Human Interface Devices and Building Information Systems – a Usability Study

Building Information Systems handle non-abstract data that is directly related to the built environment (e.g., indoor climate, energy use, building systems’ states). Building information terminals offer a way to present building data to target groups with differing educational backgrounds. Such terminals are used frequently. Therefore, they should provide a good learning experience. The present contribution compares three input devices to identify the one that facilitates the best learning experience in a building information terminal use case. The proposed application is a web frontend of an open source building information system that is developed at the Department of Building Physics and Building Ecology, Vienna University of Technology (VUT), Austria. A usability study with 30 participants is conducted. The participants use three input devices – keyboard and mouse, a touch screen and a gesture input device. Gesture input allows a user to access a system without being in direct physical contact with the input device. An RGB optical sensor (red, green, blue) and an infrared sensor capture the users’ body movements. The detected gestures are translated into commands. The purpose of the study is to identify an optimal setup for a building information system terminal at VUT.