User-device Interaction Research Articles

Wireless device connection problems and design solutions

Users, especially the non-expert users, commonly experience problems when connecting multiple devices with interoperability. While studies on multiple device connections are mostly concentrated on spontaneous device association techniques with a focus on security aspects, the research on user interaction for device connection is still limited. More research into understanding people is needed for designers to devise usable techniques. This research applies the Research-through-Design method and studies the non-expert users’ interactions in establishing wireless connections between devices. The “Learning from Examples” concept is adopted to develop a study focus line by learning from the expert users’ interaction with devices. This focus line is then used for guiding researchers to explore the non-expert users’ difficulties at each stage of the focus line. Finally, the Research-through-Design approach is used to understand the users’ difficulties, gain insights to design problems and suggest usable solutions. When connecting a device, the user is required to manage not only the device's functionality but also the interaction between devices. Based on learning from failures, an important insight is found that the existing design approach to improve single-device interaction issues, such as improvements to graphical user interfaces or computer guidance, cannot help users to handle problems between multiple devices. This study finally proposes a desirable user-device interaction in which images of two devices function together with a system image to provide the user with feedback on the status of the connection, which allows them to infer any required actions.

‘I See You on My Radar’: Displays of the Confirmatory Form in Maritime Technologically Mediated Interaction

This article investigates how speakers in maritime technologically mediated interaction utilize pre-scripted interaction. The analysis uses micro-analytical methods that have not been used in the analysis of maritime interactions since the study by Bailey et al. (2006) . In contrast to Bailey et al. (2006) who have analysed interactions between co-located speakers on board ships, this article analyses interactions between speakers who are not co-located. Micro-analytical methods can shed light on sense-making practices that speakers display in pre-scripted user-device interaction as pointed out by Arminen (2005) . The article advances the observations of Bailey et al. (2006) regarding the ‘confirmatory form’ that they found predominant in co-located bridge team interaction. A ‘confirmatory form’ is a speaker display of the pre-script1called a ‘readback’ ( IMO SMCP, 2001 ), that speakers show when verifying information. The analysis shows that the structure of the ‘readback’ is used by speakers, is dependent on reflexive user-device interaction and involves a situated rule-following (Wittgenstein, 1958). The article then argues against the findings in The MARCOM Project (1999) that advocates that spoken interaction should be done away with completely as a way of promoting safe navigation, and concurs with studies in aviation research, that show how verbal interaction is an essential part of the situated understanding that takes place when performing institutional tasks ( Sanne, 2003 ; Nevile, 2004a ; Falzon, 2008 , 2009 ).

Trace H2O2‐Assisted High‐Capacity Tungsten Oxide Electrochromic Batteries with Ultrafast Charging in Seconds

AbstractA recent technological trend in the field of electrochemical energy storage is to integrate energy storage and electrochromism functions in one smart device, which can establish efficient user–device interactions based on a friendly human‐readable output. This type of newly born energy storage technology has drawn tremendous attention. However, there is still plenty of room for technological and material innovation, which would allow advancement of the research field. A prototype Al‐tungsten oxide electrochromic battery with interactive color‐changing behavior is reported. With the assistance of trace amount of H2O2, the battery exhibits a specific capacity almost seven times that for the reported electrochromic batteries, up to 429 mAh g−1. Fast decoloration of the reduced tungsten oxide affords a very quick charging time of only eight seconds, which possibly comes from an intricate combination of structure and valence state changes of tungsten oxide. This unique combination of features may further advance the development of smart energy storage devices with suitability for user–device interactions.

Trace H2 O2 -Assisted High-Capacity Tungsten Oxide Electrochromic Batteries with Ultrafast Charging in Seconds.

A recent technological trend in the field of electrochemical energy storage is to integrate energy storage and electrochromism functions in one smart device, which can establish efficient user-device interactions based on a friendly human-readable output. This type of newly born energy storage technology has drawn tremendous attention. However, there is still plenty of room for technological and material innovation, which would allow advancement of the research field. A prototype Al-tungsten oxide electrochromic battery with interactive color-changing behavior is reported. With the assistance of trace amount of H2 O2 , the battery exhibits a specific capacity almost seven times that for the reported electrochromic batteries, up to 429 mAh g(-1) . Fast decoloration of the reduced tungsten oxide affords a very quick charging time of only eight seconds, which possibly comes from an intricate combination of structure and valence state changes of tungsten oxide. This unique combination of features may further advance the development of smart energy storage devices with suitability for user-device interactions.

