Pointing in the third-person: an exploration of human motion and visual pointing aids for 3D virtual mirrors

Virtual Reality - A “virtual mirror” is a promising interface for virtual or augmented reality applications in which users benefit from seeing themselves within the environment, such as...     

Reliable behaviour simulation of product interface in mixed reality

The validation of a product interface is often a critical issue in the design process. Virtual reality and mixed reality (MR) are able to enhance the interactive simulation of the product human–machine interface (HMI), as these technologies allow engineers to directly involve end users in the usability assessment. This paper describes a MR environment specifically addressed to the usability evaluation of a product interface, which allows the simulation of the HMI behaviour using the same models and the same software employed by engineers during the design phase. Our approach is based on the run-time connection between the visualisation software and the simulators used for product design and analysis. In particular, we use Matlab/Simulink to model and simulate the product behaviour, and Virtools to create the interactive MR environment in which the end user can test the product. Thanks to this architecture, any modification done on the behaviour models is immediately testable in MR.     

Robot-enabled tangible virtual assembly with coordinated midair object placement

The assembly in Virtual Reality (VR) enables users to fit virtual parts into existing 3D models immersively. However, users cannot physically feel the haptic feedback when connecting the parts with the virtual model. This work presents a robot-enabled tangible interface that dynamically moves a physical structure with a robotic arm to provide physical feedback for holding a handheld proxy in VR. This enables the system to provide force feedback during virtual assembly. The cooperation between the physical support and the handheld proxy produces realistic physical force feedback, providing a tangible experience for various virtual parts in virtual assembly scenarios. We developed a prototype system that allowed the operator to place a virtual part onto other models in VR by placing the proxy onto the matched structure attached to a robotic arm. We conducted a user evaluation to explore user performance and system usability in a virtual assembly task. The results indicated that the robot-enabled tangible support increased the task completion time but significantly improved the system usability and sense of presence with a more realistic haptic experience.     

Virtual Observations: a software tool for contextual observation and assessment of user’s actions in virtual reality

Virtual Reality - In this paper, we present ‘Virtual Observation’ (VO) a software tool for contextual observation and assessment of user’s directly from within the virtual reality...     

Comparison of Cognitive Modeling and User Performance Analysis for Touch Screen Mobile Interface Design

The aim of this study is to analyze and comparatively evaluate the usability of touch screen mobile applications through cognitive modeling and end-user usability testing methodologies. The study investigates the accuracy of the estimated results of a cognitive model produced for touch screen mobile phone interfaces. A mobile wallet application was chosen as the mobile software. The CogTool modeling tool was used as the cognitive modeling method. Eight tasks were determined and user tests were conducted in a usability laboratory with 10 participants. The tasks were compared on the basis of step time and total task completion time. This study reveals that CogTool gives approximate estimations with actual user performance on touch screen mobile phone application interfaces. However, if there are special cases in the tasks such that users are very accustomed to the steps or decision-making that is involved in the tasks, the “Think Operation” in CogTool should be modified.     

Integrated manufacture: A role for virtual reality?

Virtual Reality (VR) is fast becoming an affordable technology with potentially wide-ranging applications in many professions including education, medicine and industry. Its advantages over existing technology are primarily that users can visualise, feel involvement and interact with virtual representations of real world activities in real time.

A recently completed study, funded by the EPSRC, examined the feasibility of VR as a tool for UK manufacturing industry. Of primary interest was whether manufacturers perceive a use for VR in their inudstry and, if so, what impact they envisage it will have within their company. A national survey was distributed to over 2,000 UK manufacturing companies randomly selected and interviews carried out with existing users of VR technology. A brief summary of these results is presented.

A demonstration application was developed in desktop VR representing the manufacture of a consumer product in which various stages of the manufacturing process were featured including initial design, manufacture, and testing. The demonstration application is described in detail and user assessments are presented. On the basis of these findings, the potential future role of VR in integrated manufacture is discussed. Relevance to industry

In only a short time, virtual environments have become a focus of serious consideration as a tool for manufacturing and other industry. In order that VR has greatest industrial utility we need to examine and develop its potential as a specialism-free integrating medium within a simultaneous engineering approach.     

Systematic evaluation of design choices for software development tools

Most design and evaluation of software tools is based on the intuition and experience of the designers. Software tool designers consider themselves typical users of the tools that they build and tend to subjectively evaluate their products rather than objectively evaluate them using established usability methods. This subjective approach is inadequate if the quality of software tools is to improve and the use of more systematic methods is advocated. This paper summarises a sequence of studies that show how user interface design choices for software development tools can be evaluated using established usability engineering techniques. The techniques used included guideline review, predictive modelling and experimental studies with users.     

Experiments with Face-To-Face Collaborative AR Interfaces

We describe a design approach, Tangible Augmented Reality, for developing face-to-face collaborative Augmented Reality (AR) interfaces. Tangible Augmented Reality combines Augmented Reality techniques with Tangible User Interface elements to create interfaces in which users can interact with spatial data as easily as real objects. Tangible AR interfaces remove the separation between the real and virtual worlds, and so enhance natural face-to-face communication. We present several examples of Tangible AR interfaces and results from a user study that compares communication in a collaborative AR interface to more traditional approaches. We find that in a collaborative AR interface people use behaviours that are more similar to unmediated face-to-face collaboration than in a projection screen interface.     

