Automatic Synchronization between Local and Remote Video Persons in Dining Improves Conversation

Asynchronous exchange of video messaging is a way to achieve time-shifted communication for the people who have difficulties to enjoy daily family communication in real time, because of time-zone differences or life-rhythm differences. However face-to-face communication and video messaging communication is significantly different. Since mealtime is the most common opportunity for daily family communication, it has been proposed to synchronize the video message with the viewer by changing its playback speed in dining situations to improve video messaging communication. This paper studies the influence of the synchronization method by means of Wizard of Oz (WoZ), and by means of the implemented prototype system. In the synchronization method, the dining progress of the video person is matched with that of the viewer by real-time meal weight detection. The lab study found that the synchronization via WoZ increased speech frequency, decreased the duration of switching pauses, and led to a higher ratio of eating actions immediately after verbal responses of the user. This indicated that a more active commitment of the user was observed. The prototype system with finer control of the video than WoZ also achieved comparable result in terms of questionnaire scores, indicating the feasibility of a videoconferencing system with such a function

MediaSync: Handbook on Multimedia Synchronization

This book provides an approachable overview of the most recent advances in the fascinating field of media synchronization (mediasync), gathering contributions from the most representative and influential experts. Understanding the challenges of this field in the current multi-sensory, multi-device, and multi-protocol world is not an easy task. The book revisits the foundations of mediasync, including theoretical frameworks and models, highlights ongoing research efforts, like hybrid broadband broadcast (HBB) delivery and users' perception modeling (i.e., Quality of Experience or QoE), and paves the way for the future (e.g., towards the deployment of multi-sensory and ultra-realistic experiences). Although many advances around mediasync have been devised and deployed, this area of research is getting renewed attention to overcome remaining challenges in the next-generation (heterogeneous and ubiquitous) media ecosystem. Given the significant advances in this research area, its current relevance and the multiple disciplines it involves, the availability of a reference book on mediasync becomes necessary. This book fills the gap in this context. In particular, it addresses key aspects and reviews the most relevant contributions within the mediasync research space, from different perspectives. Mediasync: Handbook on Multimedia Synchronization is the perfect companion for scholars and practitioners that want to acquire strong knowledge about this research area, and also approach the challenges behind ensuring the best mediated experiences, by providing the adequate synchronization between the media elements that constitute these experiences

Supporting Relationships with Video Chat

Video chat is often called the “closest thing to being there”, but anyone who has used video chat to maintain personal relationships or collaborate with others knows that video chat is not the same as face-to-face interaction. In this thesis, I focus on understanding how video chat can be most effectively designed and used to support relationships, helping to bridge the communication gap for distance separated people. An important difference between video chat and face-to-face interaction is potential effects of seeing oneself. In this thesis, I present two studies exploring this important caveat to supporting relationships remotely. The first study shows that the dominant interface design (which shows one’s own video feed) has measurable effects on people’s experiences and conversations in VMC. The second study focuses on a specific group of people—those with social anxiety—who may be particularly affected by self-view in video chat interfaces. This study shows that interfaces that focus on content (much like the media sharing system presented in this thesis) have the potential to minimize effects of feedback in video chat. Another key difference between video chat and face-to-face interaction is the difficulty of engaging in shared activities. Colocated friends or family members can easily share activities such as walks, movies, or board games; distance separated people have a much harder time doing the same. The work presented in this thesis introduces a synchronous media sharing system that can serve as a powerful tool for maintaining relationships. Building on this work, I show that synchronous media sharing is also useful for creating new relationships as well. Together, the system and studies presented in this thesis provide valuable new insights and techniques for the development of video chat tools that support new and sustained relationships over a distance

Practical, appropriate, empirically-validated guidelines for designing educational games

There has recently been a great deal of interest in the potential of computer games to function as innovative educational tools. However, there is very little evidence of games fulfilling that potential. Indeed, the process of merging the disparate goals of education and games design appears problematic, and there are currently no practical guidelines for how to do so in a coherent manner. In this paper, we describe the successful, empirically validated teaching methods developed by behavioural psychologists and point out how they are uniquely suited to take advantage of the benefits that games offer to education. We conclude by proposing some practical steps for designing educational games, based on the techniques of Applied Behaviour Analysis. It is intended that this paper can both focus educational games designers on the features of games that are genuinely useful for education, and also introduce a successful form of teaching that this audience may not yet be familiar with

