How do multi-touch gestures improve HMI operations?

Before smart phones or tablets, industrial human machine interfaces (HMIs) were the only products with touch panels and workers needed to be trained how to operate them according to the project. Nowadays however, gestures and multi touch operations are very common in our daily lives. HMIs have to provide the same advanced level of usability.

Schneider Electric’s Vijeo XD tool enables easy design in such domains and can help increase operational efficiency and intuitiveness while reducing human error and related unintentional operations. Additional engineering is not required when using such a tool

Creating modern HMI projects is much more than providing the necessary information for machine operation. Along with data management and security, the need for an intuitive and efficient operation concept is of critical importance when launching a modern automation systems project. HMI development however is often problematic because of the conflict between design simplicity and operational requirements.

How “gestures” can improve efficiency

Although no formal research has been conducted, the recent proliferation and success of smart phones and tablets demonstrates that, even with a limited screen size, many tasks can be performed rapidly and efficiently. The most obvious example would be the picture viewer on Google maps. Screen usability is achieved by removing any kind of buttons or information that is not related to information the operator is actually looking for. Hence the impact of the screen area is utilized to its maximum extent.

The traditional difficulty faced by industrial HMIs was both the complexity of engineering and a lack of the right hardware that could allow the operator to interact with industrial equipment in much the same manner a user interacts with a tablet or smart phone. Vijeo XD 2016 overcomes these issues and provides the first industrial gesture- focused interface that supports simple engineering and smooth HMI 0peration.

Technology to revolutionize

This new technology will also revolutionize the industrial world where OEM’s need to supply machines that address the common smart phone/table operational habits that newer generation operators are used to. However, some stakeholders feel that many gestures are too complex for older generation operators or in places where smart phones are not yet used by the vast majority. Therefore, HMI developers may need to adopt different operational concepts for these different user groups. Vijeo XD 2016 allows this to be easily done by simply changing the navigation style so that the usual buttons become available.

On the whole, the trend in industrial world is to follow the lead of the consumer industries, and it is accepted that most people are familiar with the concept of operating technology with multiple hand gestures. Such technologies will now enable OEMs to deliver systems that are easier to operate. This will increase workplace efficiency when the proper operator terminal and software platform is used.

Download the full Application Note: Multi-touch and gestures can increase efficiency and user friendliness in industrial environments from Schneider Electric.

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