Comparative Study on the Usability and Kansei of Physical and Touchscreen Automotive Interfaces

This study compared the usability and kansei of physical and touchscreen center console interfaces through driving simulations. User preference for a hybrid interface was observed. Supported by tactile landmarks and stable spatial schemas, the physical interface exhibited higher “evaluation” scores, required fewer verification loops, and allowed more eyes-free actions. The touchscreen interface aided visual integration and elicited stronger arousal but required higher visual attention, increasing input uncertainty during driving. Factor analysis indicated a three-dimensional kansei structure (evaluation, esthetics and affect, and arousal) for the physical interface but a two-dimensional structure (evaluation and arousal) for the touchscreen interface, whose “arousal” dimension comprised the “aesthetics and affect” and “arousal” dimensions of the physical interface. Overall, the results support a hybrid interface design that involves assigning safety-critical, high-frequency actions to physical controls, assigning configuration-heavy and integrative tasks to a touchscreen, and using brief vibrotactile confirmations to reduce verification time and glance time.