Automation in the Washroom: Hand Dryers
William F. Moroney · Ergonomics in Design The Quarterly of Human Factors Applications · 2007
FEATURE AT A GLANCE: Automation is ubiquitous - found even in washroom faucets and toilets. In this article, I describe various types of activation strategies used in hand dryers. The interactive characteristics of seven types of hand dryers are described. Dryers ranged from push-button-activated hot-air dryers to integrated soap-wash-dry systems. Their ease or lack of ease of activation is discussed and compared. Some activation strategies are not intuitive and induce errors. Designers should (a) maximize the use of stereotypes, affordances, and constraints and (b) develop and test instructions or pictorial information.