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Title: DESIGN FOR AUDITORY DISPLAYS: IDENTIFYING TEMPORAL AND SPATIAL INFORMATION CONVEYANCE PRINCIPLES.
Creator: Ahmad, Ali, Stanney, Kay, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Designing auditory interfaces is a challenge for current human-systems developers. This is largely due to a lack of theoretical guidance for directing how best to use sounds in today's visually-rich graphical user interfaces. This dissertation provided a framework for guiding the design of audio interfaces to enhance human-systems performance. This doctoral research involved reviewing the literature on conveying temporal and spatial information using audio, using this knowledge to build...
Show moreDesigning auditory interfaces is a challenge for current human-systems developers. This is largely due to a lack of theoretical guidance for directing how best to use sounds in today's visually-rich graphical user interfaces. This dissertation provided a framework for guiding the design of audio interfaces to enhance human-systems performance. This doctoral research involved reviewing the literature on conveying temporal and spatial information using audio, using this knowledge to build three theoretical models to aid the design of auditory interfaces, and empirically validating select components of the models. The three models included an audio integration model that outlines an end-to-end process for adding sounds to interactive interfaces, a temporal audio model that provides a framework for guiding the timing for integration of these sounds to meet human performance objectives, and a spatial audio model that provides a framework for adding spatialization cues to interface sounds. Each model is coupled with a set of design guidelines theorized from the literature, thus combined, the developed models put forward a structured process for integrating sounds in interactive interfaces. The developed models were subjected to a three phase validation process that included review by Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) to assess the face validity of the developed models and two empirical studies. For the SME review, which assessed the utility of the developed models and identified opportunities for improvement, a panel of three audio experts was selected to respond to a Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) validation questionnaire. Based on the SWOT analysis, the main strengths of the models included that they provide a systematic approach to auditory display design and that they integrate a wide variety of knowledge sources in a concise manner. The main weaknesses of the models included the lack of a structured process for amending the models with new principles, some branches were not considered parallel or completely distinct, and lack of guidance on selecting interface sounds. The main opportunity identified by the experts was the ability of the models to provide a seminal body of knowledge that can be used for building and validating auditory display designs. The main threats identified by the experts were that users may not know where to start and end with each model, the models may not provide comprehensive coverage of all uses of auditory displays, and the models may act as a restrictive influence on designers or they may be used inappropriately. Based on the SWOT analysis results, several changes were made to the models prior to the empirical studies. Two empirical evaluation studies were conducted to test the theorized design principles derived from the revised models. The first study focused on assessing the utility of audio cues to train a temporal pacing task and the second study combined both temporal (i.e., pace) and spatial audio information, with a focus on examining integration issues. In the pace study, there were four different auditory conditions used for training pace: 1) a metronome, 2) non-spatial auditory earcons, 3) a spatialized auditory earcon, and 4) no audio cues for pace training. Sixty-eight people participated in the study. A pre- post between subjects experimental design was used, with eight training trials. The measure used for assessing pace performance was the average deviation from a predetermined desired pace. The results demonstrated that a metronome was not effective in training participants to maintain a desired pace, while, spatial and non-spatial earcons were effective strategies for pace training. Moreover, an examination of post-training performance as compared to pre-training suggested some transfer of learning. Design guidelines were extracted for integrating auditory cues for pace training tasks in virtual environments. In the second empirical study, combined temporal (pacing) and spatial (location of entities within the environment) information were presented. There were three different spatialization conditions used: 1) high fidelity using subjective selection of a "best-fit" head related transfer function, 2) low fidelity using a generalized head-related transfer function, and 3) no spatialization. A pre- post between subjects experimental design was used, with eight training trials. The performance measures were average deviation from desired pace and time and accuracy to complete the task. The results of the second study demonstrated that temporal, non-spatial auditory cues were effective in influencing pace while other cues were present. On the other hand, spatialized auditory cues did not result in significantly faster task completion. Based on these results, a set of design guidelines was proposed that can be used to direct the integration of spatial and temporal auditory cues for supporting training tasks in virtual environments. Taken together, the developed models and the associated guidelines provided a theoretical foundation from which to direct user-centered design of auditory interfaces.
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Date Issued: 2007
Identifier: CFE0001719, ucf:47317
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0001719

