| The Design of a Multimodal Platform: Experimentation of Record & Replay | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 1-6 | |
| Antoine Bouyer; Florent Chuffart; Lionel Courval | |||
| This article presents the design and a user experimentation of a multimodal
service based on an experimental multimodal platform. It describes the
technical realization of the platform and the development of a multimodal
service. Lastly, it presents the results of an experimentation with users
applying this service. These results show that users prefer multimodal
interactions and are more efficient with this kind of interface. Keywords: Multimodality, design, user experimentation, mobility | |||
| Comparing Gesture and Touch for Notification System Interactions | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 7-12 | |
| Maria Karam; Jason Chong Lee; Travis Rose; Francis Quek; Scott McCrickard | |||
| We explore some of the characteristics of multimodal input interaction
spaces for notification systems within a multi-tasking environment like a
command and control center using two promising interaction methods: gestures
and touch based input through a laboratory experiment comparing both
techniques. Results of our study suggest that gestures are better suited for
multi-tasking situations because they are less interruptive than touch
interaction to users' primary tasks and are subjectively preferred by users in
certain situations. Keywords: gestures, notification systems, touch, multitasking | |||
| Clustering Based on Data Attribute Partition and Its Visualization | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 13-18 | |
| Yonggong Ren; Alma Leora Culén | |||
| Clustering algorithms are the core technique of data mining, machine
learning, pattern matching, bioinformatics and a number of other fields. This
paper proposes a new clustering method based on attribute partitioning and a
novel data visualization method. In a nutshell, the idea for our method is
based on two steps: 1) cluster data set using primary and secondary attributes
of data; 2) map color stimulus spectrum to RGB color space and visualize
clustering using the chromaticity diagram of J.C. Maxwell (Maxwell's triangle).
The experiments show that the algorithm is very efficient. In addition it is
simple and easy to implement. Our visualization algorithm aims at helping the
user to get an overview of data as well as in prediction and decision making
processes. Keywords: data visualization, clustering, data mining, chromaticity diagram | |||
| Model-Driven Instrumentation of Graphical User Interfaces | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 19-25 | |
| Mathias Funk; Philip Hoyer; Stefan Link | |||
| In today's continuously changing markets newly developed products often do
not meet the demands and expectations of customers. Research on this problem
identified a large gap between developer and user expectations. Approaches to
bridge this gap are to provide the developers with better information on
product usage and to create a fast feedback cycle that helps tackling usage
problems. Therefore, the user interface of the product, the central point of
human-computer interaction, has to be instrumented to collect accurate usage
data which serves as basis for further improvement steps. This paper presents a
novel engineering approach that combines model-driven user interface
development and flexible instrumentation with runtime monitoring. In its
application, it enables observation integration into products which provides
comprehensive data about usage and thus allows for fast feedback cycles and
consequently increased software quality. A case-study demonstrates the
applicability of this approach. Keywords: Model-driven development, software development process, user interfaces,
observation, instrumentation, monitoring, model transformation, UML, profile,
GUI event logging | |||
| Facial Expression Recognition with 3D Deformable Models | | BIBA | Full-Text | 26-31 | |
| Christoph Mayer; Matthias Wimmer; Martin Eggers; Bernd Radig | |||
| We present a fully automated three-dimensional model-based, real-time capable approach to distinguish six universal facial expressions from visual images of human faces. The face model is fitted to the images of a publicly available data base. From the model parameters two sets of features are computed, person-specific and non-person-specific to estimate the facial expression visible in the current image sequence. We integrate the complex, state-of-the-art Candide-3 face model, which is specifically appropriate for facial expression recognition [13] and is also publicly available, which further increases the comparability of our approach. Our experimental evaluation presents recognition rates of the six basic facial expressions defined by Ekmanet al [6]. | |||
| Enabling Opportunistic Navigation in Location-Based Notification Systems | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 32-37 | |
| Scott Kelly; Ben Hood; Jason Chong Lee; Miten Sampat; Leigh Lally; D. Scott McCrickard | |||
| Device-assisted navigation is rapidly becoming a major topic in computer
science. PDAs and other small devices are enabling the introduction of
navigational assistants to many different spaces. These areas are generally
filled with points of interest with which users may choose to interact with.
The natural behavior of users in such a space is to explore, interacting with
objects the user deems worthy of further interaction. We call this behavior
'opportunistic navigation.' In this paper we define the challenges associated
with and put forward several criteria for enabling opportunistic navigation in
Location-Based Notification Systems. Our criteria have been implemented in the
form of a prototype navigational assistant, SeeVT-ART, and have undergone a
preliminary field test. Keywords: location-based notification systems, opportunistic navigation, SeeVT | |||
| A Multi-modal User Interface for Agent Assistant Systems | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 38-43 | |
| Ahmed Kamel | |||
| An agent structure is presented for communication between users and agent
systems through multiple communication modes. Two application systems are also
presented; and e-mail monitoring system for keeping track of the user's e-mail
while the user is away from the office, and a web-based event monitoring system
for monitoring events such as weather alerts. Keywords: Agents, user interfaces, multi modal | |||
| Word Sequence Models for Single Text Summarization | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 44-48 | |
| René Arnulfo García-Hernández; Yulia Ledeneva | |||
| The main problem for generating an extractive automatic text summary is to
detect the most relevant information in the source document. For such purpose,
recently some approaches have successfully employed the word sequence
information from the self-text for detecting the candidate text fragments for
composing the summary. In this paper, we employ the so-called n-grams and
maximal frequent word sequences as features in a vector space model in order to
determine the advantages and disadvantages for extractive text summarization. Keywords: Extractive summarization; text models; text mining; maximal frequent
sequences | |||
| An Expectation-Based Model of Web Search Behaviour | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 49-56 | |
| Anthony Cox; Maryanne Fisher | |||
| An important issue when evaluating a search tool is the satisfaction that is
expressed by its users. While there are many factors that affect satisfaction,
we believe that users' expectations affect their evaluation of a query's
response, and in turn, their satisfaction. We validate this perspective by
measuring individuals' expectation, judgement of response quality, and overall
satisfaction for a set of queries. Our experiment indicates that, when
responses are grouped according to whether they confirm or disconfirm users'
expectations, expectation significantly correlates with both query response
quality and user satisfaction. However, response quality better correlates with
satisfaction than does expectation, suggesting that expectation is not the only
factor that influences the determination of response quality. Keywords: WWW Search, User Behaviour, Expectation | |||
| Vairë: A Tool to Improve the Usability in Embedded Applications Based on User Adjustment | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 57-62 | |
| Mauro Teófilo; Alexandre Martini; Wesley Silva | |||
| The usability is being considered an incisive factor of the application's
success of mobile computation segment, it is based on user experience
conception limitation, so any techniques, method or idea which could improve
the mobile user experience, must be carefully studied. The Vairë tool uses
Mandos method of interaction for infrastructure support and together they
propose a new interaction form founded on the fact that the way of using an
embedded application in a mobile phone varies in accordance to the user. The
Vairë is a visual tool for improvement of Mandos usage experience in an
application, adapting the same in agreement with user's will, giving the user
interface design power to the most interested one: the user. Keywords: usability, mobile computation, visual tool | |||
