Showing papers by "Paweł W. Woźniak published in 2019"

Drones for Search and Rescue

Abstract: Natural disasters are increasingly common as climate change becomes more severe. Search and rescue operations become more and more important to societies worldwide. Rescue services are often engaged in missions in rural areas, treating the injured or searching for missing persons. Often, time is an essential factor for a positive outcome of search and rescue missions. Due to their capacity for flexible deployment, drones have a great potential to be deployed in search and rescue scenarios and thus reduce the rescue time. In this work, we discuss how drones can effectively assist rescue crews in their mission to save human life.

WindowWall: Towards Adaptive Buildings with Interactive Windows as Ubiquitous Displays

Abstract: As architects usually decide on the shape and look of windows during the design of buildings, opportunities for interactive windows have not been systematically explored yet. In this work, we extend the vision of sustainable and comfortable adaptive buildings using interactive smart windows. We systematically explore the design space of interactive windows to chart requirements, constraints, and challenges. To that end, we built proof-of-concept prototypes of smart windows with fine-grained control of transparency. In two studies, we explored user attitudes towards interactive windows and elicited control methods. We found that users understand and see potential for interactive windows at home. We provide specific usage contexts and specify interactions that may facilitate domestic applications. Our work illustrates the concept of interactive smart windows and provides insights regarding their design, development, and user controls for adaptive walls. We identify design dimensions and challenges to stimulate further development in the domain of adaptive buildings.

Clairbuoyance: Improving Directional Perception for Swimmers

Abstract: While we usually have no trouble with orientation, our sense of direction frequently fails in the absence of a frame of reference. Open-water swimmers raise their heads to look for a reference point, since disorientation might result in exhaustion or even drowning. In this paper, we report on Clairbuoyance - a system that provides feedback about the swimmer's orientation through lights mounted on swimming goggles. We conducted an experiment with two versions of Clairbuoyance: Discrete signals relative to a chosen direction, and continuous signals providing a sense of absolute direction. Participants swam to a series of targets. Proficient swimmers preferred the discrete mode; novice users the continuous one. We determined that both versions of Clairbuoyance enabled reaching the target faster than without the help of the system, although the discrete mode increased error. Based on the results, we contribute insights for designing directional guidance feedback for swimmers.

VRsneaky: Increasing Presence in VR Through Gait-Aware Auditory Feedback

Abstract: While Virtual Reality continues to increase in fidelity, it remains an open question how to effectively reflect the user's movements and provide congruent feedback in virtual environments. We present VRsneaky, a system for producing auditory movement feedback, which helps participants orient themselves in a virtual environment by providing footstep sounds. The system reacts to the user's specific gait features and adjusts the audio accordingly. In a user study with 28 participants, we found that VRsneaky increases users' sense of presence as well as awareness of their own posture and gait. Additionally, we find that increasing auditory realism significantly influences certain characteristics of participants' gait. Our work shows that gait-aware audio feedback is a means to increase presence in virtual environments. We discuss opportunities and design requirements for future scenarios where users walk through immersive virtual worlds.

Gamification in Science: A Study of Requirements in the Context of Reproducible Research

Abstract: The need for data preservation and reproducible research is widely recognized in the scientific community. Yet, researchers often struggle to find the motivation to contribute to data repositories and to use tools that foster reproducibility. In this paper, we explore possible uses of gamification to support reproducible practices in High Energy Physics. To understand how gamification can be effective in research tools, we participated in a workshop and performed interviews with data analysts. We then designed two interactive prototypes of a research preservation service that use contrasting gamification strategies. The evaluation of the prototypes showed that gamification needs to address core scientific challenges, in particular the fair reflection of quality and individual contribution. Through thematic analysis, we identified four themes which describe perceptions and requirements of gamification in research: Contribution, Metrics, Applications and Scientific practice. Based on these, we discuss design implications for gamification in science.

Gamification in Science: A Study of Requirements in the Context of Reproducible Research

Abstract: The need for data preservation and reproducible research is widely recognized in the scientific community. Yet, researchers often struggle to find the motivation to contribute to data repositories and to use tools that foster reproducibility. In this paper, we explore possible uses of gamification to support reproducible practices in High Energy Physics. To understand how gamification can be effective in research tools, we participated in a workshop and performed interviews with data analysts. We then designed two interactive prototypes of a research preservation service that use contrasting gamification strategies. The evaluation of the prototypes showed that gamification needs to address core scientific challenges, in particular the fair reflection of quality and individual contribution. Through thematic analysis, we identified four themes which describe perceptions and requirements of gamification in research: Contribution, Metrics, Applications and Scientific practice. Based on these, we discuss design implications for gamification in science.

The Role of HCI in Reproducible Science: Understanding, Supporting and Motivating Core Practices

Abstract: The reproducibility crisis refers to the inability to reproduce scientific experiments and is one of science's great challenges. Alarming reports and growing public attention are leading to the development of services and tools that aim to support key reproducible practices. In the face of this rapid evolution, we envision the unique opportunity for Human-Computer Interaction to impact scientific practice through the systematic study of requirements and moderating effects of technology on research reproducibility. In this paper, we report on the current state of technological and human factors in reproducible science and present challenges and opportunities for both HCI researchers and practitioners to understand, support and motivate core practices.

