Exploring and Designing Embodied Mindfulness-based Interactive Technologies For Mental Wellbeing

Mindfulness practices have become increasingly popular due to their significant benefits for mental wellbeing. However, the required skills to sustain and regulate attention are challenging to develop. Both the benefits and the challenges of mindfulness training have attracted a growing Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) interest in designing interactive technologies for mindfulness. Most mindfulness-based technologies employ metaphorical mappings of mindfulness states to support awareness of such states and facilitate attention regulation, although the rationale for such mappings is seldom articulated. This thesis addresses this shortcoming, drawing on first-person experiences and embodied metaphors of mindfulness practices to design novel multi-sensory technologies for mental wellbeing. This work concentrates on focused attention mindfulness (FAM) practices which involve sustaining selective attention moment by moment on a chosen object, and are considered the most widely accessible among novices. In particular, the research presented in this thesis is structured around two distinct FAM practices, in 6 different but interrelated studies. On the one hand, mandala colouring illustrates a nonstatic FAM practice with an external object of attention. On the other hand, sitting meditation represents a static FAM practice with an internal object of attention. The first and second study investigate in-depth mandala colouring, respectively, by interviewing 21 people who regularly engage with this practice and through an autoethnographic and heuristic evaluation of the 14 top-ranked mandala colouring apps. Findings informed the development of Anima, a peripheral colour palette materialising EEG-based mindfulness states onto colours for mandala colouring. In the third study, Anima’s design solutions were evaluated with 12 experienced participants. The fourth study follows a research-through design and material speculation approach to understand the role of body during meditation with 24 experts. This is extended in the fifth study, in which the 16 most popular meditation apps are evaluated through auto-ethnography. An identified opportunity of designing for the physical sensations that arise during meditation was considered through the design of the WarmMind, that provide warmth patterns on the upper body. The WarmMind prototype was evaluated in the fifth study, through a user study with 10 participants experiencing thermal metaphors for mapping meditation states on the upper-body. Besides the technological design contributions of Anima and WarmMind, the contributions of this thesis include the concepts of intricate confines to scaffold mindful movement to support non-static FAM practices with an external object of attention, and interoceptive interaction to facilitate focusing inwards during meditation to support static FAM practices with an internal object of attention; as well as a framework built on embodied metaphor theories to designing meditation technologies. Collectively, these studies highlight the value of the human body in mindfulness-based technologies in HCI, as well as theoretical and methodological contributions to designing around mindfulness for mental wellbeing in HCI

Design guidelines for limiting and eliminating virtual reality-induced symptoms and effects at work: a comprehensive, factor-oriented review

Virtual reality (VR) can induce side effects known as virtual reality-induced symptoms and effects (VRISE). To address this concern, we identify a literature-based listing of these factors thought to influence VRISE with a focus on office work use. Using those, we recommend guidelines for VRISE amelioration intended for virtual environment creators and users. We identify five VRISE risks, focusing on short-term symptoms with their short-term effects. Three overall factor categories are considered: individual, hardware, and software. Over 90 factors may influence VRISE frequency and severity. We identify guidelines for each factor to help reduce VR side effects. To better reflect our confidence in those guidelines, we graded each with a level of evidence rating. Common factors occasionally influence different forms of VRISE. This can lead to confusion in the literature. General guidelines for using VR at work involve worker adaptation, such as limiting immersion times to between 20 and 30 min. These regimens involve taking regular breaks. Extra care is required for workers with special needs, neurodiversity, and gerontechnological concerns. In addition to following our guidelines, stakeholders should be aware that current head-mounted displays and virtual environments can continue to induce VRISE. While no single existing method fully alleviates VRISE, workers' health and safety must be monitored and safeguarded when VR is used at work

