Peak Velocity

The maximum speed reached by a cursor or limb during a directed movement toward a target. In human-computer interaction research, peak velocity is a key metric for understanding pointing performance, typically occurring in the first quarter of a movement. Peak velocity decreases with age and motor impairment — older adults and people with conditions like Parkinson's disease show significantly lower peak velocities and take longer to reach them. Analysing peak velocity helps researchers and designers understand how different user populations approach cursor control tasks and informs the design of adaptive input accommodations.