Design of rocker switches for work-vehicles-an application of Kansei Engineering

Rocker switches used in vehicles meet high demands partly due to the increased focus on customer satisfaction. Previous studies focused on ergonomics and usability rather than design for emotions and affection. The aim of this study was to determine how and to what extent engineering properties influence the perception of rocker switches. Secondary aims were to compare two types of rating scales and to determine consistency over time of the ratings. As a method Kansei Engineering was used, describing a product domain from a physical and semantic point of view. A model was built and validated, and recommendations for new designs were given. It was seen that the subjective impressions of robustness, precision and design are strongly influenced by the zero position, the contact position, the form-ratio, shape and the surface of rocker switches. A 7-point scale was found suitable. The Kansei ratings were consistent over time.