Animated virtual agents to cue user attention: comparison of static and dynamic deictic cues on gaze and touch responses

This paper describes an experiment developed to study the performance of virtual agent animated cues within digital interfaces. Increasingly, agents are used in virtual environments as part of the branding process and to guide user interaction. However, the level of agent detail required to establish and enhance efficient allocation of attention remains unclear. Although complex agent motion is now possible, it is costly to implement and so should only be routinely implemented if a clear benefit can be shown. Pevious methods of assessing the effect of gaze-cueing as a solution to scene complexity have relied principally on two-dimensional static scenes and manual peripheral inputs. Two experiments were run to address the question of agent cues on human-computer interfaces. Both experiments measured the efficiency of agent cues analyzing participant responses either by gaze or by touch respectively. In the first experiment, an eye-movement recorder was used to directly assess the immediate overt allocation of attention by capturing the participant’s eyefixations following presentation of a cueing stimulus. We found that a fully animated agent could speed up user interaction with the interface. When user attention was directed using a fully animated agent cue, users responded 35% faster when compared with stepped 2-image agent cues, and 42% faster when compared with a static 1-image cue. The second experiment recorded participant responses on a touch screen using same agent cues. Analysis of touch inputs confirmed the results of gaze-experiment, where fully animated agent made shortest time response with a slight decrease on the time difference comparisons. Responses to fully animated agent were 17% and 20% faster when compared with 2-image and 1-image cue severally. These results inform techniques aimed at engaging users’ attention in complex scenes such as computer games and digital transactions within public or social interaction contexts by demonstrating the benefits of dynamic gaze and head cueing directly on the users’ eye movements and touch responses

Financial innovations and new tools in finance

A benefit in and of itself is not what makes innovation so valuable. In order to make the company ‘more innovative,’ you might hear someone advise a certain course of action. Additionally, a company’s ability to innovate successfully can serve as a magnet for the best and brightest in the industry. They become steadfast employees who appreciate the opportunity to be part of the company’s innovation efforts. Managing innovation is a systematic strategy to implement changes that aim to improve a company’s products, processes, or overall position. There must be an increase in sales or customer satisfaction, a stronger working relationship between the company’s many divisions, or a better working environment for employees as a result of the changes. Financing innovation refers to the development of new financial products, services, or procedures. Throughout the years, innovations in financial instruments and payment methods have fuelled financial innovation. Bank performance depends on financial innovation because it has the potential to boost the industry’s efficiency and profitability. Banks utilise financial and organisational innovation to save money and improve the sector. Using a cash dispensing machine provides users with an ability to withdraw money whenever and wherever they want. With a single click, you can receive or pay cash via mobile banking. This is a great choice for people who do not feel comfortable going to typical bank offices. With negligible transaction costs, it is one of the most cost-effective ways to evaluate financial services

Usable biometrics for an ageing population

In this chapter, we examine the implications of ageing for the usability of biometric solutions. We first set out what usability means, and which factors need to be considered when designing a solution that is ‘usable’. We review usability successes and issues with past biometric techniques, in the context of a set of solutions, before considering how usability will be affected for ageing users because of the physical and cognitive changes they undergo. Finally, we identify the opportunities and challenges that ageing presents for researchers, developers and operators of biometric systems

Challenges Faced by Persons with Disabilities Using Self-Service Technologies

Foreseeable game changing solutions to SSTs will allow for better universal access by better implementing features that are easy and intuitive to use from the inception. Additional robotic advancements will allow for better and easier delivery of goods for consumers. Improvements to artificial intelligence will allow for better communication through natural language and alternative forms of communication. Furthermore, artificial intelligence will aid consumers at SSTs by remembering the consumers preferences and needs. With all foreseeable game changing solutions people with disabilities will be consulted when new and improved SSTs are being developed allowing for the SST to maximize its potential