Remote tactile feedback on interactive surfaces

Direct touch input on interactive surfaces has become a predominating standard for the manipulation of digital information in our everyday lives. However, compared to our rich interchange with the physical world, the interaction with touch-based systems is limited in terms of flexibility of input and expressiveness of output. Particularly, the lack of tactile feedback greatly reduces the general usability of a touch-based system and hinders from a productive entanglement of the virtual information with the physical world. This thesis proposes remote tactile feedback as a novel method to provide programmed tactile stimuli supporting direct touch interactions. The overall principle is to spatially decouple the location of touch input (e.g. fingertip or hand) and the location of the tactile sensation on the user's body (e.g. forearm or back). Remote tactile feedback is an alternative concept which avoids particular challenges of existing approaches. Moreover, the principle provides inherent characteristics which can accommodate for the requirements of current and future touch interfaces. To define the design space, the thesis provides a structured overview of current forms of touch surfaces and identifies trends towards non-planar and non-rigid forms with more versatile input mechanisms. Furthermore, a classification highlights limitations of the current methods to generate tactile feedback on touch-based systems. The proposed notion of tactile sensory relocation is a form of sensory substitution. Underlying neurological and psychological principles corroborate the approach. Thus, characteristics of the human sense of touch and principles from sensory substitution help to create a technical and conceptual framework for remote tactile feedback. Three consecutive user studies measure and compare the effects of both direct and remote tactile feedback on the performance and the subjective ratings of the user. Furthermore, the experiments investigate different body locations for the application of tactile stimuli. The results show high subjective preferences for tactile feedback, regardless of its type of application. Additionally, the data reveals no significant differences between the effects of direct and remote stimuli. The results back the feasibility of the approach and provide parameters for the design of stimuli and the effective use of the concept. The main part of the thesis describes the systematical exploration and analysis of the inherent characteristics of remote tactile feedback. Four specific features of the principle are identified: (1) the simplification of the integration of cutaneous stimuli, (2) the transmission of proactive, reactive and detached feedback, (3) the increased expressiveness of tactile sensations and (4) the provision of tactile feedback during multi-touch. In each class, several prototypical remote tactile interfaces are used in evaluations to analyze the concept. For example, the PhantomStation utilizes psychophysical phenomena to reduce the number of single tactile actuators. An evaluation with the prototype compares standard actuator technologies with each other in order to enable simple and scalable implementations. The ThermalTouch prototype creates remote thermal stimuli to reproduce material characteristics on standard touchscreens. The results show a stable rate of virtual object discrimination based on remotely applied temperature profiles. The AutmotiveRTF system is implemented in a vehicle and supports the driver's input on the in-vehicle-infotainment system. A field study with the system focuses on evaluating the effects of proactive and reactive feedback on the user's performance. The main contributions of the dissertation are: First, the thesis introduces the principle of remote tactile feedback and defines a design space for this approach as an alternative method to provide non-visual cues on interactive surfaces. Second, the thesis describes technical examples to rapidly prototype remote tactile feedback systems. Third, these prototypes are deployed in several evaluations which highlight the beneficial subjective and objective effects of the approach. Finally, the thesis presents features and inherent characteristics of remote tactile feedback as a means to support the interaction on today's touchscreens and future interactive surfaces.Die Interaktion mit berührungsempfindlichen Oberflächen ist heute ein Standard für die Manipulation von digitaler Information. Jedoch weist die Bedienung dieser interaktiven Bildschirme starke Einschränkungen hinsichtlich der Flexibilität bei der Eingabe und der Ausdruckskraft