Advances in Human Factors in Wearable Technologies and Game Design

In elite sports real-time feedback of biomechanical parameters is indispensable to achieve performance enhancement. Wearables including embedded data analysis are a suitable tool for online monitoring of movement parameters and might enhance the quality of training significantly. However, due to limited compute capacities for complex data processing on the sensor device itself, analysis can typically only be done afterwards using high-performance tools. This lack of immediate feedback may lead to slower training progress. We present a flexible, wearable system for the analysis of different sports movement including online-monitoring. It includes a modular, platform-based framework with a sensor node, an embedded software stack, Bluetooth Low Energy communication and an Android application. Data is analyzed on the sensor itself via embedded real-time algorithms. Results indicate that the device provides reliable and accurate measurements of movement parameters. In combination with adaptable algorithms and the BLE transmission, it offers solutions for real-time monitoring of athletic performance.

Emotion recognition is an important research topic. Physiological signals seem to be an appropriate way for emotion recognition and specific sensors are required to collect these data. Therefore, laboratory sensors are commonly used while the number of wearable devices including similar physiological sensors is growing up. Many studies have been completed to evaluate the signal quality obtained by these sensors but without focusing on their emotion recognition capabilities. In the current study, Machine Learning models were trained to compare the Biopac MP150 (laboratory sensor) and Empatica E4 (wearable sensor) in terms of emotion recognition accuracy. Results show similar accuracy between data collected using laboratory and wearable sensors. These results support the reliability of emotion recognition outside laboratory.

The human is permanently confronted with different stress factors, for example during an assembly process. In this case an extreme body postures with a high force transmission can be injurious the health. Additionally a high stress on the hand can cause pain and lead to the so-called rhizarthrose. The stress factors can be captured and reduced by using support systems. This work concentrates on the development of support systems for capturing and reducing the stress on the hand-arm-joints. The developing starts with a research on sensors and support systems which have already been applied for the upper body and for manual work. Subsequently first systems are being developed systematically and demonstrated on a process example. The results show the objective capture and reduction of the hand-arm-stress.

Over 1.5 million people in the world who are completely deaf-blind use touch-based alphabets to communicate with others and to interact with the world. However, they rely on an assistant who plays the role of an interpreter in translating the world for them. Unfortunately, despite the research work realized in the last decade, on the market there are no assistive devices for providing people who suffer from severe multi-sensory impairments with technology for social inclusion. In this paper, we introduce dbGLOVE, a wearable device for supporting deaf-blind people in being completely independent in communicating with others and in interacting with the world. Our system was co-designed with users to be a natural interface and to accommodate for different already-existing touch- and gesture-based languages, such as Malossi and deaf-blind manual, in order to offer a unique device for connecting different communities with an affordable solution.

Keeping an active lifestyle has been important and recommended for decades. The arrival of the Internet of Things (IoT) offers opportunities to simplify the tracking and logging of data supporting that lifestyle. So-called activity or fitness trackers have become smaller and more affordable over the past few years. However, their use is not as widespread as could be. This explorative study with n = 82 participants investigates privacy concerns and sensitivity regarding data gathered with wearables. It was found that long-term storage location and possible recipients of the collected data do play important roles. However, the consensus was that the participants would prefer to keep said data to themselves. Furthermore, user factors such as age, gender, and privacy behavior could not be identified as having an effect on sharing said data.

The paper presents the development of a customizable lower-leg orthotic device. It consists of a single degree of freedom multi-loop linkage designed to facilitate task-specific lower extremity training for rehabilitation purposes. The device guides the knee, ankle and foot of the user along a walking trajectory obtained from motion capture of a healthy human subject. We hypothesize that a device that closely mimics natural human walking motion will be able to provide more desirable design solutions in terms of comfort, stability and safety. Multibody dynamic simulation software OpenSim is used to characterize and assess the trajectory produced by the proposed device. The dynamic simulation predicts the effects of walking with the device and allows the study of the interaction of the orthotic device with the human body during the conceptual and detailed design phases.

Anxiety is a physiological state of activation, which is commonly measured using direct or indirect methods. In psychology, the tools used to obtain information about the state of anxiety in a subject are commonly, self-reports, which represent how the person perceives his or her own physiological and cognitive state of anxiety. Additionally, anxiety has been tested on graphics tests, which evaluate the characteristics of strokes, such as the pressure exerted by the pen or the oscillation of the line. These characteristics are measured in an indirect and, in certain way, subjective manner; thus it is necessary to develop objective tools that throw specific and directly measurable data. For these reasons in this paper, we present an intelligent pen that has the objective of providing a presumptive diagnosis of anxiety levels that presents a person (especially students of middle and higher education). The pen uses an electronic device to measure two pressure levels (at pen tip and pen body) and an inference system based on fuzzy logic. This prototype has been tested with 9 volunteers in an experiment consisting in two stages: a first under simulated stress condition, and a second under normal writing.