Title: Intelligent Selection Techniques For Virtual Environments.
Creator: Cashion, Jeffrey, Laviola II, Joseph, Bassiouni, Mostafa, Hughes, Charles, Bowman, Doug, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Selection in 3D games and simulations is a well-studied problem. Many techniques have been created to address many of the typical scenarios a user could experience. For any single scenario with consistent conditions, there is likely a technique which is well suited. If there isn't, then there is an opportunity for one to be created to best suit the expected conditions of that new scenario. It is critical that the user be given an appropriate technique to interact with their environment....
Show moreSelection in 3D games and simulations is a well-studied problem. Many techniques have been created to address many of the typical scenarios a user could experience. For any single scenario with consistent conditions, there is likely a technique which is well suited. If there isn't, then there is an opportunity for one to be created to best suit the expected conditions of that new scenario. It is critical that the user be given an appropriate technique to interact with their environment. Without it, the entire experience is at risk of becoming burdensome and not enjoyable.With all of the different possible scenarios, it can become problematic when two or more are part of the same program. If they are put closely together, or even intertwined, then the developer is often forced to pick a single technique that works so-so in both, but is likely not optimal for either, or maybe optimal in just one of them. In this case, the user is left to perform selections with a technique that is lacking in one way or another, which can increase errors and frustration.In our research, we have outlined different selection scenarios, all of which were classified by their level of object density (number of objects in scene) and object velocity. We then performed an initial study on how it impacts performance of various selection techniques, including a new selection technique that we developed just for this test, called Expand. Our results showed, among other things, that a standard Raycast technique works well in slow moving and sparse environments, while revealing that our new Expand technique works well in denser environments.With the results from our first study, we sought to develop something that would bridge the gap in performance between those selection techniques tested. Our idea was a framework that could harvest several different selection techniques and determine which was the most optimal at any time. Each selection technique would report how effective it was, given the provided scenario conditions. The framework was responsible for activating the appropriate selection technique when the user made a selection attempt. With this framework in hand, we performed two additional user studies to determine how effective it could be in actual use, and to identify its strengths and weaknesses. Each study compared several selection techniques individually against the framework which utilized them collectively, picking the most suitable. Again, the same scenarios from our first study were reused. From these studies, we gained a deeper understanding of the many challenges associated with automatic selection technique determination. The results from these two studies showed that transitioning between techniques was potentially viable, but rife with design challenges that made its optimization quite difficult.In an effort to sidestep some of the issues surrounding the switching of discrete techniques, we sought to attack the problem from the other direction, and make a single technique act similarly to two techniques, adjusting dynamically to conditions. We performed a user study to analyze the performance of such a technique, with promising results. While the qualitative differences were small, the user feedback did indicate that users preferred this technique over the others, which were static in nature.Finally, we sought to gain a deeper understanding of existing selection techniques that were dynamic in nature, and study how they were designed, and how they could be improved. We scrutinized the attributes of each technique that were already being adjusted dynamically or that could be adjusted and innovated new ways in which the technique could be improved upon. Within this analysis, we also gave thought to how each technique could be best integrated into the Auto-Select framework we proposed earlier. This overall analysis of the latest selection techniques left us with an array of new variants that warrant being created and tested against their existing versions.Our overall research goal was to perform an analysis of selection techniques that intelligently adapt to their environment. We believe that we achieved this by performing several iterative development cycles, including user studies and ultimately leading to innovation in the field of selection. We conclude our research with yet more questions left to be answered. We intend to pursue further research regarding some of these questions, as time permits.
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Date Issued: 2014
Identifier: CFE0005469, ucf:50381
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005469