| Predictability of a Human Partner in a Pursuit Tracking Task without Haptic Feedback | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 63-68 | |
| Raphaela Groten; Jens Hölldampf; Angelika Peer; Martin Buss | |||
| We are interested in whether humans create a model of their partner when
they jointly manipulate an object in a virtual task without haptic feedback. In
such a scenario the partner is perceived as a disturbance because she/he is
responsible for inconsistencies between the visual and proprioceptive feedback
of the individual. To gain basic knowledge on the predictability of such
disturbances we compare a pre-recorded human partner with predictable (time
delay) and unpredictable (random) disturbances and two additional control
conditions in a pursuit tracking task. Results indicate that the influence of
the pre-recorded partner is partly predictable, therefore we assume that a
model of the partner's behavior is built by the human. Keywords: human-human interaction, feedback disturbance, pursuit tracking task,
movement predictability | |||
| Scene-Motion Thresholds Correlate with Angular Head Motions for Immersive Virtual Environments | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 69-74 | |
| Jason Jerald; Frank Steinicke; Mary Whitton | |||
| To better understand motion perception in immersive virtual environments, we
conducted a user study to quantify perception of scene motion as subjects yawed
their heads. We measured psychometric functions of scene-velocity thresholds
for different head motions and then extracted 75\% thresholds, creating
scene-velocity thresholds as functions of three measures of head motion: 1)
Angular Range, 2) Peak Angular Velocity, 3) and Peak Angular Acceleration. We
also measured scene-velocity thresholds for four phases of head motion: 1) the
Start of the head turn, 2) the Center of the head turn, 3) the End of the head
turn, 4) and All of the head turn. Scene-velocity thresholds increased as head
motion increased for all tested conditions. Keywords: scene motion, virtual environments | |||
| A Structured Approach to Support 3D User Interface Development | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 75-81 | |
| Juan Manuel González-Calleros; Jean Vanderdonckt; Jaime Muñoz-Arteaga | |||
| Given its current state of the art, Model-Based UI Development (MBDUI) is
able to fulfill the major requirements of desktop and mobile applications, such
as form-based user interfaces that adapt to the actual context of use. More
recent research deals with the development of 3D interactive multimodal
environments. Though user-centered design is more and more driving the design
of these environments, less attention is devoted to the development processes
than to interactive tools supporting isolated phases in the realization
process. In this paper we present an attempt to structure an approach to
support 3DUIs development by introducing a MBDUI compliant method. The
development method is articulated on three axes: models and their specification
language, approach, and tools that support the method based on the underlying
models. Keywords: 3D user interfaces, transformational approach, virtual reality, world model,
scene model, model driven engineering | |||
| Programming Style: Influences, Factors, and Elements | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 82-89 | |
| Anthony Cox; Maryanne Fisher | |||
| As a consequence of various situational and personal factors, programmers
use a variety of styles when performing software development and maintenance
tasks. In this paper, we develop a contextual framework that links situational,
task-oriented, and individual factors to a set of traits. These traits are
expressed as behavioural modifiers, and thus, influence one's performance of
tasks such as computer programming, as well as influencing the skills upon
which programming is based (e.g., problem solving, planning). To demonstrate
the use of the framework, we examine how risk-tolerance is influenced by
contextual factors and show how this trait influences programming style. We
also document some preliminary components of programming style. Keywords: Programmer Behaviour, Programming, Programming Style, Programming Strategy | |||
| A Model-Driven Development Approach Focusing Human Interaction | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 90-96 | |
| Stefan Link; Philip Hoyer; Tilmann Kopp; Sebastian Abeck | |||
| Human interaction like entering some data, making decisions etc. has to be
dealt with as an integral part of today's business processes and the supporting
IT likewise. Hence, human interaction leads to an increased complexity in
software development and software systems. Current business- and model-driven
development approaches provide promising means to deal with this complexity.
Diverse aspects of the business process and the supporting software system are
captured in models and automatically transformed to the source code of a
desired platform. In the context of human interaction however, there remains a
lack of precise models for specifying human interaction aspects. Thus, an
extensive manual development and configuration effort is necessary leading to
expensive software, badly configured interfaces and frustrated users. In this
article, we therefore demonstrate a model-driven development approach focusing
on human interaction as an integral part of business processes and software
systems likewise. A case study fortifies the applicability of our approach. Keywords: Model-Driven Development, Human Interaction, Workflows | |||
| Knowledge Reuse through Categorical Breakdown Analysis: A Method for Collaborative Systems Evaluation | | BIBA | Full-Text | 97-102 | |
| Will Humphries; D. Scott McCrickard; Dennis Neale | |||
| Designing CSCW systems that support the widely varying needs of targeted users is difficult. There is no silver bullet technology that enables users to effectively collaborate with one another in different contexts. We propose a method of collaborative systems evaluation that enables novice evaluators to make insightful observations about the systems they evaluate at a level comparable to experts in certain situations. These observations come in the form of a categorical breakdown analysis of a laboratory study. The quantity and type of breakdowns can then be connected to recommended CSCW tools and features developed and described in the related literature. We conducted a study to explore the results generated when the method was applied by both experts and novices in the field of CSCW. We observed that experts found the method to be usable, and that novices capitalized on the knowledge embodied in the breakdown categories to make categorizations similar to those of experts. | |||
| Interaction with Information Graphics: A Content-Based Approach | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 103-110 | |
| Anna Kämäräinen; Pertti Saariluoma | |||
| Understanding information graphics rely on thought process of graphics'
reader, and thinking has the most important role in interpretation and
exploitation. We are interested in the cognitive mechanisms underlying
interaction with information graphics. In this study, we studied those
cognitive processes which are employed when interacting with information
graphics. Based on these experiments, we have separated four different types of
thought processes which occur during the interactions with information
graphics. We propose that these thought processes are apperception,
restructuring, reflection and construction. Keywords: cognitive science, interaction, content-based | |||
| Training and Educating Undergraduate Students in the Discipline of HCI | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 111-116 | |
| Cynthia Y. Lester | |||
| An incoming freshman student stops by your office because he/she has read
that your research area is HCI and desires to work with you. As teachers and
academic advisers, how should we assist our students in choosing courses that
will be beneficial to their study of HCI, but that will also provide the
breadth that undergraduate studies provide? How should we as researchers assist
our students in developing skills that will be beneficial to conducting
research in HCI? How should we as teacher-researchers ensure that our student
graduate from our universities adequately prepared? The aim of this paper is to
present the HCI curriculum, to present the rationale for students to gain
training in certain HCI-related areas that also provide for the breadth
required in an undergraduate degree program, and to also suggest ideas for
future work. Keywords: HCI curriculum, HCI undergraduate research, Interdisciplinary | |||
| A Study of the Acceptability of a Web 2.0 Application by Higher-Education Students Undertaking Collaborative Laboratory Activities | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 117-125 | |
| Sandy El Helou; Denis Gillet; Christophe Salzmann; Chiu Man Yu | |||
| This paper presents the findings of a study on the acceptability in higher
education of a Web 2.0 collaborative application, namely eLogbook. The latter
offers several features for sustaining collaboration and supporting personal
and group learning. It was introduced to students taking a laboratory course
that spans over one semester and mainly consists of in-class group experiments.
