An Application of Ballistic Movement Method for Evaluating the Effects of Movement Direction Using a Standard Mouse

Abstract

Most studies on the effect of movement direction utilized Fitts’ law; however, the use of Fitts’ law has a limitation of discriminating the extent to which properties of speed and accuracy contribute to the aiming movement time. Hence, this study aimed at utilizing the two ballistic movement models to separately assess speed and accuracy. Four participants performed ballistic movements with a standard computer mouse in eight radial directions. The measured movement time and two axes of end-point variability were analyzed using the two ballistic movement models. The results showed that two ballistic movement models accounted well for the measured data in various movement directions, and movement direction had certain effects on movement time, aiming-constant error, and aiming-variable error. Movements took the shortest times in the directions of 0° and 180°. Participants aimed targets with a counterclockwise angle when moving toward 90°, 135°, 180°, and 225°, and with a clockwise angle when moving toward 270°, 315°, 0°, and 45°. Aiming-variable errors were relatively smaller along cross axes, compared to those along diagonal axes. Ballistic movement models, compared to Fitts’ law, provided individual performance information of “speed” and “accuracy”, helping provide detail information for HCI designs.

Keywords: Ballistic Movement Method, Computer Mouse, Movement Direction, Input Device, Hand Control Movement

DOI: 10.54941/ahfe1001268