Non-visual access to mobile devices: A survey of touchscreen accessibility for users who are visually impaired

Accessibility revolves around building products, including electronic devices and digital content, so that diverse users can conveniently utilize them, irrespective of their capabilities. In recent years, the concept of touchscreen accessibility has gained a remarkable attention, especially within the considerable reliance on mobile touchscreen devices (MTDs) for information acquisition and dissemination as we witness nowadays. For users who are visually impaired, MTDs unlock different opportunities for independence and functioning. Thus, with the increasing ubiquity of MTDs and their potential extensive utility for all demographics, it becomes paramount to ensure that these devices and the content delivered on them are accessible. And while it might seem straightforward to achieve accessibility on MTDs, attaining this outcome is governed by an interplay between different elements. These involve platform (i.e., operating system) built-in support of accessibility features, content rendering modalities and structures pertaining to user needs and the peculiarities of MTDs as informed in standard accessibility guidelines, user studies uncovering preferences and best practices while interacting with MTDs, national legislations and policies, and the use of third-party devices such as assistive technologies. In this paper, mobile touchscreen accessibility for users who are visually impaired is surveyed with focus on three aspects: (1) the existing built-in accessibility features within popular mobile platforms; (2) the nature of non-visual interaction and how users who are visually impaired access, navigate, and create content on MTDs; and (3) the studies that tackled different issues pertaining to touchscreen accessibility, such as extraction of user needs and interaction preferences, identification of most critical accessibility problems encountered on MTDs, integrating mobile accessibility in standard accessibility guidelines, and investigation of existing guidelines in terms of sufficiency and appropriateness.     

The AppVox mobile application,a tool for speech and language training sessions

AppVox is a mobile application that provides support for children with speech and language impairments in their speech therapy sessions, while also allowing autonomous training at home. The application simulates a vocalizer with an audio stimulus feature, which can be used to train and amend the pronunciation of specific words through repetition. In this paper, we aim to present the development of the application as an assistive technology option, by adding new features to the vocalizer as well as assessing it as a usable option for daily training interaction for children with speech and language impairments. In this regard, we invited 15 children with speech and language impairments and 20 with no impairments to perform training activities with the application. Likewise, we asked three speech therapists and three usability experts to interact, assess, and give their feedback. In this assessment, we include the following parameters: successful conclusion of the training tasks (effectiveness); number of errors made, as well as number and type of difficulties found (efficiency); and the acceptance and level of comfort in completing the requested tasks (satisfaction). Overall, the results showed that children conclude the training tasks successfully and helped to improve their language and speech capabilities. Therapists and children gave positive feedback to the AppVox interface.     

支持移动设备接入Gnutella网络的代理架构研究

针对当前移动设备无法加入Gnutella网络实现文件共享网络的现状,提出一种移动代理Gnutella网络架构的设计方案。利用移动代理作为移动设备的代理加入Gnutella网络,帮助移动设备实现文件的共享功能。架构能有效地减少移动设备的信息流量,并支持移动设备在Gnutella网络中实现可移动性。     

Automatic adaptation of mobile applications to different user devices using modular mobile agents

Wearable, handheld, and embedded or standalone intelligent devices are becoming quite common and can support a diverse range of applications. In order to simplify development of applications which can adapt to a variety of mobile devices, we propose an adaptation framework which includes three techniques: follow‐me, context‐aware adaptation, and remote control scheme. For the first, we construct a personal agent capable of carrying its owner's applications. Second, we design a personal agent capable of carrying applications with an adaptable hierarchical structure. Then, applications can be adapted approximately to the context of evices by using an attribute‐based component decision algorithm. Finally, to achieve a remote control scheme, we distribute the computational load of applications on the resource‐restricted mobile devices. An application is divided into two parts that can be executed on a user device and a server separately. In short, this framework facilitates the development of widespread applications for ubiquitous computing environments. Furthermore, it enables the applications to follow their owners and automatically adapt to different devices. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Visual quality of watermarking for mobile devices

Abstract— In this study, the visual quality of watermarked images, displayed on mobile devices, are evaluated. A watermarking technique in the spatial domain where a watermark is embedded into an image is considered. Three different types of images are considered and for each image five values of watermarking magnitude were tested. The difference in human evaluation of visual quality of a watermarked image, depending upon image properties and the properties of a display was evaluated. In visual assessment tests, images from a mobile phone, PDA, and CRT were used. The visual quality of watermarked image was evaluated by 20 human observers. The results were quantified using statistical testing. The results show that for high‐end displays the magnitude used for watermarking is a critical factor in image quality. In mobile devices the magnitude used for watermarking has little visual effect, especially for technical drawings. Recommendations for proper parameters are given.     