Title: EFFECT OF OPERATOR CONTROL CONFIGURATION ON UNMANNED AERIAL SYSTEM TRAINABILITY.
Creator: Neumann, John, Kincaid, Peter, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Unmanned aerial systems (UAS) carry no pilot on board, yet they still require live operators to handle critical functions such as mission planning and execution. Humans also interpret the sensor information provided by these platforms. This applies to all classes of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV's), including the smaller portable systems used for gathering real-time reconnaissance during military operations in urban terrain. The need to quickly and reliably train soldiers to control small...
Show moreUnmanned aerial systems (UAS) carry no pilot on board, yet they still require live operators to handle critical functions such as mission planning and execution. Humans also interpret the sensor information provided by these platforms. This applies to all classes of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV's), including the smaller portable systems used for gathering real-time reconnaissance during military operations in urban terrain. The need to quickly and reliably train soldiers to control small UAS operations demands that the human-system interface be intuitive and easy to master. In this study, participants completed a series of tests of spatial ability and were then trained (in simulation) to teleoperate a micro-unmanned aerial vehicle equipped with forward and downward fixed cameras. Three aspects of the human-system interface were manipulated to assess the effects on manual control mastery and target detection. One factor was the input device. Participants used either a mouse or a specially programmed game controller (similar to that used with the Sony™ Playstation 2 video game console). A second factor was the nature of the flight control displays as either continuous or discrete (analog v. digital). The third factor involved the presentation of sensor imagery. The display could either provide streaming video from one camera at a time, or present the imagery from both cameras simultaneously in separate windows. The primary dependent variables included: 1) time to complete assigned missions, 2) number of collisions, 3) number of targets detected, and 4) operator workload. In general, operator performance was better with the game controller than with the mouse, but significant improvement in time to complete occurred over repeated trials regardless of the device used. Time to complete missions was significantly faster with the game controller, and operators also detected more targets without any significant differences in workload compared to mouse users. Workload on repeated trials decreased with practice, and spatial ability was a significant covariate of workload. Lower spatial ability associated with higher workload scores. In addition, demographic data including computer usage and video gaming experience were collected and analyzed, and correlated with performance. Higher video gaming experience was also associated with lower workload.
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Date Issued: 2006
Identifier: CFE0001496, ucf:47080
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0001496

Title: PERFORMANCE SUPPORT AND USABILITY:AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY OFELECTRONIC PERFORMANCE SUPPORT INTERFACES.
Creator: Rawls, Charles, Hirumi, Atsusi, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: This study evaluated the usability of two types of performance-support interfaces that were designed using informational and experiential approaches. The experiment sought to determine whether there is a relationship between usability and the informational and experiential approaches. The general population under study was undergraduate education major students from the University of Central Florida. From the general population of three educational technology instructor-led classes, 83...
Show moreThis study evaluated the usability of two types of performance-support interfaces that were designed using informational and experiential approaches. The experiment sought to determine whether there is a relationship between usability and the informational and experiential approaches. The general population under study was undergraduate education major students from the University of Central Florida. From the general population of three educational technology instructor-led classes, 83 students were solicited to participate in the study by completing a class activity. From the general population, a total of 63 students participated in the study. By participating in the study, the students completed a task and a questionnaire. Students were predominantly English-speaking Caucasian female education majors between the ages of 19 and 20; most of them were sophomores or juniors working part time. They possessed moderately low to high computer skills and most considered themselves to have intermediate or expert Internet skills. An experimental posttest-only comparison group research design was used to test the hypotheses posited for this study. The participants were randomly assigned to either the informational interface group (X1) or the experiential interface group (X2), and the experiment was conducted electronically via a Web-based Content Management System (CMS). The observed data consisted of five outcome measures: efficiency, errors, intuitiveness, satisfaction, and student performance. Two instruments--a checklist and an online usability questionnaire--were used to measure the five dependent variables: efficiency, intuitiveness, errors, satisfaction, and student performance. The CMS was used as the vehicle to distribute and randomize the two interfaces, obtain informed consent, distribute the instructions, distribute the online questionnaire, and collect data. First, a checklist was used to assess the students' performance completing their task, which was a copyright issue request letter. The checklist was designed as a performance criterion tool for the researcher, instructor, and participants to use. The researcher and instructor constructed the checklist to grade copyright request letters and determine students' performance. The participants had the opportunity to use the checklist as a performance criterion to create the task document (copyright request letter). The checklist consisted of ten basic yet critical sections of a successful copyright request letter. Second, an online usability questionnaire was constructed based on the Purdue Usability Testing Questionnaire (PUTQ) questions to measure interface efficiency, intuitiveness, errors, and satisfaction. While these test items have been deemed important for testing the usability of a particular system, for purposes of this study, test items were modified, deleted, and added to ensure content validity. The new survey, University of Central Florida Usability Questionnaire (UCFUQ), consisting of 20 items, was implemented in a pilot study to ensure reliability and content validity. Changes to the PUTQ were modified to fulfill a blueprint. A pilot study of the instrument yielded a reliability coefficient of .9450, and the final online usability instrument yielded a reliability coefficient of .9321. This study tested two approaches to user interface design for the Electronic Performance Support (EPS) using two HTML interface templates and the information from an existing training module. There were two interventions consisting of two interface types: informational and experiential. The SPSS Graduate Pack 10.0 for Windows was used for data analysis and statistical reporting in this study. A t test was conducted to determine if a difference existed between the two interface means. ANOVA was conducted to determine if there was an interaction between the interface group means and the demographic data factored among the five dependent variables. Results of this study indicated that students at the University of Central Florida reported no differences between the two interface types. It was postulated that the informational interface would yield a higher mean score because of its implementation of HCI guidelines, conventions, and standards. However, it was concluded that the informational interface may not be a more usable interface. Users may be as inclined to use the experiential interface as the informational interface.
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Date Issued: 2005
Identifier: CFE0000807, ucf:46678
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0000807

