Probes and Sensors: The Design of Feedback Loops for Usability Improvements

The importance of user-centric design methods in the design of programming tools is now well accepted. These methods depend on creating a feedback loop between the designers and their users, providing data about developers, their needs and behaviour gathered through various means. These include controlled experiments, field observations, as well as analytical frameworks. However, whilst there have been a number of experiments detailed, quantitative data is rarely used as part of the design process. Part of the reason for this might be that such feedback loops are hard to design and use in practice. Still, we believe there is potential in this approach and opportunities in gathering this kind of ‘big data’. In this paper, we sketch a framework for reasoning about these feedback loops - when data gathering may make sense and for how to incorporate the results of such data gathering into the programming tool design process. We illustrate how to use the framework on two case studies and outline some of the challenges in instrumentation and in knowing when and how to act on signals

Cross-display attention switching in mobile interaction with large displays

Mobile devices equipped with features (e.g., camera, network connectivity and media player) are increasingly being used for different tasks such as web browsing, document reading and photography. While the portability of mobile devices makes them desirable for pervasive access to information, their small screen real-estate often imposes restrictions on the amount of information that can be displayed and manipulated on them. On the other hand, large displays have become commonplace in many outdoor as well as indoor environments. While they provide an efficient way of presenting and disseminating information, they provide little support for digital interactivity or physical accessibility. Researchers argue that mobile phones provide an efficient and portable way of interacting with large displays, and the latter can overcome the limitations of the small screens of mobile devices by providing a larger presentation and interaction space. However, distributing user interface (UI) elements across a mobile device and a large display can cause switching of visual attention and that may affect task performance. This thesis specifically explores how the switching of visual attention across a handheld mobile device and a vertical large display can affect a single user's task performance during mobile interaction with large displays. It introduces a taxonomy based on the factors associated with the visual arrangement of Multi Display User Interfaces (MDUIs) that can influence visual attention switching during interaction with MDUIs. It presents an empirical analysis of the effects of different distributions of input and output across mobile and large displays on the user's task performance, subjective workload and preference in the multiple-widget selection task, and in visual search tasks with maps, texts and photos. Experimental results show that the selection of multiple widgets replicated on the mobile device as well as on the large display, versus those shown only on the large display, is faster despite the cost of initial attention switching in the former. On the other hand, a hybrid UI configuration where the visual output is distributed across the mobile and large displays is the worst, or equivalent to the worst, configuration in all the visual search tasks. A mobile device-controlled large display configuration performs best in the map search task and equal to best (i.e., tied with a mobile-only configuration) in text- and photo-search tasks

Expand reality in-company project: A proximity technology business model research in support of healthcare management

The in-company project takes place in the 20s pandemic atmosphere, where the Customer-Journey has undergone various modifications, and investigates how the proximity-digital technology, proposed differently after 8 years1 of existence, could take off yet again in a new industry, in support of the healthcare one. Accordingly, this prospect of re-proposing proximity technology channels in the market raises a range of challenges to be faced, such as the citizen’s scepticism about the probable storage and theft of personal data. Yet, it offers unique stimulating opportunities for the project success, in terms of Customer Service, Administrative and Building Management – multiple types of studies to establish a definitive strategy aimed at disrupting and enhancing the market. For instance, leveraging the new Tech-Customer path may be complex on one hand, but it may also be a source of new value development on the other. Finally, the research will be mean for shaping a strategic Business Model Canvas for ExpandReality®. As a result, the Final Research aims to assist the start-up in understanding how the launch of the Beacons-based products and platform can work and be marketed, as well as ensuring an overcome of initial consumer’s scepticism. In conclusion the investigation will outbreak in an ultimate Business Model Canvas for the start-up, first analysed by a group of professionals and then re-shaped. “The innovation and entrepreneurship journey is about turning ideas into value propositions that customers care about and business models that can scale”. (Osterwalder, 2020)O projeto in-company ocorre na atmosfera pandémica do ano de 2020 e seguintes, em que o “Customer Journey” sofreu algumas alterações, e desta forma investiga como a tecnologia digital de proximidade, proposta de maneira diferente depois de 8 anos2 de existência, pode desenvolver-se mais uma vez numa nova indústria e numa nova realidade. Nesse sentido, a possível proposta de canais de tecnologia de proximidade no mercado, levanta alguns desafios. Como por exemplo, o ceticismo do cidadão quanto ao provável armazenamento e roubo de dados pessoais. Ainda assim, oferece possibilidades estimulantes de sucesso do projecto, em apoio ao cliente, gestão administrativa e arquitetónica - diferentes tipos de estudos direcionados no sentido de desenvolver uma estratégia com o objetivo de agitar o mercado e lucrar com ele. Por exemplo, pode ser arriscado explorar o novo caminho do cliente técnico, mas ao mesmo tempo pode ser uma possibilidade de criação de novo valor. Finalmente, a própria pesquisa será um meio para a intenção final de moldar um Modelo de Negócios estratégico para a start-up ExpandReality®. Desta forma, a Pesquisa Final tem como objetivo ajudar os conselheiros a perceber como o lançamento de produtos baseados em Beacons pode funcionar e como estes podem ser comercializados, com um uso seguro dos dados extraídos.. Concluindo a investigação surgirá no formato de um plano de modelo de negócios final para a start-up, primeiramente analisado por um grupo de profissionais e posteriormente reformulado. “Inovação e empreendedorismo consiste em transformar ideias em propostas de valor com as quais os clientes se preocupam, e modelos de negócios que podem ser escalados”. (Osterwalder, 2020