Users’ viewpoint of usability and user experience testing procedure - gaining methodological insights in a case of an interactive HbbTV application

We present a novel meta-methodological approach for the user experience and usability methodology procedure evaluation, shown in an example of the user experience and usability study of an interactive HbbTV application. The idea behind this research is not only to evaluate and improve the TV-WEB service but also to gain insights how the participants perceived the whole Ux evaluation procedure itself. The research questions focused mainly on the time complexity (temporal demand) and the frustration level of the TV-WEB evaluation procedure. Additionally the appropriateness of the selected content used, interface and interaction design, and the service impressions and satisfaction/payment related questions was sought. A special questionnaire based on the NASA TLX standard test is presented. The concept has been successfully implemented in several live field trials in three countries (BiH, Serbia and Montenegro). In the user experience and usability study of the service itself more than 150 participants were involved, of those 35 took part in the meta-methodology study. The feedback was quantitatively evaluated on a 7-point Likert scale, with “1” indicating the best positive feedback, “4” neutral/undecided feedback and “7” the most negative feedback. The quantitative average summary results obtained in the three evaluation studies were 1.30 for both the BiH and Serbia test study cases and the score of 1.22 for the test study case in Montenegro. These results show that a great majority of the participants found the whole evaluation procedure time-wise and frustration-wise undemanding, with appropriate content, presentation style and overall attitude towards them. By using this approach it was possible to improve the user experience and usability methodology used, producing more reliable results and providing better user experience in the final version of the product as well as providing a pleasant experience during the testing of the product.     

Identifying organizational barriers—A case study of usability work when developing software in the automation industry

This study investigates connections between usability efforts and organizational factors. This is an important field of research which so far appears to be insufficiently studied and discussed. It illustrates problems when working with software engineering tasks and usability requirements. It deals with a large company that manufactures industrial robots with an advanced user interface, which wanted to introduce usability KPIs, to improve product quality. The situation in the company makes this difficult, due to a combination of organizational and behavioural factors that led to a “wicked problem” that caused conflicts, breakdowns and barriers. Addressing these problems requires a holistic view that places context in the foreground and technological solutions in the background. Developing the right product requires communication and collaboration between multiple stakeholders. The inclusion of end users, who fully understand their own work context, is vital. Achieving this is dependent on organizational change, and management commitment. One step to beginning this change process may be through studying ways to introduce user-centred design processes.     

Interface-Walkthroughs: efficient collaborative testing

A walkthrough facility for testing the usability of a user interface design before the software is written or a prototype is built is described. The use of this method to evaluate screen panels, which may include pull-down menus, dialogue boxes, palettes, and other interface elements, is reported. These pluralistic usability walkthroughs have four characteristics. First, three types of people participate in the walkthrough: representatives of the expected user population, product developers, and human factors professionals. Second, the user interface panels are presented in the same order they would be confronted online. Third, participants write down their responses on each panel before there is any discussion. Finally, the representative users speak first when discussing the panels and the experts speak only when the users have exhausted their comments. The limitations and benefits of the walkthrough approach are examined     

Virtual pottery: a virtual 3D audiovisual interface using natural hand motions

In this paper, we present our approach towards designing and implementing a virtual 3D sound sculpting interface that creates audiovisual results using hand motions in real time. In the interface “Virtual Pottery,” we use the metaphor of pottery creation in order to adopt the natural hand motions to 3D spatial sculpting. Users can create their own pottery pieces by changing the position of their hands in real time, and also generate 3D sound sculptures based on pre-existing rules of music composition. The interface of Virtual Pottery can be categorized by shape design and camera sensing type. This paper describes how we developed the two versions of Virtual Pottery and implemented the technical aspects of the interfaces. Additionally, we investigate the ways of translating hand motions into musical sound. The accuracy of the detection of hand motions is crucial for translating natural hand motions into virtual reality. According to the results of preliminary evaluations, the accuracy of both motion-capture tracking system and portable depth sensing camera is as high as the actual data. We carried out user studies, which took into account information about the two exhibitions along with the various ages of users. Overall, Virtual Pottery serves as a bridge between the virtual environment and traditional art practices, with the consequence that it can lead to the cultivation of the deep potential of virtual musical instruments and future art education programs.     

