More and more novel functions are being integrated into the vehicle infotainment system to allow individuals to perform secondary tasks with high accuracy and low accident risks. Mid-air gesture interactions are one of them. This thesis designed and tested a novel interface to solve a specific issue caused by this method of interaction: visual distraction within the car. In this study, a Heads-Up Display (HUD) was integrated with a gesture-based menu navigation system to allow drivers to see menu selections without looking away from the road. An experiment was conducted to investigate the potential of this system in improving drivers’ driving performance, situation awareness, and gesture interactions. The thesis recruited 24 participants to test the system. Participants provided subjective feedback about using the system and objective performance data. This thesis found that HUD significantly outperformed the Heads-Down Display (HDD) in participants’ preference, perceived workload, level 1 situation awareness, and secondary-task performance. However, to achieve this, the participants compensated by having poor driving performance and relatively longer visual distraction. This thesis will provide directions for future research and improve the overall user experience while the driver interacts with the in-vehicle gesture interaction system. / M.S. / Driving is becoming one of the essential daily activities. Unless a fully autonomous vehicle is made, driving will remain as the primary task when operating the vehicle. However, to improve the overall experience during traveling, drivers are also required to perform secondary tasks such as changing the AC, switching the music, navigating the map, and other functions. Nevertheless, car accidents may happen when drivers are performing secondary tasks because those tasks are considered a distraction from the primary task, which is driving safely. Many novel interaction methods have been implemented in a modern car, such as touch screen interaction, voice interaction, etc. This thesis introduces a new gesture interaction system that allows the user to use mid-air gestures to navigate through the secondary task menus. To further avoid visual distraction caused by the system, the gesture interaction system integrated a head-up display (HUD) to allow the user to see visual feedback on their front windshield. The HUD will let the driver use the system without looking in the other directions and keep peripheral vision on the road. The experiment recruited 24 participants to test the system. Each participant provided subjective feedback about their workload, experience, and preference. In the experiment, driving simulator was used to collect their driving performance. The eye tracker glasses were used to collect eye gaze data, and the gesture menu system was used to collect gesture system performance. This thesis expects four key factors to affect the user experience: HUD vs. Heads-Down Display (visual feedback types), with sound feedback vs. without sound feedback. Results showed that HUD helped the driver perform the secondary task faster, understand the current situation better, and reduce workload. Most of the participants preferred using the HUD over using HDD. However, there are some compensations that drivers needed to make if they use HUD: focusing on the HUD for more time while performing secondary tasks and having poor driving performance. By analyzing result data, this thesis provides a direction for conducting HUD or in-vehicle gesture interaction research and improving the users’ performance and overall experience.

3D is a popular topic as an increasing amount of media and technology begin to support 3D interaction.  With the rise of interest in 3D interaction, the question of why there is a demand and desire for 3D over 2D interaction becomes relevant. This thesis compares the differences between a 3D heads up display and a 2D heads up display for a touch free gesture based virtual keyboard.  The gesture interface used in the tests is a way of communicating with a system using gestures of the hands tracked by a motion sensor.  This thesis tested 16 users where half of the users used a 2D version of a heads up display and the other half used a 3D version of a heads up display.  Both user groups were tested with identical conditions and in an identical environment.  Raw statistical data was gathered from a logging mechanism in the interface and qualitative data was gathered from questionnaires and observation notes.  The results from the experiment showed that the 2D and 3D heads up display gave very similar results. However, results also showed slightly better qualitative results from the 3D heads up display observation and questionnaire data.  The conclusion indicated no clear advantage for the 2D version or the 3D version.  The discussion shows that many other factors in the design process and selection of users, play a large role in the comparison of 2D vs 3D visualizations.  Factors such as age and familiarity with different levels of technology are indicated to be contributing factors when comparing 2D vs 3D.  The results and discussion hope to provide a starting point for future comparison research in the field of 2D compared to 3D visualization.

