Multimodal Technologies and Interaction

14 pages, 2306 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Are Drivers Allowed to Sleep? Sleep Inertia Effects Drivers’ Performance after Different Sleep Durations in Automated Driving

by Doreen Schwarze, Frederik Diederichs, Lukas Weiser, Harald Widlroither, Rolf Verhoeven and Matthias Rötting

Multimodal Technol. Interact. 2023, 7(6), 62; https://doi.org/10.3390/mti7060062 - 16 Jun 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1506

Abstract

Higher levels of automated driving may offer the possibility to sleep in the driver’s seat in the car, and it is foreseeable that drivers will voluntarily or involuntarily fall asleep when they do not need to drive. Post-sleep performance impairments due to sleep [...] Read more.

Higher levels of automated driving may offer the possibility to sleep in the driver’s seat in the car, and it is foreseeable that drivers will voluntarily or involuntarily fall asleep when they do not need to drive. Post-sleep performance impairments due to sleep inertia, a brief period of impaired cognitive performance after waking up, is a potential safety issue when drivers need to take over and drive manually. The present study assessed whether sleep inertia has an effect on driving and cognitive performance after different sleep durations. A driving simulator study with n = 13 participants was conducted. Driving and cognitive performance were analyzed after waking up from a 10–20 min sleep, a 30–60 min sleep, and after resting without sleep. The study’s results indicate that a short sleep duration does not reliably prevent sleep inertia. After the 10–20 min sleep, cognitive performance upon waking up was decreased, but the sleep inertia impairment faded within 15 min. Although the driving parameters showed no significant difference between the conditions, participants subjectively felt more tired after both sleep durations compared to resting. The small sample size of 13 participants, tested in a within-design, may have prevented medium and small effects from becoming significant. In our study, take-over was offered without time pressure, and take-over times ranged from 3.15 min to 4.09 min after the alarm bell, with a mean value of 3.56 min in both sleeping conditions. The results suggest that daytime naps without previous sleep deprivation result in mild and short-term impairments. Further research is recommended to understand the severity of impairments caused by different intensities of sleep inertia. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Cooperative Intelligence in Automated Driving- 2nd Edition)

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20 pages, 4842 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Social Cohesion in Interactive Digital Heritage Experiences

by Sofia Pescarin, Vanessa Bonanno and Alessandra Marasco

Multimodal Technol. Interact. 2023, 7(6), 61; https://doi.org/10.3390/mti7060061 - 15 Jun 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1372

Abstract

Presently, social cohesion (SC) is a priority at different levels. Cultural heritage is an ideal context to promote SC through interactive digital technologies designed to engage groups of visitors. The purpose of the present study is to identify how to design digital heritage [...] Read more.

Presently, social cohesion (SC) is a priority at different levels. Cultural heritage is an ideal context to promote SC through interactive digital technologies designed to engage groups of visitors. The purpose of the present study is to identify how to design digital heritage applications for SC and how to measure it. The results are based on the design of a cultural probe kit used to identify the design elements on top of which a collaborative and hybrid prototype, the Brancacci POV, was developed. Here, we analysed the results of this prototype, which included 107 visitors with respective groups of 5 participants and guided by an expert. From this analysis, the possibility of strengthening SC when collaborative tasks are included emerged. Additionally, it appeared to be possible to shorten the distance between citizens and cultural institutions if “mediated dialogue” approaches were adopted and if focus, motivation, trust and “in-group” perception of inclusion emerge when digital heritage experiences were set in intimate and quiet environments. Full article

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20 pages, 44045 KiB

Open AccessArticle

On the Effectiveness of Using Virtual Reality to View BIM Metadata in Architectural Design Reviews for Healthcare

by Emma Buchanan, Giuseppe Loporcaro and Stephan Lukosch

Multimodal Technol. Interact. 2023, 7(6), 60; https://doi.org/10.3390/mti7060060 - 07 Jun 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2158

Abstract

This article reports on a study that assessed whether Virtual Reality (VR) can be used to display Building Information Modelling (BIM) metadata alongside spatial data in a virtual environment, and by doing so determine if it increases the effectiveness of the design review [...] Read more.

This article reports on a study that assessed whether Virtual Reality (VR) can be used to display Building Information Modelling (BIM) metadata alongside spatial data in a virtual environment, and by doing so determine if it increases the effectiveness of the design review by improving participants’ understanding of the design. Previous research has illustrated the potential for VR to enhance design reviews, especially the ability to convey spatial information, but there has been limited research into how VR can convey additional BIM metadata. A user study with 17 healthcare professionals assessed participants’ performances and preferences for completing design reviews in VR or using a traditional design review system of PDF drawings and a 3D model. The VR condition had a higher task completion rate, a higher SUS score and generally faster completion times. VR increases the effectiveness of a design review conducted by healthcare professionals. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Multimodal User Interfaces and Experiences: Challenges, Applications, and Perspectives)

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27 pages, 7108 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Location-Based Game for Thought-Provoking Evacuation Training

by Hiroyuki Mitsuhara, Chie Tanimura, Junko Nemoto and Masami Shishibori

Multimodal Technol. Interact. 2023, 7(6), 59; https://doi.org/10.3390/mti7060059 - 07 Jun 2023

Viewed by 1064

Abstract

Participation in evacuation training can aid survival in the event of an unpredictable disaster, such as an earthquake. However, conventional evacuation training is not well designed for provoking critical thinking in participants regarding the processes involved in a successful evacuation. To realize thought-provoking [...] Read more.

