Abstract
The tactical computer is currently being developed and installed in armored vehicles and tanks for reinforcement. With the tactical computer, Korea Army will be able to grasp the deployment status of our forces, enemy, and obstacles under varying situations. Furthermore, it makes the exchange of command and tactical intelligence possible. Recent studies showed that the task performance is greatly affected by the user interface. The U.S. Army is now conducting user-centered evaluation tests based on C2 (Command & Control) to develop tactical intelligence machinery and tools. This study aims to classify and regroup subordinate menu functions according to the user-centered task performance for the Korea Army's tactical computer. Also, the research suggests an ergonomically sound layout and size of main touch buttons by considering human factors guidelines for button design. To achieve this goal, eight hierarchical subordinate menu functions are initially drawn through clustering analysis and then each group of menu functions was renamed. Based on the suggested menu structure, new location and size of the buttons were tested in terms of response time, number of error, and subjective preference by comparing them to existing ones. The result showed that the best performance was obtained when the number of buttons or functions was eight to conduct tactical missions. Also, the improved button size and location were suggested through the experiment. It was found in addition that the location and size of the buttons had interactions regarding the user's preference.