der Ausgabe auf, wenn man sie mit den vielfältigen Möglichkeiten des Umgangs mit Objekten in unserer Alltagswelt vergleicht. Besonders die nicht vorhandenen Tastsinnesrückmeldungen vermindern stark die Benutzbarkeit solcher Systeme und verhindern eine effektive Verknüpfung von virtueller Information und physischer Welt. Die vorliegende Dissertation beschreibt den Ansatz der 'distalen taktilen Rückmeldungen' als neuartige Möglichkeit zur Vermittlung programmierter Tastsinnesreize an Benutzer interaktiver Oberflächen. Das Grundprinzip dabei ist die räumliche Trennung zwischen der Eingabe durch Berührung (z.B. mit der Fingerspitze) und dem daraus resultierenden taktilen Reiz am Körper der Benutzer (z.B. am Rücken). Dabei vermeidet das Konzept der distalen taktilen Rückmeldungen einzelne technische und konzeptionelle Nachteile existierender Ansätze. Zusätzlich bringt es Interaktionsmöglichkeiten mit sich, die den Eigenheiten der Interaktion mit aktuellen und auch zukünftigen berührungsempfindlichen Oberflächen Rechnung tragen. Zu Beginn zeigt ein Überblick zu relevanten Arbeiten den aktuellen Forschungstrend hin zu nicht-flachen und verformbaren berührungsempfindlichen Oberflächen sowie zu vielfältigeren Eingabemethoden. Eine Klassifizierung ordnet existierende technische Verfahren zur Erzeugung von künstlichen Tastsinnesreizen und stellt jeweils konzeptuelle und technische Herausforderungen dar. Der in dieser Arbeit vorgeschlagene Ansatz der Verlagerung von Tastsinnesreizen ist eine Form der sensorischen Substitution, zugrunde liegende neurologische und psychologische Prinzipien untermauern das Vorgehen. Die Wirkprinzipien des menschlichen Tastsinnes und die Systeme zur sensorischen Substitution liefern daher konzeptionelle und technische Richtlinien zur Umsetzung der distalen taktilen Rückmeldungen. Drei aufeinander aufbauende Benutzerstudien vergleichen die Auswirkungen von direkten und distalen taktilen Rückmeldungen auf die Leistung und das Verhalten von Benutzern sowie deren subjektive Bewertung der Interaktion. Außerdem werden in den Experimenten die Effekte von Tastsinnesreizen an verschiedenen Körperstellen untersucht. Die Ergebnisse zeigen starke Präferenzen für Tastsinnesrückmeldungen, unabhängig von deren Applikationsort. Die Daten ergeben weiterhin keine signifikanten Unterschiede bei den quantitativen Effekten von direktem und distalen Rückmeldungen. Diese Ergebnisse befürworten die Realisierbarkeit des Ansatzes und zeigen Richtlinien für weitere praktische Umsetzungen auf. Der Hauptteil der Dissertation beschreibt die systematische Untersuchung und Analyse der inhärenten Möglichkeiten, die sich aus der Vermittlung distaler taktiler Rückmeldungen ergeben. Vier verschiedene Charakteristika werden identifiziert: (1) die vereinfachte Integration von Tastsinnesreizen, (2) die Vermittlung von proaktiven, reaktiven und entkoppelten Rückmeldungen, (3) die erhöhte Bandbreite der taktilen Signale und (4) die Darstellung von individuellen Tastsinnesreizen für verschiedene Kontaktpunkte mit der berührungsempfindlichen Oberfläche. Jedes dieser Prinzipien wird durch prototypische Systeme umgesetzt und in Benutzerstudien analysiert. Beispielsweise nutzt das System PhantomStation psychophysikalische Illusionen, um die Anzahl der einzelnen Reizgeber zu reduzieren. In einer Evaluierung des Prototypen werden mehrere Aktuatortechnologien verglichen, um einfache und skalierbare Ansätze zu identifizieren. Der ThermalTouch-Prototyp wird dazu genutzt, distale thermale Reize zu vermitteln, um so Materialeigenschaften auf Berührungsbildschirmen darstellen zu können. Eine Benutzerstudie zeigt, dass sich auf Basis dieser Temperaturverläufe virtuelle Objekte unterscheiden lassen. Das AutomotiveRTF-System wird schließlich in ein Kraftfahrzeug integriert, um den Fahrer bei der Eingabe auf dem Informations- und Unterhaltungssystem zu unterstützen. Eine Feldstudie untersucht die Auswirkungen der proaktiven und reaktiven Rückmeldungen auf die Benutzerleistung. Die vorliegende Dissertation leistet mehrere Beiträge zur Mensch-Maschine-Interaktion: Das Prinzip der distalen taktilen Rückmeldungen wird eingeführt als Alternative zur Erzeugung nicht-visueller Rückmeldungen auf interaktiven Oberflächen. Es werden technische Verfahrensweisen zur prototypischen Implementierung solcher Systeme vorgeschlagen. Diese technischen Prototypen werden in einer Vielzahl verschiedener Benutzerstudien eingesetzt, welche die quantitativen und qualitativen Vorteile des Ansatzes aufzeigen. Schließlich wird gezeigt, wie sich das Prinzip zur Unterstützung heutiger und zukünftiger Interaktionsformen mit berührungsempfindlichen Bildschirmen nutzen lässt