Low-latency, query-driven analytics over voluminous multidimensional, spatiotemporal datasets

2017 Summer.Includes bibliographical references.Ubiquitous data collection from sources such as remote sensing equipment, networked observational devices, location-based services, and sales tracking has led to the accumulation of voluminous datasets; IDC projects that by 2020 we will generate 40 zettabytes of data per year, while Gartner and ABI estimate 20-35 billion new devices will be connected to the Internet in the same time frame. The storage and processing requirements of these datasets far exceed the capabilities of modern computing hardware, which has led to the development of distributed storage frameworks that can scale out by assimilating more computing resources as necessary. While challenging in its own right, storing and managing voluminous datasets is only the precursor to a broader field of study: extracting knowledge, insights, and relationships from the underlying datasets. The basic building block of this knowledge discovery process is analytic queries, encompassing both query instrumentation and evaluation. This dissertation is centered around query-driven exploratory and predictive analytics over voluminous, multidimensional datasets. Both of these types of analysis represent a higher-level abstraction over classical query models; rather than indexing every discrete value for subsequent retrieval, our framework autonomously learns the relationships and interactions between dimensions in the dataset (including time series and geospatial aspects), and makes the information readily available to users. This functionality includes statistical synopses, correlation analysis, hypothesis testing, probabilistic structures, and predictive models that not only enable the discovery of nuanced relationships between dimensions, but also allow future events and trends to be predicted. This requires specialized data structures and partitioning algorithms, along with adaptive reductions in the search space and management of the inherent trade-off between timeliness and accuracy. The algorithms presented in this dissertation were evaluated empirically on real-world geospatial time-series datasets in a production environment, and are broadly applicable across other storage frameworks

Web-IDE for Low-Code Development in OutSystems

Due to the growing popularity of cloud computing and its numerous benefits, many desktop applications have been, and will continue to be, migrated into the cloud and made available through the web. These applications can then be accessed through any device that has access to a browser and internet connection, eliminating the need for installation or managing dependencies. Moreover, the process of introduction to the product is much simpler, faster and collaboration aspects are facilitated. OutSystems is a company that provides software that enables, through an Integrated Development Environment (IDE) and a specific Low-Code language, users to securely and rapidly build robust applications. However, there are only available desktop versions of this IDE. For this reason, the objective of the proposed thesis is to understand what would be the best path for developing a Web-based version of the IDE. To achieve this, it is important not only to understand the OutSystems Platform and, more specifically, the architecture of the Service Studio IDE, which is the component IDE provided by the product, but also to explore the state-of-the-art technologies that could prove to be beneficial for the development of the project. The goal of this work is to debate different architectural possibilities to implement the project in question and present a conclusion as to what the adequate course of action, given the context of the problem. After distinguishing what are the biggest uncertainties and relevant points, a proof of concept is to be presented accompanied with the respective implementation details. Finally, this work intends to determine what would be a viable technological architecture to build a Web-based IDE that is capable of maintaining an acceptable performance, similarly to Service Studio IDE, while also insuring that the this system is scalable, in order to be able to provide the service to a large amount of users. That is to say, to present a conclusion regarding the feasibility of the project proposed.Devido ao aumento de popularidade de tecnologias de computação cloud e as suas inúmeras vantagens, aplicações desktop estão e vão continuar a ser migradas para a cloud para que possam ser acedidas através da web. Estas aplicações podem ser acedidas através de qualquer dispositivo que tenha acesso à internet, eliminando a necessidade de instalação e gestão de dependências. Além disso, o processo de introdução ao produto é simplificado, mais rápido e a colaboração é facilitada. A OutSystems é uma empresa que disponibiliza um software que faz com que utilizadores, através de um IDE e uma linguagem de baixo nível, possam criar aplicações robustas de forma rápida e segura. No entanto, atualmente só existem versões deste IDE para desktop. Como tal, o objetivo da tese proposta é perceber qual será a melhor forma de desenvolver uma versão do IDE sobre a Web. Para alcançar isto, é importante não só compreender a Plataforma OutSystems e, mais especificamente, a arquitetura do Service Studio IDE, que é o principal componente disponibilizado pelo produto, mas também explorar as tecnologias estado de arte que podem ser benéficas para o desenvolvimento do projeto. O objetivo deste trabalho é debater diferentes arquiteturas possíveis para a implementação do projeto e concluir qual será o curso de ação adequado, dado o contexto do problema. Após distinguir quais são os maiores pontos de incerteza, uma prova de conceito é apresentada juntamente com os respetivos detalhes de implementação. Finalmente, este trabalho tem como intenção detalhar uma arquitetura tecnológica viável para construir um IDE na web capaz de manter uma performance aceitável, semelhante à do Service Studio IDE, e garantir a escalabilidade do sistema, de forma a conseguir oferecer o serviço a um número elevado de utilizadores. Por outras palavras, apresentar uma conclusão em relação à viabilidade do projeto proposto

