Cognitive Load Assessment of a Vibrotactile Posture Feedback Chair

Abstract

In this paper, we evaluate the cognitive load of using a vibrotactile posture feedback chair while performing standard office tasks. Our specific application is seated posture guidance in the office environment. We have instrumented a standard office chair with sensors and vibrotactile actuators to detect and correct a user's seated posture in real-time. A pilot study with 20 subjects (age 25±3.2 years, weight 71.6±17.7kg) was conducted to determine the impact on performance in a typing task while responding to the vibrotactile feedback. We found that 55% of the subjects showed statistically significant decrease in typing performance (p<0.05) during the phases with feedback compared to the phases without feedback. However, 70% of the subjects exhibited an improvement in typing speed from the first to last feedback phases. These findings suggest that although the feedback system temporarily induces greater cognitive load, the load decreases with increased familiarity with the feedback system.

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