A switched dynamic model for pointing tasks with a computer mouse

In this paper, we study one of the most fundamental tasks in human‐computer interaction, the pointing task. It can be described simply as reaching a target with a cursor starting from an initial position (e.g. executing a movement using a computer mouse to select an icon). In this paper, a switched dynamic model is proposed to handle cursor movements in indirect pointing tasks. The model contains a ballistic movement phase governed by a nonlinear model in Lurie form and a corrective movement phase described by a linear visual‐feedback system. The stability of the model is first established and the derived model is then validated with experimental data acquired in a pointing task with a mouse. It is established that the measured data of pointing movements of different types can be fitted within the proposed model. Numerical comparison against pointing models available in the literature is also provided.