Digitizing Buttons: A Comparison of Digital Input Modalities to Replace Physical Buttons in Truck Cockpits

Abstract: Commercial vehicle cockpits are, due to a high number of control elements, complex workplaces. To simplify the interaction, fewer buttons could only present currently relevant functions, which requires dynamic and therefore digital input modalities. While such modalities exist, their fitness for use in commercial vehicles has to be proven and compared. For this, a user study with N = 23 truck drivers was conducted to evaluate three potential hardware approaches with regards to operating safety and user acceptance. Results indicate minor differences in operating safety and none in acceptance ratings for buttons with display strip, buttons with integrated displays and a touchscreen with haptic feedback.

Keywords: Human Machine Interaction, Human Factors, Digital Control Elements, Input Modality, Haptic Feedback, Commercial Vehicles, Trucks, Driving Workplace

DOI: 10.54941/ahfe1002429

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