In this paper, we present eLogbook. We then describe our hypotheses as well as
the qualitative and quantitative methods used to evaluate the usefulness and
usability of eLogbook in a formal learning context. Finally, we discuss our
findings and its implications. Keywords: Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning, Engineering Education, Remote
Laboratory, Social Software | |||
| Evaluation of the Cognitive Process during Mental Imaging of Two- or Three-Dimensional Figures | | BIBA | Full-Text | 126-129 | |
| Koji Kashihara | |||
| The reaction time and the accuracy in the brain images of 2D or 3D figures were studied. The image task for the frame of a 3D object from 2D figures (2D-3D task) in the brain had the longest reaction time (p, the probability value of a statistical hypothesis test, < 0.01); the accuracy of this task was decreased compared to that of the other tasks. The reaction time in the 2D-3D task had a significant difference compared with that in the mental image of three 2D figures mainly requiring working memory (p < 0.05). Because of the effective view of the simple 3D object compared with the 2D-3D task, illustration of a 3D shape will be an effective method in a field requiring quick judgment based on high accuracy, such as clinical assessment. | |||
| The Effectiveness of Personalization in Delivering E-learning Classes | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 130-135 | |
| Leyla Zhuhadar; Elizabeth Romero; Robert Wyatt | |||
| In this paper we present an evaluation methodology of personalized delivery
of multimedia resources in an e-learning platform that takes advantage of web
2.0 technologies and its standards, such as (i) streaming using RSS and Atom
feeds, (ii) searching using meta-data search engine, (iii) delivering using
ubiquitous computing and (iv) personalized learning. Our framework consists of
the following phases: (1) tracking the preferred delivery mechanism for each
student model, (2) measuring the effect of the semantic profile time window
parameter, (3) clustering students models based on similarity metrics on the
delivery preferences and (4) comparing the results between personalized and
non-personalized delivery. One important aspect of our approach is the
combination of personalization and the data driven extraction (via clustering)
of the students models based on similarity metrics. Our experimental results
show that personalized delivery increases the usage of e-learning materials and
the percentage of reviewing multimedia resources if these materials are
delivered in ways that fit students preferences. Keywords: Personalization, User Profile, Clustering, Design Architecture, Algorithms,
Experimentations | |||
| A Hybrid Bounding Volume Algorithm to Detect Collisions between Deformable Objects | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 136-141 | |
| F. A. Madera; A. M. Day; S. D. Laycock | |||
| An algorithm to detect collisions between both rigid and deformable objects
is presented. The approach exploits benefits of a Bounding Volume Hierarchy
(BVH) and a Feature-based method. The BVH decomposes the three dimensional
polygonal objects into a hierarchy of spheres. The lowest level of the
hierarchy is formed utilising spheres which bound 1-rings surrounding each
vertex of the original mesh. Spatial coherence is exploited during construction
to ensure that adjacent 1-rings are joined first. This promotes tighter
bounding volumes as the objects deform. Experiments were carried out to analyse
the performance of the method when varying the BVH construction to consider
octrees and binary trees. To illustrate the enhancement the approach provides
it has been compared against standard Sphere and Axis-aligned Bounding Volume
Hierarchies. Keywords: collision detection, deformable objects, bounding volume hierarchy | |||
| SCRABBLE.GZ: A Web-Based Collaborative Game to Promote the Galician Language | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 142-147 | |
| Guillermo de Bernardo; Ana Cerdeira-Pena; Oscar Pedreira; Diego Seco | |||
| We present in this paper a web-based version of a Scrabble game, describing
its architecture and some implementation details. This architecture makes
possible a high degree of interactivity, so that the players perceive the game
as being played in real-time. Furthermore, no client-side plug-in or applet is
used. These properties are achieved by means of a carefully designed
architecture that uses AJAX (Asynchronous JavaScript and XML) for data
exchange. This architecture guarantees low load on the server, so complex
computations relative to the game logic can be done in real-time. Moreover,
data structures and algorithms were designed to efficiently access a custom
Galician dictionary, which supports the game functionalities. We show in this
paper how this data structures and algorithms provide an efficient method to
create a Scrabble move generation algorithm. We also show how the combination
of these with the architecture proposed provides a fully interactive web
application that can handle complex calculations over a very large lexicon with
real-time appearance. Keywords: e-entertainment, AJAX, collaborative game, Galicia | |||
| A Simulation of a Billiards Game Based on Marker Detection | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 148-151 | |
| Lucio T. De Paolis; Giovanni Aloisio; Marco Pulimeno | |||
| Performance improvements in graphics hardware have made it possible to
visualize complex virtual environments and provided opportunities to interact
with these in a more realistic way. In this paper a Virtual Reality application
for simulating a billiards game is presented. A real billiard cue is used and
its movements are reproduced in the virtual environment using a visual marker
detection system. No force feedback is provided to the player. In the game
simulation the virtual environment has been built using the development
environment OpenSceneGraph and rigid body dynamics have been simulated
utilizing the PhysX physics engine. ARToolkit was the visual marker-based
detection system utilized to replicate the movements of the real cue used by
the player in the virtual environment. Keywords: billiards game, marker detection, simulation | |||
| FPS Extensions Modelling ESGs | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 152-155 | |
| John R. Rankin; Sandra Sampayo Vargas | |||
| In this paper we show that the FPS paradigm has metaphorical correspondences
with a low level category of ESGs. Extensions of the FPS paradigm lead to
simple concept learning lessons analogous to the needs of teachers for the
development of low level ESGs for use in classroom teaching. The main FPS
extension discussed in this paper is the FSM module. The teacher is not
required to recompile any code but simply to provide the data representing the
FSM corresponding to each concept learning lesson in the target ESG. The
purpose of this research is not to develop the full ESG but rather to show that
the FSM module coupled with other extensions to the FPS game development tools
provides a means for building future ESG development tools. Keywords: First Person Shooter, Serious Games, Finite State Machines, Game Engine | |||
| Nervixxx: A Video Performance System with Neural Interfaces | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 156-163 | |
| Satoru Tokuhisa | |||
| Nervixxx introduces neural computing to overcome the limit of conventional
performance systems that uses tangible computing and physical computing.