In the industrial environment such as aircraft cockpits and train driver’s cab we wished to real-timely acquire the eye-tracking position and made it synchronous with all controlled digital screens with which the machine could dynamically response to the user’ s current situation awareness (SA). Wearable eye-tracking glasses could only provide the relative position to the captured video, using which we gathered the data of the eye movement data (2DOF). While the motion capture device could only provide the position and orientation data, using which we accessed the displacement and angular displacement of the head (6DOF). We combined such two devices together into a novel real-time eye-interaction system to synchronize the user’s visual point on the screens. A spatial transform algorithm was proposed to calculate the visual point on the multiple digital screens. With the algorithm and the human factors analysis the machine could strengthen its dynamic service abilities.

A pilot is presented to evaluate a helmet mounted vibrotactile feedback system (VFS) for managing head position during cycling by feedback to a subject when its head deviates from a preset aerodynamic position. The VFS measurements are validated with a Vicon motion capturing system. The effect of the VFS is compared with verbal instructions only. In 89.66% (P = 0.15) of all measurements, the VFS value is in accordance with the Vicon system. In 83.33% of the cases, the sensor correctly leads the subject to the predefined position after perturbation of the position. Changing the margin of error of VFS has little influence on the improvement of attaining the predefined position. The sensor accuracy and efficiency of retaining or resumption the predefined reference position indicates that it can be usable for time trialists, triathletes and track cyclists in attaining their aerodynamic head position.

The garment pressure comfort sensation was studied in the paper. The garment pressure comfort threshold was defined and calculated according to staircase method of psychophysics. In experiment, 10 subjects were employed in sensory tests and pressure measurements. A novel stretchable compressive belt was designed and developed, which was used to control the pressure applied on separate body parts by its extension and intention, and the subjects judgment and pressure monitor were recorded in times. Finally, the comfort thresholds at 13 separate body parts were investigated. This study provided proper comfort pressure range to human body for developing compression wear.

In our previous study, we have reviewed the existing criteria from different design domains that seem as relevant for the design and assessment of the wearables. Our next goal is developing a Universal Design-based assessment framework, which should cover all three layers of the Universal Design model: the transcending principle, process-related principles, and human factors principles. The equity principle says that an application of design is universally inclusive for all kinds of different users. We propose starting an evaluation with the assessment of equity, using a revised version of the guidelines of the National Institute of Health for Equality Impact Assessment. The process-related principles include flexibility, error-management, efficiency, and stability and predictability. For these principles, we propose the use of well-established usability evaluation tools with focusing on the principles listed above. For the evaluation of human factors principles, which include ergonomic, perception and cognition principles, we propose the use of the Inclusive Design Toolkit developed by the Engineering Design Centre of the University of Cambridge. A combination of mentioned above three tools can provide a comprehensive and fast evaluation framework for wearables and other types of design artifacts, which do not have interactions with screen-based input/output devices.

In recent years, e-learning systems have been introduced and used at many educational institutions. However, because of difficulty in maintaining student motivation in classes that use these systems, e-learning systems for self-study may foster user dropout; more precisely, because users are isolated during self-study, they may be highly motivated to engage in e-learning initially, but this motivation may gradually decline over time. In this study, we introduce “Moti-Meter,” a system intended to support the maintenance of user motivation and avoid psychological reactance by enabling users to visualize their own motivation. Estimation of users’ motivation is done using regression analysis of data collected from non-invasive sensor devices, such as smartphones and wearable devices. Visualizing one’s motivation has potential for applications in a range of other fields as well, for instance in healthcare.

The text presents the results of a Transnational Research Project (SAF€RA Joint Call 2014) called “POD-Plurisensorial Device to Prevent Occupational Disease”, within a consortium made up of Design Department of Politecnico di Milano, Delft University of Technology and Comftech S.r.l. (an Italian Company specialized in electronic/smart textile). The research project aims at developing a novel concept of wearable system to prevent respiratory diseases inside the specific working environment of a coating plant. The paper will present the results of the research project based on a human-centred approach, from the user analysis sessions to the system development. In the process we have considered the user as the ultimate experts, those who can properly assess design innovation, propose changes, and ultimately, integrate end products within their environments.

