Android application featuring variable vibration haptic feedback developed to provide a discreet fidget for use by adults in public spaces. Final project for Dr. Ben Lok’s Spring 2017 CAP5100 Human Computer Interaction course.
This project eventually led to a publication which can be found here.
Key Findings:
- There is no statistically significant impact on performance of any of the fidget tools tested – no fidget, spinner, virtual haptic spinner, mobile haptic fidget.
- Overall, users preferred the mobile fidgets over the traditional fidget spinner or no fidget.
- Fidgeting appears to neither help nor harm task performance (in this case, a visual search task). Therefore, to the extent that fidgeting provides emotional relief or security, fidgeting can be supported without concern for performance.
Future work will investigate distraction effects in group settings.