Handheld Electronic Devices

Abstract

From PDAs to cell phones to MP3 players, handheld electronic devices are ubiquitous.Human factors engineers and designers have a need to remain informed about advances in research on user interface design for this class of devices. This review provides human factors research summaries and research-based guidelines for the design of handheld devices. The major topics include anthropometry (fitting the device to the hand), input (types of device control and methods for data entry), output (display design), interaction design (one-handed use, scrolling, menu design, image manipulation, and using the mobile Web), and data sharing (among users, devices, and networks). Thus, this review covers the key aspects of the design of handheld devices, from the design of the physical form of the device through its hardware and software, including its behavior in networks.

Table of Contents

Abstract2

Introduction4

Literature Survey6

Personal Digital Assistants6

Mobile Phones7

The Problem10

The Solution11

The Result13

End Notes14

Handheld Electronic Devices

Introduction

The past decade has seen an increasing proliferation of handheld electronic devices and mobile services, and this will certainly continue into the future. In this review we address recent research and design trends related to this challenging product class. We first address the design goal of ensuring a good fit between the shape of a handheld device and users' hands. The input section addresses the methods by which users control devices and enter data through the use of buttons, touch screens, speech, or more exotic methods (for example, tilt and acceleration sensors).

After discussing the parallel challenges of designing displays, we discuss interaction design, addressing fundamental tasks that involve both input and output, such as designing for one-handed use, scrolling, menu design, image manipulation, and using the mobile Web. Finally, few modern handheld devices exist in isolation. Handheld devices are especially vulnerable to theft and damage, and the resulting loss of data can range from annoying to catastrophic, making it critical to have easy methods for synchronizing data among multiple devices. Indeed, these small devices present many significant human factors challenges.

Practitioners can find some design-relevant information for handheld devices in published tables of anthropometric dimensions. For example, Buchholz and Armstrong (1991) collected anthropometric data for the surface of the hand and modeled the resulting anthropometry as a function of gross hand measurements. Eksioglu (2004) investigated maximum voluntary isometric grip forces, electromyography (EMG), and subjective ratings for optimum grip spans.

Zhang, Braido, and Lee (2005) provided a three-dimensional model of thumb circumduction range of motion. Published tables, however, might not include every dimension for a specific body part in the orientation necessary for the design of a specific device. In that case, there might be a need to collect anthropometric data from a sample of users drawn from the target population. Standard mechanical measuring tools are available for collecting such data (Courtney & Davies, 1979), but this collection method can be time consuming. A more efficient measurement technique is to use laser-based tools that rapidly collect physical dimensions over a wide range of orientations and postures.

These tools use optical methods that can acquire data from ...