scholarly journals A Survey on the Influence of CYBATHLON on the Development and Acceptance of Advanced Assistive Technologies

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan Thomas Meyer ◽  
Selina Weber ◽  
Lukas Jäger ◽  
Roland Sigrist ◽  
Roger Gassert ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Online Survey ◽  
Mixed Model ◽  
Linear Mixed Model ◽  
Technology Development ◽  
Daily Life ◽  
User Involvement ◽  
People With Disabilities ◽  
Assistive Technologies ◽  
User Centered Design ◽  
User Centered

Abstract Background: Advanced assistive technologies (AAT) aim to exploit the vast potential of technological developments made in the past decades to improve the quality of life of people with disabilities. Combining complex robotic technologies with the unique needs of people with disabilities requires a strong focus on user-centered design to ensure that the AAT appropriately addresses the daily life struggles of target users. The CYBATHLON aims to promote this mindset by empowering the AAT target users (“pilots”) to compete on race tracks that represent daily life obstacles. The objective of this work was to investigate the influence of the CYABTHALON on AAT technology development, acceptance, and user involvement (i.e., application of user-centered design).Methods: With an online survey targetting the pilots and technical leads of teams preparing for the CYBATHLON 2020 Global Edition, we investigated to what extent the pilots were involved in device development and how this influences the perceived daily life usability of the showcased AAT. Furthermore, the effects of user-centered design variables on the individual race performances were analyzed.Results: A total of 81 responses from 35 pilots and 46 technical leads were collected in the two weeks prior to the event. Of all teams partaking in the included disciplines of the CYBATHLON 2020 Global Edition, 81.8% (36 of 44) were included in the study. User-centered design appeared to be a prevalent practice among the teams, as 85.7% of all pilots reported a certain level of involvement. However, only 25.5% of the pilots reported daily life usage, despite QUEST usability scores of both respondent groups showing moderate to high satisfaction with the respected AAT across all investigated disciplines. An explorative linear mixed model indicated that daily life usage (p < 0.05) and prolonged user involvement (e.g. more than 2 years, p < 0.001) have a significant positive effect on the race performance at the competition.Conclusions: We conclude that the CYBATHLON positively fullfills its conceptual goals of promoting active participation and inclusion of people with disabilities in the design and evaluation of AAT, thereby stimulating the development of promising novel technological solutions. Also, our data could underline the value of the competition as a benchmark, highlighting remaining usability limitations or technology adoption hurdles.

Involving people with dementia and their informal caregivers in the development process of assistive technology: Description and evaluation of a user-centered design (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Iris A.G.M. Geerts ◽  
Liselore J.A.E Snaphaan ◽  
Inge M.B. Bongers
Keyword(s):  
Focus Groups ◽  
Assistive Technology ◽  
Field Study ◽  
Development Process ◽  
Technology Development ◽  
Informal Caregivers ◽  
Assistive Technologies ◽  
User Centered Design ◽  
People With Dementia ◽  
User Centered

BACKGROUND Despite the potential value of assistive technology to support people with dementia (PWD) in everyday activities, use of these technologies is still limited. To ensure that assistive technologies better address the specific needs and daily context of PWD and their informal caregivers, it is particularly important to involve them in all different phases of assistive technology development. The literature rarely describes the involvement of PWD throughout the development process of assistive technologies, which makes it difficult to further reflect on and improve active involvement of PWD. OBJECTIVE This two-part study aimed to gather insights on the user-centered design (UCD) applied in the development process of the alpha prototype of the serious game PLAYTIME by describing the methods and procedures of the UCD as well as evaluating the UCD from the perspective of all involved stakeholders. METHODS The first three phases of the user-driven Living Lab of Innovate Dementia 2.0 were applied to directly involve PWD and their informal caregivers through qualitative research methods, including focus groups and a context-field study, in the development of the alpha prototype of PLAYTIME from exploration to design to testing. After the testing phase, a total number of 18 semi-structured interviews were conducted with PWD, their informal caregivers and the project members of PLAYTIME to evaluate the applied UCD from the perspective of all involved stakeholders. The interviews addressed five of the principles for successful UCD and the appropriateness of the different methods used in the focus groups and context-field study. RESULTS Results of the interviews focused, amongst others, on the level of involvement of PWD and their informal caregivers in the development process, the input provided by PWD and their informal caregivers, the value of early prototyping, continuous iterations of design solutions and in-context testing, the role of dementia care professionals in the multidisciplinary project team, and the appropriateness of open- and closed-ended questions for obtaining input from PWD and their informal caregivers. CONCLUSIONS The description and evaluation of the UCD applied in the development process of the alpha prototype of PLAYTIME resulted in several insights on the relevance of UCD for all involved stakeholders as well as how PWD can be involved in the subsequent phases of usable and meaningful assistive technology development.

