Digitizer Tablets in Command and Control Applications: The Effects of Control-Display Gain and Method of Cursor Control.

A touch tablet also called a graphics, digitizing, or data tablet is a device used to input data in graphic display systems. It consists of a flat tablet or panel which is typically placed in front of and below the display. The user touches the tablet with either a stylus or with his or her finger, and the coordinate values of that location on the tablet are translated into a corresponding place on the display, usually represented by a cursor. Touch tablets are often classified as locator input devices, because they provide information about the users orientation in a conceptual drawing space. Touch tablets may be effectively used for several types of tasks. A touch tablet is virtually the only input device which may be used for drafting or hardcopy data entry, freehand sketching , or producing a three-dimensional picture. Touch tablets are also appropriate in situations in which the user is required to select or point to an item from an array or menu. Because of their inherent graphic nature, touch sensitive devices are slow when they are used for data entry. The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of control-display gain, target size, and method of cursor control on target selection performance with a touch tablet.