Brendan Corbett’s research while affiliated with North Carolina State University and other places

Previous research has not fully examined the effect of additional sensory feedback, particularly delivered through the haptic modality, in pointing task performance with visual distractions. This study examined the effect of haptic feedback and visual distraction on pointing task performance in a 3D virtual environment. Results indicate a strong positive effect of haptic feedback on performance in terms of task time and root-mean square error of motion. Level of similarity between distractor objects and the target object significantly reduced performance, and subjective ratings indicated a sense of increased task difficulty as similarity increased. Participants produced the best performance in trials where distractor objects had a different color but the same shape as the target object and constant haptic assistive feedback was provided. Overall, this study provides insight towards the effect of object features and similarity and the effect of haptic feedback on pointing task performance.

White-on-blue logo signs on the sides of highways are typically used to notify drivers of food, gas, and lodging at an upcoming interchange. The current research assessed driver performance and attention allocation in a simulated freeway driving task when exposed to six-panel logo signs, nine-panel logo signs, mileage guide signs, and roadway work zones both with and without an in-car navigation device. The objective was to identify the impact of signage types on driver behavior under realistic driving conditions. Results revealed glance durations and fixation frequencies to guide signs to be significantly lower than with six-panel and nine-panel logo signs, but no differences were found between six-panel and nine-panel logo signs. There were also statistical differences among the independent variables for speed deviation and lane deviation, but magnitudes were not large enough to be considered practically significant in terms of driving safety. Overall, there were minor differences in sign processing time between logo signs and mileage guide signs, but such differences did not translate to degradations in vehicle control.

To gain a better view of the value of haptic feedback, human performance and preference in a pointing style task in a three-dimensional virtual environment was explored. Vibration and haptic attractive force were selected as two simple cases of feedback, each with two levels. These types of feedback were compared to a no-feedback condition to better understand how human performance changes under these conditions. The study included 8 undergraduate students. A Novint Falcon haptic controller was used in a simulated three-dimensional virtual environment. Analysis was conducted on how each type of feedback effects the movement time (MT) of users. The results showed that vibration was perceived negatively and had a slight negative impact on performance. The haptic attractive force significantly improved performance and was strongly preferred by subjects.