Participation in evacuation training can aid survival in the event of an unpredictable disaster, such as an earthquake. However, conventional evacuation training is not well designed for provoking critical thinking in participants regarding the processes involved in a successful evacuation. To realize thought-provoking evacuation training, we developed a location-based game that presents digital materials that express disaster situations corresponding to locations or times preset in a scenario and providing scenario-based multi-ending as the game element. The developed game motivates participants to take decisions by providing high situational and audiovisual realism. In addition, the game encourages the participants to think objectively about the evacuation process by working together with a reflection-support system. We practiced thought-provoking evacuation training with fifth-grade students, focusing on tsunami evacuation and lifesaving-related moral dilemmas. In this practice, we observed that the participants took decisions as if they were dealing with actual disaster situations and objectively thought about the evacuation process by reflecting on their decisions. Meanwhile, we found that lifesaving-related moral dilemmas are difficult to address in evacuation training. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Papers in Multimodal Technologies and Interaction—Edition 2023)

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24 pages, 13031 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Development and Evaluation of a Mobile Application with Augmented Reality for Guiding Visitors on Hiking Trails

by Rute Silva, Rui Jesus and Pedro Jorge

Multimodal Technol. Interact. 2023, 7(6), 58; https://doi.org/10.3390/mti7060058 - 31 May 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2427

Abstract

Tourism on the island of Santa Maria, Azores, has been increasing due to its characteristics in terms of biodiversity and geodiversity. This island has several hiking trails; the available information can be consulted in pamphlets and physical placards, whose maintenance and updating is [...] Read more.

Tourism on the island of Santa Maria, Azores, has been increasing due to its characteristics in terms of biodiversity and geodiversity. This island has several hiking trails; the available information can be consulted in pamphlets and physical placards, whose maintenance and updating is difficult and expensive. Thus, the need to improve the visitors’ experience arises, in this case, by using the technological means currently available to everyone: a smartphone. This paper describes the development and evaluation of the user experience of a mobile application for guiding visitors on said hiking trails, as well as the design principles and main issues observed during this process. The application is based on an augmented reality interaction model providing visitors with an interactive and recreational experience through Augmented Reality in outdoor environments (without additional marks in the physical space and using georeferenced information), helping in navigation during the route and providing updated information with easy maintenance. For the design and evaluation of the application, two studies were carried out with users on-site (Santa Maria, Azores). The first had 77 participants, to analyze users and define the application’s characteristics, and the second had 10 participants to evaluate the user experience. The feedback from participants was obtained through questionnaires. In these questionnaires, an average SUS (System Usability Scale) score of 83 (excellent) and positive results in the UEQ (User Experience Questionnaire) were obtained. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Papers in Multimodal Technologies and Interaction—Edition 2023)

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18 pages, 1306 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Digital Coach to Promote Emotion Regulation Skills

by Katherine Hopman, Deborah Richards and Melissa M. Norberg

Multimodal Technol. Interact. 2023, 7(6), 57; https://doi.org/10.3390/mti7060057 - 29 May 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1782

Abstract

There is growing awareness that effective emotion regulation is critical for health, adjustment and wellbeing. Emerging evidence suggests that interventions that promote flexible emotion regulation may have the potential to reduce the incidence and prevalence of mental health problems in specific at-risk populations. [...] Read more.

There is growing awareness that effective emotion regulation is critical for health, adjustment and wellbeing. Emerging evidence suggests that interventions that promote flexible emotion regulation may have the potential to reduce the incidence and prevalence of mental health problems in specific at-risk populations. The challenge is how best to engage with at risk populations, who may not be actively seeking assistance, to deliver this early intervention approach. One possible solution is via digital technology and development, which has rapidly accelerated in this space. Such rapid growth has, however, occurred at the expense of developing a deep understanding of key elements of successful program design and specific mechanisms that influence health behavior change. This paper presents a detailed description of the design, development and evaluation of an emotion regulation intervention conversational agent (ERICA) who acts as a digital coach. ERICA uses interactive conversation to encourage self-reflection and to support and empower users to learn a range of cognitive emotion regulation strategies including Refocusing, Reappraisal, Planning and Putting into Perspective. A pilot evaluation of ERICA was conducted with 138 university students and confirmed that ERICA provided a feasible and highly usable method for delivering an emotion regulation intervention. The results also indicated that ERICA was able to develop a therapeutic relationship with participants and increase their intent to use a range of cognitive emotion regulation strategies. These findings suggest that ERICA holds potential to be an effective approach for delivering an early intervention to support mental health and wellbeing. ERICA’s dialogue, embedded with interactivity, therapeutic alliance and empathy cues, provide the basis for the development of other psychoeducation interventions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Papers in Multimodal Technologies and Interaction—Edition 2023)

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25 pages, 401 KiB

Open AccessSystematic Review

by Daniel Hepperle and Matthias Wölfel

Multimodal Technol. Interact. 2023, 7(6), 56; https://doi.org/10.3390/mti7060056 - 27 May 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1804

Abstract

In the broader field of human behavior studies, there are several trade-offs for on-site experiments. To be tied to a specific location can limit both the availability and diversity of participants. However, current and future technological advances make it possible to replicate real-world [...] Read more.

