Impact of spatial auditory feedback on the efficiency of iconic human–computer interfaces under conditions of visual impairment

This paper investigates the addition of spatial auditory feedback as a tool to assist people with visual impairments in the use of computers, specifically in tasks involving iconic visual search. In this augmented interface, unique sounds were mapped to visual icons on the screen. As the screen cursor traversed the screen, the user heard sounds of nearby icons, spatially, according to the relative position of each icon with respect to the screen cursor. A software prototype of the design was developed to evaluate the performance of users in the search of icons within the proposed interface. Experiments were conducted with simulated visual impairments on volunteer participants to evaluate if the addition of spatial auditory feedback makes the interface more accessible to users with impaired vision. Results demonstrated that spatialization of icon sounds provides additional remote navigational information to users, enabling new strategies for task completion. Directions for future research are discussed and prioritized.     

Human–computer interaction in evolutionary visual software analytics

Software evolution is made up of changes carried out during software maintenance. Such accumulation of changes produces substantial modifications in software projects and therefore vast amounts of relevant facts that are useful for the understanding and comprehension of the software project for making additional changes. In this scenario, evolutionary visual software analytics is aimed to support software maintenance, with the active participation of users, through the understanding and comprehension of software evolution by means of visual analytics and human computer interaction. It is a complex process that takes into account the mining of evolutionary data, the subsequent analysis of the mining process results for producing evolution facts, the use of visualizations supported by interaction techniques and the active participation of users. Hence, this paper explains the evolutionary visual software analytics process, describes a framework proposal and validates such proposal through the definition and implementation of an architecture.     

Using requirement-functional-logical-physical models to support early assembly process planning for complex aircraft systems integration

The assembly line process planning connects product design and manufacturing through translating design information to assembly integration sequence. The assembly integration sequence defines the aircraft system components installation and test precedence of an assembly process. This activity is part of the complex systems integration and verification process from a systems engineering view. In this paper, the complexity of modern aircraft is defined by classifying aircraft system interactions in terms of energy flow, information data, control signals and physical connections. At the early conceptual design phase of assembly line planning, the priority task is to understand these product complexities, and generate the installation and test sequence that satisfies the designed system function and meet design requirements. This research proposes a novel method for initial assembly process planning that accounts for both physical and functional integrations. The method defines aircraft system interactions by using systems engineering concepts based on traceable RFLP (Requirement, Functional, Logical and Physical) models and generate the assembly integration sequence through a structured approach. The proposed method is implemented in an industrial software environment, and tested in a case study. The result shows the feasibility and potential benefits of the proposed method.     

基于图论的飞机典型装配工艺数据挖掘方法

为实现飞机装配指令编制的快速化、智能化,提出基于图论的飞机典型装配工艺数据挖掘方法。该方法将停用词表和分隔数组两个约束引入语义分词法完成装配工艺指令的分词处理,并以装配工艺特征向量结构化地表达分词后的装配工艺指令。将装配工艺特征向量映射为单向有序链,以此构建装配工艺图。通过定义装配工艺图的节点支持度和边支持度,给出了典型装配工艺挖掘方法。以某型飞机的平尾装配工艺为例,在多个支持度下验证了方法的有效性。     

Selection of key visual cues in real and virtual environments for assembly tasks

Previous research identified that learning assembly tasks in Virtual Environments (VEs) is more difficult than in Real Environments (REs). This work's objective is to identify the key visual areas for both environments when performing an assembly task for ten consecutive cycles, when following visual instructions and when having visual distractors. Using an eye-tracker, we identified the key visual areas required for an assembly task in both environments. Results indicate that practice allowed participants to reduce their assembly time in both environments. They also indicate that two areas, Assembly Area and Blocks, concentrated a higher proportion of eye-fixations; 59.98% for REs and 81.48% for VEs, with a statistically significant observation difference between environments (t-test value = −14.23, with p-value <0.00001 and Cohen's d = 6.36). We conclude that participants considered the same key visual areas for both environments and that VE interaction has a significant role in observation behavior.     