Specifically, we utilized the EEG (electroencephalogram) which is the most
informative of the biosignals, and the EMG (electromyogram) which has a high
controllability. Users manipulate the tangible objects that are the major
function of this system. This intuitively enables to mix and apply visual
effects as a motion graphics data. At the same time, users can control the
playing speed and the parameter for each effect by wearing wireless EMG sensors
on each of their arms. Also, users' brain waves can be used in real-time as a
motion graphics data by wearing an EEG sensor. By introducing neural computing
to tangible computing, it not only realizes the intuitive manipulation of
applications but also increases the attractiveness of the actual performance.
Moreover, the individuality of each user is reflected in the performer's
ability to express him or herself. Keywords: EMG, EEG, VJ, performance, tangible, tabletop | |||
| Quality Characteristics of Collaborative Systems | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 164-168 | |
| Ion Ivan; Cristian Ciurea | |||
| This paper describe the new concepts of collaborative systems quality
evaluation. There are identified structures of collaborative systems. The paper
define the quality characteristics of collaborative systems. There are proposed
a metric to estimate the quality level of collaborative systems. There are
performed measurements of collaborative systems quality using a specially
designed software. Keywords: collaborative systems; quality characteristics; metric | |||
| Understanding Social Robots | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 169-174 | |
| Frank Hegel; Claudia Muhl; Britta Wrede; Martina Hielscher-Fastabend; Gerhard Sagerer | |||
| Research on social robots is mainly comprised of research into algorithmic
problems in order to expand a robot's capabilities to improve communication
with human beings. Also, a large body of research concentrates on the
appearance, i.e. aesthetic form of social robots. However, only little
reference to their definition is made. In this paper we argue that form,
function, and context have to be taken systematically into account in order to
develop a model to help us understand social robots. Therefore, we address the
questions: What is a social robot, what are the interdisciplinary research
aspects of social robotics, and how are these different aspects interlinked? In
order to present a comprehensive and concise overview of the various aspects we
present a framework for a definition towards social robots. Keywords: Social Robots, Human Robot Interaction, Design, Anthropomorphism | |||
| UIML Based Design of Multimodal Interactive Applications with Strict Synchronization Requirements | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 175-180 | |
| Philip Leroux; Vincent Verstraete; Filip De Turck; Piet Demeester; Kristof Thys; Kris Luyten | |||
| As the variety in network service platforms and end user devices grows
rapidly, content providers must constantly adapt their production system to
support these new technologies. In this paper, we present a middleware platform
for deploying highly interactive (television) applications over a diverse
collection of networks and end user devices. As the user interface of such
interactive applications may vary depending on the capabilities of the
different target devices, our middleware uses UIML for the description of
generic user interfaces. Our middleware platform also provides a pluggable
support for new networks. A factor that highly complicates the design is the
need for strict synchronization between an interactive application and video or
audio data that is broadcasted. In order to support a maximum of functionality,
downloadable application logic is used to provide the interactive services. As
a test case, an evaluation setup was built, targeting both set-top boxes and
mobile phones. Keywords: UIML, MHP, Interactivity, DVB-H, Synchronization, IP Datacast, Middleware
Architecture | |||
| 3D Audio Perception System for Humanoid Robots | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 181-186 | |
| Norbert Schmitz; Carsten Spranger; Karsten Berns | |||
| An audio system is one of the basic components of a humanoid robot designed
for natural interaction. For many interaction purposes it is sufficient to use
the sound detection and localization as attention system for the vision system.
In this paper the audio perception module of the robot ROMAN is presented
including the integration into the existing control structure and the
localization algorithm using a microphone array with 6 microphones. The
reduction of data into so called sector maps is presented and the interaction
with the control architecture is shown. Keywords: Sound Localization, Audio Perception | |||
| Efficient Collision Algorithm for the 3D Haptic Interaction with Solid Organs in Medical Environments | | BIBA | Full-Text | 187-192 | |
| F. J. Badesa; M. L. Pinto; J. M. Sabater; J. M. Azorin; J. Sofrony; P. Cardenas | |||
| Using haptic (the sensing of touch) technology as an interface in medical and surgical procedures is a large interesting goal because of the benefits involved. This work presents a developed tool for evaluating the performance of a classic 2D-3D processing of a stack of medical preoperative images, and a new version of an efficient and simple algorithm for the integration of the haptic sense in a medical 3D environment generated from the 3D reconstruction. First of all, the developed tool for the 2D segmentation and 3D reconstruction is presented. The classical pipeline for surface 3D reconstruction is reviewed under a parametrical point of view. These parameters will play an important role in the analysis of the haptic behavior. Besides, all the parameters of the reconstruction are accessible and can be modified on-line during the reconstruction procedure. Later, the software architecture used for the integration of the haptic devices is described. The haptic rendering algorithm is detailed, including the collision detection algorithm (a simple ray-tracing scheme programmed using VTK capacities) that is used with the medical images. Finally, some results of the evaluation of the behavior of this algorithm are resumed. | |||
| Haptic Palpation for the Femoral Pulse in Virtual Interventional Radiology | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 193-198 | |
| T. Coles; N. W. John; D. A. Gould; D. G. Caldwell | |||
| Interventional Radiology is a rapidly expanding speciality using minimally
invasive techniques to treat a multitude of clinical problems. Current work in
progress aims to create an affordable virtual training tool to reduce training
times and patient risk during a trainee practitioners learning cycle. The
procedure of arterial catheterisation has been broken down into a number of
subtasks, one of which requires an operator to locate the femoral artery pulse
by palpation. This is performed in preparation for a needle insertion to allow
the entry of a guide wire and catheter into the patient. This paper presents
the current state of research into a unique solution for affordable haptic
simulation of pulse palpation in a virtual environment. Keywords: Interventional Radiology, training, palpation, femoral artery, simulation | |||
| Deformation Planning for Robotic Soft Tissue Manipulation | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 199-204 | |
| Jerzy Smolen; Alexandru Patriciu | |||
| This paper presents a model based approach to the soft tissue deformation
planning. The deformable object is manipulated through boundary displacements
induced by robot manipulators controlled in position. The manipulated
boundaries are maneuvered such that the control points defined on the
deformable object converge to the desired locations. The proposed control is
based on a Jacobian transformation between the set of manipulated point
displacements and the control point displacements computed using a meshless
model (Reproducing Kernel Particle Method -- RKPM) of the deformable object.