Evaluation of earcons for portable digital electronic products considering perceptual user characteristics

Earcons, nonverbal sound feedback, have been used for electronic products to give appropriate feedback information for the selected user functions. This study evaluated earcon usability of a portable digital electronic product based on cognition time, error rate, and subjective feelings using 20 male and female subjects. For subjective evaluation, the study assessed various earcons by subjective impression of sounds using 7‐point rating scales. For earcon usability performance, major user functions were used for the product with currently available earcons and for the product with the new earcons (suggested by this study), which considered perceptual characteristics, such as loudness and melody. Statistical results from the study indicated that the new earcons significantly reduced user error rates and therefore generally improved user performance on major functions, such as “PLAY,” “OFF,” “STOP,” “FF” (fast forward), and “REW” (rewind). Subjective data results also showed that users were more satisfied with the new, melody‐based sound feedback. Practical guidelines for sound feedback design of a small digital product are suggested. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Shared space: An augmented reality approach for computer supported collaborative work

Virtual Reality (VR) appears a natural medium for three-dimensional computer supported collaborative work (CSCW). However the current trend in CSCW is to adapt the computer interface to work with the user's traditional tools, rather than separating the user from the real world as does immersive VR. One solution is through Augmented Reality, the overlaying of virtual objects on the real world. In this paper we describe the Shared Space concept—the application of Augmented Reality for three-dimensional CSCW. This combines the advantages of Virtual Reality with current CSCW approaches. We describe a collaborative experiment based on this concept and present preliminary results which show that this approach may be better for some applications.     

Sharing VLNET worlds on the Web

Virtual environments define a new interface for networked multimedia applications. The sense of “presence” in the virtual environment is an important requirement for collaborative activities involving multiple remote users working with social interactions. Using virtual actors within the shared environment is a supporting tool for presence. In this paper, we present a shared virtual life network with virtual humans that provides a natural interface for collaborative working and we describe the bridge we realized between this 3D shared world and the Web through a system of 3D snapshots.     

SX/Tools - An Open Design Environment for Adaptable Multimedia User Interfaces

In this paper a brief review of user interface management systems (UIMSs) and their advantages is given. Shortcomings of current UIMSs and open requirements imposed by industrial application areas are outlined. Among the most important requirements are uniform design mechanisms independent of interaction media, techniques, and styles as well as a straight forward end-user adaptability of user interfaces. A new approach to interactive interface construction, called “direct composition”, is introduced. In this approach all interface objects contain the means for their own modification and design and therefore offer consistent interaction techniques for both the construction and usage of user interfaces. Moreover, end-user adaptability is an inherent feature of direct composition interfaces. The user interface design environment SX/Tools is described to exemplify specific properties of user interface management systems following the principle of direct composition. The impacts of direct composition on user interface design include a uniform interface development process covering tool development, interface development, and “on-usage” interface adaptation. It is argued that the direct composition approach can overcome many of the problems with traditional UIMSs.     

Designing in virtual reality: a comparison of problem-solving styles between desktop and VR environments

With recent breakthroughs in VR devices, new potential of CAD as a design tool is anticipated. Based on the influence of design tools in ideation, we compared the problem-solving styles of WIMP (Windows, Icons, Menus, Pointer) and VRE (Virtual Reality Environment) for an apartment flat design task. Function-Behaviour-Structure ontology analysis revealed that WIMP was problem-driven with clear divisions between problem analysis and solution building, while VRE was predominantly solution-driven with frequent modifications of solutions. Such procedural characteristics led to uneven outcomes wherein spatial efficiency was better in WIMP while arrangement was more diversified in VRE. When the key factor was high manipulability of user interface in VRE, the result suggests that higher usability does not always produce desired outcomes. Time for problem analysis and a match between the tool and given problem must be taken into account.     

A home-page overhaul using other Web sites

The best prototype for designing a new user interface is your old user interface. The second best prototype is a competing product. Your competitors have invested significant resources in designing and implementing what they believe to be good user interfaces. You can glean much of what you need to create a new interface by examining products designed to solve similar problems. As with your own old user interface, you can analyze competing interfaces to see what works and what doesn't. You can also watch how users interact with competing products, and thus learn how they approach tasks. This, in essence, is competitive usability analysis. I recommend performing it very early in the usability engineering life-cycle-after you have visited the customer, gathered requirements, and defined the product vision, but before you design and prototype your new user interface     

A collaborative Design for Usability approach supported by Virtual Reality and a Multi-Agent System embedded in a PLM environment

This paper details a collaborative workstation design approach integrating knowledge based on engineering process, using a Multi-Agent System (MAS) on a Virtual Reality (VR) platform. The MAS supports R&D teams to extract and re-use engineering knowledge so as to improve their efficiency in developing new products. Our research targets the development of a knowledge engineering system integrated into a PLM-Product Life cycle Management-environment linked with virtual reality tools. A PLM is a strategic business approach with a consistent set of methodologies and software solutions. It is meant to promote collaborative creation, management, delivery and proper use of this life cycle definition and information product in multinational companies. This system is used by engineers to carry out projects in a collective way while conveying a defined process. The MAS allows capitalization, and to annotate knowledge according to the actions of the designers inside a PLM environment. Then, this knowledge is used by VR tools to analyze various aspects of the virtual prototype such as manufacturing, maintenance, reliability or ergonomics. Consequently, we use expert knowledge to pilot the design process of a virtual prototype inside a three-dimensional immersive virtual reality platform. In this context, our paper describes our knowledge management approach applied to improve ergonomics and collaborative design in industrial areas.