Current Issue : October - December Volume : 2013 Issue Number : 4 Articles : 5 Articles
There is a growing debate in the literature regarding the tradeoffs between lab and field evaluation of mobile devices. This paper\r\npresents a comparison of field-based and lab-based experiments to evaluate user experience of personalised mobile devices at\r\nlarge sports events. A lab experiment is recommended when the testing focus is on the user interface and application-oriented\r\nusability related issues. However, the results suggest that a field experiment is more suitable for investigating a wider range of\r\nfactors affecting the overall acceptability of the designed mobile service. Such factors include the system function and effects of\r\nactual usage contexts aspects. Where open and relaxed communication is important (e.g., where participant groups are naturally\r\nreticent to communicate), this is more readily promoted by the use of a field study....
Mobile robotic telepresence (MRP) systems incorporate video conferencing equipment onto mobile robot devices which can be\r\nsteered from remote locations. These systems, which are primarily used in the context of promoting social interaction between\r\npeople, are becoming increasingly popular within certain application domains such as health care environments, independent\r\nliving for the elderly, and office environments. In this paper, an overview of the various systems, application areas, and challenges\r\nfound in the literature concerning mobile robotic telepresence is provided. The survey also proposes a set terminology for the\r\nfield as there is currently a lack of standard terms for the different concepts related to MRP systems. Further, this paper provides\r\nan outlook on the various research directions for developing and enhancing mobile robotic telepresence systems per se, as well as\r\nevaluating the interaction in laboratory and field settings. Finally, the survey outlines a number of design implications for the future\r\nof mobile robotic telepresence systems for social interaction....
The extent to which humans can interact with machines significantly enhanced through inclusion of speech, gestures, and eye\r\nmovements. However, these communication channels depend on a functional motor system. As many people suffer from severe\r\ndamage of the motor system resulting in paralysis and inability to communicate, the development of brain-machine interfaces\r\n(BMI) that translate electric or metabolic brain activity into control signals of external devices promises to overcome this\r\ndependence. People with complete paralysis can learn to use their brain waves to control prosthetic devices or exoskeletons.\r\nHowever, information transfer rates of currently available noninvasive BMI systems are still very limited and do not allow versatile\r\ncontrol and interaction with assistive machines.Thus, using brain waves in combination with other biosignals might significantly\r\nenhance the ability of people with a compromised motor system to interact with assistivemachines.Here,we give an overview of the\r\ncurrent state of assistive, noninvasive BMI research and propose to integrate brain waves and other biosignals for improved control\r\nand applicability of assistive machines in paralysis. Beside introducing an example of such a system, potential future developments\r\nare being discussed....
Face Interface is a wearable prototype that combines the use of voluntary gaze direction and facial activations, for pointing and\r\nselecting objects on a computer screen, respectively.The aim was to investigate the functionality of the prototype for entering text.\r\nFirst, three on-screen keyboard layout designs were developed and tested (?? = 10) to find a layout that would be more suitable\r\nfor text entry with the prototype than traditional QWERTY layout. The task was to enter one word ten times with each of the\r\nlayouts by pointing letters with gaze and select them by smiling. Subjective ratings showed that a layout with large keys on the edge\r\nand small keys near the center of the keyboard was rated as the most enjoyable, clearest, and most functional. Second, using this\r\nlayout, the aim of the second experiment (?? = 12) was to compare entering text with Face Interface to entering text with mouse.\r\nThe results showed that text entry rate for Face Interface was 20 characters per minute (cpm) and 27 cpm for the mouse. For Face\r\nInterface, keystrokes per character (KSPC) value was 1.1 and minimum string distance (MSD) error rate was 0.12. These values\r\ncompare especially well with other similar techniques....
Introduction. Development of a robotic arm that can be operated using an exoskeletal position sensing harness as well as a dry\r\nelectrode brain-computer interface headset. Design priorities comprise an intuitive and immersive user interface, fast and smooth\r\nmovement, portability, and cost minimization. Materials and Methods. A robotic arm prototype capable of moving along 6 degrees\r\nof freedom has been developed, along with an exoskeletal position sensing harness which was used to control it. Commercially\r\navailable dry electrode BCI headsets were evaluated. A particular headset model has been selected and is currently being integrated\r\ninto the hybrid system. Results and Discussion.The combined arm-harness system has been successfully tested and met its design\r\ntargets for speed, smoothmovement, and immersive control. Initial tests verify that an operator using the system can performpick\r\nand place tasks following a rather short learning curve. Further evaluation experiments are planned for the integrated BCI-harness\r\nhybrid setup. Conclusions. It is possible to design a portable robotic arm interface comparable in size, dexterity, speed, and fluidity\r\nto the human arm at relatively low cost. The combined system achieved its design goals for intuitive and immersive robotic control\r\nand is currently being further developed into a hybrid BCI system for comparative experiments....
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