Multimodal Technologies and Interaction最新文献

{"title":"A Wearable Bidirectional Human–Machine Interface: Merging Motion Capture and Vibrotactile Feedback in a Wireless Bracelet","authors":"Julian Kindel, Daniel Andreas, Zhongshi Hou, Anany Dwivedi, Philipp Beckerle","doi":"10.3390/mti8060044","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/mti8060044","url":null,"abstract":"Humans interact with the environment through a variety of senses. Touch in particular contributes to a sense of presence, enhancing perceptual experiences, and establishing causal relations between events. Many human–machine interfaces only allow for one-way communication, which does not do justice to the complexity of the interaction. To address this, we developed a bidirectional human–machine interface featuring a bracelet equipped with linear resonant actuators, controlled via a Robot Operating System (ROS) program, to simulate haptic feedback. Further, the wireless interface includes a motion sensor and a sensor to quantify the tightness of the bracelet. Our functional experiments, which compared stimulation with three and five intensity levels, respectively, were performed by four healthy participants in their twenties and thirties. The participants achieved an average accuracy of 88% estimating three vibration intensity levels. While the estimation accuracy for five intensity levels was only 67%, the results indicated a good performance in perceiving relative vibration changes with an accuracy of 82%. The proposed haptic feedback bracelet will facilitate research investigating the benefits of bidirectional human–machine interfaces and the perception of vibrotactile feedback in general by closing the gap for a versatile device that can provide high-density user feedback in combination with sensors for intent detection.","PeriodicalId":52297,"journal":{"name":"Multimodal Technologies and Interaction","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2024-05-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141107710","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Exploring the Role of User Experience and Interface Design Communication in Augmented Reality for Education","authors":"Matina Kiourexidou, A. Kanavos, Maria I. Klouvidaki, Nikos Antonopoulos","doi":"10.3390/mti8060043","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/mti8060043","url":null,"abstract":"Augmented Reality (AR) enhances learning by integrating interactive and immersive elements that bring content to life, thus increasing motivation and improving retention. AR also supports personalized learning, allowing learners to interact with content at their own pace and according to their preferred learning styles. This adaptability not only promotes self-directed learning but also empowers learners to take charge of their educational journey. Effective interface design is crucial for these AR applications, requiring careful integration of user interactions and visual cues to blend AR elements seamlessly with reality. This paper explores the impact of AR on user experience within educational settings, examining engagement, motivation, and learning outcomes to determine how AR can enhance the educational experience. Additionally, it addresses design considerations and challenges in developing AR user interfaces, drawing on current research and best practices to propose effective and adaptable solutions for educational AR applications. As AR technology evolves, its potential to transform educational experiences continues to grow, promising significant advancements in how users interact with, personalize, and immerse themselves in learning content.","PeriodicalId":52297,"journal":{"name":"Multimodal Technologies and Interaction","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2024-05-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141110114","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Recall of Odorous Objects in Virtual Reality","authors":"Jussi Rantala, Katri Salminen, Poika Isokoski, Ville Nieminen, Markus Karjalainen, Jari Väliaho, Philipp Müller, A. Kontunen, P. Kallio, Veikko Surakka","doi":"10.3390/mti8060042","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/mti8060042","url":null,"abstract":"The aim was to investigate how the congruence of odors and visual objects in virtual reality (VR) affects later memory recall of the objects. Participants (N = 30) interacted with 12 objects in VR. The interaction was varied by odor congruency (i.e., the odor matched the object’s visual appearance, the odor did not match the object’s visual appearance, or the object had no odor); odor quality (i.e., an authentic or a synthetic odor); and interaction type (i.e., participants could look and manipulate or could only look at objects). After interacting with the 12 objects, incidental memory performance was measured with a free recall task. In addition, the participants rated the pleasantness and arousal of the interaction with each object. The results showed that the participants remembered significantly more objects with congruent odors than objects with incongruent odors or odorless objects. Furthermore, interaction with congruent objects was rated significantly more pleasant and relaxed than interaction with incongruent objects. Odor quality and interaction type did not have significant effects on recall or emotional