Legibility of Seven Segment Numeric LED Displays: Comparisons of Two Fonts at Various Distances

Abstract

The legibility of seven segment numeric displays was investigated for two different numeric LED fonts at five reading distances. An alternative font as proposed by Van Nes and Bouma (1980) was compared to the font used currently by many commercial products. Subjects performed a digit cancelling task as single digits were presented on the seven segment display at various reading distances. The error rate and response times for five reading distances from 8 to 25 feet were evaluated for a .3 × .188 inch LED display (VAS of 0.179 to 0.0573 degrees) The font proposed by Van Nes and Bouma was found to reduce errors by almost 50 percent at all but the longest viewing distance. This design information is valuable especially when designing medical equipment for critical care and operating room environments.

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