The impact of incentive mechanisms in multi-channel mobile music distribution

Record labels and telecoms are using the pervasiveness of mobile technologies to create a mobile music market, where customers can have their preferred music at any time and in any place. The idea is to replicate the successful strategy of the Internet-based music market into the mobile scenario. In this paper we first analyze the current mobile music market and we show that this strategy leads to several problems (e.g., excessive download time, cost and protection). As a second contribution, we propose and analyze a multi-channel distribution strategy, where customers can cooperate to music distribution. The approach is based on the cellphone network, the free-of-charge communication technologies provided by cellphones, and on an incentive mechanism that financially compensates users for their cooperation in music distribution. The approach evaluation shows that the employment of an effective incentive mechanism can mitigate the problems of the current mobile music scenario, as it provides benefits to customers, cellphone network providers and music stores.

智能移动设备在电化学检测分析中的应用

智能移动设备近年来发展迅速,市场占有率急剧增长。面向不同研究领域,与多种传感技术相结合的移动检测系统常见诸报道。该文综述了智能移动设备硬件和软件的迅速发展,以及为了满足日益增长的移动分析检测需求所开发的基于智能移动设备的分析检测方法,特别是智能移动设备在电化学检测分析中的应用。     

面向移动终端的隐式身份认证机制综述

面向移动终端的隐式身份认证机制通过监测移动终端环境以及用户行为等信息对用户进行透明且持续地认证,能够增强现有身份认证机制的可用性与安全性。该文对隐式身份认证技术的研究现状进行介绍。介绍了基于本地与基于网络的隐式身份认证框架;归纳总结出五类数据采集方式;对基于机器学习等多种用户分类算法进行了介绍,分析比较了各算法的正确率;归纳出两类访问控制机制,并对隐式身份认证所面临的模拟行为攻击以及用户隐私泄漏安全问题进行了讨论。     

移动设备视线跟踪技术研究进展

针对移动设备视线跟踪技术研究现状进行了综述,介绍了视线跟踪技术的发展及移动设备的资源劣势,将移动设备视线跟踪技术分为利用自身集成硬件和使用外接硬件设备两类,并分别进行了说明。最后,总结分析了移动设备视线跟踪存在的问题,并对其未来发展及研究方向进行展望。     

非完整移动机械臂的鲁棒跟踪控制

针对非完整移动机械臂惯性参数的不确定性,采用滑模控制为其设计了输出跟踪控制器。首先给出了包括驱动电机动态特性的非完整移动机械臂的简化动态模型,然后通过微分同胚和输入变换将其分解为4个低阶子系统,并给出了其输出跟踪的滑模控制器设计方法。仿真实验表明,所设计的鲁棒控制器能很好地跟踪给定轨迹。     

Improving robustness of P2P applications in mobile environments

Mobile P2P networks possess particular characteristics which make accessibility of services deployed on peers a challenge. This has to be taken into account when considering robustness of applications that depend on successfully accessing a set of services. While ensuring robustness is traditionally handled through replication or redundancy, those solutions are not readily applicable to decentralized and dynamic networks. Instead, current solutions are based on efficient P2P structure maintenance or unstructured network search algorithms. A novel and alternative method proposed in this paper is based on the observation that some redundancy may exist between services offered on the network, a fact which could be used to recreate an unavailable service from services accessible to a peer. Instead of adding redundancy to the system, our solution exploits the already existing redundancy to improve robustness of mobile P2P applications. We model the interaction with services as finite-state transducers and propose a heuristic to obtain redundancy between any pair of services. Then, a set of algorithms that uses this inter-service redundancy to recreate the interaction with one service from the other is discussed. The computational cost is polynomial with respect to services’ size, and in practice, the non-redundant functionality and related control need to be implemented locally.

多种移动终端设备管理模式的研究与实现

随着终端的多样化,先前的管理单一设备的技术暴露出种种弊端,探讨了终端设备的特点和管理的技术．在这技术基础上做了改进,使用XML描述各种终端设备信息和性能指标,改进访问速度和增加索引技术,以Web Service方式实现终端设备管理的服务平台．改进后的设备管理技术具有高效、灵活、可扩展性、可重用性等特点,并且在移动证券服务系统中付之实施,取得了良好的效果。     

Directional bias in scrolling tasks: a study of users' scrolling behaviour using a mobile text-entry strategy

Mobile devices with limited interaction controls often employ cyclic scrolling for retrieval tasks. In this paper the scrolling behaviour of users entering text using a tree-key input technique based on two-phase cyclic character scrolling is studied. The results show that users have a tendency to scroll more from left-to-right than from right-to-left. However, users do also use the right-to-left functionality to both speed up their text entry task by choosing the shortest path and to make navigational corrections, suggesting that it is appropriate to provide bidirectional scrolling functionality in user interfaces on constrained mobile devices. In situations where a device architect is constrained to providing only unidirectional scrolling, the results suggest that a right-directional design is preferred over a left-directional design.     

