A Unified Model for Context-aware Adaptation of User Interfaces

The variety of contexts of use in which the interaction takes place nowadays is a challenge for both stakeholders for the development and end users for the interaction. Stakeholders either ignore the exponential amount of information coming from the context of use, adopting the inaccessible approach of one-size-fits-all, or they must dedicate a significant effort to carefully consider context differences while designing several different versions of the same user interface. For end users, web pages that are not adapted become often inaccessible in non-conventional contexts of use, with mobile devices, as smart phones and tablet PCs. In order to leverage such efforts, we propose in this paper a meta-model that by means of a unified view supports all phases of the implementation of context-aware adaptation for user interfaces. With such a formal abstraction of an interactive system, stakeholders can generate different instantiations with more concrete UI’s that can properly handle and adapt accordingly to the different constraints and characteristics of different contexts of use. We present CAMM, a meta-model for context-aware adaptation covering different application domains and also a complete adaptation lifecycle. Moreover we also present various instantiations of such a model for different scenarios of a car rental example

Analyzing Speech Recognition for Individuals with Down Syndrome

With the increment of voice assistants, speech recognition technologies have been used to support natural language processing. However, there are limitations on how well the technologies perform depending on who the users are. They have been predominantly trained on “typical speech” patterns, leaving aside people with disabilities with unique speech patterns. More specifically, people with Down Syndrome are having trouble using speech recognition technology due to their differences in speech. To develop a more accessible voice assistant, this project aims to characterize the speech recognition from individuals with Down Syndrome. To accomplish this aim, we analyze the quality of transcripts generated by two popular algorithms used for speech recognition (IBM and Google) to see the differences of speech from neurotypicals and people with Down Syndrome. We analyzed 7 videos of interviews between a neurotypical interviewer and Down Syndrome participants. We computed the symmetric differences between auto generated subtitles(IBM and youtube) and subtitles that were provided by humans (ground true) as well as the word error rate in all sentences. We found that current speech recognition algorithms don’t recognize Down Syndrome speeches as well as speeches from neurotypicals. We are currently analyzing the specific type of error. By finding the speech patterns for people with disabilities, speech recognition technologies will be more inclusive, and truly help those who need voice assistants the most

Context-aware service front-ends

Context-aware adaptation of user interfaces have been investigated since the early 80's to provide mechanisms for stakeholders to propose, implement and execute adaptation, enabling users to efficiently interact with adaptive and adaptable applications. Today, adapting UIs according to the context of use becomes inevitable. Not only because users interact with applications from many distinct environments (platforms, devices and users' profile vary significantly), but also because such applications must provide a high usability level regardless of the contexts of use, efficiently adapting themselves according to the context. In this sense, Serenoa project proposes its 2nd workshop, to join experts in the domain of context-aware adaptation to exchange experiences, discuss current trends, promote approaches, and raise awareness for this field

Experience: Design, Development and Evaluation of a Wearable Device for mHealth Applications

Wrist-worn devices hold great potential as a platform for mobile health (mHealth) applications because they comprise a familiar, convenient form factor and can embed sensors in proximity to the human body. Despite this potential, however, they are severely limited in battery life, storage, bandwidth, computing power, and screen size. In this paper, we describe the experience of the research and development team designing, implementing and evaluating Amulet – an open-hardware, open-software wrist-worn computing device – and its experience using Amulet to deploy mHealth apps in the field. In the past five years the team conducted 11 studies in the lab and in the field, involving 204 participants and collecting over 77,780 hours of sensor data. We describe the technical issues the team encountered and the lessons they learned, and conclude with a set of recommendations. We anticipate the experience described herein will be useful for the development of other research-oriented computing platforms. It should also be useful for researchers interested in developing and deploying mHealth applications, whether with the Amulet system or with other wearable platforms

