Skill evaluation in point-to-point human-machine operation

Point-to-point reaching manual actions are present in numerous human-machine tasks. This is due to the fact that machines are commonly handled by a human operator through simple multiple interfaces. Therefore, task-performance evaluation methods based on extending the Fitts' law can be used as a skill estimator for the resulting human-machine system. This paper proposes a methodology for qualifying operator skill in point-to-point (p-t-p) man-machine operations, based on several task-performance index evaluation criteria. A 2-D real-time setup was built for the execution and evaluation of the p-t-p tracking experiences over a predefined process dynamics, using a pen tablet as the human-machine interface device. The analysis from the collected data reveals a correlation between operator performance and the fitting error to Fitts' law. © (2013) Trans Tech Publications, Switzerland.