In the broader field of human behavior studies, there are several trade-offs for on-site experiments. To be tied to a specific location can limit both the availability and diversity of participants. However, current and future technological advances make it possible to replicate real-world scenarios in a virtual environment up to a certain level of detail. How these differences add up and affect the cross-media validity of findings remains a topic of debate. How a virtual world is accessed, through a computer screen or a head-mounted display, may have a significant impact. Not surprisingly, the literature has presented various comparisons. However, while previous research has compared the different devices for a specific research question, a systematic review is lacking. To fill this gap, we conducted this review. We identified 1083 articles in accordance with the PRISMA guidelines. Following screening, 56 articles remained and were compared for a qualitative synthesis to provide the reader a summary of current research on the differences between head-mounted displays (HMDs), computer screens, and the real world. Overall, the data show that virtual worlds presented in an HMD are more similar to real-world situations than to computer screens. This supports the thesis that HMDs are more suitable than computer screens for conducting experiments in the field of human behavioral studies. Full article

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22 pages, 4763 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Hand-Controlled User Interfacing for Head-Mounted Augmented Reality Learning Environments

by Jennifer Challenor, David White and David Murphy

Multimodal Technol. Interact. 2023, 7(6), 55; https://doi.org/10.3390/mti7060055 - 26 May 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1458

Abstract

With the rapid expansion of technology and hardware availability within the field of Augmented Reality, building and deploying Augmented Reality learning environments has become more logistically viable than ever before. In this paper, we focus on the development of a new mobile learning [...] Read more.

With the rapid expansion of technology and hardware availability within the field of Augmented Reality, building and deploying Augmented Reality learning environments has become more logistically viable than ever before. In this paper, we focus on the development of a new mobile learning experience for a museum by combining multiple technologies to provide additional Human–computer interaction possibilities. This is both to reduce barriers to entry for end-users as well as provide natural interaction methods. Using our method, we implemented a new approach to gesture-based interactions for Augmented Reality interactions by combining two devices, a Leap Motion and a Microsoft HoloLens (1st Generation), via an intermediary device with the use of local-area networking. This was carried out with the intention of comparing this method against alternative forms of Augmented Reality to determine which implementation has the largest impact on adult learners’ ability to retain information. A control group has been used to establish data on memory retention without the use of Augmented Reality technology, along with three focus groups to explore the different methods and locations. Results found that adult learners retain the most overall information when being educated through a traditional lecture, with a statistically significant difference between the methods; however, the use of Augmented Reality resulted in a slower rate of knowledge decay between testing intervals. This contrasts with existing research as adult learners did not respond to the technology in the same way that child and teenage audiences previously have, which suggests that prior research may not be generalisable to all audiences. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Papers in Multimodal Technologies and Interaction—Edition 2023)

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21 pages, 775 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Linking Personality and Trust in Intelligent Virtual Assistants

by Lisa Schadelbauer, Stephan Schlögl and Aleksander Groth

Multimodal Technol. Interact. 2023, 7(6), 54; https://doi.org/10.3390/mti7060054 - 25 May 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1655

Abstract

Throughout the last years, Intelligent Virtual Assistants (IVAs), such as Alexa and Siri, have increasingly gained in popularity. Yet, privacy advocates raise great concerns regarding the amount and type of data these systems collect and consequently process. Among many other things, it is [...] Read more.

Throughout the last years, Intelligent Virtual Assistants (IVAs), such as Alexa and Siri, have increasingly gained in popularity. Yet, privacy advocates raise great concerns regarding the amount and type of data these systems collect and consequently process. Among many other things, it is technology trust which seems to be of high significance here, particularly when it comes to the adoption of IVAs, for they usually provide little transparency as to how they function and use personal and potentially sensitive data. While technology trust is influenced by many different socio-technical parameters, this article focuses on human personality and its connection to respective trust perceptions, which in turn may further impact the actual adoption of IVA products. To this end, we report on the results of an online survey (

n = 367

). Findings show that on a scale from 0 to

100 %

, people trust IVAs

51.59 %

on average. Furthermore, the data point to a significant positive correlation between people’s propensity to trust in general technology and their trust in IVAs. Yet, they also show that those who exhibit a higher propensity to trust in technology tend to also have a higher affinity for technology interaction and are consequently more likely to adopt IVAs. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Papers in Multimodal Technologies and Interaction—Edition 2023)

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Multimodal Technol. Interact., Volume 7, Issue 6 (June 2023) – 9 articles

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