Augmenting process elicitation with visual priming: An empirical exploration of user behaviour and modelling outcomes

Business process models have become an effective way of examining business practices to identify areas for improvement. While common information gathering approaches are generally efficacious, they can be quite time consuming and have the risk of developing inaccuracies when information is forgotten or incorrectly interpreted by analysts. In this study, the potential of a role-playing approach to process elicitation and specification has been examined. This method allows stakeholders to enter a virtual world and role-play actions similarly to how they would in reality. As actions are completed, a model is automatically developed, removing the need for stakeholders to learn and understand a modelling grammar. An empirical investigation comparing both the modelling outputs and participant behaviour of this virtual world role-play elicitor with an S-BPM process modelling tool found that while the modelling approaches of the two groups varied greatly, the virtual world elicitor may not only improve both the number of individual process task steps remembered and the correctness of task ordering, but also provide a reduction in the time required for stakeholders to model a process view.     

Encoding a process algebra using the Event B method

This paper presents the use of the B technique in its event based definition. We show that it is possible to encode, using Event B, the models (i.e., transition systems) associated to a process algebra with asynchronous semantics. The obtained Event B models consider that the Event B model associated to the left hand side of a BNF rule defining the algebra expressions is refined by a model corresponding to the right hand side of the same rule. The translation rules of each operator of a basic process algebra are given. Then, an example illustrating each translation rule is given. This approach is based on a proof technique and therefore it does not suffer from the state number explosion problem occurring in classical model checking. The interest of this work is the capability to validate user tasks or scenarios when using a given system and particularly a critical system. Finally, we discuss the application of this approach for validating user interfaces tasks in the human–computer interaction area.     

Using animations and visual cueing to support learning of scientific concepts and processes

The purpose of the study is to investigate the potential benefits of using animation, visual cueing, and their combination in a multimedia environment designed to support learners’ acquisition and retention of scientific concepts and processes. Undergraduate participants (N = 119) were randomly assigned to one of the four experimental conditions in a 2 × 2 factorial design with visual presentation format (animated vs. static graphics) and visual cueing (visual cues vs. no cues) as factors. Participants provided with animations retained significantly more concepts than their peers provided with static graphics and those afforded visual cues learned equally well but in significantly less time than their counterparts in uncued conditions. Moreover, taking into consideration both learning outcomes and learning time, cued participants displayed more instructional efficiency than their uncued peers. Implications and future directions are discussed.     

A Kinect-based system for cognitive rehabilitation exercises monitoring

In this paper, a 3D computer vision system for cognitive assessment and rehabilitation based on the Kinect device is presented. It is intended for individuals with body scheme dysfunctions and left–right confusion. The system processes depth information to overcome the shortcomings of a previously presented 2D vision system for the same application. It achieves left and right-hand tracking, and face and facial feature detection (eye, nose, and ears) detection. The system is easily implemented with a consumer-grade computer and an affordable Kinect device and is robust to drastic background and illumination changes. The system was tested and achieved a successful monitoring percentage of 96.28%. The automation of the human body parts motion monitoring, its analysis in relation to the psychomotor exercise indicated to the patient, and the storage of the result of the realization of a set of exercises free the rehabilitation experts of doing such demanding tasks. The vision-based system is potentially applicable to other tasks with minor changes.     

Effects of virtual environment platforms on emotional responses

The goal of the current study was to investigate the effects of different virtual environment (VE) technologies (i.e., desktop, head mounted display, or fully immersive platforms) on emotional arousal and task performance. Fifty-three participants were recruited from a college population. Reactivity to stressful VEs was examined in three VE systems from desktop to high-end fully immersive systems. The experiment was a 3 (desktop system, head mounted display, and six wall system) × 2 (high- and low-stressful VE) within subject design, with self-reported emotional arousal and valence, skin conductance, task performance, presence, and simulator sickness examined as dependent variables. Replicating previous studies, the fully immersive system induced the highest sense of presence and the head mounted display system elicited the highest amount of simulator sickness. Extending previous studies, the results demonstrated that VE platforms were associated with different patterns in emotional responses and task performance. Our findings suggest that different VE systems may be appropriate for different scientific purposes when studying stress reactivity using emotionally evocative tasks.     

