Re-imagining commonly used mobile interfaces for older adults

Many countries have an increasingly ageing population. In recent years, mobile technologies have had a massive impact on social and working lives. As the size of the older user population rises, many people will want to continue professional, social and lifestyle usage of mobiles into 70s and beyond. Mobile technologies can lead to increased community involvement and personal independence. While mobile technologies can provide many opportunities, the ageing process can interfere with their use. This workshop brings together researchers who are re-imagining common mobile interfaces so that they are more suited to use by older adults.

Emerging perspectives on the design, use, and evaluation of mobile and handheld devices

Human-computer interaction is a growing field of study in which researchers and professionals aim to understand and evaluate the impact of new technologies on human behavior. With the integration of smart phones, tablets, and other portable devices into everyday life, there is a greater need to understand the influence of such technology on the human experience. Emerging Perspectives on the Design, Use, and Evaluation of Mobile and Handheld Devices is an authoritative reference source consisting of the latest scholarly research and theories from international experts and professionals on the topic of human-computer interaction with mobile devices. Featuring a comprehensive collection of chapters on critical topics in this dynamic field, this publication is an essential reference source for researchers, educators, students, and practitioners interested in the use of mobile and handheld devices and their impact on individuals and society as a whole. This publication features timely, research-based chapters pertaining to topics in the design and evaluation of smart devices including, but not limited to, app stores, category-based interfaces, gamified mobility applications, mobile interaction, mobile learning, pervasive multimodal applications, smartphone interaction, and social media use.

Orthogonal frequency division multiplexing based air interfaces and multiple input multiple output techniques in cooperative satellite communications for 4th generation mobile systems

Recently, wireless network technology has grown at such a pace that scientific research has become a practical reality in a very short time span. Mobile wireless communications have witnessed the adoption of several generations, each of them complementing and improving the former. One mobile system that features high data rates and open network architecture is 4G. Currently, the research community and industry, in the field of wireless networks, are working on possible choices for solutions in the 4G system. 4G is a collection of technologies and standards that will allow a range of ubiquitous computing and wireless communication architectures. The researcher considers one of the most important characteristics of future 4G mobile systems the ability to guarantee reliable communications from 100 Mbps, in high mobility links, to as high as 1 Gbps for low mobility users, in addition to high efficiency in the spectrum usage. On mobile wireless communications networks, one important factor is the coverage of large geographical areas. In 4G systems, a hybrid satellite/terrestrial network is crucial to providing users with coverage wherever needed. Subscribers thus require a reliable satellite link to access their services when they are in remote locations, where a terrestrial infrastructure is unavailable. Thus, they must rely upon satellite coverage. Good modulation and access technique are also required in order to transmit high data rates over satellite links to mobile users. This technique must adapt to the characteristics of the satellite channel and also be efficient in the use of allocated bandwidth. Satellite links are fading channels, when used by mobile users. Some measures designed to approach these fading environments make use of: (1) spatial diversity (two receive antenna configuration); (2) time diversity (channel interleaver/spreading techniques); and (3) upper layer FEC. The author proposes the use of OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Multiple Access) for the satellite link by increasing the time diversity. This technique will allow for an increase of the data rate, as primarily required by multimedia applications, and will also optimally use the available bandwidth. In addition, this dissertation approaches the use of Cooperative Satellite Communications for hybrid satellite/terrestrial networks. By using this technique, the satellite coverage can be extended to areas where there is no direct link to the satellite. For this purpose, a good channel model is necessary.

A multimodal and adaptive real-time human -computer interface for peoples with severe motor disability

This dissertation introduces the design of a multimodal, adaptive real-time assistive system as an alternate human computer interface that can be used by individuals with severe motor disabilities. The proposed design is based on the integration of a remote eye-gaze tracking system, voice recognition software, and a virtual keyboard. The methodology relies on a user profile that customizes eye gaze tracking using neural networks. The user profiling feature facilitates the notion of universal access to computing resources for a wide range of applications such as web browsing, email, word processing and editing. ^ The study is significant in terms of the integration of key algorithms to yield an adaptable and multimodal interface. The contributions of this dissertation stem from the following accomplishments: (a) establishment of the data transport mechanism between the eye-gaze system and the host computer yielding to a significantly low failure rate of 0.9%; (b) accurate translation of eye data into cursor movement through congregate steps which conclude with calibrated cursor coordinates using an improved conversion function; resulting in an average reduction of 70% of the disparity between the point of gaze and the actual position of the mouse cursor, compared with initial findings; (c) use of both a moving average and a trained neural network in order to minimize the jitter of the mouse cursor, which yield an average jittering reduction of 35%; (d) introduction of a new mathematical methodology to measure the degree of jittering of the mouse trajectory; (e) embedding an onscreen keyboard to facilitate text entry, and a graphical interface that is used to generate user profiles for system adaptability. ^ The adaptability nature of the interface is achieved through the establishment of user profiles, which may contain the jittering and voice characteristics of a particular user as well as a customized list of the most commonly used words ordered according to the user's preferences: in alphabetical or statistical order. This allows the system to successfully provide the capability of interacting with a computer. Every time any of the sub-system is retrained, the accuracy of the interface response improves even more. ^

Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing Based Air Interfaces and Multiple Input Multiple Output Techniques in Cooperative Satellite Communications for 4th Generation Mobile Systems

Recently, wireless network technology has grown at such a pace that scientific research has become a practical reality in a very short time span. One mobile system that features high data rates and open network architecture is 4G. Currently, the research community and industry, in the field of wireless networks, are working on possible choices for solutions in the 4G system. The researcher considers one of the most important characteristics of future 4G mobile systems the ability to guarantee reliable communications at high data rates, in addition to high efficiency in the spectrum usage. On mobile wireless communication networks, one important factor is the coverage of large geographical areas. In 4G systems, a hybrid satellite/terrestrial network is crucial to providing users with coverage wherever needed. Subscribers thus require a reliable satellite link to access their services when they are in remote locations where a terrestrial infrastructure is unavailable. The results show that good modulation and access technique are also required in order to transmit high data rates over satellite links to mobile users. The dissertation proposes the use of OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Multiple Access) for the satellite link by increasing the time diversity. This technique will allow for an increase of the data rate, as primarily required by multimedia applications, and will also optimally use the available bandwidth. In addition, this dissertation approaches the use of Cooperative Satellite Communications for hybrid satellite/terrestrial networks. By using this technique, the satellite coverage can be extended to areas where there is no direct link to the satellite. The issue of Cooperative Satellite Communications is solved through a new algorithm that forwards the received data from the fixed node to the mobile node. This algorithm is very efficient because it does not allow unnecessary transmissions and is based on signal to noise ratio (SNR) measures.

Semantikos: proposta de interfaces para aplicativo mediador de técnica de diferencial semântico em mobile tablet

This research aims to systematize a proposal of developing a mobile tablet application in order to help implementing the Semantic Differential technique – SD, under the approach of Participatory Design. In 1975, Osgood et al. created the Semantic Differential technique. Since then, many experiments use it to measure the affective perception of individuals concerning objects and concepts by means of compounded scales of bipolar adjectives, based on the theoretical models that support the technique: the conductible, spatial and metric models. During the application of the technique with potential users, the researcher must simultaneously manage several contexts, that is, audio recorder, when authorized, and observe and record spontaneous reports of the respondent. It is noticeable that often occurs a cognitive overload during this event. Thus, the use of a single application whose interface is assigned to its users and respondents could assist researchers in applying the SD technique. This research aimed to understand the processes inherent to the task of implementing the Semantic Differential technique and obeyed the following steps: a) training of users, b) background questionnaire c) interview with Focus Group, and d) cooperative evaluation. Besides these procedures, one can also observe the degrees of facilitation or difficulty concerning the use of the conventional model, which is the development and application of scales with the aid of printed material, pencil, pens, clipboards, and recorder software for editing the document and data analysis. This paper comprises reactions and impressions from the experiences of users of SD technique. Considering the data recollected from the user’s observation, the hypothesis of the experiment proved to be right. It means that the development of the application for mobile tablet employing the technique of Semantic Differential is viable, since it assembles all the steps in one only tool, increases the accomplishment of the task between user/researcher and user/respondent resulting in their mutual satisfaction.

Trabalho e saúde: análise da relação entre condições de trabalho e motivação no emprego e suas interfaces com a saúde dos profissionais nos hospitais públicos

Health results from the interaction of biological, social, economic, political and cultural factors. Under this perspective, we aim to analyze the relationship among working in public emergency hospitals and the health-sickness of the professionals who work there. We are based in a quantitative and qualitative research, in which 240 health professionals (doctors, nurses, social workers, psychologists, dentists, nutritionists, audiologists, physiotherapists and occupational therapists) answered a survey. All of them recognize the importance of work to guarantee favorable conditions to good health. However, they highlight its physical and mental wear effects on workers like stress, absence of a healthy life-style, high blood pressure, musculoskeletal, gastrointestinal and sleep disorders. It becomes urgent to face this reality, to enhance professionals' health and, consequently, the quality of user’s assistance, since the illness of health workers is strongly correlated with the existing health model in society.

