Tactile feedback in a computer mouse

The effectiveness of tactile feedback is studied in conveying screen information to the user is studied. An existing mouse design was modified to include a piezoelectric transducer which presents vibrations to the tip of the index finger when the cursor arrives at a screen target. To test the hypothesis that tactile feedback would effect a more efficient use of the mouse, a preliminary study was undertaken using a computer program which sequentially places targets randomly about the screen, with targets being assigned either tactile feedback or no feedback. One group in the study operated under conditions of normal visibility while a second group operated under conditions of reduced visibility. The results, with 2470 trials and 19 subjects indicate that, under conditions of reduced visibility, tactile feedback decreases response time by 0.10 seconds. It is concluded that despite this modest time gain, tactile feedback promises to be a useful modality for conveying screen information, especially in cases of visual impairment