Estudo espacial e temporal da hanseníase no estado de São Paulo, 2004-2006

OBJECTIVE: To assess the temporal and spatial evolution of the leprosy endemy in the state of São Paulo, Southeastern Brazil. METHODS: This is an ecological-social study that used the number of leprosy cases reported to the Brazilian Ministry of Health from January 2004 to December 2006. Monthly series were generated in each regional health department, and their sequences were adjusted by a Markovian model for the leprosy detection coefficients. The detection coefficient with the number of cases accumulated in the period in each municipality was used to produce the spatial distribution of the endemy; a correlation analysis was carried out with the leprosy detection coefficients and the components of the Social Responsibility Index of the state of São Paulo. RESULTS: Of the 645 municipalities of the state of São Paulo, 22 did not detect leprosy cases in the period. In the majority of regions, the endemy showed a decreasing trend; the time series presented random fluctuation around expected values. The decline was influenced by a generalized decrease in the detection coefficients at the end of 2005. There was a positive correlation between the detection coefficients and the components "schooling" and "longevity", of the Social Responsibility Index of the state of São Paulo, and a negative correlation with "wealth", another component of the same Index. CONCLUSIONS: The result of the time series analysis suggests that the endemy is on the decline in the majority of regions of the state of São Paulo, while the spatial analysis shows that the coefficients are high in the northern part of the state.OBJETIVO: Evaluar la evolución temporal y espacial de la endemia de hanseníasis en el estado de Sao Paulo. MÉTODOS: Estudio ecológico-social utilizando el número de casos de hanseníasis notificados al Ministerio de la Salud de enero de 2004 a diciembre de 2006. Fueron generadas series mensuales en cada departamento regional de salud, cuyas secuencias fueron ajustadas por un modelo markoviano para los coeficientes de detección de hanseníasis. El coeficiente de detección con el número de casos acumulados en el período en cada municipio fue usado para producir la distribución espacial de la endemia; un análisis de correlación fue realizada con los coeficientes de detección de hanseníasis y los componentes del Índice Paulista de Responsabilidad Social. RESULTADOS: De los 645 municipios del estado de Sao Paulo, 22 no detectaron casos de hanseníasis en el período. En la mayoría de las regiones la tendencia de la endemia fue decreciente; las series temporales presentaron fluctuación aleatoria, en torno a los valores esperados. La disminución fue influenciada por una caída generalizada en los coeficientes de detección al final de 2005. Hubo correlación positiva entre los coeficientes de detección y los componentes "escolaridad" y "longevidad", y negativa con "riqueza" del Índice Paulista de Responsabilidad Social. CONCLUSIONES: El resultado del análisis de las series temporales sugiere haber disminución de la endemia para la mayoría de las regiones del estado de Sao Paulo, mientras que para el análisis espacial son altos los coeficientes al norte del estado.OBJETIVO: Avaliar a evolução temporal e espacial da endemia de hanseníase no estado de São Paulo. MÉTODOS: Estudo ecológico-social utilizando o número de casos de hanseníase notificados ao Ministério da Saúde de janeiro de 2004 a dezembro de 2006. Foram geradas séries mensais em cada departamento regional de saúde, cujas seqüências foram ajustadas por um modelo markoviano para os coeficientes de detecção de hanseníase. O coeficiente de detecção com o número de casos acumulados no período em cada município foi usado para produzir a distribuição espacial da endemia; uma análise de correlação foi realizada com os coeficientes de detecção de hanseníase e os componentes do Índice de Paulista de Responsabilidade Social. RESULTADOS: Dos 645 municípios do estado de São Paulo, 22 não detectaram casos de hanseníase no período. Na maioria das regiões a tendência da endemia foi decrescente; as séries temporais apresentaram flutuação aleatória, em torno de valores esperados. O declínio foi influenciado por uma queda generalizada nos coeficientes de detecção ao final de 2005. Houve correlação positiva entre os coeficientes de detecção e os componentes "escolaridade" e "longevidade", e negativa com "riqueza" do Índice de Paulista de Responsabilidade Social. CONCLUSÕES: O resultado da análise das séries temporais sugere haver declínio da endemia para a maioria das regiões do estado de São Paulo, enquanto que para a análise espacial são altos os coeficientes ao norte do estado

A Design Exploration of Health-Related Community Displays

The global population is ageing, leading to shifts in healthcare needs. It is well established that increased physical activity can improve the health and wellbeing of many older adults. However, motivation remains a prime concern. We report findings from a series of focus groups where we explored the concept of using community displays to promote physical activity to a local neighborhood. In doing so, we contribute both an understanding of the design space for community displays, as well as a discussion of the implications of our work for the broader CSCW community. We conclude that our work demonstrates the potential for developing community displays for increasing physical activity amongst older adults

TriPlet : a conceptual framework for multidimensional adaptation of user interfaces to the context of use