Capturing feedback from user sub-groups in user-centered design: A protocol integrating key user characteristics in the development of digital support for seniors’ fall preventive physical activity (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Åsa Revenäs ◽  
Ann-Christin Johansson ◽  
Maria Ehn
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Technology Use ◽  
User Involvement ◽  
Activity Level ◽  
User Centered Design ◽  
Iterative Development ◽  
Key Characteristics ◽  
Per Se ◽  
Systematic Collection ◽  
User Centered

BACKGROUND User-centered design (UCD) aims at understanding the users’ perspective and shape new solutions thereafter. UCD gives access to users’ needs and requirements and thereby improves solutions design. However, involving users in the development process does not per se guarantee that feedback from different sub-groups of users are equally shaping the development, and therefore resulting in solutions that are useful for the whole intended population. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study is to describe a protocol to integrate key characteristics of user sub-groups in collection and analysis of feedback in User-centered design (UCD) of a digital motivation support for fall preventive physical activity (PA) in seniors (older adults, 65 years of age or older). METHODS This study follows a UCD model, with early user involvement as one key principle. The protocol describes a method for systematic collection and prioritization of user feedback during the iterative development of two digital applications. For each of the four cycles in the iterative development, the aim is to recruit a group of at least 8 seniors (65 years or older, independent living) with equal distribution of men and women and a variation in both PA level and technology use. Procedures for collecting data during and after the user tests are mainly qualitative. RESULTS This paper describes a novel approach for integrating key characteristics of users sub-groups in UCD. We have developed a protocol for ensuring that feedback from both genders, persons with varied activity level and technology use are considered in the iterative development of a digital motivation support for seniors’ PA. The method has been applied in a study that has been approved by the regional ethics committee in Uppsala (Dnr 2018/044). Data collection and iterative development of the digital support has been conducted during Spring-Summer 2018 and the result is expected to be published during 2020/2021. CONCLUSIONS User involvement is the golden standard in systems design. However, it does not per se guarantee that feedback from different user sub-groups are equally shaping the development, and hence resulting in a solution that is useful for the whole intended population. Methods for systematic collection, analysis and prioritization of feedback from sub-groups might be particularly important in heterogenous groups, such as seniors. This protocol can contribute to identify and improve our understanding of potential differences in use and experiences of technical support systems for fall preventive PA among user-subgroups of seniors. This knowledge can be relevant for developing technology support that is appropriate, useful and attractive to the users and for enabling design of technology targeting specific user sub-groups, i.e. tailoring of the support. The protocol needs to be further used and investigated to understand its potential value.

scholarly journals Using a new video rating tool to crowd-source analysis of behavioural reaction to stimuli

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Holly Root-Gutteridge ◽  
Louise P. Brown ◽  
Jemma Forman ◽  
Anna T. Korzeniowska ◽  
Julia Simner ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Online Survey ◽  
Mixed Model ◽  
Linear Mixed Model ◽  
Stimulus Onset ◽  
Source Analysis ◽  
Head Orientation ◽  
Survey Form ◽  
Multiple Datasets ◽  
Multiple Dimensions ◽  
Behavioural Reaction

AbstractQuantifying the intensity of animals’ reaction to stimuli is notoriously difficult as classic unidimensional measures of responses such as latency or duration of looking can fail to capture the overall strength of behavioural responses. More holistic rating can be useful but have the inherent risks of subjective bias and lack of repeatability. Here, we explored whether crowdsourcing could be used to efficiently and reliably overcome these potential flaws. A total of 396 participants watched online videos of dogs reacting to auditory stimuli and provided 23,248 ratings of the strength of the dogs’ responses from zero (default) to 100 using an online survey form. We found that raters achieved very high inter-rater reliability across multiple datasets (although their responses were affected by their sex, age, and attitude towards animals) and that as few as 10 raters could be used to achieve a reliable result. A linear mixed model applied to PCA components of behaviours discovered that the dogs’ facial expressions and head orientation influenced the strength of behaviour ratings the most. Further linear mixed models showed that that strength of behaviour ratings was moderately correlated to the duration of dogs’ reactions but not to dogs’ reaction latency (from the stimulus onset). This suggests that observers’ ratings captured consistent dimensions of animals’ responses that are not fully represented by more classic unidimensional metrics. Finally, we report that overall participants strongly enjoyed the experience. Thus, we suggest that using crowdsourcing can offer a useful, repeatable tool to assess behavioural intensity in experimental or observational studies where unidimensional coding may miss nuance, or where coding multiple dimensions may be too time-consuming.

