Tactual Coding of Cylindrical Knobs

Abstract

Tactual coding of knobs by use of bizarre shapes is frequently achieved at the expense of manipulability and setting precision, which appear, in many cases, to be optimal when knobs are cyclindrical. In order to be able to maximize both discriminability and manipulability, certain parameters of cylindrical knobs were investigated as bases for tactual coding. Rim surface, diameter and thickness were all found to be useful for this purpose. When feeling one of two knobs whose pictures were before them, subjects rarely (less than 1% of the time) identified the wrong picture as the felt knob in any of the following situations: diameters differ by 1/2 inch or more, thicknesses differ by 3/8 inch or more, rim surfaces belong to different ones of the three families: smooth, fluted, knurled.