Solving multi-target haptic problems in menu interaction

While haptic feedback has been shown to enhance user performance and satisfaction in single target interactions in desktop user interfaces, it is not clear whether this will hold for more realistic, multi-target interactions. Here we present an experimental study of haptically enhanced menus. We evaluate a visual condition, a haptic condition and an adjusted haptic condition designed to support menu interactions. We conclude that thoughtful design can create multi-target haptic augmentations that provide performance benefits

Communicating with feeling

Communication between users in shared editors takes place in a deprived environment - distributed users find it difficult to communicate. While many solutions to the problems this causes have been suggested this paper presents a novel one. It describes one possible use of haptics as a channel for communication between users. User's telepointers are considered as haptic avatars and interactions such as haptically pushing and pulling each other are afforded. The use of homing forces to locate other users is also discussed, as is a proximity sensation based on viscosity. Evaluation of this system is currently underway

Putting the feel in ’look and feel‘

Haptic devices are now commercially available and thus touch has become a potentially realistic solution to a variety of interaction design challenges. We report on an investigation of the use of touch as a way of reducing visual overload in the conventional desktop. In a two-phase study, we investigated the use of the PHANToM haptic device as a means of interacting with a conventional graphical user interface. The first experiment compared the effects of four different haptic augmentations on usability in a simple targeting task. The second experiment involved a more ecologically-oriented searching and scrolling task. Results indicated that the haptic effects did not improve users performance in terms of task completion time. However, the number of errors made was significantly reduced. Subjective workload measures showed that participants perceived many aspects of workload as significantly less with haptics. The results are described and the implications for the use of haptics in user interface design are discussed

Sonically-enhanced widgets: comments on Brewster and Clarke, ICAD 1997

This paper presents a review of the research surrounding the paper “The Design and Evaluation of a Sonically Enhanced Tool Palette” by Brewster and Clarke from ICAD 1997. A historical perspective is given followed by a discussion of how this work has fed into current developments in the area

First observation of Triops (Crustacea: Branchiopoda: Notostraca) in the Natural Park of the Serra d'Irta (Peníscola, el Baix Maestrat)

First record of the tadpole shrimp Triops sp. in the Natural Park of the serra d'Irta (Peníscola, el Baix Maestrat)Primera observació de Triops (Crustacea: Branchiopoda: Notostraca) al Parc Natural de la Serra d'Irta (Peníscola, el Baix Maestrat)Es documenta per primera vegada la presència de Triops sp. (família Triopidae) al Parc Natural de la serra d'Irta (Peníscola, el Baix Maestrat

Late-Stage Chemoenzymatic Installation of Hydroxy-Bearing Allyl Moiety on the Indole Ring of Tryptophan-Containing Peptides

The late-stage functionalization of indole- and tryptophan-containing compounds with reactive moieties facilitates downstream diversification and leads to changes in their biological properties. Here, the synthesis of two hydroxy-bearing allyl pyrophosphates is described. A chemoenzymatic method is demonstrated which uses a promiscuous indole prenyltransferase enzyme to install a dual reactive hydroxy-bearing allyl moiety directly on the indole ring of tryptophan-containing peptides. This is the first report of late-stage indole modifications with this reactive group

Characteristics and outcomes of doctors in a substance dependence monitoring programme in Canada: prospective descriptive study

Objective To describe the characteristics at enrolment and outcomes of doctors in a substance dependence monitoring programme in Canada