RKPM is employed for this study as it has been proven to accurately handle
large deformations and requires no re-meshing algorithms. Simulations show that
a model with a coarse particle grid can produce Jacobian transforms that
accurately control a more physically real and refined model. The next step is
to perform a physical study on a tissue phantom interacting with a dual arm
manipulator. Keywords: robot, robot-environment interaction, deformable models | |||
| From Isolation to Communication: A Case Study Evaluation of Robot Assisted Play for Children with Autism with a Minimally Expressive Humanoid Robot | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 205-211 | |
| Ben Robins; Kerstin Dautenhahn; Paul Dickerson | |||
| The general context of the work presented in this paper is assistive
robotics with our long-term aim to support children with autism. This paper is
part of the Aurora project that studies ways in which robotic systems can
encourage basic communication and social interaction skills in children with
autism. This paper investigates how a small minimally expressive humanoid robot
KASPAR can assume the role of a social mediator -- encouraging children with
low functioning autism to interact with the robot, to break their isolation and
importantly, to facilitate interaction with other people. The article provides
a case study evaluation of segments of trials where three children with autism,
who usually do not interact with other people in their day to day activity,
interacted with the robot and with co-present adults. A preliminary
observational analysis was undertaken which applied, in abbreviated form,
certain principles from conversation analysis -- notably attention to the
context in which the target behaviour occurred. The analysis was conducted by a
social psychologist with expertise in using conversation analysis to understand
interactions involving persons with an ASD. The analysis emphasises aspects of
embodiment and interaction kinesics and revealed unexpected competencies on the
part of the children. It showed how the robot served as a salient object
mediating and encouraging interaction between the children and co-present
adults. Keywords: Assistive Technology, Human-Robot Interaction (HRI), Autism therapy, Robot
Assisted Play | |||
| Multimodal Robot/Human Interaction in an Assistive Technology Context | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 212-218 | |
| Ray Jarvis | |||
| This paper outlines the framework of a complex system to demonstrate
multimodal spatial and transactional intelligence in a robot which supports
aged, frail, or otherwise disabled people in a domestic assistive technology
context. The intention is that the robot be able to navigate around a known
multi-room environment along optimal, collision-free paths in search and
retrieval of requested objects such as spectacles, books etc. and must also be
capable of tracking and following humans and of reminding them of times for
meals, medication etc. and to lead disoriented subjects to their meal place at
appropriate times and even dispense medication, if necessary. The modes of
communication interchanges with the supported human include spoken speech and
gestures (including eye gaze direction) within the context of situational
analysis which accommodates recent history, temporal factors and individual
user behavioural models. This paper provides an overview of an ambitious
research project in its early stages but where many components have already
been refined through earlier work. Keywords: Multimodal, Assistive Technology, Robot/Human Interaction | |||
| Five Weeks in the Robot House -- Exploratory Human-Robot Interaction Trials in a Domestic Setting | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 219-226 | |
| Kheng Lee Koay; Dag Sverre Syrdal; Michael L. Walters; Kerstin Dautenhahn | |||
| This paper presents five exploratory trials investigating scenarios likely
to occur when a personal robot shares a home with a person. The scenarios are:
a human and robot working on a collaborative task, a human and robot sharing a
physical space in a domestic setting, a robot recording and revealing personal
information, a robot interrupting a human in order to serve them, and finally,
a robot seeking assistance from a human through various combinations of
physical and verbal cues. Findings indicate that participants attribute more
blame and less credit to a robot than compared to themselves when working
together on a collaborative task. Safety is a main concern when determining
participants' comfort when sharing living space with their robot. Findings
suggest that the robot should keep its interruption of the user's activities to
a minimum. Participants were happy for the robot to store information which is
essential for the robot to improve its functionality. However, their main
concerns were related to the storing of sensitive information and security
measures to safeguard such information. Keywords: HRI, Social Robots, Longitudinal Study, Robot House | |||
| Adaptive Training Strategy of Distal Movements by Means of a Wrist-Robot | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 227-233 | |
| Lorenzo Masia; Nestor Nava Rodriguez; Maura Casadio; Pietro Morasso; Giulio Sandini; Psiche Giannoni | |||
| This paper presents the design, and performance of a high fidelity three
degree-of-freedom wrist exoskeleton robot, for neuroscience study, training and
rehabilitation. The IIT-Wrist is intended to provide kinesthetic feedback
during the training of motor skills or rehabilitation of reaching movements.
Motivation for such applications is based on findings that show robot-assisted
physical therapy aids in the rehabilitation process following neurological
injuries. In the present paper the IIT-Wrist haptic robot is described in terms
of kinematics and haptics features to meet specific requirements for a safety
human-machine interaction. In relation with a feasibility study in the field of
robot therapy a preliminary training of stroke patient was performed. The task
consisted in tracking a target using one degree of freedom at time:
Flexion/Extension, Adduction/Abduction, Pronation/Supination separately. The
target motion is harmonic and tracking is aided by a suitable force field. The
preliminary study with three patients shows the stability and the efficacy of
the control scheme. Keywords: wrist robot, rehabilitation robotics, adaptive training | |||
| Reconfiguration of Vibro-tactile Feedback Based on Drivers' Sitting Attitude | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 234-242 | |
| Andreas Riener; Alois Ferscha | |||
| The today mainly incorporated sensory modalities vision and hearing are most
often highly charged due to an increasing number, as well as a rising
complexity of diversified assistance systems in vehicles. These systems,
originally developed for "supporting" the driver in its tasks, increasingly
directs to operation errors caused by cognitive overload. The sense of touch --
as additional interaction channel -- should have the ability to release
cognitive load from visual and auditory channels by adapting in a natural,
intuitive and non-distracting manner. A drawback of haptics is that feedback is
reliant to both driver and environmental conditions. For instance, different
sizes and weights of drivers' result in a changed haptic perceptivity, and
vibro-tactile feedback potentially is interpreted erroneous due to personal
sitting attitudes. A vibro-tactile seat, endowed with a set of unobtrusive
embedded sensors and actuators, is proposed to counter action these issues. The
input channel is used for determining the occupied seating surface and, in
addition, is also responsible for observing disruptive vibrations, originating
in the environment. These information is employed in order to reconfigure
vibro-tactile output dynamically with the aim to guarantee consistent haptic
perception for any person. Keywords: Vibro-tactile Interaction, Tactile Sensing, Haptic Seat, Dynamic Feedback | |||
| Networked Haptic Cooperation Using Remote Dynamic Proxies | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 243-248 | |
| Zhi Li; Daniela Constantinescu | |||
| Networked haptic cooperation entails direct interaction among users as well
as joint manipulation of virtual objects. To increase the realism of both types
of interactions, this paper introduces remote dynamic proxies. Remote dynamic
