Reshaping Interaction with Rotary Knobs: Combining Form, Feel and Function

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This paper presents an evaluation of DynaKnob: a dynamic rotary knob that uses the relationship between physical shape and haptic force feedback to provide feedback about its functionality. It has the ability to morph into four distinct shapes whilst providing dynamic haptic force feedback. We explore how shape change and haptic force feedback can improve interactions by evaluating the DynaKnob in terms of usability, user experience and performance. Additionally, we look at how interaction techniques are influenced by these modalities. Results indicate that multimodal cues provided by haptic force feedback and different shapes did not improve usability, since the visual feedback provided by the GUI dominated the evaluated context. However, both modalities had a positive effect on the user experience, and showed potential to improve the performance in terms of accuracy for non-visual interaction.