Video Screen as Matrix of Sensations. A Multisensory Approach to the Artistic Development of Responsive Video Membranes

The immateriality of moving images is manifest on a plethora of surfaces, shapes, and formats. Artists have access to a cornucopia of tools and medium to develop different forms of interactivity between the body and media, space, and time. Thus, since the 1960s artists have been pushing the limits of both the virtual and the physical worlds, expanding and transforming the static, two-dimensional frame while utterly, attempting to escape its tangibility. But, what if the video screens evolve into a responsive video membrane specifically designed for chosen moving images? How could this catalyst of sensations push creativity forward? And how would people embrace this innovative form of visualization as it moves them even closer to its subjects? In addition to involving an transdisciplinary inquiry into the artistic development of two responsive video membranes for projected moving images, this doctoral research comprised the ethnographic investigations on how the video display’s materiality, spatiality, and interactivity are key factors in altering perception and augmenting sensory, affective, and cognitive responses to a moving image. Finally, I propose a multisensory approach to the design of responsive video membranes where an emphasis is placed on the interplay among sensory modalities, sensory memories, associations and the sensory imagination. This realization emerges from studies in the fields of fine arts, anthropology of the senses, computer science, and mechanical engineering

A high speed sensor system for tactile interaction research

Schürmann C. A high speed sensor system for tactile interaction research. Bielefeld: Bielefeld University Library; 2013.In this work we will describe and implement the first tactile sensor system that combines the properties of modularity with a very high sensing speed, a high sensitivity and a high spatial resolution. This unique combination of features enables researchers to develop novel applications and makes it possible to replace task specific tactile sensors with a single system. The very high sensing speed of the system allows for slip detection during robot grasping. And as all our sensor cells are sampled with the same high frequency, our system can even enable the slip detection for multiple contact points at the same time. This high speed was made possible through the development of a highly integrated parallel sensor sampling architecture. The modularity of the system allows it to be employed in a multitude of applications. Tactile sensitive surfaces of various dimensions can be easily realized through a very simple ’plug and use’ principle without the need for software configuration by the user. This was made possible by developing a new bus system that allows the relative localization of the participants. Our system can be used to create tactile sensitive table surfaces with a large amount of sensor cells and due to its high speed design still provide for real time frame rates. The flexibility and high performance of the system enabled us to develop a tactile sensitive object that allows the continuous high speed monitoring of human finger forces. For this we solved the problem of integrating the tactile sensors to allow free movement of the object, while maintaining a constant high rate of data capture and realizing a low latency synchronization to external devices. The high sensitivity of the system was made possible through technical innovation in the state of the art of resistive based tactile sensors. We did so by creating an optimized sensor cell shape and investigating the behavior of different sensor materials. The knowledge gained in this process was further used to advance the existing method of sensor normalization into a real time method. We will present a range of tactile interaction scenarios that have been realized with the tactile sensor system named Myrmex. These scenarios include the investigating of human grasp force control during a pick and place task, a tactile table for integration into an intelligent household and a tactile table for the manipulation of virtual clay as a form of finger training. In addition we will present a selection of scenarios where the Myrmex system was employed by other researchers, as in using the sensor modules as (large) tactile fingertips on robot arms to implement tactile servoing or slip detection during object grasping. The system has also been used to study human finger forces as well as investigating novel methods for prosthesis control. The positive results from all the scenarios support our conclusion that the developed Myrmex system is a very valuable and reliable tool for the research of tactile interactions

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

INTERACT 2015 Adjunct Proceedings. 15th IFIP TC.13 International Conference on Human-Computer Interaction 14-18 September 2015, Bamberg, Germany

INTERACT is among the world’s top conferences in Human-Computer Interaction. Starting with the first INTERACT conference in 1990, this conference series has been organised under the aegis of the Technical Committee 13 on Human-Computer Interaction of the UNESCO International Federation for Information Processing (IFIP). This committee aims at developing the science and technology of the interaction between humans and computing devices. The 15th IFIP TC.13 International Conference on Human-Computer Interaction - INTERACT 2015 took place from 14 to 18 September 2015 in Bamberg, Germany. The theme of INTERACT 2015 was "Connection.Tradition.Innovation". This volume presents the Adjunct Proceedings - it contains the position papers for the students of the Doctoral Consortium as well as the position papers of the participants of the various workshops

Activation of the pro-resolving receptor Fpr2 attenuates inflammatory microglial activation

