Importance of Anthropometry for Designing User-Friendly Devices: Mobile Phones

Shruti Jain

doi:10.4172/2165-7556.1000109

Abstract

Hand-size variations and users’ satisfaction of mobiles were investigated using anthropometric techniques and structured questionnaire interviews on 160 adult males. A total of 20 hand measurements and mobile phone dimensions were recorded. Special emphasis was given on keypad design factors, which include: key size, shape, layout, texture, simplicity and space between keys. Factor analysis was performed on both the hands separately since significant difference was found in hand dimensions when T-test was applied. Amongst various factors hand length, hand breadth, palm length, index finger length, middle finger length, thumb length, and thumb circumference were found to affect the users’ grip of mobile handset. One of the recommended improvements is to have larger keys with more space between them for those with large hand-size. The results obtained can be used by mobile phone designers to design user-friendly mobile handsets; for example, mobile phones that suit users with larger hands and thumbs, especially males and the elderly.

Highlights

With the advent of new technology the way of communication has evolved many folds-from pigeons as a way of communication through post/telegraph/telephone to wireless contact that gave rise to mobile phones
Significant difference at 1% level was found in hand length, for the hand measurements of the right and left hand, the factor analysis was done separately
The approximate chi-square statistic was significant at 0.05 level and value of KMO statistic was larger than 0.5, factor analysis was considered as an appropriate technique for analyzing the correlation matrix

Summary

Introduction

With the advent of new technology the way of communication has evolved many folds-from pigeons as a way of communication through post/telegraph/telephone to wireless contact that gave rise to mobile phones. Mobile phones are long range, portable and wireless electronic device of communication. There is no doubt that the mobile phones have made the life more easy, fast and comfortable. Everyone is in touch with their near and dear ones and with the outside world. They proved to be a big help as life savers in emergencies. They are being increasingly used as light terminals to access the internet. The cell phone or mobile phone is such a standard part of everybody’s life today that one cannot imagine what life was like before it was invented

Methods

Results

Conclusion