This study examines the feasibility of an integrated motion and vibrotactile system for controlling a humanoid robotic arm using natural and intuitive movements rather than a complicated control schema. We examine a head-mounted display integrated into a system of arm-based motion sensors that control a humanoid robotic arm to determine if there is an observable difference between third-person and first-person perspective in the control of the robot arm. We look at vibration as a form of haptic feedback to relay the limitations of the robot arm back to the user. An experiment shows 30 participants were able to complete both gross and fine motor control tasks without fail indicating that this type of sensor based control systems is intuitive and easy to use. The majority of participants found the method of control to be intuitive, the inclusion of first-person perspective to be beneficial, and the vibration feedback to be either inconsequential or confusing.

Tactile signing and touch-based alphabets are among the primary communication systems for people who suffer from sensory or multisensory conditions, such as, blindness or deaf-blindness, respectively. In the last decade, several research projects based on sensory substitution focused on developing novel interfaces. However, people who are sensory-impaired still lack reliable technology for interacting with the world. To this end, wearable devices could have a significant role in providing individuals with support for daily activities, communication, and social inclusion. In this paper, we introduce a categorization based on technology for sensing and representing the main components of touch- and gesture-based communication systems (i.e., movement, gesture, pressure, and touch) to provide an understanding of the technical and human factors which affect or foster the development of new assistive technology.

Anteflexion of the spine is a crucial motion in performing many tasks during work and daily life. It is particularly important in tasks such as providing care to others and carrying objects. To devise measures for preventing back pain, it is necessary to determine the postures associated with high risk of low back pain. Postures that increase lumbosacral load should be identified to reduce the risk of low back pain. In previous work, the relationship between posture and intervertebral loading was clarified, and the centers of gravity in the upper body and the waist shape were estimated. Moreover, individual differences were considered to improve the accuracy of the estimation. This method can estimate the lumbosacral load with sufficient accuracy. However, lumbosacral loading was examined in relation to posture and increases with external load. Therefore, the external load should be included in lumbosacral load estimation. In this study, we developed a back muscle exertion estimation method by using stiffness sensors to measure back muscle exertion, because the back muscle exertion changes with the external load. We conducted experiments in which participants wore the sensor system and the lumbosacral load was estimated from the external load. Estimation using the muscle stiffness sensors was better than previous estimation methods.

This paper focuses on emotional effects of storytelling-based hand gesture interaction in a VR (Virtual Reality) environment. Unlike using depth cameras like Kinect sensor, a wearable band is proposed to detect users’ hand gestures to create a virtual reality film. The VR film is created using a storytelling-based hand gesture recognition system and focuses on the users’ emotional effects. For the design, the hand gestures suitable for the story in the film are derived from research on users and are applied to the VR film titled ‘Not Alone’. In order to recognize the hand gestures of the user, the data collected from the wearable band is analyzed to classify movements of the hand through machine learning, which helps to solve problems of the existing hand gestures. This study proposes hand gesture interaction that is most suitable for users with two free hands in the head mounted display HMD (Head Mounted Display) based VR environment and tries to maximize users’ emotional responses in narrative-based film content by developing storytelling-based hand gesture interaction.

Pokémon Go™ is an augmented reality game for iOS™ and Android™ released in July 2016. It is one of the most played augmented reality exergames in 2016. News programs all over the world reported about the high level of physical activity of people playing Pokémon Go™. Further medical and public health communities discussed the potential of this mobile game due to its potential influence on higher levels of sustainable physical activity for health benefits. We present results of an empirical study conducted 14 weeks after the official release of Pokémon Go™ in Germany. We investigated the effect of augmented reality on initial contact and user behavior within this augmented reality exergame. Participants were therefore divided in three groups (active, former and non-gamers) based on personal statement. The results present insights into the initial contact, experienced critical situations and user behavior including use of augmented reality and in-app purchases.

The objective of this study is to develop educational games for people with visual impairment to learn science in a fun and interactive method (i.e., a serious educational game). The paper comprises investigations of the effect of tactile feedback and collaboration on the game for visually impaired users within the framework of game-based science learning (GBSL). Results showed significant effects of tactile feedback and collaboration on participants’ presence and immersion levels. The research will enhance the future development and application of game-based science learning.

The report completed in 2014 shows the Mapping of Digital Games Industry in Brazil, and was made by the Group of Studies and Development of the Creative Industry (GEDIGames). This project demonstrated the significant growth of the game sector in the country, pointing to the existence of 133 companies, and highlighting Pernambuco state as the higher growth in the Brazil Northeast region, counting 10 companies that currently develop games. This is probably due to the existence of the Porto Digital, which corresponds to a technological pool that aggregates several companies that develop new technologies. This paper aims to present the impact mapping of the Porto Digital Project on the development of the gaming industry in Pernambuco state, based on the companies installed in the technology park, observing how the development of the area was established by recovering its history and potential as a member of the creative industry in Brazil. A field research study was carried out to better understand the creative industry paths in Pernambuco, building a broad panel on the game industry. As a contribution, the research provided information for the development of tools that allowed professional improvement of those who directly dealt with the digital game design and broadcast content, as well as identifying trends for the next few years in the game industry.

