Empathic Agent Technology (EAT)

A new view on empathic agents is introduced, named: Empathic Agent Technology (EAT). It incorporates a speech analysis, which provides an indication for the amount of tension present in people. It is founded on an indirect physiological measure for the amount of experienced stress, defined as the variability of the fundamental frequency of the human voice. A thorough review of literature is provided on which the EAT is founded. In addition, the complete processing line of this measure is introduced. Hence, the first generally applicable, completely automated technique is introduced that enables the development of truly empathic agents

Cantus: Construction and evaluation of a software solution for real-time vocal music training and musical intonation assessment

The development of the ability to sing or play in tune is one of the most critical tasks in music training. In music education, melodic patterns are usually learned by imitative processes (modelling). Once modelled, pitch sounds are then associ-ated to a representation according to a syllabic system such as the Guidonian system - or an arbitrary single syllable - or western graphic notation system symbols. From a didactic standpoint, few advances have been made in this area besides the use of audio-supported guides and existing software, which use a microphone to analyse the input and estimate the pitch or fundamental frequency of the given tone. However, these programmes lack the necessary analytical algo-rithm to provide the student with precise feedback on their execution; and also they do not provide adequate noise-robust solutions to minimize the student assessment error rate. The ongoing research discussed in this article focuses on Cantus, a new software solution expressly designed as an assessment and diagnosis tool for online training and assessment of vocal musical intonation at the initial stages of music education. Cantus software embodies the latest research on real-time analy-sis of audio stream, which permits the teacher to customize music training by means of recording patterns and embedding them into the programme. The study presented in this article includes the design, implementation and assessment of Cantus by music teachers. The pilot study for the software assessment includes a sample of 21 music teachers working at thirteen music schools in Valencia, Spain. These teachers worked with the software at their own pace for a week in order to evaluate it. Subsequently, a two-part questionnaire was filled in with (1) ques-tions related to demographics, professional experience and the use of ITC; and (2) questions related to the software's technical and didactic aspects. The question-naire also included three open questions related to Cantus, namely advantages, issues and suggestions. The results show an excellent reception by teachers, who consider this software as a highly adequate music training tool at the initial stages of music education

Evaluating usability evaluation methods for location-­aware interactive systems in contextually rich environments.

PhDIn this research we investigate the evaluation of usability evaluations methods (UEMs). In particular we are concerned with evaluating their suitability for the evaluation of location-­‐ aware systems. Not all approaches for the evaluation of UEMs have been extensively validated for such types of dynamic interaction, while their application is not clearly documented. We overview the strengths of the current approach and suggest how to improve them. We examine navigation systems as examples for issues with location-­‐aware systems in a contextually rich environment. The setting is very different to a traditional desktop-­‐based application. Take the use of the navigation device for example. It is a secondary task; the primary task is to safely drive the car. The interface is continuously changing to adapt to the current location of the user. The user navigates in a complex dynamic environment encompassing various stimuli and unpredictable external factors. We present in the thesis a methodological and systematic way to approach the evaluation of UEMs. A comparative study of analytical and empirical techniques was carried out, to assess them in identifying usability problems within both static and dynamic contexts of use. Four analytical methods (CW, UAN, EMU, and Design Guidelines) and one empirical were compared. In this thesis, we validate the existing classification scheme of Blandford et al. (2008) and highlight relevant issues. We present an alternative systematic approach building on this scheme (CoHUM), and its shortcomings with dynamic systems. We show how a rigorous and systematic error analysis identifies phenotypes as the outcome of empirical techniques, whilst genotypes are the outcome of analytical techniques. Finally, we present new dimensions that previous literature had not identified for the evaluation of UEMs. This research will help future researchers by providing them with a stronger methodological approach for comparing UEMs and, in particular, categories of UEMs

Study to determine potential flight applications and human factors design guidelines for voice recognition and synthesis systems

A study was conducted to determine potential commercial aircraft flight deck applications and implementation guidelines for voice recognition and synthesis. At first, a survey of voice recognition and synthesis technology was undertaken to develop a working knowledge base. Then, numerous potential aircraft and simulator flight deck voice applications were identified and each proposed application was rated on a number of criteria in order to achieve an overall payoff rating. The potential voice recognition applications fell into five general categories: programming, interrogation, data entry, switch and mode selection, and continuous/time-critical action control. The ratings of the first three categories showed the most promise of being beneficial to flight deck operations. Possible applications of voice synthesis systems were categorized as automatic or pilot selectable and many were rated as being potentially beneficial. In addition, voice system implementation guidelines and pertinent performance criteria are proposed. Finally, the findings of this study are compared with those made in a recent NASA study of a 1995 transport concept

SARSCEST (human factors)

People interact with the processes and products of contemporary technology. Individuals are affected by these in various ways and individuals shape them. Such interactions come under the label 'human factors'. To expand the understanding of those to whom the term is relatively unfamiliar, its domain includes both an applied science and applications of knowledge. It means both research and development, with implications of research both for basic science and for development. It encompasses not only design and testing but also training and personnel requirements, even though some unwisely try to split these apart both by name and institutionally. The territory includes more than performance at work, though concentration on that aspect, epitomized in the derivation of the term ergonomics, has overshadowed human factors interest in interactions between technology and the home, health, safety, consumers, children and later life, the handicapped, sports and recreation education, and travel. Two aspects of technology considered most significant for work performance, systems and automation, and several approaches to these, are discussed