ratings. These results can be utilized in the development of multisensory VR applications.","PeriodicalId":52297,"journal":{"name":"Multimodal Technologies and Interaction","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2024-05-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141114952","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Immersive Virtual Colonography Viewer for Colon Growths Diagnosis: Design and Think-Aloud Study","authors":"J. Serras, Andrew Duchowski, I. Nobre, Catarina Moreira, Anderson Maciel, Joaquim A. Jorge","doi":"10.3390/mti8050040","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/mti8050040","url":null,"abstract":"Desktop-based virtual colonoscopy is a proven and accurate process for identifying colon abnormalities. However, it is time-consuming. Faster, immersive interfaces for virtual colonoscopy are still incipient and need to be better understood. This article introduces a novel design that leverages VR paradigm components to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of immersive analysis. Our approach contributes a novel tool highlighting unseen areas within the colon via eye-tracking, a flexible navigation approach, and a distinct interface for displaying scans blended with the reconstructed colon surface. The path to evaluating and validating such a tool for clinical settings is arduous. This article contributes a formative evaluation using think-aloud sessions with radiology experts and students. Questions related to colon coverage, diagnostic accuracy, and time to complete are analyzed with different user profiles. Although not aimed at quantitatively measuring performance, the experiment provides lessons learned to guide other researchers in the field.","PeriodicalId":52297,"journal":{"name":"Multimodal Technologies and Interaction","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2024-05-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141128548","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"How New Developers Approach Augmented Reality Development Using Simplified Creation Tools: An Observational Study","authors":"Narges Ashtari, Parmit K. Chilana","doi":"10.3390/mti8040035","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/mti8040035","url":null,"abstract":"Software developers new to creating Augmented Reality (AR) experiences often gravitate towards simplified development environments, such as 3D game engines. While popular game engines such as Unity and Unreal have evolved to offer extensive support and functionalities for AR creation, many developers still find it difficult to realize their immersive development projects. We ran an observational study with 12 software developers to assess how they approach the initial AR creation processes using a simplified development framework, the information resources they seek, and how their learning experience compares to the more mainstream 2D development. We observed that developers often started by looking for code examples rather than breaking down complex problems, leading to challenges in visualizing the AR experience. They encountered vocabulary issues and found trial-and-error methods ineffective due to a lack of familiarity with 3D environments, physics, and motion. These observations highlight the distinct needs of emerging AR developers and suggest that conventional code reuse strategies in mainstream development may be less effective in AR. We discuss the importance of developing more intuitive training and learning methods to foster diversity in developing interactive systems and support self-taught learners.","PeriodicalId":52297,"journal":{"name":"Multimodal Technologies and Interaction","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2024-04-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140672537","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"EEG, Pupil Dilations, and Other Physiological Measures of Working Memory Load in the Sternberg Task","authors":"M. Ahmadi, Samantha W. Michalka, Marzieh Ahmadi Najafabadi, Burkhard C. Wünsche, M. Billinghurst","doi":"10.3390/mti8040034","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/mti8040034","url":null,"abstract":"Recent evidence shows that physiological cues, such as pupil dilation (PD), heart rate (HR), skin conductivity (SC), and electroencephalography (EEG), can indicate cognitive load (CL) in users while performing tasks. This paper aims to investigate physiological (multimodal) measurement of CL in a Sternberg memory task as the difficulty level increases in both maintenance and probe phases. For this purpose, we designed a Sternberg memory test with four levels of difficulty determined by the number of letters in the words that need to be remembered. Our behavioral performance results show that the CL of the task is related to the number of letters in non-semantic words, which confirms that this task serves as an appropriate metric of CL (the task difficulty increases as the number of letters in words increases). We were interested in investigating the suitability of multimodal physiological measures as correlates of four CL levels for both the maintenance and probe phases in the Sternberg memory task. Our motivation was to: (1) design and create four levels of task difficulty with a gradual increase in CL rather than just high and low CL, (2) use the Sternberg test as our test