In a data centre, server clusters are typically used to provide the required processing capacity to provide acceptable response time performance to interactive applications. The workload of each application may be time-varying. Static allocation to meet peak demand is not an efficient usage of resources. Dynamic resource allocation, on the other hand, can result in efficient resource utilization while meeting the performance goals of individual applications. In this thesis, we develop a new interactive system model where the number of logon users changes over time. Our objective is to obtain results that can be used to guide dynamic resource allocation decisions. We obtain approximate analytic results for the response time distribution at steady state for our model. Using numerical examples, we show that these results are acceptable in terms of estimating the steady state probabilities of the number of logon users. We also show by comparison with simulation that our results are acceptable in estimating the response time distribution under a variety of dynamic resource allocation scenarios. More importantly, we show that our results are accurate in terms of predicting the minimum number of processor nodes required to meet the performance goal of an interaction application. Such information is valuable to resource provisioning and we discuss how our results can be used to guide dynamic resource allocation decisions.

In a data centre, server clusters are typically used to provide the required processing capacity to provide acceptable response time performance to interactive applications. The workload of each application may be time-varying. Static allocation to meet peak demand is not an efficient usage of resources. Dynamic resource allocation, on the other hand, can result in efficient resource utilization while meeting the performance goals of individual applications. In this thesis, we develop a new interactive system model where the number of logon users changes over time. Our objective is to obtain results that can be used to guide dynamic resource allocation decisions. We obtain approximate analytic results for the response time distribution at steady state for our model. Using numerical examples, we show that these results are acceptable in terms of estimating the steady state probabilities of the number of logon users. We also show by comparison with simulation that our results are acceptable in estimating the response time distribution under a variety of dynamic resource allocation scenarios. More importantly, we show that our results are accurate in terms of predicting the minimum number of processor nodes required to meet the performance goal of an interaction application. Such information is valuable to resource provisioning and we discuss how our results can be used to guide dynamic resource allocation decisions.

Soixante pour cent de la population mondiale possède aujourd'hui un téléphone portable. Les modèles récents, qui tendent à devenir de petits ordinateurs portables, sont jusqu’à 10 000 fois plus puissants et 300 000 fois moins lourds que le premier ordinateur, apparu voici 60 ans. Malgré cette puissance, et les ressources offertes par les équipements dont ils sont munis (écran tactile multitouch, accéléromètres et autres capteurs...), les mobiles souffrent de certaines limitations du fait de la disparition de nombreux périphériques d'entrée classiques tels que le clavier et la souris. Afin d'augmenter la bande passante interactionnelle de ces dispositifs et de tirer partie de ces capteurs, nous nous sommes intéressé dans cette thèse aux possibilités offertes par l'interaction gestuelle en considérant deux axes de recherche : les mouvements sur le mobile et les mouvements du mobile. Après avoir proposé un espace de classification nous avons conçu et développé plusieurs techniques d'interaction gestuelle destinées à enrichir et faciliter l'interaction de l'utilisateur avec ces dispositifs.Concernant les mouvements sur le mobile, nous nous sommes intéressé à l'amélioration du Flick, une technique de défilement largement popularisée ces dernières années. Après avoir étudié son ‘anatomie’, nous avons proposé d'exploiter plusieurs ressources interactionnelles jusqu'à présent inutilisées. Ce travail a donné naissance à trois nouvelles techniques: Flick-and-brake et LongFlick, qui utilisent respectivement la pression sur l'écran et les caractéristiques du geste de lancer pour mieux contrôler le défilement, et 'Semantic Flicking' qui exploite la sémantique du document pour faciliter la lecture. Dans un second temps nous avons considéré les possibilités offertes par l'interaction 3D, en déplaçant le dispositif mobile dans l'espace. Cette voie de recherche vise à permettre d'augmenter le vocabulaire d'interaction sans parasiter les interactions tactiles déjà existantes. Tirant parti des capteurs intégrés dans les mobiles, en particulier les accéléromètres, nous avons proposé deux nouvelles techniques d'interaction 3D : TimeTilt qui utilise des gestes fluides et impulsifs pour naviguer aisément entre différentes vues et JerkTilt qui introduit la notion de gestes 'auto-délimités' pour accéder rapidement à des commandes. Ces gestes auto-délimités ayant également la particularité de pouvoir être facilement combinés avec des interactions sur l'écran, nous avons enfin considéré la combinaison des modalités offertes par les gestes bi- et tri-dimensionnels. / Sixty percent of the world's population now owns a mobile phone. Recent models, which tend to become small laptops are up to 10 000 times more powerful and 300 000 times less heavy than the first computer, appeared 60 years ago. Despite this power and all the resources provided by modern equipment (touchscreen, accelerometer and other sensors...), mobile phones suffer from certain limitations due to the lack of conventional input such as keyboard and mouse. To increase the interaction bandwidth of these device and take advantage of these sensors, we investigate the potential offered by gestural interaction by considering two lines of research: movements on the mobile and movements of the mobile. After defining a classification space we conceived and developed several gestural interaction techniques to enrich and facilitate interaction between the user and these devices. For the movements on the mobile we have proposed to improve the flick, a scrolling technique widely popularized in recent years. We first studied his ‘anatomy’ of this technique, then we proposed to exploit multiple interactional resources hitherto unused. This work gave birth to three new techniques: Flick-and-Brake and LongFlick, that respectively use the pressure on the screen and the characteristics of the throwing action to better control scrolling, and Semantic Flicking which leverage on document semantics to facilitate reading. In a second stage we considered the potential of 3D interaction, by moving the mobile device in the space. This line of research aims at expanding the interaction vocabulary while avoiding interferences with existing touch interactions. Leveraging on integrated sensors such as accelerometers, we proposed two new techniques for 3D interaction: TimeTilt, which uses smooth and impulsive gestures to easily navigate between different views, and JerkTilt, which introduced the notion of self-delimited gestures for accessing quickly to commands. An interesting property of these self-defined gestures is their ability to be combined with common interactions on the screen. We thus finally considered the combination of modalities offered by the two and three-dimensional gestures.