(Re)criando (mini)contos de terror: uma experiência de ensino de leitura e escrita de gênero multimodal

Given the multiplicity of languages and media present in contemporary texts, the work with digital genres characterizes itself as essential for teaching, reading and writing. Virtual media is already present in many dayly activities that require the use of language. This shows that the globalized world brings new demands of literacy and various reading practices. Given this perspective, we propose to work the multiliteracies present in the new texts from the enunciative discourse Bakhtinian assumptions. For this, we chose to be as the object of research / intervention, the horror flash fiction multimodal discursive genre, because it is a multissemiótico digital statement of virtual circulation. In this context, this study aimed to understand how the teaching of this kind can contribute to the development of knowledge related to reading and text production, required by multiliteracies, by performing a Didactic Sequence in the classroom, specifically for two classes of elementary school, 7th and 8th grades of public school. The research was based on Bakhtin's theory and the Circle (2009, 2011) on gender perspective in a dialogic and the proposed Dolz and Schneuwly (2004) for the text of teaching through sequences Teaching. We also use the precepts of multiliteracies focused on Rojo (2012, 2013). The methodology used was based on a qualitative approach. We consider the analysis of minicontos produced by students, it's own hibridism of multiliteracies, the discursive characteristics such as composition, style and subject content, in addition to relations dialogicity present in these statements. At the end of the study, we realized that our intervention contributed to the expansion of knowledge of the subjects involved related to reading and multimodal genre production.

As estações ferroviárias do Triângulo Mineiro e Alto Paranaíba e suas interfaces: história e conservação

The implementation of the railway in Triângulo Mineiro and Alto Paranaíba helped to develop the area and connexion with other states: São Paulo, Goiás and Mato Grosso. The railway used to transport people and goods throughout many train stations in urban and rural areas and some major railroad complexes. There were many factors that led to the decline and abandonment of these properties: governmental policies which were in favour of road transportation and automotive industry, the replacement of the steam locomotive for electric and electric-diesel locomotives, changing part of the railway plan, removal of railways and loss of function of the buildings, extinction of passenger trains, which led the stations to lose its main purpose: people transport. 53% of the stations built inside the study area were demolished and most of them are in rural areas. There are several situations: stations on a precarious conservation state, most of them in the city s rural area, stations being used in urban and rural areas with new uses, stations working with cargo and goods transportation. The stations in Triângulo Mineiro and Alto Paranaíba area in Minas Gerais are the object of this dissertation, wherein the main interest lies on the stations that are in operation, 21 buildings, seeking to verify their conservation state, their agents and role in preserving the train memory. Maps, charts and tables were made for this collection s understanding, having visited the stations that are listed by the cultural heritage and the ones that are in operation with new functions. Field records were made allowing the understanding of these properties in operation. It is observed that only the buildings listing, despite ensuring the non-demolition, does not help on the use and preservation of these stations, because there are some buildings that have this protection level, but are abandoned and in disrepair. The use of these stations by a train company, operating with cargo and goods transportation do not also guarantee the buildings preservation, as they are not treated with any preservation interest, their maintenance are precarious. The using by these companies are various, however, only a few stations have internal spaces dedicated to the railroad memory. Most of the stations did not have preservation projects with architects and specialists participation and the major concern, during maintenance process, is on the building s external part. The stations conservation begins on the local government interest, that preserve these properties, most of them are in urban areas, the major challenge is on their using definition and occupancy, especially in the countryside, wherein the buildings uses must be sustainable, as regards the appreciation and management of this heritage.

Interfaces naturais : exploração e integração de plataformas em contexto educativo

Relatório de estágio para a obtenção do grau de mestre na área de Educação e Comunicação Multimédia

Beat that word : How listeners integrate beat gesture and focus in multimodal speech discourse

Peer reviewed

Beat that Word : How Listeners Integrate Beat Gesture and Focus in Multimodal Speech Discourse

Peer reviewed

Design de interfaces dinâmicos em sistemas de gestão de conteúdos

Relatório de Estágio para a obtenção do grau de Mestre na área de Educação e Comunicação Multimédia

Interfaces entre juventude e lazer mercadoria

O presente estudo tece nexos entre sociedade de consumo, lazer e juventudes, cientes da complexidade dado o modo de vida estruturado pelo capital. Mais especificamente, trata do lazer vivenciado em danceterias da cidade de Santa Maria/RS, o qual se constituiem um dos principais espaços de lazer da juventude universitária. As danceterias vendem seus produtos com a promessa de liberdade e de plena fruiçao. Todavia elas nao podem ser entendidas somente pelo viés do negócio, mas articuladores do encontro e da fruiçao de sujeitos sociais. Destacamos a necessidade de políticas públicas de lazer articuladas com os ideais e desejos da juventude e como prática de liberdade

Interfaces entre juventude e lazer mercadoria

O presente estudo tece nexos entre sociedade de consumo, lazer e juventudes, cientes da complexidade dado o modo de vida estruturado pelo capital. Mais especificamente, trata do lazer vivenciado em danceterias da cidade de Santa Maria/RS, o qual se constituiem um dos principais espaços de lazer da juventude universitária. As danceterias vendem seus produtos com a promessa de liberdade e de plena fruiçao. Todavia elas nao podem ser entendidas somente pelo viés do negócio, mas articuladores do encontro e da fruiçao de sujeitos sociais. Destacamos a necessidade de políticas públicas de lazer articuladas com os ideais e desejos da juventude e como prática de liberdade