Exploring the Potential of Augmented Reality in Domestic Environments

Abstract: While Augmented Reality (AR) technologies are becoming increasingly available, our understanding of AR is primarily limited to controlled experiments which address use at work or for entertainment. Little is known about how it could enhance everyday interaction from a user's perspective. Personal use of AR at home may improve how users' interface with information on a daily basis. Through an online survey, we investigated attitudes towards domestic AR. We further explored the opportunities for AR at home in a technology probe. We first introduced the users to AR by offering an AR experience presented through mixed reality smart glasses. We then used a tailor-made tablet application to elicit photos illustrating how users imagine future AR experiences. Finally, we conducted semi-structured interviews based on elicited photos. Our results show that users are eager to benefit from on-demand information, assistance, enhanced sensory perception, and play offered by AR across many locations at home. We contribute insights for future AR systems designed for domestic environments.

Designing for Reproducibility: A Qualitative Study of Challenges and Opportunities in High Energy Physics

Abstract: Reproducibility should be a cornerstone of scientific research and is a growing concern among the scientific community and the public. Understanding how to design services and tools that support documentation, preservation and sharing is required to maximize the positive impact of scientific research. We conducted a study of user attitudes towards systems that support data preservation in High Energy Physics, one of science's most data-intensive branches. We report on our interview study with 12 experimental physicists, studying requirements and opportunities in designing for research preservation and reproducibility. Our findings suggest that we need to design for motivation and benefits in order to stimulate contributions and to address the observed scalability challenge. Therefore, researchers' attitudes towards communication, uncertainty, collaboration and automation need to be reflected in design. Based on our findings, we present a systematic view of user needs and constraints that define the design space of systems supporting reproducible practices.

Designing for Reproducibility: A Qualitative Study of Challenges and Opportunities in High Energy Physics

Abstract: Reproducibility should be a cornerstone of scientific research and is a growing concern among the scientific community and the public. Understanding how to design services and tools that support documentation, preservation and sharing is required to maximize the positive impact of scientific research. We conducted a study of user attitudes towards systems that support data preservation in High Energy Physics, one of science's most data-intensive branches. We report on our interview study with 12 experimental physicists, studying requirements and opportunities in designing for research preservation and reproducibility. Our findings suggest that we need to design for motivation and benefits in order to stimulate contributions and to address the observed scalability challenge. Therefore, researchers' attitudes towards communication, uncertainty, collaboration and automation need to be reflected in design. Based on our findings, we present a systematic view of user needs and constraints that define the design space of systems supporting reproducible practices.

Exploring the domestication of thermal imaging

Abstract: Recent work demonstrated the opportunities of thermal imaging in the development of novel interactive systems. However, the exploration is limited to controlled lab setups. Hence, little we know about how thermal imaging could be useful for a broader range of daily applications by novice users. To investigate the potential of domestication of thermal imaging, we conducted an exploration with a technology-cultural probe. Ten households (26 individuals) used a mobile thermal camera in their daily life. We collected thermal photos taken by the participants and conducted interviews after using the camera. We found that the users were excited about using thermal cameras in their everyday lives and found many practical uses for them. Our study provides insights into how novice users wish to use thermal imaging technology to augment their vision in daily setups, as well as identifying and classifying common thermal imaging use cases. Our work contributes implications for designing thermal imaging devices targeted towards novice users.

Understanding pointing for workspace tasks on large high-resolution displays

Abstract: Navigating on large high-resolution displays (LHRDs) using devices built for traditional desktop computers can be strenuous and negatively impact user experience. As LHRDs transition to everyday use, new user-friendly interaction techniques need to be designed to capitalise on the potential offered by the abundant screen space on LHRDs. We conducted a study which compared mouse pointing and eye-tracker assisted pointing (MAGIC pointing) on LHRDs. In a controlled experiment with 35 participants, we investigated user performance in a one-dimensional pointing task and a map-based search task. We determined that MAGIC pointing had a lower throughput, but participants had the perception of higher performance. Our work contributes insights for the design of pointing techniques for LHRDs. The results indicate that the choice of technique is scenario-dependent which contrasts with desktop computers.

Health, fun, and engagement: Computing technologies that support physical activity

Abstract: More and more interactive systems accompany us when we engage in physical activity But can technologies actually make sports more fun? Or perhaps we will become better at sports through technology?

DigiMetaplan: supporting facilitated brainstorming for distributed business teams

Abstract: While facilitated brainstorming is a proven ideation method for professional teams, distributed teams are currently not able to enjoy its benefits. As workers are shifting towards collaborating in distributed settings, understanding how interactive systems can support facilitated brainstorming is becoming necessary to ensure that distributed teams remain creative. To address this challenge we designed, implemented, and evaluated DigiMetaplan---an interactive surface-based system for distributed facilitated brainstorming for co-located and remote users. The design of DigiMetaplan was inspired by a widely-used facilitated brainstorming method called Metaplan, where the brainstorming process of a group is coordinated by a facilitator. We evaluated the usability of DigiMetaplan with five hybrid teams consisting of a co-located facilitator and two team members connected with one remote participant. Results showed that the features used in DigiMetaplan on interactive surfaces effectively supported teams in performing facilitated collaborative brainstorming in partially distributed settings. We contribute knowledge on how a brainstorming environment translated into a multi-surface distributed system affects facilitated collaboration.

SpiderHand: towards quasi-direct interaction with unpleasant creatures using muscle-controlled robotic arm

Abstract: Although encounters with spiders are commonplace for people almost everywhere in the world, fear of spiders is one of the most frequently diagnosed phobias and immediate contact is widely perceived as unfavourable. We present a system for indirect, quasi-tangible interaction with spiders, to be applied in an exhibition context - a robotic arm, steered through gestural input, which mimics user's actions and enables indirect physical interaction with the spider. The proof-of-concept prototype has been tested with N=15 users in museum-like environment. The concept of implementing an interactive modality to the exhibition was commented as an asset in terms amusement and education aiding, whilst being also a promising endeavour towards phobia-overcoming exercise.