Physiology and sensorial based quantification of human-object interaction - the QOSI matrix

Abstract

This paper addresses the need to quantify human-object interactions in order to get insights into the sensorial variables influencing the actual user-experiences in interaction and human centered design. The resulting framework is generally applicable and allows the exploration of more fundamental human-object interaction relationships, including better benchmarking and comparison of alternative design options and the development of controlled experimental setups. We approach the problem of capturing human-object interactions from a sensorial perspective. Based on the functioning of the five human sensory systems (visual, auditory, somatosensory, gustatory, and olfactory), we distil 21 quantifiable and measurable input dimensions, which may come into play when a person interacts with an object. The resulting Quantified Object Sensation Input (QOSI) matrix gives the possibility to very specifically and precisely quantify and describe any human-object interaction based on the sensorial information it delivers. The matrix allows comparing different human-object interactions in a standardized and generally applicable manner, even if the objects have fundamentally different properties.