mit.edu/projects/illuminatingclay/

What form of output would you use to…

• Indicate your current spatial location in a video game

• Indicate to a security guard that an unauthorized person attempted access to a secured room

• Notify desktop user that they have a new email message (when mail is minimized)

• Notify intensive care nurse of a patient’s low heart rate

• Allow 4 children to play a video game together

Output methods

• Digital Screen / graphics

• Sound

• Simple output (LED, buzzer, etc)

• Others…

Heads up display

Tank Pressure

Depth

Stereo and Virtual Reality

Large screen & tabletop displays

From Petra Isenberg (U of Calgary)

Factors influencing I/O Design

• User characteristics (dexterity, preference)• Ergonomics (position of user, other

equipment, RSI)• Task properties (parallel tasks, need for

efficiency, need for accuracy, time user will spend on system)

• Environment (robustness, space constraints)

Evaluate the I / O

Key Points: Factors influencing I/O Design

• User characteristics (dexterity, preference)• Ergonomics (position of user, other

equipment, RSI)• Task properties (parallel tasks, need for

efficiency, need for accuracy, time user will spend on system)

• Environment (robustness, space constraints)