4th International Symposium on Ambient Intelligence (ISAmI 2013)

Ambient Intelligence (AmI) is a recent paradigm emerging from Artificial Intelligence (AI), where computers are used as proactive tools assisting people with their day-to-day activities, making everyone’s life more comfortable. Another main concern of AmI originates from the human computer interaction domain and focuses on offering ways to interact with systems in a more natural way by means user friendly interfaces. This field is evolving quickly as can be witnessed by the emerging natural language and gesture based types of interaction. The inclusion of computational power and communication technologies in everyday objects is growing and their embedding into our environments should be as invisible as possible. In order for AmI to be successful, human interaction with computing power and embedded systems in the surroundings should be smooth and happen without people actually noticing it. The only awareness people should have arises from AmI: more safety, comfort and wellbeing, emerging in a natural and inherent way. ISAmI is the International Symposium on Ambient Intelligence and aiming to bring together researchers from various disciplines that constitute the scientific field of Ambient Intelligence to present and discuss the latest results, new ideas, projects and lessons learned, namely in terms of software and applications, and aims to bring together researchers from various disciplines that are interested in all aspects of this area

Human-Computer Interaction

In this book the reader will find a collection of 31 papers presenting different facets of Human Computer Interaction, the result of research projects and experiments as well as new approaches to design user interfaces. The book is organized according to the following main topics in a sequential order: new interaction paradigms, multimodality, usability studies on several interaction mechanisms, human factors, universal design and development methodologies and tools

Accessibility of Health Data Representations for Older Adults: Challenges and Opportunities for Design

Health data of consumer off-the-shelf wearable devices is often conveyed to users through visual data representations and analyses. However, this is not always accessible to people with disabilities or older people due to low vision, cognitive impairments or literacy issues. Due to trade-offs between aesthetics predominance or information overload, real-time user feedback may not be conveyed easily from sensor devices through visual cues like graphs and texts. These difficulties may hinder critical data understanding. Additional auditory and tactile feedback can also provide immediate and accessible cues from these wearable devices, but it is necessary to understand existing data representation limitations initially. To avoid higher cognitive and visual overload, auditory and haptic cues can be designed to complement, replace or reinforce visual cues. In this paper, we outline the challenges in existing data representation and the necessary evidence to enhance the accessibility of health information from personal sensing devices used to monitor health parameters such as blood pressure, sleep, activity, heart rate and more. By creating innovative and inclusive user feedback, users will likely want to engage and interact with new devices and their own data

Low-cost methodologies and devices applied to measure, model and self-regulate emotions for Human-Computer Interaction

En aquesta tesi s'exploren les diferents metodologies d'anàlisi de l'experiència UX des d'una visió centrada en usuari. Aquestes metodologies clàssiques i fonamentades només permeten extreure dades cognitives, és a dir les dades que l'usuari és capaç de comunicar de manera conscient. L'objectiu de la tesi és proposar un model basat en l'extracció de dades biomètriques per complementar amb dades emotives (i formals) la informació cognitiva abans esmentada. Aquesta tesi no és només teòrica, ja que juntament amb el model proposat (i la seva evolució) es mostren les diferents proves, validacions i investigacions en què s'han aplicat, sovint en conjunt amb grups de recerca d'altres àrees amb èxit.En esta tesis se exploran las diferentes metodologías de análisis de la experiencia UX desde una visión centrada en usuario. Estas metodologías clásicas y fundamentadas solamente permiten extraer datos cognitivos, es decir los datos que el usuario es capaz de comunicar de manera consciente. El objetivo de la tesis es proponer un modelo basado en la extracción de datos biométricos para complementar con datos emotivos (y formales) la información cognitiva antes mencionada. Esta tesis no es solamente teórica, ya que junto con el modelo propuesto (y su evolución) se muestran las diferentes pruebas, validaciones e investigaciones en la que se han aplicado, a menudo en conjunto con grupos de investigación de otras áreas con éxito.In this thesis, the different methodologies for analyzing the UX experience are explored from a user-centered perspective. These classical and well-founded methodologies only allow the extraction of cognitive data, that is, the data that the user is capable of consciously communicating. The objective of this thesis is to propose a methodology that uses the extraction of biometric data to complement the aforementioned cognitive information with emotional (and formal) data. This thesis is not only theoretical, since the proposed model (and its evolution) is complemented with the different tests, validations and investigations in which they have been applied, often in conjunction with research groups from other areas with success