Adaptation of User-Centered Design Approaches to Abilities of People with Disabilities

2018 ◽  
pp. 462-465
Author(s):  
Marine Guffroy ◽  
Yohan Guerrier ◽  
Christophe Kolski ◽  
Nadine Vigouroux ◽  
Frédéric Vella ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
People With Disabilities ◽  
User Centered Design ◽  
User Centered

scholarly journals Development of a Mobile Game to Influence Behavior Determinants of HIV Service Uptake Among Key Populations in the Philippines: User-Centered Design Process (Preprint)

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charlotte Hemingway ◽  
Emmanuel S Baja ◽  
Godafreda V Dalmacion ◽  
Paul Mark B Medina ◽  
Ernest Genesis Guevara ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
User Involvement ◽  
The Philippines ◽  
Subject Domain ◽  
Key Populations ◽  
User Centered Design ◽  
Mobile Games ◽  
Development Team ◽  
Games For Health ◽  
Collection Methods ◽  
User Centered

BACKGROUND Opportunities in digital distribution place mobile games as a promising platform for games for health. However, designing a game that can compete in the saturated mobile games market and deliver persuasive health messages can feel like an insurmountable challenge. Although user-centered design is widely advocated, factors such as the user’s subject domain expertise, budget constraints, and poor data collection methods can restrict the benefits of user involvement. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to develop a playable and acceptable game for health, targeted at young key populations in the Philippines. METHODS Authors identified a range of user-centered design methods to be used in tandem from published literature. The resulting design process involved a phased approach, with 40 primary and secondary users engaged during the initial ideation and prototype testing stages. Selected methods included participatory design workshops, playtests, playability heuristics, and focus group discussions. Subject domain experts were allocated roles in the development team. Data were analyzed using a framework approach. Conceptual frameworks in health intervention acceptability and game design guided the analysis. In-game events were captured through the Unity Analytics service to monitor uptake and game use over a 12-month period. RESULTS Early user involvement revealed a strong desire for online multiplayer gameplay, yet most reported that access to this type of game was restricted because of technical and economic constraints. A role-playing game (RPG) with combat elements was identified as a very appealing gameplay style. Findings guided us to a game that could be played offline and that blended RPG elements, such as narrative and turn-based combat, with match-3 puzzles. Although the game received a positive response during playtests, gameplay was at times perceived as repetitive and predicted to only appeal to casual gamers. Knowledge transfer was predominantly achieved through interpretation of the game’s narrative, highlighting this as an important design element. Uptake of the game was positive; between December 1, 2017, and December 1, 2018, 3325 unique device installs were reported globally. Game metrics provided evidence of adoption by young key populations in the Philippines. Game uptake and use were substantially higher in regions where direct engagement with target users took place. CONCLUSIONS User-centered design activities supported the identification of important contextual requirements. Multiple data collection methods enabled triangulation of findings to mediate the inherent biases of the different techniques. Game acceptance is dependent on the ability of the development team to implement design solutions that address the needs and desires of target users. If target users are expected to develop design solutions, they must have adequate expertise and a significant role within the development team. Facilitating meaningful partnerships between health professionals, the games industry, and end users will support the games for health industry as it matures.

scholarly journals RANCANG BANGUN SISTEM INFORMASI OBYEK WISATA BERBASIS WEB MENGGUNAKAN METODE USER CENTERED DESIGN (UCD)

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 149
Author(s):  
Oni Yuliani ◽  
Joko Prasojo
Keyword(s):  
Information System ◽  
Technology Development ◽  
Internet Technology ◽  
User Centered Design ◽  
Tourist Attractions ◽  
Information System Design ◽  
Travel Agents ◽  
Program Testing ◽  
Tourism Information ◽  
User Centered

The development of today's technology has been developing very rapidly and carry a very big change because with the technology information can be obtained quickly, accurately and not limited by time and place. One o f the growing sectors in technology development is in the field of tourism which contributes to distribute information about the attractions more interactive, especially through Internet technology. Yogyakarta has a variety of tourist attractions that are so beautiful, but not many people know the various tourist attractions in the area. Information on tourist places will be known if given a forum to exchange information on the matter in the form of a website. In order to generate tourism website in accordance with the wishes of users, the necessary methods of User Centered Design (UCD) based to the user. It is intended to provide information for tourists so it will be easier to plan excursions according to what they want without hesitation choose the desired attraction. Tourism information system was built using PHP as a programming language and MySQL as a database manager. This information system design using the UCD that engage users by providing input in the form of a questionnaire. This information system contains the profiles sights, means of transportation used and distance traveled. Other facilities that can be enjoyed for information about travel agents who can serve a trip out of town, and the inn (hotel). To implement this system needs the previous test program testing and system testing and then be evaluated. The information system created is a system that is capable of displaying objects on the map and provide information on the map if the object is selected, the user can view more detailed position of an object to be searched. For site owners can perform additional object data without having to perform the construction site from scratch, in this case both the data on a map or information. By making this system the objects displayed on the map always updates that facilitate and assist the user in doing excursions in Yogyakarta.

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