User Interface Challenges of Banking ATM Systems in Nigeria

The use of banking automated teller machine (ATM) technological innovations have significant importance and benefits in Nigeria, but numerous investigations have shown that illiterate and semiliterate Nigerians do not perceive them as useful or easy-to-use. Developing easy-to-use banking ATM system interfaces is essential to accommodate over 40% illiterate and semiliterate Nigerians, who are potential users of banking ATM systems. The purpose of this study was to identify strategies software developers of banking ATM systems in Nigeria use to create easy-to-use banking ATM system interfaces for a variety of people with varying abilities and literacy levels. The technology acceptance model was adopted as the conceptual framework. The study\u27s population consisted of qualified and experienced developers of banking ATM system interfaces chosen from 1 organization in Enugu, Nigeria. The data collection process included semistructured, in-depth face-to-face interviews with 9 banking ATM system interface developers and the analysis of 11 documents: 5 from participant case organizations and 6 from nonparticipant case organizations. Member checking was used to increase the validity of the findings from the participants. Through methodological triangulation, 4 major themes emerged from the study: importance of user-centered design strategies, importance of user feedback as essential interface design, value of pictorial images and voice prompts, and importance of well-defined interface development process. The findings in this study may be beneficial for the future development of strategies to create easy-to-use ATM system interfaces for a variety of people with varying abilities and literacy levels and for other information technology systems that are user interface technology dependent

Handling ambiguous user input on touchscreen kiosks

Thesis (M. Eng.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, 2005.Includes bibliographical references (p. 87-94).Touchscreen kiosks are becoming an increasingly popular means of providing a wide arrange of services to the public. However, the principal drawback of these types of systems lies within the elevated error rates due to finger imprecision and screen miscalibration. These issues become worrisome, considering the greater responsibilities and reliance placed upon touchscreens. This thesis investigates two novel techniques that attempt to alleviate these interaction problems. The first technique, predictive pointing, incorporates information regarding past interactions and an area cursor (which maps the user's touch to a circular area rather than a single point) to provide a better estimate of the intended selection. The second technique, gestural drawing, allows users to draw particular shapes onscreen to execute actions as an alternative means of input that is largely unaffected by issues of miscalibration. Results from a user study indicated that both techniques provided significant advantages in not only lowering error rates, but also improving task completion times over traditional tasks of target selection.by Christopher K. Leung.M.Eng

Elaboración de métricas para la evaluación de usabilidad y seguridad de las interfaces de los ATM

En el Perú el 41% de la población mayor de 18 años se encuentra bancarizada y el 76% de ellos utilizan los ATM. Pero en algunos casos, la interacción entre los usuarios y los ATM puede ser frustrante y presentar inconvenientes. Se han planteado lineamientos y heurísticas específicas para ATM, pero en la actualidad, la industria no utiliza herramientas para medir de manera objetiva aspectos de usabilidad y seguridad en las interfaces de ATM. En ese sentido, el presente trabajo parte de la búsqueda en la literatura de los lineamientos de usabilidad y seguridad de interfaces para ATM y posteriormente la búsqueda de métricas para softwares bancarios para combinarlas con las métricas de usabilidad y seguridad de la ISO25000 y elaborar una propuesta de métricas específicas para la evaluación de interfaces de ATM. Esta propuesta de métricas se enriqueció considerando la información obtenida en entrevistas y encuestas a expertos en diseño y del dominio, obteniendo como resultado final 23 métricas de usabilidad y 12 métricas de seguridad de interfaces. Luego de adaptar las métricas a un formato apto para facilitar el llenado de datos por parte de un evaluador, la propuesta de métricas fue validada mediante 20 test de usuarios en un laboratorio de ATM, evaluando el flujo de retiro en ATM de los 4 principales bancos del Perú; llegando a la conclusión que las 35 métricas satisfacen las necesidades expresadas por las personas que trabajan relacionados al diseño y desarrollo de interfaces de ATM.Tesi

An Empirical Methodology for Engineering Human Systems Integration

The systems engineering technical processes are not sufficiently supported by methods and tools that quantitatively integrate human considerations into early system design. Because of this, engineers must often rely on qualitative judgments or delay critical decisions until late in the system lifecycle. Studies reveal that this is likely to result in cost, schedule, and performance consequences. This dissertation presents a methodology to improve the application of systems engineering technical processes for design. This methodology is mathematically rigorous, is grounded in relevant theory, and applies extant human subjects data to critical systems development challenges. The methodology is expressed in four methods that support early systems engineering activities: a requirements elicitation method, a function allocation method, an input device design method, and a display layout design method. These form a coherent approach to early system development. Each method is separately discussed and demonstrated using a prototypical system development program. In total, this original and significant work has a broad range of systems engineer applicability to improve the engineering of human systems integration