Multi-objective optimal design of obstacle-avoiding two-dimensional Steiner trees with application to ascent assembly engineering.

We present an effective optimization strategy that is capable of discovering high-quality cost-optimal solution for two-dimensional (2D) path network layouts (i.e., groups of obstacle-avoiding Euclidean Steiner trees) that, among other applications, can serve as templates for complete ascent assembly structures (CAA-structures). The main innovative aspect of our approach is that our aim is not restricted to simply synthesizing optimal assembly designs with regard to a given goal, but we also strive to discover the best trade-offs between geometric and domain-dependent optimal designs. As such, the proposed approach is centred on a variably constrained multi-objective formulation of the optimal design task and on an efficient co-evolutionary solver. The results we obtained on both artificial problems and realistic design scenarios based on an industrial test case empirically support the value of our contribution to the fields of optimal obstacle-avoiding path generation in particular and design automation in general

Potential identification and industrial evaluation of an integrated design automation workflow.

Purpose - The paper aims to raise awareness in the industry of design automation tools, especially in early design phases, by demonstrating along a case study the seamless integration of a prototypically implemented optimization, supporting design space exploration in the early design phase and an in operational use product configurator, supporting the drafting and detailing of the solution predominantly in the later design phase. Design/methodology/approach - Based on the comparison of modeled as-is and to-be processes of ascent assembly designs with and without design automation tools, an automation roadmap is developed. Using qualitative and quantitative assessments, the potentials and benefits, as well as acceptance and usage aspects, are evaluated. Findings - Engineers tend to consider design automation for routine tasks. Yet, prototypical implementations support the communication and identification of the potential for the early stages of the design process to explore solution spaces. In this context, choosing from and interactively working with automatically generated alternative solutions emerged as a particular focus. Translators, enabling automatic downstream propagation of changes and thus ensuring consistency as to change management were also evaluated to be of major value. Research limitations/implications - A systematic validation of design automation in design practice is presented. For generalization, more case studies are needed. Further, the derivation of appropriate metrics needs to be investigated to normalize validation of design automation in future research. Practical implications - Integration of design automation in early design phases has great potential for reducing costs in the market launch. Prototypical implementations are an important ingredient for potential evaluation of actual usage and acceptance before implementing a live system. Originality/value - There is a lack of systematic validation of design automation tools supporting early design phases. In this context, this work contributes a systematically validated industrial case study. Early design-phases-support technology transfer is important because of high leverage potential

Immersive Insights: A Hybrid Analytics System for Collaborative Exploratory Data Analysis

In the past few years, augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) technologies have experienced terrific improvements in both accessibility and hardware capabilities, encouraging the application of these devices across various domains. While researchers have demonstrated the possible advantages of AR and VR for certain data science tasks, it is still unclear how these technologies would perform in the context of exploratory data analysis (EDA) at large. In particular, we believe it is important to better understand which level of immersion EDA would concretely benefit from, and to quantify the contribution of AR and VR with respect to standard analysis workflows. In this work, we leverage a Dataspace reconfigurable hybrid reality environment to study how data scientists might perform EDA in a co-located, collaborative context. Specifically, we propose the design and implementation of Immersive Insights, a hybrid analytics system combining high-resolution displays, table projections, and augmented reality (AR) visualizations of the data. We conducted a two-part user study with twelve data scientists, in which we evaluated how different levels of data immersion affect the EDA process and compared the performance of Immersive Insights with a state-of-the-art, non-immersive data analysis system.Comment: VRST 201

Move Your Body: Engaging Museum Visitors with Human-Data Interaction

Museums have embraced embodied interaction: its novelty generates buzz and excitement among their patrons, and it has enormous educational potential. Human-Data Interaction (HDI) is a class of embodied interactions that enables people to explore large sets of data using interactive visualizations that users control with gestures and body movements. In museums, however, HDI installations have no utility if visitors do not engage with them. In this paper, we present a quasi-experimental study that investigates how different ways of representing the user ("mode type") next-to a data visualization alters the way in which people engage with a HDI system. We consider four mode types: avatar, skeleton, camera overlay, and control. Our findings indicate that the mode type impacts the number of visitors that interact with the installation, the gestures that people do, and the amount of time that visitors spend observing the data on display and interacting with the system

Designing for Usable Disappearance–Mediating Coherence, Scope, and Orientation

In this paper, I emphazise on the users ’ experience when faced to disappearing user interfaces. I will start out, confronting potential conveniences of ubiquitous computing and related visions to possible shortcomings in their implementation due to design flaws. Three key issues for user-centered design of disappearing interfaces in ubiquitous computing are proposed, namely perceived coherence of computerized devices, awareness of the scope of effects resulting from one’s interactions and support for orientation. I will illustrate these issues by use of examples, arguing that intuitively regognizing the potentials of a designed network of computational artifacts will be crucial for the users ’ acceptance of UbiCom environments. Therefore, I will promote the careful design of human-perceived context, which uses familiar symbols and affordances to make user interfaces and options visible. I briefly refer to components of the ‘product language ’ before presenting selected features of roomware environments and pointing to future research. Keywords ubiquitous computing, coherent experience, humanperceived context, U 2 I design, computational artifacts, calm technoloy, convenienc

Towards a unifying Approach to Mobile Computing

In this paper we address the diversity of mobile devices and the related problematic issues with a largely platformindependent approach to development. Our work is motivated by the amount and variety of mobile devices foreseen to reside in future ubiquitous computing environments. To reduce the development effort and to augment data exchange facilities , we present an application framework that abstractly defines common interaction objects in user interfaces on mobile devices. POINTS OF DEPARTURE Today, the domain of mobile computing is as diverging as the domain of desktop computing was some twenty years ago. Just like in the early days of home computing, when computer manufacturers enforced incompatibility even within their own range of devices, there are numerous excluding alternatives emerging for the mobile user. Purpose of Mobile Devices There is no widely accepted standard of what mobile computing should be like. Different device classes, such as palm- and pocket-sized PCs, or WAP enabled mobile phones with different operating systems, such as PalmOS, Linux, EPOC, or Windows CE support different paradigms regarding the purpose and applicability of mobile computing [1, 5]. From a developer's point of view, it is crucial, whether a mobile device is to be used as a mere data viewer or a remote control, as e.g. Rekimoto's "painter's palette" [7] or, on the other hand, as an autonomous system that can operate independently to some degree [4]. The former approach moves most of the application's functionality away from the mobile device requiring a tight connection tostationary computer systems. For instance, this is the case with the mobile phone's WAP browser and the corresponding ISP. The latter approach enables more independent work, but puts higher demands on pro..

Developing CSCW tools for Idea Finding - Empirical Results and Implications for Design

In this paper, we first describe a formative empirical study to inform the design of CSCW tools to support idea finding in co-located groups. Groups of students worked on creative problems with mapping and whiteboard tools in different work modes. Concluding from the results of the study, requirements are derived. A suite of tools that are informed by these requirements is presented along with typical scenarios of their usage. The suite consists of three software components covering a Mind-Mapping system (BeachMap), a novel interaction technique for successive bottom-up structuring of ideas (MagNets), and a PDA tool for asynchronous idea generation "on the road" (PalmBeach)