This thesis explains the process of two researchers conducting a formal analysis of the graphical user interfaces (GUIs), specifically the heads-up displays (HUDs), of the main entries of the two game series The Elder Scrolls (1994 - 2011) and Deus Ex (2000 - 2011). The goal: to see how the evolution of their HUDs over time compare and to analyse them. After playing the games and taking notes about their HUDs, the researchers find that there is a common trend between the two series. The HUDs become more simplified over time, with some non-critical elements of the HUD being removed. They also become more precise at instructing and informing players about how to play the games. While similar additions and changes are made, the timing is different and the researchers conclude that further research is necessary in order to decide if the observed pattern of HUD evolution is unique to the two series or can hold up as a framework for a larger selection of games. As is, this thesis presents the patterns and trends within the heads-up display design of the observed games as well as a library of the observed games’ GUI elements, that future GUI designers and researchers can use to be made aware of past design decisions and revisions that has been common throughout several other games within the genre. / Denna kandidatuppsats går igenom undersökningen utav heads-up displays (Förkortas till HUD, uttalas “hadd”) som en del av de grafiska användargränssnitten tillhörande spelserierna The Elder Scrolls (1994-2011) och Deus Ex (2000-2011). Målet var att se till hur dessa utvecklades med tidens gång. Efter att data hade samlats in från spelen kom författarna fram till att det fanns en gemensam trend för hur HUDar i de två spelserierna utvecklades. Dessa HUDar hade blivit simplifierade med tiden, där icke-kritiska element försvann. De hade också blivit bättre på att instruera och informera spelare i hur de spelar spelen. Samtidigt som liknande tillägg och förändringar skedde för båda spelserierna så skiljde sig tidpunkten för när detta skedde. Författarna kom till slutsatsen att mer forskning är nödvändigt för att det ska kunna fastslås huruvida det observerade mönstret är unikt till de observerade spelserierna eller kan appliceras på andra spelserier också. Denna kandidatuppsats presenterar de mönster, designtrender, samt ett bibliotek av de komponenter, som funnits i datorspelens HUDar och kan användas av gränssnittsdesigners och forskare för att få insikt om tidigare designval och förändringar som har blivit vanligt förekommande genom flera andra spel av samma genre.

The purpose of this thesis is to explore glanceability in a vehicle Heads-Up Display,with a focus on what factors should be considered in order to design for glanceability.The project has been conducted in cooperation with Uniti and Jayway, with theintended outcome to increase the knowledge about how to design glanceable vehicleHeads-Up displays. Through literature research and user-centered approaches, a low-fidelityprototype was created. From usability testing the low-fidelity prototype,knowledge was gained about needs, opportunities, problems, and observations,which was used in order to create a medium-fidelity prototype in a Virtual Realitysetting. Usability tests were conducted on the medium-fidelity prototype, and theresults were used in order to draw conclusions about what are the most importantfactors to consider when designing for a glanceable experience in a HUD. Significantfactors were identified as the need for customisation in the HUD, auditory feedback,as well as relevance and amount of information presented to the user.

A potential factor for curve accidents are anticipatory skills. Horizontal curves have been recognized as a significant safety issue for many years. This study investigates the impact and effectiveness of three curve based perceptual speed calming countermeasures (advanced curve warning signs, chevron sign, and heads-up display(HUD) sign) on drivers’ hazard anticipation and mitigation behavior across both left and right-winding curves, and sharp (radius 200m) and flat (radius 500m) curves. Experimental results show that the speed and lateral control in the horizontal curves differed with respect to curve radii, direction, and the type of countermeasure presented. These differences in behavior are probably due to curve-related disparities, the type of perceptual countermeasure, and the presence of hazard at the apex of the curve. HUD is found to be effective at not only reducing the drivers’ speed in the curve, but also improve the latent hazard anticipation ability of the driver at the apex of the curve. Flat and sharp curves with indications of a safety problem were virtually developed in the simulator as representative as possible without upsetting the simulator’s fidelity. 48 participants were recruited for this study between the age range of 18 and 34, and driving experience range was from 0.25 to 17.75 years.

Background. The heads-up display (HUD) is a useful tool for displaying information to the player in a game, but the HUD is not a part of the game world. This could take away from the desired experience of the game and block important parts of the main action screen. To counteract this the HUD mostly occupies the edges of the screen and avoids drawing the player’s attention away from the main action scene except when it has important information for the player. Only having the HUD visible when it has important information to the player could remove the distraction of the HUD while keeping all the benefits of having one. Objectives. By using eye tracking to complement the HUD, the HUD can be invisible when the player does not use it, and change how the information is presented depending on where the player is looking. By creating a first-person shooter (FPS) game with a HUD complemented by eye tracking, then comparing it to how a normal HUD differed in terms of visibility and clutter, using a survey. Methods. The game was created using the Tobii Unity SDK and modifying the FPS demo scene. To create the gaze sensitive HUD three scripts were created to produce the finished result. Giving the HUD the ability to make all HUD elements invisible and able to appear after passing a specific value or when the element has new information, the HUD also has the ability to present information close to the player’s gaze point in the of notifications. The game was then presented to the participants in the form of two videos one using the normal HUD and one using the gaze sensitive HUD. After watching the partisans answered a survey related to the videos. Results. The gaze-based HUD was generally on par with the normal HUD. The most noticeable significant difference being that the normal HUDs ammunition counter and health bar was proffered over a less visible one. Conclusions. From the results gathered having a gaze-based HUD does not make it harder to notify the player of important information and dos not make the HUD less cluttered, compared to a normal HUD, but there is a difference between them.