안드로이드 기반 자연과학 교육용 디지털 앱북 개발을 위한 사용자 상호작용 라이브러리

The digital app-book is an advanced form of the electronic book (e-book), which attracts a lot of interests by the help of video, sound, sensors and a variety of interactions. As mobile devices have evolved, the demand of digital app-books is also rising substantially. However, the distribution of digital app-book contents is hard to meet the demand because the digital app-book requires a lot of programming cost for the interaction. To resolve this problem, Was verified and implementation as a library function of the interaction between device and user. The proposed library consists of three parts (user action recognition, device action, and content action) and provides various user-device interaction functions by combining methods of each part, which can support source code reusability, easy understanding and availability, and wide expandibility. The library was used in the development of natural science education app-book contents. As a result, it could reduce a lot of code lines and facilitate more rapid app-book development. Keyword : E-Book, Digital App-Book, Mobile Application 정규논문 (Regular Paper) 방송공학회논문지 제20권 제1호, 2015년 1월 (JBE Vol. 20, No. 1, January 2015) http://dx.doi.org/10.5909/JBE.2015.20.1.110 ISSN 2287-9137 (Online) ISSN 1226-7953 (Print) 이강운 외 2인 : 안드로이드 기반 자연과학 교육용 디지털 앱북 개발을 위한 사용자 상호작용 라이브러리 111 (Kang-Woon Lee et al. : User Interaction Library for Natural Science Education Digital App-Book on Android Platform)

Multitouch Gesture-Based Authentication

This paper investigates multitouch gestures for user authentication on touch sensitive devices. A canonical set of 22 multitouch gestures was defined using characteristics of hand and finger movement. Then, a multitouch gesture matching algorithm robust to orientation and translation was developed. Two different studies were performed to evaluate the concept. First, a single session experiment was performed in order to explore feasibility of multitouch gestures for user authentication. Testing on the canonical set showed that the system could achieve good performance in terms of distinguishing between gestures performed by different users. In addition, the tests demonstrated a desirable alignment of usability and security as gestures that were more secure from a biometric point of view were rated as more desirable in terms of ease, pleasure, and excitement. Second, a study involving a three-session experiment was performed. Results indicate that biometric information gleaned from a short user-device interaction remains consistent across gaps of several days, though there is noticeable degradation of performance when the authentication is performed over multiple sessions. In addition, the study showed that user-defined gestures yield the highest recognition rate among all other gestures, whereas the use of multiple gestures in a sequence aids in boosting verification accuracy. In terms of memorability, the study showed that it is feasible for a user to recall user-defined gestural passwords and it is observed that the recall rate increases over time. It is also noticed that performing a user-defined gesture over a customized background image does result in higher verification performance. In terms of usability, the study shows that users did not have difficulty in performing multitouch gestures as they all rated each gesture as easy to perform.

Stability-Guaranteed Assist-as-Needed Controller for Powered Orthoses

This brief describes the assistance regulation controller (ARC), a nonlinear admittance controller for powered orthoses (POs) and wearable robotics that simultaneously facilitates task completion and encourages user effort. This brief also introduces a novel acceleration-limited proportional derivative controller (ALPDC) that guarantees the stability of the ARC's inner position control loop. The stability analysis of the ALPDC shows that this simple and robust position controller promotes safer human-robot interactions in a large class of admittance-controlled haptic devices. Both the ARC and ALPDC are implemented on a one-degree-of-freedom PO designed to assist forearm flexion and extension. Experiments performed by a healthy male subject confirm that the ALPDC guarantees stable user-device interactions and bounded tracking errors during highly dynamic forearm motions that lead to instability with a conventional controller.

Considering just noticeable difference in assessments of physical accommodation for product design

Configuring products or environments for the size of their human users requires the consideration of several characteristics of the target user population, including body dimensions (anthropometry) and preferred interaction. Users are both adaptable and imperfect observers, which often makes it difficult for them to distinguish between candidate designs. This insensitivity is described by a concept called ‘just noticeable difference’, or JND. This paper presents an implementation of JND modelling and demonstrates how its use in the sizing of products or environments for target user populations can improve expected performance. Two facets of this problem are explored: (1) how experimental measures of JND for dimensional optimisation tasks may be obtained, and (2) how measures of JND may be included in models of user–device interaction for both adjustable and discretely sized products and the assumptions required. A case study demonstrating the collection and modelling of JND for a simple univariate problem is also presented.Practitioner Summary: Since people are adaptable and imperfect observers, there exists a ‘just noticeable difference’ that can be considered when designing products and environments. When JND is modelled for a target population, less variability in design dimensions due to physical user requirements may be necessary. This paper considers JND in quantitative simulations of population accommodation.