proxies are second order dynamic representations of users at the remote peer
sites. They are generated according to dynamics laws and are controlled by the
user whom they represent through a virtual coupler. Hence, they move in a
physically intuitive manner and do not suffer from position discontinuities due
to network packet transmission limitations. The remote dynamic proxies are
integrated into a distributed control architecture for networked haptic
cooperation. An experimental comparison of the new controller to two recently
proposed controllers demonstrates smoother rendering of contact between users,
as well as stable cooperation for larger network delays. Keywords: networked haptic cooperation, haptic rendering, remote dynamic proxies | |||
| Modelling Perceptual Elements of Music in a Vibrotactile Display for Deaf Users: A Field Study | | BIBA | Full-Text | 249-254 | |
| Maria Karam; Gabe Nespoli; Frank Russo; Deborah I. Fels | |||
| The Model Human Cochlea (MHC) is a sensory substitution technique for presenting music as multiple discrete channels of vibrotactile stimuli. The MHC prototype was introduced to a group of Deaf senior citizens at a community centre, where they could try the chair, and provide us with feedback about their experience. Preliminary results from this work suggest that the MHC can potentially offer a more effective means of expressing basic emotional information from music in a vibrotactile display when the signals more closely match the perceptual elements of the music such as melody and instrument parts. We describe the MHC prototype and present the results of our field study, which extends our lab experiments with the MHC to include Deaf and hard of hearing participants in a real world setting. | |||
| Haptic Teleoperated Robotic System for an Effective Obstacle Avoidance | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 255-260 | |
| Nadia Garcia-Hernandez; Vicente Parra-Vega | |||
| A novel haptic teleoperated scheme for an efficient obstacle avoidance under
human guidance is introduced. A remote robot immersed in an environment with
obstacles is guided by a user using the end-effector of a haptic device. The
system provides force feedback to the user when he approaches a potential field
surrounding an obstacle. The user assigns the potential fields to the obstacles
based on subjective judgments, i.e. a loose fitting potential field whether the
obstacle is fragile or tough, to avoid a close approach to it. Obstacle
avoidance experiments under visual and force feedback were performance and the
results confirm the effectiveness of this scheme. Keywords: Haptic; Teleoperation; Obstacle; Avoidance | |||
| A Preliminary Experiment of Checking Usability Principles with Formal Methods | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 261-270 | |
| Steinar Kristoffersen | |||
| Theoretical computer science has been occupied with formal methods since the
beginning. It has had its share of challenges, though. Often, excessive
additional work is required to re-specify applications precisely in a new
formalism, so that they can be analyzed algorithmically. With more model-based
software engineering, this may have changed. In many instances, specifications
are now complete and updated throughout the systems development life-cycle,
primarily to drive rather than to document the process. Thus, formal approaches
have become more realistic. This paper looks at one experiment with automatic
usability evaluation, based on a structured user interface specification. It
shows that there are promising results ahead. Examples of automatic usability
evaluation based on a widely-use user-interface specification language are
presented. Benefits of formal specification cannot be reaped, however, unless
this approach is bolstered by a purposeful design of the modeling techniques
and languages themselves. Thus, some requirements of the formalisms for
model-based usability engineering conclude the paper. Keywords: Automatic usability evaluation, model checking, XUL (XML User Interface
Language), Maude, rewriting logic | |||
| Spatial Auditory Interface for Word Processing Application | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 271-276 | |
| Jaka Sodnik; Sašo Tomazic | |||
| In this paper we evaluate two different auditory interfaces for word
processing application. The interfaces are in the form of hierarchical menu
structures and use spatial sounds in two different spatial configurations. The
first menu -- AH -- has a ring shaped horizontal configuration of the sound
sources, whereas the second -- AV -- has a vertical configuration of the sound
sources. Spatial sounds are used to increase the information flow between the
user and the application. In this way, multiple sources (i.e. menu commands)
can be played and perceived simultaneously. The main goal of the experiment was
to choose the most efficient interface based on a user study with 16 test
subjects. The test subjects were asked to perform five different tasks with two
auditory interfaces and a normal visual GUI. The variables observed in the user
study were: task completion times, navigation performance and various
subjective evaluations. The AV interface proved to be the most efficient and
user friendly and will therefore be used in further experiments. Keywords: auditory interfaces, spatial sound, word processing application,
human-computer interaction | |||
| Concept and Design of a Contextual Mobile Multimedia Content Usability Study | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 277-282 | |
| Zahid Hussain; Martin Lechner; Harald Milchrahm; Sara Shahzad; Wolfgang Slany; Martin Umgeher; Peter Wolkerstorfer | |||
| The popularity of consuming multimedia content on mobile phones is
increasing more and more, not only because of the availability of the technical
infrastructure, but also because of the mobility in modern society. We are
developing a mobile multimedia streaming application. The crucial factor for
such applications in order to be adopted and successful is user acceptance.
This paper presents the preliminary concept and design of a contextual mobile
multimedia content usability study. The study is conducted within are search
project on agile software development methodologies with special emphasis on
Extreme Programming and continuous usability evaluation. Past work included
satisfaction of the needs of end users by means of focusing on user-experience
in all steps of the development process. To gain scientific relevant data, the
careful design of a study is considered most important. The study which will be
conducted in October 2008 will give insights into mobile HCI concerning the
coherence of content types, consumption times, and consumption contexts. Keywords: Mobile Usability | |||
| Investigating the Comprehension Support for Effective Visualization Tools -- A Case Study | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 283-288 | |
| Harkirat Padda; Ahmed Seffah; Sudhir Mudur | |||
| There is an increasing interest in computer-based visualizations to provide
insights and ease understandings of complex information. However, many of the
proposed visualization tools/techniques seldom find real use in practice. The
main reason is that they do not adequately address the issue of easing
comprehensibility of underlying information. Through a case study with two
static software visualization tools -- SA4J (Structural Analysis for Java) and
Creole, we investigate the comprehension support of these tools with the help
of a set of comprehension criteria that assess how efficiently and effectively
users are able to grasp the underlying design intent along with applied
interaction mechanisms. Keywords: Comprehension, Visualization, Criteria, Empirical Evaluation | |||
| Why Developers Insert Security Vulnerabilities into Their Code | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 289-294 | |
| Kaarina Karppinen; Lyly Yonkwa; Mikael Lindvall | |||
| Modern software systems are difficult to test due to their distributed
nature, and increased security complicates testing even further. Our hypothesis
is that some security vulnerabilities are actually introduced due to
developers' need to facilitate testing that software requirements have been
implemented correctly. If these temporary security vulnerabilities are not
removed before the software is delivered, there is a great risk that they may
