Abstract
This thesis covers research into the influence of human laterality on the evolution, design and operation of specific vehicle types. The research covers those aspects of human evolution and behaviour which appear relevant to man in a control interface. The research into human behaviour establishes the concept of 'skewed' man and relates it to the right-hand-world of artifacts. The research and dissertation covers:- water craft; animal-hauled vehicles; steerable land vehicles; steam railway locomotives; aircraft; space and future vehicles. For each of the transport systems studied an analysis is made of the extent of the influence of human laterality in relation to other factors; such as mechanical considerations. The research was made against the background of two principal factors: the Olympic anti-clockwise circling and the right-hand sword. As a bridge between non-vehicular and vehicular control interfaces some artifacts are described as quasi-vehicles; the plough and the pianoforte for example. For each form of transport, for each type of control position and for each operating environment there are specific conclusions about the degree of the influence of human laterality. Two general conclusions are:- 1. The longer established forms of transport usually exhibit the most evidence of the influence of laterality in the design of the control interface, whereas the more recent forms of transport show a greater influence on the rules governing the conduct of vehicles in the operating environment. 2. Increasingly the control interfaces of all types of transport tend towards less emphasis of human laterality factors as control inputs requiring muscular effort are replaced by simplified 'low-effor' actile inputs. Two pilot experiments are described: one with primary school children; the other with adults as subjects. The objective of the experiments being to find the extent to which experience of dextrad forms influences the arrangement of controls in a man/machine interface. These experiments are intended as recommendations for full-scale testing directed towards results which might give quantitative indications of the influence of human laterality on the design of vehicle control positions.