Title: Multi-Modal Interfaces for Sensemaking of Graph-Connected Datasets.
Creator: Wehrer, Anthony, Hughes, Charles, Wisniewski, Pamela, Pattanaik, Sumanta, Specht, Chelsea, Lisle, Curtis, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: The visualization of hypothesized evolutionary processes is often shown through phylogenetic trees. Given evolutionary data presented in one of several widely accepted formats, software exists to render these data into a tree diagram. However, software packages commonly in use by biologists today often do not provide means to dynamically adjust and customize these diagrams for studying new hypothetical relationships, and for illustration and publication purposes. Even where these options are...
Show moreThe visualization of hypothesized evolutionary processes is often shown through phylogenetic trees. Given evolutionary data presented in one of several widely accepted formats, software exists to render these data into a tree diagram. However, software packages commonly in use by biologists today often do not provide means to dynamically adjust and customize these diagrams for studying new hypothetical relationships, and for illustration and publication purposes. Even where these options are available, there can be a lack of intuitiveness and ease-of-use. The goal of our research is, thus, to investigate more natural and effective means of sensemaking of the data with different user input modalities. To this end, we experimented with different input modalities, designing and running a series of prototype studies, ultimately focusing our attention on pen-and-touch. Through several iterations of feedback and revision provided with the help of biology experts and students, we developed a pen-and-touch phylogenetic tree browsing and editing application called PhyloPen. This application expands on the capabilities of existing software with visualization techniques such as overview+detail, linked data views, and new interaction and manipulation techniques using pen-and-touch. To determine its impact on phylogenetic tree sensemaking, we conducted a within-subject comparative summative study against the most comparable and commonly used state-of-the-art mouse-based software system, Mesquite. Conducted with biology majors at the University of Central Florida, each used both software systems on a set number of exercise tasks of the same type. Determining effectiveness by several dependent measures, the results show PhyloPen was significantly better in terms of usefulness, satisfaction, ease-of-learning, ease-of-use, and cognitive load and relatively the same in variation of completion time. These results support an interaction paradigm that is superior to classic mouse-based interaction, which could have the potential to be applied to other communities that employ graph-based representations of their problem domains.
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Date Issued: 2019
Identifier: CFE0007872, ucf:52788
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007872

