A Design Framework and Its Applications for Tangible Panel Display

Various information displays are becoming available for implementing new kinds of human computer interaction (HCI) methods. Among many types and models, touch panel displays have been used in wide range of applications and are proven to be a useful infrastructure for creating intuitive HCI. In spite of their popularity, there are some weak points. The most serious drawback is their hardness to operate especially for the weak in information technology such as elderly and blind users. A tactile feedback function has a potential ability for enabling them to make full use of the devices. We propose an approach for effectively designing user-friendly HCI based on the tactile feedback. We exemplify our approach through the design and development of a few practical applications, an electronic voting system and a disaster information exploration system. The applications are targeted at supporting the weak, but the touch interactions quite are useful for general public for improving the stability and the degree of satisfaction in operations. These systems use a touch panel haptic display for helping the users to operate with straightforward touch sensations. It allows them to easily confirm, select, and activate their desired functions. We also conducted some evaluations to verify the effectiveness of the proposed framework.