Computer praise,attributional orientations,and games: A reexamination of the CASA theory relative to children

On the basis of psychology research on praise and attribution, this study investigated the effects of two types of computer praise (ability praise and effort praise) on 384 elementary school students who exhibited one of three types of attribution orientations (high ability attribution, effort attribution, and low internal attribution) while playing two computer-based games. The findings show that different types of computer praise, different attribution orientations, and different natures of games made a difference in the way the participants (1) appreciated the design of the program, (2) made self-serving attribution for their performance, (3) evaluated their performance, and (4) chose game-playing strategies. This research provides empirical evidence highlighting limitations in the CASAs (Computers As Social Actors) theory. Discretion is advised in the adoption of the claim that computer praise is a concern-free reinforcement of users’ engagement in positive interactions with computers.     

Examining users’ preferences towards vertical graphical toolbars in simple search and point tasks

The main purpose of this study was to investigate the nature of preferences and their relation to the objective measures in simple direct manipulation tasks involving both the cognitive process as well as the visually guided pointing activities. The conducted experiment was concerned with the graphical structures resembling toolbars widely used in graphical interfaces. The influence of the graphical panel location, panel configuration as well as the target size on the user task efficiency and subjects’ preferences were examined. The participants were requested to express their attitudes towards the tested panels before and after the efficiency examination. This subjective evaluation was carried out within the framework of Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP; Saaty, 1977, 1980). The subjective results that were obtained showed significant differences in the subjects’ preferences towards examined panels before and after completing the tasks. It seems that the users are able to comparatively quickly change their minds after gaining some experience with the investigated stimuli. Additionally, the applied cluster analysis revealed that the subjects were not homogenous in their opinions, and they formed groups having similar preference structures.     

Web-based synchronized multimedia lecture system design for teaching/learning Chinese as second language

In the past decade, the use of computer technology for language instruction has expanded rapidly. In Taiwan, overseas students whose native languages are not Chinese mostly get trouble in learning and communicating particularly during the first year of their study. To overcome their language barrier in National Chi Nan University (NCNU), a Web-based Chinese classroom (http://chinese.csie.ncnu.edu.tw) exploiting advanced Web and multimedia technologies has been initiated since 2002. This paper presents the core developments of the Web-based Synchronized Multimedia Lecture (WSML) system for fulfilling language learning requirements on listening, speaking, reading and writing. It facilitates students in Chinese comprehension self-learning on the Web and can easily be customized for different foreign language learning. Technical issues are addressed from two perspectives to meet the pedagogical approaches of teaching and learning foreign languages: (1) the synchronized multimedia tutoring and the exercise practice functions for students, and (2) the multimedia lecture authoring and the exercise management tools for teachers.     

“I’m keeping those there,are you?” The role of a new user interface paradigm – Separate Control of Shared Space (SCOSS) – in the collaborative decision-making process

We take a socio-cultural approach to comparing how dual control of a new user interface paradigm – Separate Control of Shared Space (SCOSS) – and dual control of a single user interface can work to mediate the collaborative decision-making process between pairs of children carrying out a multiple categorisation word task on a shared computer. Qualitative analysis focuses on how the interface properties of SCOSS can encourage each child to participate in the task and to represent their own opinions as part of the process of reaching final joint agreement. We conclude by suggesting additional features to improve the content of collaborative conversations and by proposing other contexts that may benefit from this interface.     

