The Role of Haptics in User Input for People with Motor and Cognitive Impairments.

Most input devices, also traditional ones like keyboard and mouse involve at least a certain amount of haptic experience. For instance, they require direct physical contact between user and device and provide direct haptic feedback (e.g., through the physical resistance of a key). However, in the past years, also touchless input devices and techniques gained broader attention as they e.g., allow for a restriction of physical boundaries that limit the possible range of user input activities. This paper discusses the role of haptics in user input with a particular focus on the needs of people with impairments and presents the results of a study comparing three input devices, each involving a different amount of haptic experience.