Human Factors Criteria - Interface Characteristics and Function Allocation
A. Interface Characteristics: The user interface is built to be very simple. It uses a white back ground with various colors to increase the aesthetic. We incorporated simple instructors into the text to guide the user along. Also, in case they get stuck or make a mistake, they can always hit the 'Back' button to go to the previous screen (which incorporates forgiveness). Also, with many of the buttons we integrated pictorial representation (such a picture of the world to choose which continent you want to travel to). The VR gloves lend them selves to be worn as the are shaped like regular gloves that a hand would fit into, thus implying implicit knowledge in the world. The same could be said of the walking track pad, which moves very slightly forward when you step onto it.
B. Function Allocation: The design of the virtual reality simulator incorporates many design principles. Generally, the simulator aims for a high accessibility by having a touch screen interface that is easy to operate as well as a microphone to pick up spoken commands as well as a speaker system so that the user gets audio feedback. This high accessibility is needed because the simulator will be operated by a wide range of users including groups that might not have a lot of technological experience such as young children (age restriction is 10 years) and older individuals. The touch screen interface is very similar to the touchscreen on related systems such as smartphones or tablets. Consequently, these related systems function as advanced organizers for the operation of the simulator because most of the users of the simulator can be expected to have prior experience with the operation of these devices.
The process along which the user sets up the simulator involves steps such as choosing a virtual location, determining a time period for the location and entering the age for assurance that the user is eligible to visit the chosen location. These different steps are all presented to the user screen per screen and not all at once in order to ensure progressive disclosure. More specifically, this means that in order to not overwhelm the user with information, he or she is only confronted with a limited amount of information at a time. Another design principle that is incorporated into the process of setting up the simulator is confirmation. There are confirmation screens after every selection and after the user makes all the choices, a final screen appears that gives the user the option to review all the selections that he or she made. This screen is used to reduce the number of slips by requiring verification of the selections before performing them. Slips are defined as a type of human error in which the interpretation of the situation and the intention is correct but the wrong action is accidentally triggered. Relating this to setting up the simulator, an exemplary slip would be if the user selects another virtual destination than the one that he actually intended to select. Another example would be to choose an age-inappropriate virtual destination, such as if a ten year old child chooses a virtual destination out of the adventure/kids category. For this type of slip the simulator already compensates before the final screen by requiring the user to prove their entered age by holding any type of ID against the touchscreen. Even if the user doesn't catch his slip on the final screen and confirms his selection, it will be fairly easy for him to switch the virtual destination which argues for a high degree of forgiveness of the simulator meaning that the negative consequences of human errors are minimal.
Regarding function allocation, there are also some processes along the set-up process which occur automatically such as the turning on of the projectors, cameras weather simulator and the auditory and olfactory simulators. This is reasonable because referring to the Hick's Law, the system shouldn't confront the user with a huge amount of tasks and choices when setting up the simulation since this would result in a very long time that it takes to set up the simulator.
Concerning the actual simulation, the virtual reality simulator pursues the goal of bringing the user into immersion which is a state of mental focus so intensive that awareness of the real-world is lost and which results in a state of joy and satisfaction. The user sees holographs, hears sounds that would be related to where they are (such as seeing a waterfall, hearing tropical birds and rushing water, smelling a refreshing water scent and feeling cool air on their face). As with the redundancy of selection choices on the interface screen, these visual, auditory and tactile signals help with redundancy gain. As mentioned in the function analysis of the system, the simulator is also able to track the user's physical characteristics such as heartbeat, pulse and eye movements. When any of these physical characteristics are on the edge to be out of the normal range, a warning will appear on the screen to indicate this development to the user. Since this message is important, the simulation is stopped and the warning appears in capital red letters which relates to security coding. In order to continue the simulation, the user has to confirm that he is aware that any of his physical characteristics are on the edge of the normal range. However, if any of the physical characteristics are out of the normal range, the system automatically shuts down and there is no choice given to the user until they return to base levels.
B. Function Allocation: The design of the virtual reality simulator incorporates many design principles. Generally, the simulator aims for a high accessibility by having a touch screen interface that is easy to operate as well as a microphone to pick up spoken commands as well as a speaker system so that the user gets audio feedback. This high accessibility is needed because the simulator will be operated by a wide range of users including groups that might not have a lot of technological experience such as young children (age restriction is 10 years) and older individuals. The touch screen interface is very similar to the touchscreen on related systems such as smartphones or tablets. Consequently, these related systems function as advanced organizers for the operation of the simulator because most of the users of the simulator can be expected to have prior experience with the operation of these devices.
The process along which the user sets up the simulator involves steps such as choosing a virtual location, determining a time period for the location and entering the age for assurance that the user is eligible to visit the chosen location. These different steps are all presented to the user screen per screen and not all at once in order to ensure progressive disclosure. More specifically, this means that in order to not overwhelm the user with information, he or she is only confronted with a limited amount of information at a time. Another design principle that is incorporated into the process of setting up the simulator is confirmation. There are confirmation screens after every selection and after the user makes all the choices, a final screen appears that gives the user the option to review all the selections that he or she made. This screen is used to reduce the number of slips by requiring verification of the selections before performing them. Slips are defined as a type of human error in which the interpretation of the situation and the intention is correct but the wrong action is accidentally triggered. Relating this to setting up the simulator, an exemplary slip would be if the user selects another virtual destination than the one that he actually intended to select. Another example would be to choose an age-inappropriate virtual destination, such as if a ten year old child chooses a virtual destination out of the adventure/kids category. For this type of slip the simulator already compensates before the final screen by requiring the user to prove their entered age by holding any type of ID against the touchscreen. Even if the user doesn't catch his slip on the final screen and confirms his selection, it will be fairly easy for him to switch the virtual destination which argues for a high degree of forgiveness of the simulator meaning that the negative consequences of human errors are minimal.
Regarding function allocation, there are also some processes along the set-up process which occur automatically such as the turning on of the projectors, cameras weather simulator and the auditory and olfactory simulators. This is reasonable because referring to the Hick's Law, the system shouldn't confront the user with a huge amount of tasks and choices when setting up the simulation since this would result in a very long time that it takes to set up the simulator.
Concerning the actual simulation, the virtual reality simulator pursues the goal of bringing the user into immersion which is a state of mental focus so intensive that awareness of the real-world is lost and which results in a state of joy and satisfaction. The user sees holographs, hears sounds that would be related to where they are (such as seeing a waterfall, hearing tropical birds and rushing water, smelling a refreshing water scent and feeling cool air on their face). As with the redundancy of selection choices on the interface screen, these visual, auditory and tactile signals help with redundancy gain. As mentioned in the function analysis of the system, the simulator is also able to track the user's physical characteristics such as heartbeat, pulse and eye movements. When any of these physical characteristics are on the edge to be out of the normal range, a warning will appear on the screen to indicate this development to the user. Since this message is important, the simulation is stopped and the warning appears in capital red letters which relates to security coding. In order to continue the simulation, the user has to confirm that he is aware that any of his physical characteristics are on the edge of the normal range. However, if any of the physical characteristics are out of the normal range, the system automatically shuts down and there is no choice given to the user until they return to base levels.