Embodied experiences of place: a study of history learning with mobile technologies

This paper reports an empirical study that takes a multimodal analytical approach to examine how mobile technologies shape students' exploration and experience of place during a history learning activity in situ. In history education, mobile technologies provide opportunities for authentic experiential learning activities that have the potential to re‐mediate students' understanding of space and place through enacted interaction, and to make the learning more memorable. A key question is how learners work with the physical and digital information in the context of that learning experience, and how this supports new experiences and understanding of space and place. Findings suggest that embodied mobile experiences foster the creation of both physical and digital markers, which were instrumental in concretizing the history experience and developing new narratives. The findings also show how different representational forms of digital information mediated interaction in specific ways and how digital augmentation can lead to conflation in student understanding of space and time. These findings inform our understanding of the value of mobile applications in supporting embodied learning experiences and provide key implications for pedagogical design, both in situ and back in the classroom.     

基于移动终端屏幕分辨精度的网格简化算法

针对移动终端用户对三维物体的感知度与屏幕分辨率明显相关的特性,提出一种基于移动终端屏幕分辨精度的网格简化算法。算法定义了模型在目标屏幕上显示时的基准显示状态(BoV),并通过移动终端分辨率及物体的视距参数分别计算得到目标屏幕的分辨精度阈值及模型的分辨精度因子,通过加权二次误差度量(QEM)算法动态地删除不符合显示精度要求的冗余数据。算法易于实现,适用于手机、PDA等仅具备低分辨率屏幕的移动终端上的图形应用。实验结果说明新算法的有效性。     

移动感知物联网技术研究*

以人为中心的物联网应用、不断增大的网络覆盖范围、以移动节点为代表的多类型感知节点的综合运用等特征,使得移动感知物联网技术正逐渐成为主流.但是该研究正处于初始阶段,人们对移动感知物联网的认识还不够全面.为此,对移动感知物联网的概念、体系结构及关键技术开展研究,使人们对物联网原理有一个清晰的认识.在此基础上,提出一个移动感...     

Effects of mobile devices on K–12 students' achievement: a meta‐analysis

In this meta‐analytic study, we investigated the effects of mobile devices on student achievement in science, mathematics and reading in grades K–12. Based on our inclusion criteria, we searched the ERIC and PsycINFO databases and identified 14 peer‐reviewed research articles published between 2010 and 2014. We identified the device type, subject area, intervention language, grade level, study design and implementer (i.e., of the intervention) as potential moderator variables that may influence student achievement in the targeted content areas. We followed a three‐level meta‐analytic procedure to estimate the overall effect of these variables and explain the variation in outcomes. The results suggest that use of mobile devices in teaching yielded higher achievement scores than traditional teaching in all subject areas. With regard to the analysis of moderator variables, the results suggest that using mobile devices in reading is significantly more effective than doing so in mathematics.     

面向移动设备的可配置RFID中间件设计与实现

针对RFID中间件将海量数据集中在服务器端处理带来的性能压力问题,提出了一种面向移动设备的可灵活配置RFID中间件（SMM）。SMM可以用于移动设备,具有较好的平台无关性,能部署与多个操作系统中;通过将设备抽象为对象,便于用户通过用户接口（UI）和标准Web接口控制和管理各种移动设备。同时,SMM也提供数据同步功能。实验结果表明,SMM具有能耗低、效率高的优点,可以有效减轻服务器压力,提高系统性能。     

Improving the effectiveness of English vocabulary review by integrating ARCS with mobile game‐based learning

Memorizing English vocabulary is often considered uninteresting, and a lack of motivation exists during learning activities. Moreover, most vocabulary practice systems automatically select words from articles and do not provide integrated model methods for students. Therefore, this study constructed a mobile game‐based English vocabulary practice system, which imitates the popular block elimination game and combines test items of article, difficulty, and teacher model in accordance with curriculum objectives and demands. The participants were first‐year students and classified into traditional group (Group T) and game‐based group (Group G), and learning effectiveness and motivation were analysed in this study. According to statistical analysis results, students who used the game‐based vocabulary practice system, which could captivate their attention and interest, had higher learning effectiveness and provided positive feedback of learning motivation. Furthermore, English teachers could select teaching materials that are consistent with the features, knowledge, and cultural background of learners to improve the relevance dimension of learning motivation.     

Evaluation of active wearable assistive devices with human posture reproduction using a humanoid robot*

This study proposes a quantitative evaluation method for assessing active wearable assistive devices that can efficiently support the human body. We utilize a humanoid robot to simulate human users wearing assistive devices owing to various advantages offered by the robot such as quantitative torque measurement from sensors and highly repeatable motion. In this study, we propose a scheme for estimating the supportive torques supplied by a device called stationary torque replacement. To validate the reliability of this evaluation method by using a humanoid robot, we conducted measurements of human muscular activity during assisted motion. Analysis of the measured muscle activity revealed that a humanoid robot closely simulates the actual usage of assistive devices. Finally, we showed the feasibility of the proposed evaluation method through an experiment with the humanoid robot platform HRP-4 and the Muscle Suit active assistive device. With the proposed method, the supportive effects of the assistive device could be measured quantitatively in terms of the static supportive torque acting directly on the body of a simulated human user.