Medical Device Usability Analyses

Errors committed during healthcare providers’ use of patient controlled analgesia (PCA) systems in the acute care setting are poorly understood. A PCA is a complex, medical device that delivers a prescribed pain medication primarily through the intravenous route into the patient. The benefits of PCA use are numerous, but PCAs are also a known source of errors resulting in patient injury. Human factors usability analyses are methods to identify and mitigate factors that contribute to errors during user-device interaction. The purpose of this paper is to present the findings from an integrative review of published medical device usability analyses and to provide the foundation for future empirical research to improve our understanding of PCA system errors.

Development and Evaluation of Automotive Speech Interfaces: Useful Information from the Human Factors and the Related Literature

Drivers often use infotainment systems in motor vehicles, such as systems for navigation, music, and phones. However, operating visual-manual interfaces for these systems can distract drivers. Speech interfaces may be less distracting. To help designing easy-to-use speech interfaces, this paper identifies key speech interfaces (e.g., CHAT, Linguatronic, SYNC, Siri, and Google Voice), their features, and what was learned from evaluating them and other systems. Also included is information on key technical standards (e.g., ISO 9921, ITU P.800) and relevant design guidelines. This paper also describes relevant design and evaluation methods (e.g., Wizard of Oz) and how to make driving studies replicable (e.g., by referencing SAE J2944). Throughout the paper, there is discussion of linguistic terms (e.g., turn-taking) and principles (e.g., Grice’s Conversational Maxims) that provide a basis for describing user-device interactions and errors in evaluations.

The Development and Evaluation of an Eyes-Free Interaction Model for Mobile Reading Devices

Research into eyes-free mobile reading devices has grown in recent years. This research has focused mainly on the image processing required by such a device, with a lower emphasis on the user interaction. In this paper, a model of a voice user interface (VUI) for a mobile reading device is presented. Three field studies with blind participants were conducted to develop and refine the model. A formal grammar is used to describe the VUI, and a stochastic Petri net was developed to model the complete user-device interaction. Evaluation and analysis of the user testing of a prototype led to empirically derived probabilities of grammar token usage for the commands that comprise the VUI.

Model-Based Development of User-Centric Automation and Assistive Devices/Systems

This paper presents a model-based approach to developing easily configurable and customizable and safe-to-use UCAADS. The acronym UCAADS stands for user-centric automation and assistive devices and systems, which include automation tools used by individuals and care-providing institutions for purposes of improving their quality of life and quality of care. The UCAADS model underlying the development process of such devices incorporates workflow elements with goals, objectives, methods, and selections elements, and is executable. This unique combination enables the device behavior, user actions, and user-device interactions to be specified in terms of a model for requirement capture and design assessment purposes early in the development process. The workflow elements in the device model become its implementation when the required programs and other resources become available. Reusable models, resource components, tools, and runtime environment needed to support this process are provided by UCAADS simulation environment and embedded workflow framework also described in this paper.

Medical device design in context: A model of user–device interaction and consequences

The practice of evaluating interaction with devices is embedded in disciplines such as human–computer interaction and cognitive ergonomics, including concepts such as affordances, error analysis, skill, rule and knowledge based behaviour and decision making biases. This paper considers the way in which the approach that has been routinely applied to displays and control design within the control and transport domains can be transferred to the context of medical devices. The importance of considering the context in which medical devices are used and implemented is presented, and the need for a systems approach to medical device design is emphasised. Five case studies from medical device control and display design are presented as an aide to developing an understanding of the relationship between device design and resultant behaviours. On the basis of these case studies, four types of mediating factors (catalysts, enablers, facilitators and enhancers) are proposed and a model to describe the link between device design, user, context and consequences is presented.

Series Viscoelastic Actuators Can Match Human Force Perception

Series elastic actuators (SEAs) are frequently used for force control in haptic interaction, because they decouple actuator inertia from the end effector by a compliant element. This element is usually a metal spring or beam, where the static force-deformation relationship offers a cheap force sensor. For high-precision force control, however, the remaining small inertia of this elastic element and of the end effector still limit the sensing performance and rendering transparency. Here, we extend the concept to deformable end effectors manufactured of viscoelastic materials. These materials offer the advantage of extremely low mass at high maximum deformation and applicable load. However, force and deformation are no longer statically related, and history of force and deformation has to be accounted for. We describe an observer-based solution, which allows drift-free force measurement with high accuracy and precision. Although the description of the viscoelastic behavior involves higher-order derivatives, the proposed observer does not require any numerical differentiation. This new integrated concept of sensing and actuation, called series viscoelastic actuator (SVA), is applied to our high-precision haptic device OSVALD, which is targeted at perception experiments that require sensing and rendering of forces in the range of the human tactile threshold. User-device interaction force is controlled using state-of-the-art control strategies of SEAs. Force estimation and force control performance are evaluated experimentally and prove to be compatible with the intended applications, showing that SVAs open up new possibilities for the use of series compliance and damping in high-precision haptic interfaces.

