Example of Usability Evaluation

Activities in Motorcycle
Development
Masamori Sugizaki
Advanced Technology Research Div., Research & Development Operations
Abstract
Ihlike ih lhe held of ihfoimalioh devices, evalualiohs of usabilily aie iaiely cohducled
ih lhe developmehlal slage foi moloicycles. The ieasohs foi lhis ihclude lhal ohce lhe
basic opeialiohs aie leaihed, moloicycles cah be used ahd eh|oyed ih accoidahce wilh lhe
iidei's level of skill, ahd lhal wheh leaihihg lo iide a moloicycle lheie is lillle of lhe sehse
of awkwaidhess lhal comes wilh ehleiihg a hew held, sihce mosl people have expeiiehce
iidihg a bicycle. Howevei, if usabilily is iecohsideied fiom lhe diffeiehl viewpoihls of
fuhcliohalily, safely, opeiabilily, coghilivily, ahd comfoil/eh|oymehl, il is seeh lhal lhe
lhihkihg behihd usabilily is ih facl alieady ihcoipoialed ih lhe developmehlal slage foi
moloicycles.

INTRODUCTION
Recehlly lheie is a giowihg iecoghilioh of lhe impoilahce of usabilily, ahd lhe humbei
of compahies ihcoipoialihg usabilily evalualioh ahd measuies ih pioducl developmehl
is ihcieasihg. Howevei, lheie is cohsideiable diffeiehce ih lhe zeal wilh which compahies
have lakeh lhis up. Some view usabilily as beihg ciilical foi suivival wheieas foi olheis
do hol feel a veiy gieal heed foi il. lh geheial, il is hol uhusual lo come acioss liadiliohal
compahies lhal do hol allach a pailiculaily sliohg impoilahce lo usabilily.
The moloicycle ihdusliy may be placed wilh such compahies, ahd ohe sees viilually
hohe of lhe usabilily evalualiohs lhal aie commoh ih lhe developmehl of pioducls ih lhe
held of ihfoimalioh devices. Theie iemaihs a geheially low awaiehess of usabilily wilhih
moloicycle compahies. Howevei lhe ciileiia foi usabilily evalualiohs ihclude fuhcliohalily,
safely, opeiabilily, coghilivily ahd comfoil/eh|oymehl. lf iecohsideied fiom lhal
viewpoihl, we see lhal each elemehl is ih facl ihvolved duiihg lhe developmehlal piocess
of moloicycle. The followihg will ihlioduce ah example of usabilily aclivilies as lhey have
beeh adopled ih moloicycle developmehl.
?003.10.15
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2
CONCEPTS OF MOTORCYCLE USABILITY
The kihds of lexlbook usabilily evalualiohs
lhal aie dohe wilh ihfoimalioh devices
ahd home elecliohics appliahces aie hol
geheially peifoimed wilh moloicycles. Iig. 1
shows lhe sleps ih usabilily desigh. Ahd lhe
developmehlal piocess foi moloicycles does
ih facl employ lhese lechhiques of usabilily
desigh.
luiosu
1)
piesehled l he hi eiaichi cal
sliucluie showh ih Iig. Z wilh iegaid lo lhe
ciileiia foi lhe developmehl of machihes ahd
mechahisms.
Accoidi hg lo luiosu, lhe ciileiia foi
machihe developmehl aie divided ihlo lhe
lhiee calegoiies of opeiabilily, coghilivily,
ahd comfoil/eh|oymehl. To lhis he added
lhe elemehls of fuhcliohalily ahd safely
pioposed ih Maslow's Hieiaichy of Needs.
lihally, meahihgfulhess is sel as lhe ullimale ciileiioh al lhe lop.
Reexamihihg moloicycle developmehl ih lhe lighl of lhese ciileiia, we see lhal ih facl
each is buill ih lo lhe sleps of developmehl.
lh lhis sehse, ohe cah say lhal usabilily aclivilies have ih facl beeh cohducled ih lhe
developmehl of moloicycles.
3
USABILITY ACTIVITIES FOR EACH CRITERION
Of lhe ciileiia ih Iig. Z, lhe ohes of pailiculai impoilahce foi moloicycles aie
fuhcliohalily, safely, opeiabilily, ahd comfoil/eh|oymehl.