Title: The WOZ Recognizer: A Tool For Understanding User Perceptions of Sketch-Based Interfaces.
Creator: Bott, Jared, Laviola II, Joseph, Hughes, Charles, Foroosh, Hassan, Lank, Edward, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Sketch recognition has the potential to be an important input method for computers in the coming years; however, designing and building an accurate and sophisticated sketch recognition system is a time consuming and daunting task. Since sketch recognition is still at a level where mistakes are common, it is important to understand how users perceive and tolerate recognition errors and other user interface elements with these imperfect systems. A problem in performing this type of research is...
Show moreSketch recognition has the potential to be an important input method for computers in the coming years; however, designing and building an accurate and sophisticated sketch recognition system is a time consuming and daunting task. Since sketch recognition is still at a level where mistakes are common, it is important to understand how users perceive and tolerate recognition errors and other user interface elements with these imperfect systems. A problem in performing this type of research is that we cannot easily control aspects of recognition in order to rigorously study the systems. We performed a study examining user perceptions of three pen-based systems for creating logic gate diagrams: a sketch-based interface, a WIMP-based interface, and a hybrid interface that combined elements of sketching and WIMP. We found that users preferred the sketch-based interface and we identified important criteria for pen-based application design. This work exposed the issue of studying recognition systems without fine-grained control over accuracy, recognition mode, and other recognizer properties. In order to solve this problem, we developed a Wizard of Oz sketch recognition tool, the WOZ Recognizer, that supports controlled symbol and position accuracy and batch and streaming recognition modes for a variety of sketching domains. We present the design of the WOZ Recognizer, modeling recognition domains using graphs, symbol alphabets, and grammars; and discuss the types of recognition errors we included in its design. Further, we discuss how the WOZ Recognizer simulates sketch recognition, controlling the WOZ Recognizer, and how users interact with it. In addition, we present an evaluative user study of the WOZ Recognizer and the lessons we learned.We have used the WOZ Recognizer to perform two user studies examining user perceptions of sketch recognition; both studies focused on mathematical sketching. In the first study, we examined whether users prefer recognition feedback now (real-time recognition) or later (batch recognition) in relation to different recognition accuracies and sketch complexities. We found that participants displayed a preference for real-time recognition in some situations (multiple expressions, low accuracy), but no statistical preference in others. In our second study, we examined whether users displayed a greater tolerance for recognition errors when they used mathematical sketching applications they found interesting or useful compared to applications they found less interesting. Participants felt they had a greater tolerance for the applications they preferred, although our statistical analysis did not positively support this.In addition to the research already performed, we propose several avenues for future research into user perceptions of sketch recognition that we believe will be of value to sketch recognizer researchers and application designers.
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Date Issued: 2016
Identifier: CFE0006077, ucf:50945
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006077

Title: Bridging the Gap Between Fun and Fitness: Instructional Techniques and Real-World Applications for Full-Body Dance Games.
Creator: Charbonneau, Emiko, Laviola II, Joseph, Hughes, Charles, Tappen, Marshall, Angelopoulos, Theodore, Mueller, Florian, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Full-body controlled games offer the opportunity for not only entertainment, but education and exercise as well. Refined gameplay mechanics and content can boost intrinsic motivation and keep people playing over a long period of time, which is desirable for individuals who struggle with maintaining a regular exercise program. Within this gameplay genre, dance rhythm games have proven to be popular with game console owners. Yet, while other types of games utilize story mechanics that keep...
Show moreFull-body controlled games offer the opportunity for not only entertainment, but education and exercise as well. Refined gameplay mechanics and content can boost intrinsic motivation and keep people playing over a long period of time, which is desirable for individuals who struggle with maintaining a regular exercise program. Within this gameplay genre, dance rhythm games have proven to be popular with game console owners. Yet, while other types of games utilize story mechanics that keep players engaged for dozens of hours, motion-controlled dance games are just beginning to incorporate these elements. In addition, this control scheme is still young, only becoming commercially available in the last few years. Instructional displays and clear real-time feedback remain difficult challenges.This thesis investigates the potential for full-body dance games to be used as tools for entertainment, education, and fitness. We built several game prototypes to investigate visual, aural, and tactile methods for instruction and feedback. We also evaluated the fitness potential of the game Dance Central 2 both by itself and with extra game content which unlocked based on performance.Significant contributions include a framework for running a longitudinal video game study, results indicating high engagement with some fitness potential, and informed discussion of how dance games could make exertion a more enjoyable experience.
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Date Issued: 2013
Identifier: CFE0004829, ucf:49690
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004829

