Circular orientated display speeds up communication by gaze

This study evaluated the communicative efficiency of an alternative display design for speech-generating devices using eye gaze. It compared sentence production efficiency with identical communicative symbols in a traditional grid design versus a novel circular display, focusing on production times and error rates. Participants produced two different sets of three-symbol sentences on two displays containing the same communicative symbols, grouped into semantic units by background color. One display used a standard grid design, while the other arranged symbols circularly around the screen's center. Participants completed the sentences consecutively on both displays, with sentence production times and error rates recorded for comparison. The circular display yielded significantly faster sentence production times compared to the grid design. However, error rates for sentence completion were similar between the two display types. The findings suggest that a circular display orientation may enhance communicative efficiency for speech-generating devices controlled by eye gaze, potentially improving communication outcomes. These results advocate for exploring alternative display designs beyond the conventional grid format.