Browsing by Author "Bateman, S."

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    Mechanics of Camera Work in Mobile Video Collaboration
    (ACM, 2015) Jones, B.; Witcraft, A.; Tang, A.; Bateman, S.; Neustaedter, C.
    Mobile video conferencing, where one or more participants are moving about in the real world, enables entirely new interaction scenarios (e.g., asking for help to construct or repair an object, or showing a physical location). While we have a good understanding of the challenges of video conferencing in office or home environments, we do not fully understand the mechanics of camera work-how people use mobile devices to communicate with one another-during mobile video calls. To provide an understanding of what people do in mobile video collaboration, we conducted an observational study where pairs of participants completed tasks using a mobile video conferencing system. Our analysis suggests that people use the camera view deliberately to support their interactions-for example, to convey a message or to ask questions-but the limited field of view, and the lack of camera control can make it a frustrating experience.
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    PhoneEar: Interactions for Mobile Devices that Hear High-Frequency Sound-Encoded Data
    (ACM, 2015) Nittala, A. S.; Yang, X. D.; Bateman, S.; Sharlin, E.; Greenberg, S.
    We present PhoneEar, a new approach that enables mobile devices to understand the broadcasted audio and sounds that we hear every day using existing infrastructure. PhoneEar audio streams are embedded with sound-encoded data using nearly inaudible high frequencies. Mobile devices then listen for messages in the sounds around us, taking actions to ensure we don't miss any important info. In this paper, we detail our implementation of PhoneEar, describe a study demonstrating that mobile devices can effectively receive sound-based data, and describe the results of a user study that shows that embedding data in sounds is not detrimental to sound quality. We also exemplify the space of new interactions, through four PhoneEar-enabled applications. Finally, we discuss the challenges to deploying apps that can hear and react to data in the sounds around us.
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    Physio@Home: Exploring visual guidance and feedback techniques for physiotherapy patients at home
    (ACM, 2015) Tang, R.; Yang, X.; Tang, A.; Bateman, S.; Jorge, J.
    Physiotherapy patients exercising at home alone are at risk of re-injury since they do not have corrective guidance from a therapist. To explore solutions to this problem, we designed Physio@Home, a prototype that guides people through pre-recorded physiotherapy exercises using real-time visual guides and multi-camera views. Our design addresses several aspects of corrective guidance, including: plane and range of movement, positions and angles of joints to maintain, and extent of movement. We evaluated our design, comparing how closely participants could follow exercise movements in various feedback conditions. Participants were most accurate when using the visual guide and multi-views. Based on our qualitative findings on the visual complexity of the feedback, we conclude with suggestions for exercise guidance systems.
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    Target Assistance for Subtly Balancing Competitive Play
    (ACM, 2011) Bateman, S.; Mandryk, R. L.; Stach, T.; Gutwin, C.
    In games where skills such as targeting are critical to winning, it is difficult for players with different skill levels to have a competitive and engaging experience. Although several mechanisms for accommodating different skill levels have been proposed, traditional approaches can be too obvious and can change the nature of the game. For games involving aiming, we propose the use of target assistance techniques (such as area cursors, target gravity, and sticky targets) to accommodate skill imbalances. We compared three techniques in a study, and found that area cursors and target gravity significantly reduced score differential in a shooting-gallery game. Further, less skilled players reported having more fun when the techniques helped them be more competitive, and even after they learned assistance was given, felt that this form of balancing was good for group gameplay. Our results show that target assistance techniques can make target-based games more competitive for shared play.