Evaluation of input control type and screen view orientation for a hand-held radiation detector

Current radiation detectors are unwieldy, heavy, difficult to use and thus are not ergonomically designed. Easily usable control mechanisms are imperative for comfort, usability and accuracy for hand-held tools such as radiation detectors. A study, employing participants, examined the usability, design, and comfort of different handle designs and control mechanisms The purpose was to evaluate the prototypes for the main effects of control mechanism type, control orientation and word orientation on performance time. According to research findings for control type, the fastest performance time was found with vertically oriented push buttons and a vertical word orientation. The subjective results also showed a user preference for the vertical push button control. The results from this study can be used to drive future research and help develop a working prototype for a hand-held neutron detector.