ABSTRACT
This study examined the effect of force feedback on target acquisition in a simulated cockpit display of traffic information (CDTI) task, using a computer mouse and the Novint Falcon with and without force-feedback information. Participants were asked to select targets that varied in size, distance, and angular direction from the start location. Results showed significant differences between the movement times for the various input devices. Movement times with the mouse and the Falcon with force feedback were significantly faster than the Falcon without force feedback. Force feedback was found to reduce the effect of target size, but not the effect of target distance. Force feedback also produced faster movement times when the direction of movement was in two dimensions. The findings suggest that force feedback may be a useful method for assisting pilots in future CDTIs.