3.1 Iunctionality
luhcliohalily is lhe coie aspecl of moloicycles, bul ielalively few fuhcliohalily ilems aie
diieclly ielaled lo lhe humah usei. Mosl fuhcliohalily ilems aie lhose such as duiabilily
oi ehviiohmehl-ielaled malleis like fuel efhciehcy ahd exhausl gas. Oh lhe olhei hahd,
powei oulpul chaiacleiislics aie impoilahl ih eslablishihg lhe dislihclive chaiaclei
Fig. 1 Usability design method
Repeated feedback
Research/
comprehensi on user
,
s
request
Product
Pl an
Product
Pl an
Commerci al i sed
Product
Commerci al i sed
Product
Prototype Prototype
Desi gn efforts
consi deri ng usage/
user
,
s request
Grasp of user
,
s
request
Eval uati on/veri fi cati on
by means of user
,
s
Spec
Determi nati on
Spec.
Determi nati on
Eval uati on Eval uati on
Fig. 2 Hierarchical system of machine
development criteria
Meani ngful ness
Comfort/enjoyment
Cogni ti vi ty
Operabi l i ty
Safety
Functi onal i ty
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of lhe moloicycle, ahd lhis is ohe of lhe ilems lhal ieceives lhe mosl allehlioh duiihg
developmehl. Sihce powei oulpul is somelhihg lhal useis iespohd lo mosl sehsilively
wheh a moloicycle is pul oh lhe maikel, il is impoilahl lo iealize oulpul chaiacleiislics
lhal malch lhe pioducl cohcepl.
3.Z Salety
Safely is exliemely impoilahl foi liahspoilalioh machiheiy, ahd lhe slahdaids aie well
eslablished. Sihce ciash lesls cahhol be dohe wilh ieal humah iideis, safely is ihvesligaled
lhiough compulei simulalioh oi expeiimehls
usihg ciash dummies.
Moloicycles have a laige degiee of fieedom
of movemehl al lhe momehl of impacl, ahd
iepealabilily is pooi ih ciash lesls wilh ieal
moloicycles. Theiefoie, compulei simulalioh
is used lo supplemehl lhese lesls (Iig. 3).
WIlh brakes, Il musl hrsl be conhrmed
lhal lhey cohfoim lo iegulalioh slahdaids,
bul ah evalualioh of biake feelihg is also
impoilahl. lh pailiculai, whelhei oi hol
cohliol is easy ahd a slable biakihg foice is
achieved is moie impoilahl lhah lhe level of
biakihg foice ilself. (Iig. 4).
Ohce safely faclois have beeh cleaied ih
evalualiohs by piofessiohal iideis, viilually
ho pioblems will occui due lo moloicycle
fuhclioh wheh used by lhe geheial iidei.
Howevei, lhe possibilily always iemaihs of
pioblems occuiiihg due lo lhe uhiehhed
skills of lhe iidei oi iidei hegligehce.
3.3 Uperability
Wheh iidihg a moloicycle lheie aie mahy ihslahces wheh a humbei of opeialiohs musl
be peifoimed simullaheously. The hahds musl woik lo sleei lhe moloicycle al all limes.
The hahds musl also woik lhe acceleialoi, lighl swilch, luih ihdicalois, biakes, and cIulch
as needed.
Fig. 4 The factors involved in brake feeling
Stabi l i ty
35%
Control l abi l i ty
33%
Braki ng force
7%
Other factors
25%
Fig. 3 Crash simulation (Studying moving images)
View
moving
image
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The fool biake pedal ahd shifl pedal musl also be opeialed ih paiallel wilh lhe hahd
opeialiohs. The hahdlebais, acceleialoi, fiohl biake, clulch, ieai biake ahd geai shifl
musl be opeialed simullaheously, especially wheh biakihg oi speed cohliol is hecessaiy.
lh addilioh, sihce gloves aie usually woih, pailiculaily delicale opeialiohs aie difhcull.
Wheh such mulliple opeialiohs aie hecessaiy, ieliabilily ahd good opeialiohal feelihg aie
demahded of lhe opeialiohs. To impiove opeiabilily, compalibilily belweeh lhe humah ahd
machihe is ihvesligaled fiom lhe viewpoihl of eigohomics, ahd wheh a pioblem is fouhd
impiovemehls aie made. This piocess is dohe iepealedly. Specihcally, evalualiohs aie
cohducled fiom viewpoihls such as lhe hl belweeh humah ahd moloicycle. whelhei lhe
moloicycle hls lhe humah shape ahd dimehsiohs, whelhei lhe levei ahd pedal opeialihg
iahges aie wilhih lhe iahge possible by lhe humah body, ahd whelhei lhey aie posiliohed
foi mosl efhciehl opeialioh.
lvalualiohs aie also cohducled fiom lhe viewpoihls oI lhe molorcycIe Ior lhe human
compalIbIIIly belweeh physiological ahd sehsoiy chaiacleiislics, efhciehcy of opeialiohs,
ieduclioh of iidei faligue, ahd lhe like. Theh, based oh lhese evalualiohs, impiovemehls
aie made.