Intelligent Personal Assistant (IPA) has experienced an important market growth, therefore, an increase in its development by having more people interested in devices that use this software. This opens possibilities for develop new games that people can be interested in. This article presents a framework proposal to create audio games using IPA enabled devices. In order to evaluate the framework, a prototype was designed and presented to 30 participants. The results obtained indicated that a 97.6% of the interviewees were attracted to the idea of playing a game using and IPA.

Phone game player always have trouble to involve the new game. It is difficult to quickly immersed in a game, this makes the game makers spend a lot of methods and strategies on the background of the game, lead the players into the game. Traditional control methods including gesture and touch sometimes cannot help players very well, so sound control then plays a essential role in game control. As an interactive product that can give people different modality (such as nervous, happy and exciting), game must give people multiple sensory experience. There are 2 reasons for this. First, human’s sensory system can transmit all kinds of sensory. Any miss of sensory will make people aware the unnatural element around the atmosphere and then affect the immersion experience within the interaction of game. Second, to keep the game continuing, the basic requirement is to keep awaking state about player, and multiple sensory system stimulations can promote the awaking state of player. So even the game itself does not have sound, the customer needs and characteristics of game decide game will not stay on visual stimulation stage. As a result, the sound interpose to game is a inevitable result, it can help player to get abundant and happy experience, meanwhile, the sound can satisfy the customer experience. If we use Yin-yang master as an instance, a lot of Japanese comic original sound together attract comic fans this special group. The acoustic sound in the game let people feel comic joy during the game playing. This paper analyzes the sound in the role of game entertainment, popular use in China games phenomenon to explore the cartoon reality origin in game design methods and the application value. This article analyze the function of sound about game, and take a Chinese fashionable phone game yin-yang master as a instance to research acoustic comic sound’s function and value in game design.

Despite the rapid and significant growth of virtual reality based video games, scientific studies have not yet been conducted to highlight the outstanding differences of this kind of immersive video games as compared to the more traditional kind (i.e. not immersive, for instance tablet or console games). Peculiarly, very little information is provided about the players’ experience during a virtual reality game. On the basis of these observations, the paper presents an exploratory study aimed to compare the players’ experience while performing a video game in an immersive (virtual reality) and in a non-immersive (tablet) condition. In order to address this objective, 10 participants, within the age range of 18 to 35 years old, were asked to play Smash Hit, a first person game in which the player is provided with an inventory of metallic spheres with which to aim and break glass obstacles. The video game was played by participants on to different display modalities: immersive (virtual reality) and non-immersive (tablet) condition. Psychometric (self-report questionnaires assessing emotional responses and usability of the video game) and physiological (heart rate) measures were used as quantitative dependent variables. The experimental design and results of this exploratory study will be presented and discussed.

Nowadays, we’re moving to a new world of technology and input devices designed to fit specific times and places, such like voice activation for computer games and app games. Automatic speech recognition systems are not a new concept in modern app games. Developers believe gesture-based technology, along with voice-activation technology, will inspire entirely new kinds of games. This paper aims at find a new trend of app games, and that can be universally applied for designing inclusive games. Voice-control app games involve a variety of play types, They increase the playing more interesting and interactive.

In this article, we will present the importance of a game design pipeline that takes human factors into account when working with undergraduate students. To accomplish this goal, we have been working with game design students to see the impact of how a more streamlined production can help improve the quality of all projects done inside the university. Better projects during their time as students can help them becoming better professionals in the future.

The current paper aims to present the process used for validating a VR game in its two modes: single and co-op. Through the combination of qualitative and quantitative approaches, it was possible to map the users’ initial perceptions, points of improvements, and expectations for the information assessment. Ultimately, it was possible to observe that although both single and co-op modes were introduced to participants, the latter created a greater level of engagement and motivation, increasing the participants’ interest.

Social interventions emerging from the field of social psychology have drawn attention to the social dimension of behaviour change for meeting sustainability objectives. Gamified Behaviour Change Programmes (GBCPs) are one such example, which have been quite effective in stimulating a positive change in behaviour and in establishing a culture of sustainability within the targeted groups. Gaming is an integral part of GBCPs as it adds fun and excitement to the process and motivates the players to adopt sustainable actions in a playful way. By investigating some of the effectively implemented cases of GBCPs, the study intends to develop a deeper understanding of the process of social behaviour change, particularly of the role that elements of game mechanics play in engaging and motivating the participants and in facilitating an influential social environment for behaviour change. This understanding would provide some essential touchpoints for applying game mechanics to the process of social behaviour change for environmental benefit.