Experience, Measure and Unravel human-technology interactions - EMU Lab

#Human-Computer Interactions (HCI)
#Biometrics
#BehavioralAlgorithms
#XR
#UserExperience

Our world is ever-digitizing. An infinite stream of technological advancements is shifting the way we interact with technology--and with one another. We face wave upon wave of smart electronics and digital products, leading to a myriad of interactions with devices and other users, but also with a broad diversity of content, contexts and platforms. Human-computer interactions become increasingly complicated as many things are happening at the same time outside of the user’s control. At the EMU Lab, we believe that to shape and guide a truly user-centric design process for future products and services, we need new tools and methods to unravel these interactions and their determinants.

Goal/Mission

In line with the mission of imec-mict, “Empowering people in a digitizing society”, the mission of the EMU Lab is to unravel the interactions between humans and technology, or between humans through technology, in order to shape more natural and positive technology use experiences. Embracing emerging technologies such as sensor technology (eyetracking, EEG, heart rate & electrodermal activity) and extended reality (virtual, augmented & mixed reality), we build interactive scenarios ranging from basic sensorial experiences (e.g., turning a virtual knob in mid-air) to higher-order cognitive training procedures (e.g., following assembly instructions in human-robot collaboration work cell), in order to gain a deeper understanding of the interactions humans experience through technological interfaces.

Our methodological arsenal stems from multiple disciplines like cognitive and social psychology, engineering and data science and ranges from in-depth interviews and think-aloud protocols, to detailed and time-accurate analyses of objective and/or physiological sensor data. In the latter category, specifically, we can draw on the potential of XR technologies and use built-in eye tracking of HMDs, as well as motion tracking and electrophysiological-measured human arousal responses.

The application of our research can be found in many different domains, ranging from simulation training, e-learning and operator support to health, industry and consumer contexts.

Topics

1. HCI: De-risking and design of human-technology interactions through simulation research (with and without extended reality)

How can we unravel interactions between humans and technology via simulations of interactive scenarios (cfr. www.experiencetwin.org) ?

2. Algorithms: Exploration and validation of contextualized sensor algorithms measuring cognitive and affective processes and human behavior

How can we objectively measure human cognitive and affective states like mental effort, cognitive load, attention, fatigue and stress using sensor technology?

3. Shifting interfaces: Creation of novel interfaces and human-computer interactions in general

How should new interfaces to interact with innovative technology be designed in order to create the most optimal user experiences?

4. Training & operator support applications: Leveraging the power of sensor and XR technology to create the training and operator support applications of the future

How can our technological building blocks (algorithms, HCI design principles, etc.) contribute to better learning outcomes in training and operator support applications?

Contact

For more information contact klaas.bombeke@ugent.be