bed, (3) explore both the maintenance and probe phases for measurement of CL, and (4) explore the correlation of physiological cues (PD, HR, SC, EEG) with CL in both phases. Testing with the system, we found that for both the maintenance and probe phases, there was a significant positive linear relationship between average baseline corrected PD and CL. We also observed that the average baseline corrected SC showed significant increases as the number of letters in the words increased for both the maintenance and probe phases. However, the HR analysis did not show any correlation with an increase in CL in either of the maintenance or probe phases. An additional analysis was conducted to investigate the correlation of these physiological signals for high (seven-letter words) versus low (four-letter words) CL loads. Our EEG analysis for the maintenance phase found significant positive linear relationships between the power spectral density (PSD) and CL for the upper alpha bands in the centrotemporal, frontal, and occipitoparietal regions of the brain and significant positive linear relationships between the PSD and CL for the lower alpha band in the frontal and occipitoparietal regions. However, our EEG analysis of the probe phase did not show any linear relationship between the PSD and CL in any region. These results suggest that PD, SC, and EEG could be used as suitable metrics for the measurement of cognitive load in Sternberg memory tasks. We discuss this, limitations of the study, and directions for future work.","PeriodicalId":52297,"journal":{"name":"Multimodal Technologies and Interaction","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2024-04-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140682695","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The Effect of Culture and Social-Cognitive Characteristics on App Preference and Willingness to Use a Fitness App","authors":"Kiemute Oyibo, Julita Vassileva","doi":"10.3390/mti8040033","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/mti8040033","url":null,"abstract":"Fitness apps are persuasive tools developed to motivate physical activity. Despite their popularity, there is little work on how social-cognitive characteristics such as culture, household size, physical activity level, perceived self-efficacy and social support influence users’ willingness to use them and preference (personal vs. social). Knowing these relationships can help developers tailor fitness apps to different socio-cultural groups. Hence, we conducted two studies to address the research gap. In the first study (n = 194) aimed at recruiting participants for the second study, we asked participants about their app preference (personal vs. social), physical activity level and key demographic variables. In the second study (n = 49), we asked participants about their social-cognitive beliefs about exercise and their willingness to use a fitness app (presented as a screenshot). The results of the first study showed that, in the collectivist group (Nigerians), people in large households were more likely to be active and use the social version of a fitness app than those in small households. However, in the individualist group (Canadians/Americans), neither the preference for the social or personal version of a fitness app nor the physical activity level depended on the household size. Moreover, in the second study, in the individualist model, perceived self-efficacy and perceived self-regulation have a significant total effect on willingness to use a fitness app. However, in the collectivist model, perceived social support and outcome expectation have a significant total effect on the target construct. Finally, we found that females in individualist cultures had higher overall social-cognitive beliefs about exercise than males in individualist cultures and females in collectivist cultures. The implications of the findings are discussed.","PeriodicalId":52297,"journal":{"name":"Multimodal Technologies and Interaction","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2024-04-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140694081","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A Comparison of Parenting Strategies in a Digital Environment: A Systematic Literature Review","authors":"Leonarda Banić, T. Orehovački","doi":"10.3390/mti8040032","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/mti8040032","url":null,"abstract":"In the modern digital landscape, parental involvement in shaping children’s internet usage has gained unprecedented importance. This research delves into the evolving trends of parental mediation concerning children’s internet activities. As the digital realm increasingly influences young lives, the role of parents in guiding and safeguarding their children’s online experiences becomes crucial. The study addresses key research questions to explore the strategies parents adopt, the content they restrict, the rules they establish, the potential exposure to inappropriate content, and the impact of parents’ computer literacy on their children’s internet safety. Additionally, the research includes a thematic question that broadens the analysis by incorporating insights from studies not directly answering the primary questions but contributing valuable context and understanding to the digital parenting arena. Building on this, the findings