Vision and Haptics in the Design of Car Interiors
Poster Presentation

Diane Humphrey
Psychology, King's University College at The University of Western Ontario

Jonah Humphrey
Architecture, University of Waterloo

     Abstract ID Number: 85
     Full text: Not available
     Last modified: May 30, 2007
     Presentation date: 07/07/2007 10:00 AM in Quad Maclauren Hall
     (View Schedule)

Abstract
Car interiors afford opportunities for the study of multisensory perception. In particular, an enactive view of perception (Noe, 2004) suggests that visual experience depends on active movement in the environment. In the case of the car interior as an example of personal space (Cutting, 1997) reaching and manual manipulation should influence how instrument panels are perceived visually. Because the instrument panel is frequently used while attention is predominantly on the road ahead, multisensory processing would be an important part of relevant tasks. Thus, the design of a car instrument panel should countenance more than visual aspects. The present study examines designs by architecture students and others of car instrument panels. Designs will be compared to drawings from memory of the instrument panel of their own car. Previously (Humphrey, 2006) it was found that memory for instrument panels, as revealed in drawings is first, impressively bad, and secondly, shows the best memory for features that are manipulated haptically by the driver. We predict that memory for manipulated features will be better than memory for other features. Designs, on the other hand, will not address haptic memory, but rather, show preference for visual aesthetics, such as symmetry, as in existing designs.