become fielded security vulnerabilities. In this paper, we study the
relationship between such security vulnerabilities and developers' need to
improve the testability of an application to facilitate unit and integration
testing. We trace detected vulnerabilities to characteristics of the software
that made testing difficult and therefore led to testability improvements. We
discuss how the need to increase testability may relate to a form of developer
usability, and what the ways of dealing with the problem of security
vulnerabilities as a consequence of increasing testability are. Keywords: Security, testability, usability | |||
| Evaluation and Modeling of User Performance for Pointing and Scrolling Tasks on Handheld Devices Using Tilt Sensor | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 295-300 | |
| Hamed H. Sad; Franck Poirier | |||
| We experimentally test the effectiveness and reliability of the
accelerometer-based tilt sensor as an interaction device for pointing and
scrolling tasks on handheld devices. The touch screen and stylus based
interfaces on these devices requires using two hands: one for holding the
device and the other for driving the stylus. In our experiment, the
participants use only one hand to interact with the same interfaces. In
addition to freeing one hand, using the tilt sensor doesn't hide a part of the
device's tiny screen. Two different interfaces are used in the experiment: one
for testing pointing and targeting without scrolling and the other is for
testing them with scrolling. Using the experiment results we developed a model
for the prediction of the execution time for both tasks. Keywords: evaluation, pointing, scrolling, modeling | |||
| Usability and Security Patterns | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 301-305 | |
| Andrei Ferreira; Cristian Rusu; Silvana Roncagliolo | |||
| Some authors argue that it can be complicated to build systems with both
usability and security, but the reality is that there is no real conflict
between these two properties. Certainly, it takes more work to build systems
that have the properties of usability and security, but in many cases it is a
matter of doing just a good job not miracles. The purpose of this paper is to
establish patterns that allow to align both usability and security aspects. Keywords: Usability, Security, Design patterns | |||
| Virtual Reality-Based Scenarios for Visuo-motor Conflicts Studies: Preliminary Results | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 306-309 | |
| L. Demougeot; N. Mollet; A. Sciutti; R. Chellali; T. Pozzo | |||
| This preliminary study looks into how visual information affects motion
planning in a gravitational environment. Recently, it has been shown that
goal-directed tasks, e.g. simple pointing actions, are performed using a
combination of a priori knowledge and closed-loop information, coming from
proprioceptive-vestibular and visual feedback. In particular it has been
observed that visual information is used by the central nervous system to
reorganize motor planning when visuo-motor conflicts occur. The aim of our work
is to investigate deeper the contribution of the visual channel in motor
planning by means of virtual reality tools. Indeed, virtual reality technology
is used here to modify the nature of visual input, leading to test several
scenarios from minimalist and impoverished scenes to fully immersive and
realistic environments. In fact we want to understand how the richness of the
visual information is relevant in influencing our motor planning. We describe
here our experimental setup and protocols. Moreover we present some preliminary
results and we discuss the ongoing developments. Keywords: visuo-motor conflict, arm kinematics, gravity force, motor planning, virtual
reality | |||
| Virtual Environments and Scenario Languages for Advanced Teleoperation of Groups of Real Robots: Real Case Application | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 310-316 | |
| Nicolas Mollet; Luca Giulio Brayda; Ryad Chellali; Jean-Guy Fontaine | |||
| This paper deals with the usage of Virtual Reality and Scenario Languages in
the field of teleoperation: how to enable a group of teleoperators to control,
in a collaborative way, groups of real robots, in turn collaborating with each
other to achieve complex tasks; such tasks include inspecting a dangerous area
or exploring a partially unknown environment. The main goal is to obtain
efficient, natural and innovative interactions in such a context. We first
present the usage of Collaborative Virtual Environments (CVE) to obtain a
unified, simplified, virtual abstraction of distributed, complex, real robots.
We show how this virtual environment offers a peculiar ability: to free
teleoperators from space and time constraints. Then we present our original
usage of Scenario Languages to describe complex and collaborative tasks in a
natural and flexible way. Finally, we validate the proposed framework through
our Teleoperation platform ViRAT. Keywords: teleoperation, robotics, virtual reality, scenario languages, augmented
reality | |||
| Rapid Software Prototyping Using Ajax and Google Map API | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 317-323 | |
| Francis Rousseaux; Kevin Lhoste | |||
| Nowadays, when the evolution of IT tools is faster than ever, the user's
needs are evolving even faster. For a software company such a context is
difficult to be handled because, within a classical development cycle, the
development of an application takes several months or years delivery. A rapid
software prototyping could be very useful in those cases helping the user to
rethink its needs in terms of functionalities and interfaces. We study how the
emergence of new web tools, which allow developers to use a large predefined
set of data and functionalities through free public APIs (e.g., Google maps)
can help to achieve rapid software prototyping. This article will use a
real-time example of rapid software prototyping for military applications. In
the first part, we show past difficulties for designing such systems. In the
second part, we show how the rapid prototyping strategy becomes relevant with
the emergence of web tools. In the third part we present the technical
implementation of the project. Finally we conclude about perspectives and
limitations of this method. Keywords: Rapid software prototyping, Ajax, GIS, Geopolitical risk and crisis
management, Collections | |||
| How Applicable is Your Evaluation Methods -- Really? Analysis and Re-design of Evaluation Methods for Fun and Entertainment | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 324-328 | |
| Charlotte Wiberg; Kalle Jegers; Heather Desurvire | |||
| This paper presents an approach to analyze and re-design evaluation methods.
The domain explored in this paper is evaluation methods for evaluating fun and
entertainment. However, the approach presented may be applied in other domains
as well. The approach is conceptually described and two examples of processes
where the approach were used in practice are further discussed. As the map of
IT applications and digital media is continuously re-designed, there is a
constant need of re-designing evaluation methods. Keywords: usability, methods, evaluation of fun, re-design of methods | |||
| gReader: A Universally Designed, Device-Independent Email Client | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 329-335 | |
| Lindsay D. Grace | |||
| This paper describes the design, development and user study of a
text-to-speech system for reviewing email messages. The system retrieves
messages, converts them to audio files, and facilitates transferring the
messages to a portable listening device. This study reviews the efficacy of
such a system and compares the users' ability to comprehend spoken audio
messages verses written messages. According to the study the system was
successful, but the user interest in the design was only moderate. Keywords: Universal Accessibility, Text-to-Speech, Universal Design, Email, Portable
Communication Device, Portable Entertainment Device, User Study | |||
| Machine-Generated Multimedia Content | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 336-341 | |
| Nathan Nichols; Kristian Hammond | |||
| In this paper we describe an automated system, and its attendant set of
techniques and tools, that is able to generate novel multimedia experiences.
