Issues
- A discussion on factors affecting legibility of flat panel displays
- Publish Date : 2001/03/01 Vol.1
- Authors :
- Ryohji YOSHITAKE, Human Factors, Yamato Laboratory, IBM Japan
- Report Outline :
- Original article
Appeared on Ergonomics of Human System Interaction Vol. 1, No. 1, 5/13, 1994
In case the legibility of flat panel displays (FPDs) is discussed, it is important to recognize the specific technology and the specific period when a study on legibility has been performed, since technology of FPD is making rapid progress recently. This paper summarizes the transition of the technologies of FPDs, equipped on Japanese personal computers (PC). The transition can be divided into three periods. First, FPDs had been emerging as displays for laptop PCs since 1986. The second period was when notebook PCs were widely brought to the market. The characteristics of the FPDs for notebook PCs were low-power consumption and enhanced portability. In the third period, many FPDs had been given a color display. The author has done several studies on legibility and/or quality of several FPDs since 1986. His major studies on legibility of FPDs, which were carried out in each period, are described in this paper. Based on the studies, the factors affecting the legibility and the quality of FPDs are discussed.
- Characteristics of working posture at workstations using flat panel display
- Publish Date : 2001/03/01 Vol.1
- Authors :
- Shin SAITO, Aichi Mizuho College, Japan
- Report Outline :
- Review article
Appeared on Ergonomics of Human System Interaction Vol. 1, No. 1, 1/4, 1994
The aim of this study was to evaluate working conditions during VDT operation by analyzing of vertical eye movements and working postures at VDT workstations using flat panel display (FPD) and cathode ray tube (CRT). Fundamental experiments on eye movements and working postures were carried out to compare working conditions at VDT work in each workstation.
The average values for the vertical fixation points at the workstation using FPDs were lower than at those using CRTs. The average values of viewing distance at workstations using FPDs were shorter than those using CRTs. The postures with using tended to incline for frontal direction from the analysis of viewing and head angles. There was a high correlation in each pair, among viewing angle, neck angle and viewing distance.
It is obvious that FPD use is more appropriate than CRT use at VDT workstations, from the stand point of visual ergonomics considering vertical eye movement analysis as a factor in visual comfort. However, there are still many problems remaining unsolved in FPD use, which are screen reflection, changing in luminance contrast with different viewing angles and etc.
These problems probably influence not only visual functions but also working postures.