Title: SketChart: A Pen-Based Tool for Chart Generation and Interaction.
Creator: Vargas Gonzalez, Andres, Laviola II, Joseph, Foroosh, Hassan, Hua, Kien, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: It has been shown that representing data with the right visualization increases the understanding of qualitative and quantitative information encoded in documents. However, current tools for generating such visualizations involve the use of traditional WIMP techniques, which perhaps makes free interaction and direct manipulation of the content harder. In this thesis, we present a pen-based prototype for data visualization using 10 different types of bar based charts. The prototype lets users...
Show moreIt has been shown that representing data with the right visualization increases the understanding of qualitative and quantitative information encoded in documents. However, current tools for generating such visualizations involve the use of traditional WIMP techniques, which perhaps makes free interaction and direct manipulation of the content harder. In this thesis, we present a pen-based prototype for data visualization using 10 different types of bar based charts. The prototype lets users sketch a chart and interact with the information once the drawing is identified. The prototype's user interface consists of an area to sketch and touch based elements that will be displayed depending on the context and nature of the outline. Brainstorming and live presentations can benefit from the prototype due to the ability to visualize and manipulate data in real time. We also perform a short, informal user study to measure effectiveness of the tool while recognizing sketches and users acceptance while interacting with the system. Results show SketChart strengths and weaknesses and areas for improvement.
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Date Issued: 2014
Identifier: CFE0005434, ucf:50405
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005434

Title: OPTIMIZING THE DESIGN OF MULTIMODAL USER INTERFACES.
Creator: Reeves, Leah, Stanney, Kay, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Due to a current lack of principle-driven multimodal user interface design guidelines, designers may encounter difficulties when choosing the most appropriate display modality for given users or specific tasks (e.g., verbal versus spatial tasks). The development of multimodal display guidelines from both a user and task domain perspective is thus critical to the achievement of successful human-system interaction. Specifically, there is a need to determine how to design task information...
Show moreDue to a current lack of principle-driven multimodal user interface design guidelines, designers may encounter difficulties when choosing the most appropriate display modality for given users or specific tasks (e.g., verbal versus spatial tasks). The development of multimodal display guidelines from both a user and task domain perspective is thus critical to the achievement of successful human-system interaction. Specifically, there is a need to determine how to design task information presentation (e.g., via which modalities) to capitalize on an individual operator's information processing capabilities and the inherent efficiencies associated with redundant sensory information, thereby alleviating information overload. The present effort addresses this issue by proposing a theoretical framework (Architecture for Multi-Modal Optimization, AMMO) from which multimodal display design guidelines and adaptive automation strategies may be derived. The foundation of the proposed framework is based on extending, at a functional working memory (WM) level, existing information processing theories and models with the latest findings in cognitive psychology, neuroscience, and other allied sciences. The utility of AMMO lies in its ability to provide designers with strategies for directing system design, as well as dynamic adaptation strategies (i.e., multimodal mitigation strategies) in support of real-time operations. In an effort to validate specific components of AMMO, a subset of AMMO-derived multimodal design guidelines was evaluated with a simulated weapons control system multitasking environment. The results of this study demonstrated significant performance improvements in user response time and accuracy when multimodal display cues were used (i.e., auditory and tactile, individually and in combination) to augment the visual display of information, thereby distributing human information processing resources across multiple sensory and WM resources. These results provide initial empirical support for validation of the overall AMMO model and a sub-set of the principle-driven multimodal design guidelines derived from it. The empirically-validated multimodal design guidelines may be applicable to a wide range of information-intensive computer-based multitasking environments.
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Date Issued: 2007
Identifier: CFE0001636, ucf:47237
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0001636