Using existing online sources, external textual and multimedia repositories,
and user preferences, the system builds a customized audio/visual experience
for the user. We discuss one application in detail: News at Seven, an
automatically generated, personalized news show. Beginning with a set of user
preferences, the system is able to find relevant text, process that text, and
supplement it with images, video, and blogger responses. The final output of
the system is an online Flash presentation that uses animated avatars with
generated speech and is modeled after traditional nightly news broadcast. We
see this work as the beginning of an overall approach to machine-generated
content. Keywords: machine generated content, multi-media, rich media, news | |||
| Interface Design for MicroBiomanipulation and Teleoperation | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 342-347 | |
| Leonardo Mattos; Darwin Caldwell | |||
| Current challenges in biomanipulations for life-sciences research include
extensive operator training, low success rates and low consistency of
operations. These problems were tackled here through the use of teleoperation
techniques and the development of a unified interface for simultaneous control
of all devices used for standard biomanipulations. The developed system was
created with high-end commercial biomanipulation equipment similar to those
currently in use at many research laboratories, and also included game
joysticks for teleoperated control. These were integrated into a single system
through the design of modular component abstractions and the implementation of
a central control structure. This structure enabled the creation of an open,
flexible and user-friendly biomanipulation system for improved operation
performance. This paper describes the design and implementation of such system. Keywords: Biomanipulation, Teleoperation, Cell injection | |||
| Control Concept for a Hydraulic Mobile Machine Using a Haptic Operating Device | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 348-353 | |
| Henning Hayn; Dieter Schwarzmann | |||
| A control methodology for the operation of a hydraulic excavator using a
haptic operating device is developed. The main idea is to use position
controllers for both the excavator and the operating device where both control
loops output the reference position to the other, i.e., two position controlled
systems are placed in a feedback loop with each other. The human operator acts
as an input disturbance to the operating device. This approach allows intuitive
operation of the machine and gives the operator haptic feedback of the boom
position. Internal model control (IMC) is employed to design the position
controllers for both the hydraulic manipulator and the operating device. To
this end, a simplified design rule for the IMC filter and a novel anti-windup
approach for models with pure integrators are proposed. The master-slave
control methodology is exemplified on an 18 ton excavator; measurement results
are given. Keywords: haptic, master-slave system, excavator, Phantom Omni, internal model control | |||
| Ground Truth Verification Tool (GTVT) for Video Surveillance Systems | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 354-359 | |
| Amol Ambardekar; Mircea Nicolescu; Sergiu Dascalu | |||
| As cameras and storage devices have become cheaper, the number of video
surveillance systems has also increased. Video surveillance was (and mostly is)
done by human operators on a need-to-know basis. The advent of new algorithms
from the computer vision community, and increased computational power offered
by new CPUs have shown a strong possibility of automating this task. Different
approaches have been proposed by computer scientists to solve the difficult
problem of content recognition from video data. They use many different videos
to prove their usefulness and accuracy. A careful comparison and evaluation
needs to be done to find the most suitable method under given conditions. To
compare the results given by video surveillance applications, the ground truth
needs to be established. In the case of computer vision, the ground truth needs
to be provided by humans, making it one of the most time-consuming tasks in the
evaluation process. This paper presents a tool (GTVT) that allows the user to
establish the ground truth for a given video. GTVT presents a user-friendly
interface to perform the cumbersome task of ground truth establishment and
verification. Keywords: computer vision, video surveillance, ground truth verification, human
computer interaction | |||
| Applying the Chilean Educational Experience in HCI to Peruvian Undergraduate and Graduate Programs | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 360-364 | |
| Jose Antonio Pow-Sang; Cristian Rusu; Claudia Zapata; Silvana Roncagliolo | |||
| The importance of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) education for software
professionals should be evident and well understood, when designing computing
programs, at all levels. Unfortunately there is a lack of HCI courses in
Peruvian computing programs. Changing curricula is often difficult and involves
a long bureaucratic process. However, making small changes in courses' approach
and emphasis only requires good will from the professors. The current paper
presents a proposal to introduce HCI topics and/or courses in the Informatics
Engineering curricula at Pontificia Universidad Católica del
Perú, based on the Chilean educational experience at Pontificia
Universidad Católica de Valparaúso. Keywords: Human-Computer Interaction, Computer Science Curricula, Usability | |||
| Improving Usability of HTA Charts | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 365-368 | |
| Raja Jamilah Raja Yusof; Khairuddin Hashim | |||
| This paper proposes improving the usability of HTA (Hierarchical Task
Analysis) chart through redefinition. The plans in the existing HTA chart
(HTAe) are replaced with symbols giving a proposed representation of HTA chart
(HTAs). An empirical experiment was done on both types of chart, the HTAe and
the HTAs, to see whether there is an improvement on the usability of HTA chart.
An analysis was done on the score given for each task done correctly in
interpreting the chart. An improvement was recorded. Lastly, a further
redefinition of HTA chart was done based on results of the experiment carried
out. Keywords: hierarchical task analysis, human computer interaction, software
engineering, usability | |||
| Toward the Study of Sign Language Coarticulation: Methodology Proposal | | BIBA | Full-Text | 369-374 | |
| Jérémie Segouat; Annelies Braffort | |||
| This article proposes a methodology to study coarticulation in sign language. Our aim is to provide information in sign language (SL) thanks to a displayed signing avatar performing SL predefined animations. Therefore, we explain the approach we have chosen to model coarticulation, and animate our avatar. We also propose a definition of what coarticulation is, based on an overview of the literature, and we present the linguistic basis our model will be build on. We explain the methodology we are setting up, based on corpus analysis, and our evaluation protocol. We are aware of the various implications our study will have on several aspects for the deaf community and the SL. | |||
| Using an Error Detection Strategy for Improving Web Accessibility for Older Adults | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 375-380 | |
| Alfred, Sr. Taylor; Les Miller; Sree Nilakanta; Jeffry Sander; Saayan Mitra; Anurag Sharda; Bachar Chama | |||
| The ability to use the Internet can provide an important contribution to an
older adult's quality of life. Communication via email with family, friends and
service providers has become a critical factor for improving ones ability to
cope with modern society as individual's age. The problem is that as users age,
natural physical and cognitive impairments make it more difficult for them to
use the required technology. The present study investigates the use of error
detection as a means of improving web access amongst older adults.
Specifically, error detection strategies are compared to observation as a means
of identifying the impairments of Internet users. Keywords: web access, older adults, usability | |||
| Designing and Evaluating Interactive Television from a Usability Perspective | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 381-385 | |
| César A. Collazos; Cristian Rusu; José L. Arciniegas; Silvana Roncagliolo | |||
| Interactive television (iTV) is the convergence of television with digital
media technologies. iTV must be treated as a unique medium with its own set of
constraints and opportunities. A set of principles to follow, when designing
iTV applications, is presented. Heuristics to be applied when evaluating iTV
applications' usability is described. Keywords: Usability, Interactive television, Design guidelines, Usability heuristics | |||
| Animation Generation Process for Sign Language Synthesis | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 386-390 | |
| M. Delorme; M. Filhol; A. Braffort | |||
| In this paper, we propose a new process for Sign Language synthesis. Our
approach is based on a geometric description of signs to animate a signing
avatar. We work as follows: the signs are divided in timing units and treated
separately in a sequential process. The final results are merged into a global
animation file describing the whole sign in terms of articulatory angles for a
skeleton. Keywords: SL, NLP, Animation Synthesis, Signing Avatars | |||