This thesis explores the user experience, potential and design principles of a HUD-based user interface in combination with interactive 360-degrees videos in nursing education. A HUD-based 360-degrees video was designed around a previously recorded scenario in an emergency room and user tests were conducted on nurse educators, working nurses and a nurse student.  Data from the user tests were gathered both through observations and interviews. The results show that participants' experience was overall positive and that the technology is seen as a realistic, interesting and valuable way to educate nursing students. Although no definitive design principles could be established for interactive 360-degrees videos, the result suggests that focusing on key design principles for multimedia learning may provide a better user experience. These principles include managing extraneous, essential and generative processing. / Detta examensarbete utforskar användarupplevelsen,potentialen och begränsningarna avett HUD-baserat användargränssnitt i kombination med interaktiva 360-graders videos inom sjuksköterskeutbildning. Detta gjordes genom att designa och utveckla en HUD-baserad 360-graders video och utföra användar tester på lärare inom sjuksköterskeutbildning, arbetande sjuksköterskor och en sjuksköterskestudent. Data från användartester samlades in genom observationer samt intervjuer. Resultatet visar att deltagarnas upplevelse överlag var positiv och tekniken ses som ett intressant och fördelaktigt sätt att undervisa sjuksköterskestudenter. Resultatet tyder också på att fokus på designprinciper inom multimedielärande kan bidra med en bättre användarupplevelse.

This study investigates readability and perceptions of heads-up displays (HUDs) in video games among players with varying levels of gaming experience. Additionally, it discusses strategies for designing user interfaces that fulfil the needs of both experienced players and individuals without prior gaming experience. Four different video game HUDs were redesigned to examine the influence of layout, grouping, size, and visual elements. Nine participants viewed static images of the HUDs, followed by semi-structured in-depth interviews to collect data. Thematic analysis revealed patterns regarding layout, structure, usability, and visual elements in relation to readability, genre, player preferences and experience. Results indicate that prior gaming experience influences layout preferences, with experienced players exhibiting greater variability based on individual gaming styles, while inexperienced players favour larger, simplified icons in easily accessible locations. The study suggests the implementation of multiple HUD pre-sets or customisable UI tools in games to accommodate diverse player preferences and enhance user experiences. Drawing parallels to existing practices in games, this research proposes a grid-based UI system for players to create personalised HUD layouts. / Denna studie undersöker läsbarhet och uppfattningar av användargränssnitt i datorspel bland individer med olika nivåer av tidigare spelerfarenhet. Studien diskuterar även strategier för att designa användargränssnitt som uppfyller behoven hos både erfarna spelare och individer utan tidigare spelerfarenhet. Användargränssnitt från fyra olika datorspel omredigerades för att undersöka inverkan av layout, gruppering, storlek och visuella element. Nio deltagare visades statiska bilder av gränssnitten och data samlades in med semistrukturerade djupgående intervjuer. Den tematiska analysen avslöjade mönster gällande layout, struktur, användarvänlighet och visuella element i relation till läsbarhet, genre, preferenser och erfarenhet. Resultaten indikerar att tidigare spelerfarenhet påverkar preferenser för layout, där erfarna spelare uppvisar större variation baserat på individuella spelstilar, medan oerfarna spelare föredrar större och förenklade ikoner på lättillgängliga platser. Studien föreslår att datorspel implementerar flera varianter eller anpassningsbara användargränssnitt för att tillgodose fler spelares behov och förbättra användarupplevelsen. Forskningen drar paralleller till befintliga metoder i spel och föreslår ett rutnätnätsbaserat system där spelare kan skapa skräddarsydda användargränssnitt.