Holistic User eXperience in Mobile Augmented Reality Using User eXperience Measurement Index

© 2019 IEEE. User eXperience (UX) evaluation in the field of Mobile Augmented Reality (MAR) is a challenging task, which requires the application of many heterogeneous methods, producing a variety of raw signals and subjective data. This multi-method approach is essential for capturing the holistic UX of any product, service or system. In order to convert this data into information and subsequently knowledge, a comprehensive and scalable system is required which can not only quantify the individual UX metrics but also produce a concise result, which is interpretable by anyone. We call this result, the User Experience Measurement Index, and in this paper we present the results of adopting the mixed method UX evaluation approach for evaluating a prototype MAR application using various methods and sensors, applied before, during, and after its usage. Additionally, we present the methodology and results for calculating the UXMI

The edge cloud: A holistic view of communication, computation and caching

The evolution of communication networks shows a clear shift of focus from just improving the communications aspects to enabling new important services, from Industry 4.0 to automated driving, virtual/augmented reality, Internet of Things (IoT), and so on. This trend is evident in the roadmap planned for the deployment of the fifth generation (5G) communication networks. This ambitious goal requires a paradigm shift towards a vision that looks at communication, computation and caching (3C) resources as three components of a single holistic system. The further step is to bring these 3C resources closer to the mobile user, at the edge of the network, to enable very low latency and high reliability services. The scope of this chapter is to show that signal processing techniques can play a key role in this new vision. In particular, we motivate the joint optimization of 3C resources. Then we show how graph-based representations can play a key role in building effective learning methods and devising innovative resource allocation techniques.Comment: to appear in the book "Cooperative and Graph Signal Pocessing: Principles and Applications", P. Djuric and C. Richard Eds., Academic Press, Elsevier, 201

Wearable Computing for Health and Fitness: Exploring the Relationship between Data and Human Behaviour

Health and fitness wearable technology has recently advanced, making it easier for an individual to monitor their behaviours. Previously self generated data interacts with the user to motivate positive behaviour change, but issues arise when relating this to long term mention of wearable devices. Previous studies within this area are discussed. We also consider a new approach where data is used to support instead of motivate, through monitoring and logging to encourage reflection. Based on issues highlighted, we then make recommendations on the direction in which future work could be most beneficial

“Reality is in the air”: concept of perceived augmentation and exploration of its impact on consumer experience

Augmented reality (AR) technology is becoming increasingly used in marketing as a tool for enhancing consumer experience. Developed and defined in the fields of computer science and human-computer interaction, AR technology simulates an overlay of virtual annotations in the physical environment and interacts with it in real- time (Azuma et al., 2001). Some popular examples of AR include virtual mirrors (Ray Ban, ModiFace) and smartphone applications that simulate products such as furniture (IKEA). Despite its increasing deployment in marketing, related academic research about the significance of AR for consumer experience and its impact on consumer behavior has been scarce. This thesis approaches this gap in the literature by studying media characteristics of AR and examining their impact on consumer affective, cognitive and behavioral responses, following the approach of Theory of Interactive Media Effects by Sundar et al. (2015). Throughout a series of four articles, it aims to define salient media characteristics of AR technology and evaluate how they alter consumer experience. The 1st article examines to which extent AR shares media characteristics of other interactive technologies and how these characteristics – namely interactivity, modality, hypertextuality, connectivity, location-specificity, mobility, virtuality – influence consumer responses. Based on a literature review, a research agenda is proposed that identifies the knowledge gaps related to the impact of AR on various types of consumer responses. For example, it suggests that future research should investigate: how lower levels of hypertextuality in an AR app influence consumer satisfaction and exploratory behavior; how can AR represent a social experience, given that little connectivity is present in the current AR apps; what combinations of modality in terms of text, visuals and audio are most effective for AR; to which extent consumers perceive AR apps to be interactive and how that impacts their experience. Finally, the research agenda also underlines the importance of investigating the AR media characteristic augmentation (Preece et al., 2015), absent in previous interactive technologies. The 2nd article focuses on two salient media characteristics of AR apps – interactivity and augmentation. It shows that the presence of AR does not translate into an app being perceived as more interactive in comparison to a non-AR app in terms of control and responsiveness. On the other hand, the study offers first evidence that perceived augmentation is significantly higher for AR apps than for non-AR apps and that it represents a suitable psychological correlate (Sundar et al., 2015) for measuring the perception of AR characteristics that set it apart from other technologies. Two experimental studies demonstrate that perceived augmentation impacts the level of immersion into flow, which then mediates the impact of perceived augmentation on consumer attitude towards the app and behavioral intentions to use it again and talk about it. Based on the previous study, the 3rd article further develops the measurement items of perceived augmentation and investigates its impact on consumer experience. An in-the-wild study (Rogers, 2012) was conducted in a retail store, where we observed consumers’ interaction with an AR make-up try-on application. The findings show that such an application creates a playful experience and that shoppers would use such tool to narrow their consideration set or, in some cases, to even choose products to purchase. Furthermore, the survey study confirms that perceived augmentation significantly relates with playfulness, perceived convenience and behavioral intentions. Finally, a more complete scale for perceived augmentation is developed and validated in the 4th article. Items are refined through several qualitative studies, based on which we propose that perceived augmentation is comprised of two dimensions – virtual enhancement and virtual- physical congruency. An online study with 213 participants confirms this dimensionality and, furthermore, shows that virtual-physical congruency elicits significant impact on enjoyment and perceived informedness, which further impacts future use and purchase intention, while virtual enhancement does not yield a similar impact. The contribution of this thesis lies in defining perceived augmentation as the psychological correlate of AR’s unique media characteristic, augmentation, and in proposing and validating its measurement items. Furthermore, a series of three larger studies, all situated in different contexts (in a lab, in a retail store, online), explain how perceived augmentation yields a significant impact on consumer affective responses and behavioral intentions, and in some cases also on cognitive responses such as perceived convenience and informedness. It also highlights the importance of AR app integration in a specific context, which can prevent it from being perceived as gimmicky. The results of this work have implications for both practitioners and academics and offer numerous directions for future research