Joint optimization of product tolerance design,process plan,and production plan in high-precision multi-product assembly

With the ever-increasing product variety faced by the manufacturing industry, investment efficiency can only be maintained by the application of multi-product assembly systems. In such systems, the product design, process planning, and production planning problems related to different products are strongly interconnected. Despite this, those interdependent decisions are typically made by different divisions of the company, by adopting a decomposed planning approach, which can easily result in excess production costs. In order to overcome this challenge, this paper proposes an integrated approach to solving the above problems, focusing on the decisions crucial for achieving the required tolerances in high-precision assembled products. The joint optimization problems related to product tolerance design and assembly resource configuration are first formulated as a mixed-integer linear program (MILP). Then, a large neighborhood search (LNS) algorithm, which combines classical mathematical programming and meta-heuristic techniques, is introduced to solve large instances of the problem. The efficiency of the method is demonstrated through an industrial case study, both in terms of computational efficiency and industrial effectiveness.     

The technology profile inventory: Construction,validation, and application

The technology profile inventory (TPI) measures attitudes toward computers and the internet. We describe the most recent phase of the construction of the TPI. The studies reported refine and validate the instrument, and we present the final version as an Appendix A. Using a new sample of respondents (N = 394), we replicated the three major factors found previously (Confidence, Approval, and Interest). The TPI scores were related to patterns of information technology (IT) usage and also to gender. To demonstrate the practical utility of the TPI we report (1) results linking TPI scores to behavior during an internet search task; (2) test–retest results obtained as part of a cognitive training experiment using action video games; and (3) results showing that attitudes to IT may be modified by a particular experience with information technology.     

基于笔式界面的交互式可视化分析系统

当前可视化分析软件对于人机交互的支持不足,造成分析推理过程效率较低。针对此问题,设计并实现了一个笔式可视化分析系统。首先分析了可视化分析过程的交互任务,然后提出了笔式可视化分析系统的体系结构,研究了基于草图的自适应布局算法,并对分析过程中的交互方式进行设计。最后给出了该系统的应用实例,可用性实验评估结果表明,该系统可以为可视化分析提供一种自然、高效的支持工具。     

Semantic search of tools for collaborative learning with the Ontoolsearch system

This paper introduces Ontoolsearch, a new search system that can be employed by educators in order to find suitable tools for supporting collaborative learning settings. Current tool search facilities commonly allow simple keyword searches, limiting the accuracy of obtained results. In contrast, Ontoolsearch supports semantic querying of tool knowledge bases annotated with the Ontoolcole ontology, specifically designed to fit educators’ questions. Moreover, Ontoolsearch offers an innovative direct manipulation interface to educators, intended to facilitate query formulation as well as the analysis of obtained results. To evaluate this proposal, a group of educators was engaged in a formal comparison study of Ontoolsearch with a keyword search facility based on Lucene. Six search tasks were proposed, each responding to the learning tool needs of a real CSCL setting. Participants had to find tools for these search tasks using both systems alternatively. Evaluation results showed that retrieval performance was significantly better with Ontoolsearch, despite educators’ previous experience with keyword searches. Further, educators rated very positively the user interface of Ontoolsearch and considered this system very useful to find tools for their own learning situations.     

装配序列约束下的飞机虚拟维修过程建模仿真

针对当前飞机虚拟维修过程模型固化,对维修复杂行为关系缺乏考虑,无法满足学员多样性实训需求的现状,充分考虑了飞机系统的复杂度、学员操作的不规范性和随机性等因素,依据各维修装配序列间的优先约束关系,构建了优先约束矩阵,进而定义了优先约束时间有色Petri网模型。在系统梳理维修实体及其维修操作行为的基础上,提出了虚拟维修实体操作元模型和元模型融合下的过程建模,阐述了基于优先约束时间有色Petri网的动态虚拟维修过程实现方法。最后,以A320飞机加油活门的某一个随机拆卸过程为例,进行建模仿真,验证了模型的有效性。