The existing interactive systems tend to still consider a predefined context of use for interaction. Stakeholders mainly consider able-bodied users, desktop platforms, and stable environments. Conversely, users compose a heterogeneous group. They interact using different modalities and devices in distinct environments, which requires appropriate context-aware adaptations. Although adaptation has been largely investigated since the early 90’s, its study has been often constrained. For instance by considering just one dimension of the context of use (i.e. user, platform or environment), by expressing and handling these dimensions in a restrictive approach by using only simple rules, by adapting just one aspect of an interactive system (i.e. content, presentation or navigation). Moreover, the end user benefit not always has the highest priority, making end users lost or without control over the adaptation. The existing frameworks about context-aware adaptation (CAA) are usually technologically driven, narrow in scope or obsolete. Due to these shortcomings, stakeholders have no unified support to rely on during the whole development lifecycle of context-aware adaptation. In order to address these main issues and aiming to bridge the gap between high-level adaptation goals and implementation of adaptation techniques, this thesis presents a conceptual framework for user interface adaptation that integrates the several dimensions that simultaneously compose the diversity of contexts of use through users, platforms, and environments, and the diversity of aspects of an interactive system, including its contents, presentation and navigation. This conceptual framework, named TriPlet, is structured in three core components: a meta-model (CAMM) covering an entire adaptation lifecycle, its concepts, properties, associations and constraints, a reference framework (CARF) that extensively defines adaptation concepts that support the design decisions for several application scenarios, and a design space (CADS) for consistently analyzing, comparing and evaluating coverage levels of CAA of user interfaces with well-defined criteria. A set of concrete applications demonstrates the usefulness of the adaptation concepts expressed by TriPlet, instantiating adaptation concepts as stated in the meta-model, in the reference framework and also in the design space.(FSA - Sciences de l'ingénieur) -- UCL, 201

A computational framework for multi-dimensional context-aware adaptation

Most interactive applications often assume a pre-defined context of use of an able-bodied user, a desktop platform, in a stable environment. In contrast, users compose a heterogeneous group, interacting via different means and devices in varied environments; which requires, thus, context-aware adaptation. Adaptation has been largely investigated, but the studies are often constrained to one context dimension at a time: user or platform or environment. To address this issue and to bridge the gap between high-level adaptation goals and implementation of adaptation, this research aims at developing a computational framework for user interface adaptation based on distinct dimensions and contexts of use. This framework consists of four main contributions: a design space to characterize context-aware adaptation of user interface, a reference framework to classify adaptation techniques for distinct scenarios, an ontology of adaptation techniques based on a 3-level Adaptation Rules, and an interpreter of adaptation rules to address techniques defined in the design space and reference framework

User-centered design of an instrumented meeting environment

A computação ubíqua explora o fato de que é possível embutir em um ambiente sistemas computacionais que transparentemente apóiem tarefas cotidianas do usuário. Sistemas desse tipo podem ser aplicados a diferentes domínios contribuindo, por exemplo, com atividades educacionais, médicas ou administrativas. A captura automática de informação em ambientes de computação ubíqua visa documentar atividades cotidianas de modo a possibilitar, posteriormente, o acesso às informações capturadas. O nível de transparência da interação do usuário com as chamadas aplicações ubíquas de captura e acesso é um desafio para projetistas, uma vez que os requisitos da aplicação devem ser conhecidos em profundidade para que a interação usuário-ambiente seja eficiente, eficaz e satisfatória. O trabalho realizado teve por objetivo especificar uma versão da aplicação para comunicação síncrona entre usuários que participem de reuniões distribuídas usando o DiGaE (Distributed Gathering Environment), desenvolver protótipos de interfaces, avaliá-los e sugerir soluções que facilitem a interação do usuário, aproximando o modelo conceitual da aplicação de seu modelo mental. Foram utilizados conceitos de Engenharia de Software para especificação e modelagem do sistema, e de Interação Humano-Computador para o desenvolvimento e a avaliação das interfaces. O projeto realizado orientou a implementação de um protótipo do ambiente DiGaE pela equipe do Projeto TIDIA-Ae, em cujo contexto este trabalho se insere. A principal contribuição do trabalho é um projeto que considera usabilidade em ambientes ubíquos para comunicação remota entre usuários, de modo a tornar a interação fácil, eficiente, eficaz e satisfatória até mesmo para usuários não especialistas em informáticaUbiquitous computing explores the possibility of instrumenting an environment with computational infrastructure that transparently supports users in their daily tasks. This kind of systems can be applied in different contexts contributing in medical, educational or administrative activities, for instance. The automatic capture of information in ubiquitous computing environments aims at documenting daily activities so that the corresponding information can be later accessed for review. Achieving a high level of transparency concerning the user interaction in such environments is a challenge to designers, since many users\' requirements must be gathered so that the user-environment interaction is efficient, effective and satisfactory. The main objective of the work reported is the specification of a version of the DiGaE (Distributed Gathering Environment) application which allows the synchronous communication among remote users in distributed meetings developing interfaces prototypes, evaluating them and suggesting solutions to facilitate users\' interaction. Concepts from Software Engineering were employed to specify and model the application, and Human-Computer Interaction concepts were employed to develop and evaluate the interfaces. The project guided the implementation of a DiGaE prototype by TIDIA-Ae Project team, in which context this work is inserted. The main contribution of this work is a project which considers usability in ubiquitous distributed gathering environments in order to make the interaction easy, efficient, effective and satisfactory, even for non-expert user