From Manual Driving to Automated Driving: A Review of 10 Years of AutoUI

This paper gives an overview of the ten-year devel- opment of the papers presented at the International ACM Conference on Automotive User Interfaces and Interactive Vehicular Applications (AutoUI) from 2009 to 2018. We categorize the topics into two main groups, namely, manual driving-related research and automated driving-related re- search. Within manual driving, we mainly focus on studies on user interfaces (UIs), driver states, augmented reality and head-up displays, and methodology; Within automated driv- ing, we discuss topics, such as takeover, acceptance and trust, interacting with road users, UIs, and methodology. We also discuss the main challenges and future directions for AutoUI and offer a roadmap for the research in this area.https://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/153959/1/From Manual Driving to Automated Driving: A Review of 10 Years of AutoUI.pdfDescription of From Manual Driving to Automated Driving: A Review of 10 Years of AutoUI.pdf : Main articl

Factors influencing intention to purchase through VR platforms

With technological advancement, Virtual Reality (VR) significantly impacts various industrial sectors, including education, medicine, gaming, and tourism. In particular, the idea of VR has been extensively applied in e-commerce to create realistic online shopping experiences. The purpose of this study is to investigate factors influencing purchase intention through VR platforms by applying the concept of the IS success model and flow theory. The data were collected from 300 respondents with experience in online shopping via e-commerce websites. Confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling were used to test the proposed research model. Results indicate that factors influencing purchase intention through virtual reality platforms are attitude, satisfaction, concentration, information quality, service quality, system quality, enjoyment, and time distortion. The findings could guide entrepreneurs and platform developers to develop a virtual reality platform suitable for ecommerce to enhance the consumer experience

Digital Food Marketing to Children and Adolescents: Problematic Practices and Policy Interventions

Examines trends in digital marketing to youth that uses "immersive" techniques, social media, behavioral profiling, location targeting and mobile marketing, and neuroscience methods. Recommends principles for regulating inappropriate advertising to youth

Context in augmented reality marketing: Does the place of use matter?

Augmented reality (AR) integrates virtual content into a consumer\u27s perception of the real world. While academic interest in AR is growing, most prior research has focused on consumer evaluations of AR content and neglected the physical context in which AR content is consumed. Addressing this research gap, two experimental studies showed that context (e.g., experiencing a virtual sofa at home vs. in a university classroom) impacts consumer judgments and evaluations. The results reveal two primary effects of context. First, contexts in which virtual objects meet users\u27 personal and cultural expectations associated with a specific location (e.g., a sofa in a living room) increase plausibility. However, such functionally appropriate contexts (counterintuitively) decrease local presence (i.e., the perception that the virtual product is “here”). Study 2 extends this model by showing that plausibility (a rational and deliberate assessment of AR content) and local presence both impact utilitarian benefits, whereas local presence has a stronger effect on perceived physical tangibility. The findings extend prior theory on the psychological mechanisms impacting judgment and presence in AR, and they provide managers with important insights regarding the influence of context on downstream variables in their AR and metaverse marketing strategies

Understanding XR technology acceptance by physically disabled tourists in museums

Purpose – This study aims to investigate the effects of XR technologies on the behavioral intentions of disabled tourists using a modified Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). Design – The model includes perceived trust, perceived control, perceived efficacy, and perceived enjoyment as determinants of technology acceptance by disabled tourists. The hypotheses derived from the literature were empirically tested. Methodology/Approach – The proposed model was tested by collecting data from 640 disabled tourists in Iran over a six-month period. An online survey was answered after watching two videos, representing the application of VR and AR. A quantitative method was applied, the PLS-SEM method was conducted to analyze the data. Findings – The model was significantly supported by the results on the determinants of attitudes of people with disabilities toward XR technology. Other than the effect of perceived efficiency on PEOU, all the hypotheses were supported, demonstrating the positive effects of each of factors on the attitudes of disabled tourists and their behavioral intentions towards XR technology. Originality of the research – This study significantly expands the academic knowledge on the fundamental factors affecting behavioural intentions of disabled tourists, as 15% of the world’s population. This is the first study to investigate these factors in relation to the disabled tourists and XR technologies. This study will provide insight to marketers and stakeholders on the behavioral intentions of disabled tourists