SurfaceConstellations: A Modular Hardware Platform for Ad-Hoc Reconfigurable Cross-Device Workspaces

We contribute SurfaceConstellations, a modular hardware platform for linking multiple mobile devices to easily create novel cross-device workspace environments. Our platform combines the advantages of multi-monitor workspaces and multi-surface environments with the flexibility and extensibility of more recent cross-device setups. The SurfaceConstellations platform includes a comprehensive library of 3D-printed link modules to connect and arrange tablets into new workspaces, several strategies for designing setups, and a visual configuration tool for automatically generating link modules. We contribute a detailed design space of cross-device workspaces, a technique for capacitive links between tablets for automatic recognition of connected devices, designs of flexible joint connections, detailed explanations of the physical design of 3D printed brackets and support structures, and the design of a web-based tool for creating new SurfaceConstellation setups

AirConstellations: In-Air Device Formations for Cross-Device Interaction via Multiple Spatially-Aware Armatures

AirConstellations supports a unique semi-fixed style of cross-device interactions via multiple self-spatially-aware armatures to which users can easily attach (or detach) tablets and other devices. In particular, AirConstellations affords highly flexible and dynamic device formations where the users can bring multiple devices together in-air - with 2-5 armatures poseable in 7DoF within the same workspace - to suit the demands of their current task, social situation, app scenario, or mobility needs. This affords an interaction metaphor where relative orientation, proximity, attaching (or detaching) devices, and continuous movement into and out of ad-hoc ensembles can drive context-sensitive interactions. Yet all devices remain self-stable in useful configurations even when released in mid-air. We explore flexible physical arrangement, feedforward of transition options, and layering of devices in-air across a variety of multi-device app scenarios. These include video conferencing with flexible arrangement of the person-space of multiple remote participants around a shared task-space, layered and tiled device formations with overview+detail and shared-to-personal transitions, and flexible composition of UI panels and tool palettes across devices for productivity applications. A preliminary interview study highlights user reactions to AirConstellations, such as for minimally disruptive device formations, easier physical transitions, and balancing "seeing and being seen"in remote work

A Digital Twin framework for multi-objective optimization

This thesis represents the culmination of the Msc civil engineering course at the University of Agder. This thesis aims to attempt to define a framework for implementing digital twins in an investment cost/energy consumption optimization process. The methodology applied is a complex software hierarchy. The original dataset rests on randomly generated values of thermal transmittance, which are analysed in IDA ICE simulations, and compared to existing materials identified in the Norsk Prisbok for cost estimation. The results are optimized using a combination of Artificial Neural Networks and a multi-objective optimization algorithm, the elitist non-dominated sorting algorithm NSGA-II. The research question this thesis attempts to answer is: How can digital twins be implemented to reduce energy-consumption and costs in buildings? This thesis concludes that “A digital twin may be implemented to translate energy consumption and cost-optimization into an easily interpreted result that serves as a foundation for efficient decision-making.” This conclusion is based on the functionality of the various steps in the framework: Accuracy of ANN models, NSGA-II performance and visual presentation. The thesis presents a functional framework with a high degree of automation. Furthermore, applying said framework to a case study identified a potential energy consumption reduction of 35 % and a reduction in investment costs by 5 %

Creep behaviour of densified wood

Due to the reproducibility, good workability, suitable mechanical properties, and attractive aesthetic appearance, timber is widely used in the building industry. Among those properties, mechanical properties are important for the useability of timber in construction applications. It is well known that there is a positive relationship between wood density and its mechanical properties. That means the thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM) densification, i.e. transverse compression of the wood cells only by using additional temperature, moisture and mechanical action to increase its density without structural fracturing is a practicable method to increase the performance of low-density species and thereby improve its mechanical properties. The previous studies on wood densification mainly focused on the influence of process parameters on wood physical and mechanical properties and how to use post-treatment to reduce the set recovery. This study is in the field of increasing the use of densified timber in construction applications and thereby strengthen the competitiveness of wood as a construction material. In construction, however, densified timber normally needs to be exposed to long-term loading which may lead to creep deformation and reduction of load-bearing capacity. There is an obvious risk of reduced serviceability and safety of constructions containing densified wood. Studies of creep characteristics of densified wood are rare, and therefore the purpose of this study was to fill the gap in knowledge if the field of densified under bending load. Scots pine specimens subjected to THM densification, THM densification with a post-heat treatment, and THM densification combined with phenol resin impregnation were loaded under 3-point bending under the 35% of maximum stress level at 20℃ and 65% RH. Results from these tests will be presented.Finansiär: Republic of Slovenia</p