Title: Human-Robot Interaction For Multi-Robot Systems.
Creator: Lewis, Bennie, Sukthankar, Gita, Hughes, Charles, Laviola II, Joseph, Boloni, Ladislau, Hancock, Peter, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Designing an effective human-robot interaction paradigm is particularly important for complex tasks such as multi robot manipulation that require the human and robot to work together in a tightly coupled fashion. Although increasing the number of robots can expand the area that therobots can cover within a bounded period of time, a poor human-robot interface will ultimately compromise the performance of the team of robots. However, introducing a human operator to the team of robots, does not...
Show moreDesigning an effective human-robot interaction paradigm is particularly important for complex tasks such as multi robot manipulation that require the human and robot to work together in a tightly coupled fashion. Although increasing the number of robots can expand the area that therobots can cover within a bounded period of time, a poor human-robot interface will ultimately compromise the performance of the team of robots. However, introducing a human operator to the team of robots, does not automatically improve performance due to the difficulty of teleoperating mobile robots with manipulators. The human operator's concentration is divided not only amongmultiple robots but also between controlling each robot's base and arm. This complexity substantially increases the potential neglect time, since the operator's inability to effectively attend to each robot during a critical phase of the task leads to a significant degradation in task performance.There are several proven paradigms for increasing the efficacy of human-robot interaction: 1) multimodal interfaces in which the user controls the robots using voice and gesture; 2) configurable interfaces which allow the user to create new commands by demonstrating them; 3) adaptive interfaceswhich reduce the operator's workload as necessary through increasing robot autonomy. This dissertation presents an evaluation of the relative benefits of different types of user interfaces for multi-robot systems composed of robots with wheeled bases and three degree of freedom arms. It describes a design for constructing low-cost multi-robot manipulation systems from off the shelfparts.User expertise was measured along three axes (navigation, manipulation, and coordination), and participants who performed above threshold on two out of three dimensions on a calibration task were rated as expert. Our experiments reveal that the relative expertise of the user was the key determinant of the best performing interface paradigm for that user, indicating that good user modeling is essential for designing a human-robot interaction system that will be used for an extended period of time. The contributions of the dissertation include: 1) a model for detecting operator distraction from robot motion trajectories; 2) adjustable autonomy paradigms for reducing operator workload; 3) a method for creating coordinated multi-robot behaviors from demonstrations with a single robot; 4) a user modeling approach for identifying expert-novice differences from short teleoperation traces.
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Date Issued: 2014
Identifier: CFE0005198, ucf:50613
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005198

Title: EPISODIC MEMORY MODEL FOR EMBODIED CONVERSATIONAL AGENTS.
Creator: Elvir, Miguel, Gonzalez, Avelino, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Embodied Conversational Agents (ECA) form part of a range of virtual characters whose intended purpose include engaging in natural conversations with human users. While works in literature are ripe with descriptions of attempts at producing viable ECA architectures, few authors have addressed the role of episodic memory models in conversational agents. This form of memory, which provides a sense of autobiographic record-keeping in humans, has only recently been peripherally integrated into...
Show moreEmbodied Conversational Agents (ECA) form part of a range of virtual characters whose intended purpose include engaging in natural conversations with human users. While works in literature are ripe with descriptions of attempts at producing viable ECA architectures, few authors have addressed the role of episodic memory models in conversational agents. This form of memory, which provides a sense of autobiographic record-keeping in humans, has only recently been peripherally integrated into dialog management tools for ECAs. In our work, we propose to take a closer look at the shared characteristics of episodic memory models in recent examples from the field. Additionally, we propose several enhancements to these existing models through a unified episodic memory model for ECAÃ‚Â's. As part of our research into episodic memory models, we present a process for determining the prevalent contexts in the conversations obtained from the aforementioned interactions. The process presented demonstrates the use of statistical and machine learning services, as well as Natural Language Processing techniques to extract relevant snippets from conversations. Finally, mechanisms to store, retrieve, and recall episodes from previous conversations are discussed. A primary contribution of this research is in the context of contemporary memory models for conversational agents and cognitive architectures. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first attempt at providing a comparative summary of existing works. As implementations of ECAs become more complex and encompass more realistic conversation engines, we expect that episodic memory models will continue to evolve and further enhance the naturalness of conversations.
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Date Issued: 2010
Identifier: CFE0003353, ucf:48443
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003353