Poster number: P-T099 Theme: Neurodegenerative disorders & ageing Activation of the pro-resolving receptor Fpr2 reverses inflammatory microglial activation Authors: Edward S Wickstead - Life Science & Technology University of Westminster/Queen Mary University of London Inflammation is a major contributor to many neurodegenerative disease (Heneka et al. 2015). Microglia, as the resident immune cells of the brain and spinal cord, provide the first line of immunological defence, but can become deleterious when chronically activated, triggering extensive neuronal damage (Cunningham, 2013). Dampening or even reversing this activation may provide neuronal protection against chronic inflammatory damage. The aim of this study was to determine whether lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammation could be abrogated through activation of the receptor Fpr2, known to play an important role in peripheral inflammatory resolution. Immortalised murine microglia (BV2 cell line) were stimulated with LPS (50ng/ml) for 1 hour prior to the treatment with one of two Fpr2 ligands, either Cpd43 or Quin-C1 (both 100nM), and production of nitric oxide (NO), tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) and interleukin-10 (IL-10) were monitored after 24h and 48h. Treatment with either Fpr2 ligand significantly suppressed LPS-induced production of NO or TNFα after both 24h and 48h exposure, moreover Fpr2 ligand treatment significantly enhanced production of IL-10 48h post-LPS treatment. As we have previously shown Fpr2 to be coupled to a number of intracellular signaling pathways (Cooray et al. 2013), we investigated potential signaling responses. Western blot analysis revealed no activation of ERK1/2, but identified a rapid and potent activation of p38 MAP kinase in BV2 microglia following stimulation with Fpr2 ligands. Together, these data indicate the possibility of exploiting immunomodulatory strategies for the treatment of neurological diseases, and highlight in particular the important potential of resolution mechanisms as novel therapeutic targets in neuroinflammation. References Cooray SN et al. (2013). Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 110: 18232-7. Cunningham C (2013). Glia 61: 71-90. Heneka MT et al. (2015). Lancet Neurol 14: 388-40

Evaluation of a novel intradermal delivery system for the treatment of pressure ulcers

Background: Pressure ulcers, a form of chronic wound, represent a significant health and resource burden in elderly and immobilised patient populations. Pressure ulcers have been shown to exhibit high matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) activity which prevents normal wound healing and doxycycline, as an MMP inhibitor, offers a potential novel treatment. Intradermal delivery of doxycycline could help treat the earliest stages of wound development and prevent further wound progression. The skin, however, has a natural barrier function which prevents the diffusion of large exogenous molecules. Microneedle rollers offer a minimally invasive technique to transiently permeabilise the skin, creating microscopic pores that act as conduits for doxycycline diffusion. / Methods: The research described in this thesis focusses on the repurposing of existing microneedle rollers for the intradermal delivery of doxycycline as a pressure ulcer treatment. Firstly, the effect of microneedle length and application method on micropore formation and rate of drug permeation was investigated using the recently-launched artificial membrane Strat-MTM and compared with excised biological tissue. Next, the biological effects of doxycycline and its transmembrane delivery were modelled in a dermal tissue equivalent (DTE) model, formed from collagen and dermal fibroblasts, by assessing changes DTE contractile behaviour and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) activity. This simplified in vitro model was further developed to better emulate the pressure ulcer microenvironment by introducing: (i) mechanical loading using a bespoke metal weight, (ii) glucose deprivation through the use of glucose-free media, and (iii) inflammatory cells, specifically macrophages, through co-culture. Investigations progressed to a preliminary in vivo surgical wound model using compression by magnets to determine the biological effects of pressure in a whole organism. This pre-existing model was established in our lab for future investigations of microneedle-mediated doxycycline delivery. Finally, the repurposing of the existing non-invasive imaging technology optical coherence tomography (OCT) for pressure ulcer evaluation was explored in an observational clinical audit. / Results: The results demonstrate that microneedle rollers significantly enhance the transmembrane delivery of doxycycline with significant effect on tissue-equivalent contraction and MMP activity. Results from the pressure ulcer models corroborate previous findings that the pressure ulcer microenvironment augments MMP activity. Lastly, OCT is shown to detect subsurface biomarkers of skin in the earliest stages of pressure ulcer development, most suitable for treatment with doxycycline