Full coverage displays for non-immersive applications

Full Coverage Displays (FCDs), which cover the interior surface of a room with display pixels, can create novel user interfaces taking advantage of natural aspects of human perception and memory which we make use of in our everyday lives. However, past research has generally focused on FCDs for immersive experiences, the required hardware is generally prohibitively expensive for the average potential user, configuration is complicated for developers and end users, and building applications which conform to the room layout is often difficult. The goals of this thesis are: to create an affordable, easy to use (for developers and end users) FCD toolkit for non-immersive applications; to establish efficient pointing techniques in FCD environments; and to explore suitable ways to direct attention to out-of-view targets in FCDs. In this thesis I initially present and evaluate my own "ASPECTA Toolkit" which was designed to meet the above requirements. Users during the main evaluation were generally positive about their experiences, all completing the task in less than three hours. Further evaluation was carried out through interviews with researchers who used ASPECTA in their own work. These revealed similarly positive results, with feedback from users driving improvements to the toolkit. For my exploration into pointing techniques, Mouse and Ray-Cast approaches were chosen as most appropriate for FCDs. An evaluation showed that the Ray-Cast approach was fastest overall, while a mouse-based approach showed a small advantage in the front hemisphere of the room. For attention redirection I implemented and evaluated a set of four visual techniques. The results suggest that techniques which are static and lead all the way to the target may have an advantage and that the cognitive processing time of a technique is an important consideration."This work was supported by the EPSRC (grant number EP/L505079/1) and SurfNet (NSERC)." - Acknowledgement

Real‐time interactive social environments: A review of BT's generic learning platform

Online learning in particular and lifelong learning in general require a learning platform that makes sense both pedagogically and commercially. This paper sets out to describe what we mean by generic, learning and platform. The technical requirements are described, and various trials that test the technical, educational and commercial nature of the platform are described Finally, the future developments planned for the Real‐time Interactive Social Environments (RISE) are discusse

Use of an agile bridge in the development of assistive technology

Engaging with end users in the development of assistive technologies remains one of the major challenges for researchers and developers in the field of accessibility and HCI. Developing usable software systems for people with complex disabilities is problematic, software developers are wary of using user-centred design, one of the main methods by which usability can be improved, due to concerns about how best to work with adults with complex disabilities, in particular Severe Speech and Physical Impairments (SSPI) and how to involve them in research. This paper reports on how the adoption of an adapted agile approach involving the incorporation of a user advocate on the research team helped in meeting this challenge in one software project and offers suggestions for how this could be used by other development teams

The Case for Developing and Deploying an Open Source Electronic Logistics Management Information System

Summarizes efforts to strengthen health information systems in low- and lower-middle-income countries, including development of common requirements. Outlines models for collaboration among stakeholders, national leaders, and health information users

GSCC targeted inspections of Approved Mental Health Professionals (AMHP) courses in England (2011-12)

The General Social Care Council (GSCC) has duties under Section 19 of the Mental Health Act 2007 to approve Approved Mental Health Profession (AMHP) training. This function will transfer to the Health Professions Council on 31 July 2012. The GSCC carried out a targeted inspection between March 2011 and February 2012 of all 22 AMHP programmes across England. This was to ensure at the point of transfer all courses were sufficiently meeting standards. There had been a number of issues and concerns raised about inconsistencies in the quality of AMHP programmes. The inspection process involved consulting all stakeholders concerned in delivering and using the programmes, including AMHP candidates, service users and carers. Each programme has their inspection report on the GSCC website. The key findings of these inspections are that the majority of the 22 programmes are meeting the standards expected and where they are not, action has been taken to ensure that prior to transfer of the GSCC’s AMHP inspection function, all programmes will meet the standards and not require regulatory intervention. There is inconsistency in the length and attached credit of each AMHP programme, although this did not seem to impair the threshold standard required for being competent in the AMHP role. This composite report features the overall outputs from the inspections

Lirolem: A virtual studio/Institutional Repository for the University of Lincoln

Gives an account of the Lirolem project at the University of Lincoln which was to build a repository capable of handling multimedia material as well as providing a repository for the University's research output

Supporting End-User Development through a New Composition Model: An Empirical Study

End-user development (EUD) is much hyped, and its impact has outstripped even the most optimistic forecasts. Even so, the vision of end users programming their own solutions has not yet materialized. This will continue to be so unless we in both industry and the research community set ourselves the ambitious challenge of devising end to end an end-user application development model for developing a new age of EUD tools. We have embarked on this venture, and this paper presents the main insights and outcomes of our research and development efforts as part of a number of successful EU research projects. Our proposal not only aims to reshape software engineering to meet the needs of EUD but also to refashion its components as solution building blocks instead of programs and software developments. This way, end users will really be empowered to build solutions based on artefacts akin to their expertise and understanding of ideal solution

SmartMirror: A Glance into the Future

In todays society, information is available to us at a glance through our phones, our laptops, our desktops, and more. But an extra level of interaction is required in order to access the information. As technology grows, technology should grow further and further away from the traditional style of interaction with devices. In the past, information was relayed through paper, then through computers, and in todays day and age, through our phones and multiple other mediums. Technology should become more integrated into our lives - more seamless and more invisible. We hope to push the envelope further, into the future. We propose a new simple way of connecting with your morning newspaper. We present our idea, the SmartMirror, information at a glance. Our system aims to deliver your information quickly and comfortably, with a new modern aesthetic. While modern appliances require input through modules such as keyboards or touch screen, we hope to follow a model that can function purely on voice and gesture. We seek to deliver your information during your morning routine and throughout the day, when taking out your phone is not always possible. This will cater to a larger audience base, as the average consumer nowadays hopes to accomplish tasks with minimal active interaction with their adopted technology. This idea has many future applications, such as integration with new virtual or augmented reality devices, or simplifying consumer personal media sources

Market Structure and Energy Efficiency: The Case of New Commercial Buildings

This is a report on why commercial office buildings aren’t more energy efficient. Several decades of energy efficiency programs have resulted in some gains, but overall increases in the energy efficiency of buildings have fallen far short of the 30 to 50 percent improvement that many efficiency advocates believe is possible. The purpose of this study is to consider the “why” question by empirically examining the dynamics of new commercial building markets. To do so, the authors used multiple research techniques, including qualitative field observation and interview methods that allow for a more in-depth understanding of complicated market processes. Their research focused primarily on new office buildings and centered in four regional markets: Sacramento, San Francisco, Seattle, and Portland. The authors identify key dynamics of commercial office building markets, describe how change and innovation occurs in commercial development, discuss the implications for energy efficiency, and suggest next steps