Title: Facilitating Information Retrieval in Social Media User Interfaces.
Creator: Costello, Anthony, Tang, Yubo, Fiore, Stephen, Goldiez, Brian, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: As the amount of computer mediated information (e.g., emails, documents, multi-media) we need to process grows, our need to rapidly sort, organize and store electronic information likewise increases. In order to store information effectively, we must find ways to sort through it and organize it in a manner that facilitates efficient retrieval. The instantaneous and emergent nature of communications across networks like Twitter makes them suitable for discussing events (e.g., natural disasters...
Show moreAs the amount of computer mediated information (e.g., emails, documents, multi-media) we need to process grows, our need to rapidly sort, organize and store electronic information likewise increases. In order to store information effectively, we must find ways to sort through it and organize it in a manner that facilitates efficient retrieval. The instantaneous and emergent nature of communications across networks like Twitter makes them suitable for discussing events (e.g., natural disasters) that are amorphous and prone to rapid changes. It can be difficult for an individual human to filter through and organize the large amounts of information that can pass through these types of social networks when events are unfolding rapidly. A common feature of social networks is the images (e.g., human faces, inanimate objects) that are often used by those who send messages across these networks. Humans have a particularly strong ability to recognize and differentiate between human Faces. This effect may also extend to recalling information associated with each human Face. This study investigated the difference between human Face images, non-human Face images and alphanumeric labels as retrieval cues under different levels of Task Load. Participants were required to recall key pieces of event information as they emerged from a Twitter-style message feed during a simulated natural disaster. A counter-balanced within-subjects design was used for this experiment. Participants were exposed to low, medium and high Task Load while responding to five different types of recall cues: (1) Nickname, (2) Non-Face, (3) Non-Face (&) Nickname, (4) Face and (5) Face (&) Nickname. The task required participants to organize information regarding emergencies (e.g., car accidents) from a Twitter-style message feed. The messages reported various events such as fires occurring around a fictional city. Each message was associated with a different recall cue type, depending on the experimental condition. Following the task, participants were asked to recall the information associated with one of the cues they worked with during the task. Results indicate that under medium and high Task Load, both Non-Face and Face retrieval cues increased recall performance over Nickname alone with Non-Faces resulting in the highest mean recall scores. When comparing medium to high Task Load: Face (&) Nickname and Non-Face significantly outperformed the Face condition. The performance in Non-Face (&) Nickname was significantly better than Face (&) Nickname. No significant difference was found between Non-Faces and Non-Faces (&) Nickname. Subjective Task Load scores indicate that participants experienced lower mental workload when using Non-Face cues than using Nickname or Face cues. Generally, these results indicate that under medium and high Task Load levels, images outperformed alphanumeric nicknames, Non-Face images outperformed Face images, and combining alphanumeric nicknames with images may have offered a significant performance advantage only when the image is that of a Face. Both theoretical and practical design implications are provided from these findings.
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Date Issued: 2014
Identifier: CFE0005318, ucf:50524
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005318

human computer interaction (4)	+ -
human-computer interaction (2)	+ -
machine learning (2)	+ -
training (2)	+ -
user interface (2)	+ -

visualization (2)	+ -
3D user interfaces (1)	+ -
Adaptive Automation (1)	+ -
ECA (1)	+ -
Embodied Conversational Agent (1)	+ -
Human-Computer Interaction (1)	+ -
Human-computer interaction (1)	+ -
Interruption Management (1)	+ -
Multimodal Design Guidelines (1)	+ -
Multitasking (1)	+ -
NUI (1)	+ -
Twitter (1)	+ -
User Interface Design (1)	+ -
Working Memory (1)	+ -
aerial vehicle (1)	+ -
artificial intelligence (1)	+ -
charts (1)	+ -
chatbots (1)	+ -
classification (1)	+ -
cognitive architecture (1)	+ -
cognitive science (1)	+ -
control (1)	+ -
cooperative systems (1)	+ -
crisis response (1)	+ -
electronic performance support (1)	+ -

University of Central Florida (12)	+ -
Hughes, Charles (5)	+ -
Laviola II, Joseph (5)	+ -
Foroosh, Hassan (2)	+ -
Stanney, Kay (2)	+ -

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Cashion, Jeffrey (1)	+ -
Charbonneau, Emiko (1)	+ -
Costello, Anthony (1)	+ -
Elvir, Miguel (1)	+ -
Fiore, Stephen (1)	+ -
Goldiez, Brian (1)	+ -
Gonzalez, Avelino (1)	+ -
Hancock, Peter (1)	+ -
Hirumi, Atsusi (1)	+ -
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