Mask ventilation, hypocapnia, and seizure duration in electroconvulsive therapy

Study Objective To compare the Mapleson D circuit and the bag-valve-mask device for mask ventilation of patients undergoing electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). Design Cross-over study. Setting Single-center academic medical center. Patients 18 patients undergoing ECT for major depressive disorder. Interventions Patients were randomized to undergo mask ventilation by the Mapleson D circuit or the bag-valve-mask device. Measurements End-tidal CO 2, seizure duration, and airway pressure values were recorded. Main Results End-tidal CO 2 was significantly lower with the bag-valve-mask device. When compared with the bag-valve-mask device, ventilation with the Mapleson circuit resulted in rebreathing of CO 2 in nearly all patients, shorter expiratory time, and lower pressure ramp slope. Conclusions Hypocapnia was not associated with longer seizures, and the user-device interaction might affect device performance.

Context of use as a factor in determining the usability of in-vehicle devices

In recent years, the issue of usability of in-vehicle devices has received growing attention. This is in line with the increase in functionality of these devices, which has been accompanied by the introduction of various new interfaces to facilitate the user–device interaction. The complexity and diversity of the driving task presents a unique challenge in defining usability: user interaction with in-vehicle devices creates a ‘dual task’ scenario, in which conflicts can arise between primary and secondary driving tasks. This, and the safety-critical nature of driving, must be accounted for in defining and evaluating the usability of in-vehicle devices. It is evident that defining usability depends on the context of use of the device in question. The aim of this review therefore is to define usability for in-vehicle devices by selecting a set of criteria to describe the various factors which contribute to usability in this specific context of use.

Dry and wet sliding wear of ITO-coated PET components used in flexible optoelectronic applications

Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) coated with indium tin oxide (ITO) is a common electrode component used in numerous flexible optoelectronic devices including flexible displays and solar cells. The advantages of such components include excellent optical transparency, mechanical flexibility and light weight. However, there is little research reported to date on the wear characteristics of the ITO film. Wear of the ITO can be a critical reliability parameter in devices where repetitive user–device interactions and extreme handling are present. The aim of this work is to investigate the wear of an ITO flat surface in contact with an ITO flat counterface under dry, and wet, sliding conditions. Tests were conducted under a moderate normal load for up to a few thousand sliding cycles. Flat-on-flat contact under pure dry, and wet, sliding conditions was used by means of a custom-built reciprocating wear tester. Wet sliding experiments were conducted using acrylic acid solutions. Acrylic acid, contained in many pressure-sensitive adhesives that are in contact with the ITO layer in optoelectronic stacks, can cause corrosion. Wear was determined from weight measurements. The ITO electrical resistance was monitored in situ in order to provide an insight into the wear development. Microscopy was conducted using optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Wear mechanisms of ITO surfaces include cohesive failure within the film, adhesive wear between ITO film and PET substrate, underlying plastic deformation of the PET substrate and abrasive wear of the ITO film. The results, including weight losses and wear mechanisms for ITO-coated PET, can help the understanding of such systems and aid the design of more reliable optoelectronic devices.

An approach to the formal analysis of user complexity

A formal approach to analysing the user complexity of interactive systems or devices is described, based on theoretical results from cognitive psychology. The user's knowledge of how to use a system to accomplish the various tasks is represented in a procedural notation that permits quantification of the amount and complexity of the knowledge required and the cognitive processing load involved in using a system. Making a system more usable can be accomplished by altering its design until the knowledge is adequately simplified. By representing the device behaviour formally as well, it is possible to simulate the user-device interaction to obtain rigorous measures of user complexity.

An approach to the formal analysis of user complexity

A formal approach to analysing the user complexity of interactive systems or devices is described, based on theoretical results from cognitive psychology. The user's knowledge of how to use a system to accomplish the various tasks is represented in a procedural notation that permits quantification of the amount and complexity of the knowledge required and the cognitive processing load involved in using a system. Making a system more usable can be accomplished by altering its design until the knowledge is adequately simplified. By representing the device behaviour formally as well, it is possible to simulate the user-device interaction to obtain rigorous measures of user complexity.