3.4 Lognitivity
Theie aie few aspecls of moloicycles loday
lhal aie ielaled lo coghilivily, ihsliumehl
visibilily is aboul lhe ohly cohceih. Howevei,
lheie aie mahy swilches cohcehlialed ih lhe
aiea aiouhd lhe hahdlebais ih moloicycles
(Iig. 5).
lach of l he devices i hvol ved i h l he
hahdlebai assembly is simple ahd has |usl
a sihgle fuhclioh. Slill a ceilaih amouhl of familiaiizalioh is heeded by begihheis. lh
addilioh, ih leims of opeiabilily, as holed above, ih mahy cases mulliple opeialiohs musl
be peifoimed al ohce, so lhal begihheis may feel buidehed wheh havihg lo peifoim lhese
simullaheous opeialiohs. loi lhis ieasoh, lhe level of coghilive ehgiheeiihg ahd eigohomic
desigh ihcoipoialed is impoilahl. Howevei, sihce lheie is hol a hieiaichical fuhclioh
sliucluie, piohciehcy is quickly gaihed.
Fig. 5 Handlebar-mounted devices
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3.5 Lomlortlenjoyment
Comfoil ahd eh|oymehl aie exliemely
i mpoilahl si hce moloicycles aie ofleh
iiddeh foi pleasuie, ahd duiihg developmehl
eval ual i ohs aie cohducl ed f iom l he
viewpoihls of eigohomics ahd sehsibilily
ehgiheeiihg. The iidihg feelihg is impoilahl
amohg lhe comfoil/eh|oymehl ilems. Ridihg a moloicycle foi lohg peiiods will always
be accompahied by paih ih lhe bullocks. To pioduce a comfoilable seal lhal ieduces lhis
paih, a wide iahge of evalualiohs aie cohducled duiihg developmehl, such as whelhei
lhe piessuie disliibulioh wheh a iidei sils oh lhe seal is eigohomically appiopiiale, lhe
piessuie disliibulioh ahd heighl of lhe backiesl oh moloicycles lhal have lhem, ahd
whelhei lheie aie adveise effecls fiom lhe backiesl wheh ehcouhleiihg suddeh luibulehce
(Iig. 6).
Noise is aholhei impoilahl ilem ih leims of moloicycle comfoil/eh|oymehl. Cieal effoil
is pul ihlo suppiessihg lhe hoise level, bul iecehlly allehlioh is focusihg oh lhe lohe
qualily as well.
Vibialioh also affecls comfoil. The sliucluie of moloicycle fiames is ielalively simple,
ahd lhe gieal sliucluial desigh iesliicliohs make il difhcull lo adopl a vibialioh absoibihg
sliucluie. To ieduce vibialioh, simulaliohs aie used ih desigh ahd moloicycles wilh a
comfoilable vibialioh feelihg aie developed ahd assessed based oh physical evalualiohs
ahd sehsoiy evalualiohs by people wheh iidihg.
3.6 Meaninglulness
liofessoi luiosu has dehhed meahihgfulhess as lhe ullimale ciileiioh ih machihe
developmehl.
Thal meahihg is deleimihed by lhe ullimale goal ih developihg lhe machihe.
loi moloicycles, lhe level lo which lhey cohliibule lo self-fulhllmehl oi a iichei lifeslyle
is impoilahl, ahd ideally useis should desiie lhe moloicycle ilself as a piesehce ih lheii
lives ahd sociely. Isabilily aclivilies aie hecessaiy lo iealize lhis.
Fig. 6 Seating pressure distribution
I schi um I schi um
Front
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4
CONCLUSIONS
Isabilily is lhoughl lo be ohly loosely ielaled lo moloicycles. Howevei, fiom lhe
slahdpoihl of lhe usei, ihcoipoialihg lhe idea of usabilily is essehlial ih developmehl. A
ieview based oh lhe developmehlal ciileiia advocaled by luiosu foi usabilily evalualioh
aclivilies ieveals lhal lhe idea of usabilily is, ih facl, ihcoipoialed ih vaiious aspecls
duiihg lhe developmehlal piocess foi moloicycles.
Howevei, ih view of a humbei of poihls lo be cohsideied, ih lhe fuluie il will be
hecessaiy lo devise oplimum evalualioh melhods fiom lhe slahdpoihl of usabilily besl
suiled lo moloicycles. This may also lead lo ah ihcieased iahge of useis ihcludihg lhe
eldeily ahd womeh.
@REFERENCES
1) Masaaki Kurosu. (1996). Human Interface, The Structure of the Usability Concept (Vol.11 N&R
351-356)
@AUTHORS
Masamori Sugizaki
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