from a systematic literature review, conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, highlight a shift towards more proactive parental involvement. Incorporating 49 studies from 11 databases, these findings reveal the current trends and methodologies in parental mediation. Active mediation strategies, which involve positive interactions and discussions about online content, are gaining recognition alongside the prevalent restrictive mediation approaches. Parents are proactively forbidding specific internet content, emphasizing safety and privacy concerns. Moreover, the emergence of parents’ computer literacy as a significant factor influencing their children’s online safety underlines the importance of digital proficiency. By shedding light on the contemporary landscape of parental mediation, this study contributes to a deeper understanding of how parents navigate their children’s internet experiences and the challenges they face in ensuring responsible and secure online engagement. The implications of these findings offer valuable insights for both practitioners and researchers, emphasizing the need for active parental involvement and the importance of enhancing parents’ digital proficiency. Despite limitations due to the language and methodological heterogeneity among the included studies, this research paves the way for future investigations into digital parenting practices.","PeriodicalId":52297,"journal":{"name":"Multimodal Technologies and Interaction","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2024-04-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140710213","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"MirrorCampus: A Synchronous Hybrid Learning Environment That Supports Spatial Localization of Learners for Facilitating Discussion-Oriented Behaviors","authors":"Shota Sawada, Sunkyoung Kim, Masakazu Hirokawa, Kenji Suzuki","doi":"10.3390/mti8040031","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/mti8040031","url":null,"abstract":"A growing number of higher-education institutions are implementing synchronous hybrid delivery, which provides both online and on-campus learners with simultaneous instruction, especially for facilitating discussions in Active Learning (AL) contexts. However, learners face difficulties in picking up social cues and gaining free access to speaking rights due to the geometrical misalignment of individuals mediated through screens. We assume that the cultivation of discussions is allowed by ensuring the spatial localization of learners similar to that in a physical space. This study aims to design a synchronous hybrid learning environment, called Mirror Campus (MC), suitable for the AL scenario that connects physical and cyberspaces by providing spatial localization of learners. We hypothesize that the MC promotes discussion-oriented behaviors, and eventually enhances applied skills for group tasks, related to discussion, creativity, decision-making, and interdependence. We conducted an experiment with five different groups, where four participants in each group were asked to discuss a given topic for fifteen minutes, and clarified that the occurrences of facing behaviors, intervening, and simultaneous utterances in the MC were significantly increased compared to a conventional video conferencing. In conclusion, this study demonstrated the significance of the spatial localization of learners to facilitate discussion-oriented behaviors such as facing and speech.","PeriodicalId":52297,"journal":{"name":"Multimodal Technologies and Interaction","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2024-04-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140714022","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A Two-Level Highlighting Technique Based on Gaze Direction to Improve Target Pointing and Selection on a Big Touch Screen","authors":"Valéry Marcial Monthe, Thierry Duval","doi":"10.3390/mti8040029","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/mti8040029","url":null,"abstract":"In this paper, we present an approach to improve pointing methods and target selection on tactile human–machine interfaces. This approach defines a two-level highlighting technique (TLH) based on the direction of gaze for target selection on a touch screen. The technique uses the orientation of the user’s head to approximate the direction of his gaze and uses this information to preselect the potential targets. An experimental system with a multimodal interface has been prototyped to assess the impact of TLH on target selection on a touch screen and compare its performance with that of traditional methods (mouse and touch). We conducted an experiment to assess the effectiveness of our proposition in terms of the rate of selection errors made and time for completion of the task. We also made a subjective estimation of ease of use, suitability for selection, confidence brought by the TLH, and contribution of TLH to improving the selection of targets. Statistical results show that the proposed TLH significantly reduces the selection error rate and the time to complete tasks.","PeriodicalId":52297,"journal":{"name":"Multimodal Technologies and Interaction","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2024-04-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140720365","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}