Complex interactive behaviour involves cognitive, sensation and motor behaviour and may consist of several sub interactive behaviours. It needs to be examined from different points of view. Although explaining everything in one model is not currently possible, it is possible to connect information from different sources to get a better understanding of the interaction to benefit product design. The long-term objective of our study is to develop a methodology for interactive virtual design assessment to study the interactive behaviour and achieve compatibility. This study summarized two experiments which covered many aspects of interactive behaviours in seated posture. Experiment one addressed manipulation behaviour and the hand control design of the car. Experiment two addressed seated reaching behaviour and ATM design. The two experiments are the basis of the advanced study for interactive virtual design assessment. They explored the limitations and advantages of digital prototypes and physical prototypes and suggested that digital prototypes and physical prototypes should be combined to provide design variations and to support human factor testing.

Preparing for crisis is a challenge. To be prepared to handle a crisis, organizationshave to practice. Crisis management exercises are never performed as often theyshould, as it is expensive and takes long time to plan.The purpose of this thesis is to examine how public bodies and other organizations inAkershus plan and execute crisis management exercises. The thesis aims to evaluateinterest and survey pre-conditions and useful features for a digital tool to complementtraditional contingency exercises.A qualitative approach has been applied in form of interviews and literature review asthe objective is to achieve comprehension of the interviewed organizations routinesand practices, and the circumstances which may affect their need for a digital trainingtool.Six key factors in crisis management are identified in the literature review. Thefactors are: flexibility, communication, cooperation and coordination as well asinformation and improvisation. In addition, methods to understand how users interactwith technology as well as how to design responsive web pages were explored.The analysis is based on empirical results from five interviews from fiveorganizations. The empirical results were compared to the key factors from theliterature review.The study shows that the most of the interviewed organizations use CIM®, and thatall of them implement tabletop or scenario exercises in their training. The interviewedorganizations believe that a digital tool for contingency exercises can be acontribution to traditional exercises, but there are issues concerning how cooperationand communication can be maintained in any digital tool to be used in an area wherefunctional communication and cooperation is necessary.

Musicoterapia é a ciência que utiliza elementos sonoro-ritmico-musicais no tratamento, reeducação, reabilitação e recuperação de indivíduos com diversas patologias ou ainda na área preventiva. Muitas vezes, pacientes com deficiência física grave, necessitam de adaptações nos instrumentos musicais para realizar o fazer musical musicoterapêutico. Algumas adaptações são feitas sob encomenda pelo musicoterapeuta e, portanto, em pequenas quantidades para o setor. Algumas vezes, um recurso adaptador de prática instrumental atende apenas às necessidades de uma determinada incapacidade física, sendo que para outras, este mesmo recurso pode ser desconfortável. Para alguns pacientes pode ser interessante colocar em prática algumas orientações recebidas na sessão de Musicoterapia em ambiente domiciliar. Entretanto, a situação econômica de alguns pacientes associada ao elevado preço de alguns instrumentos musicais adaptados, dificulta ou inviabiliza a continuidade do tratamento em ambiente domiciliar. Neste trabalho, buscou-se investigar se seria possível conceber um sistema eletrônico interativo capaz de apoiar e ampliar as estratégias de intervenções musicoterapêuticas. A metodologia da pesquisa seguiu a estratégia exploratória, de natureza tecnológica aplicada, tendo como objetivo a geração de um produto com finalidades imediatas, com base em conhecimentos prévios, capaz de viabilizar testes e estudos em situações reais de uso. Colaboraram nesta pesquisa musicoterapeutas, terapeutas ocupacionais e pacientes em tratamento de reabilitação motora. A partir do levantamento e estudos sobre o estado da arte, bem como de observações de sessões de Musicoterapia, foi concebida uma proposta de sistema de Realidade Aumentada musical para reabilitação. A partir desta proposta, foram implementadas e avaliadas três versões do sistema. A primeira avaliação foi realizada com uma especialista em Musicoterapia a fim de verificar a aplicabilidade do sistema. A segunda avaliação foi realizada durante uma intervenção de Musicoterapia na Associação de Assistência à Criança Deficiente (AACD) e, em outro momento, durante uma intervenção de Terapia Ocupacional em domicílio. A terceira avaliação foi feita em intervenções de Musicoterapia na AACD e na Associação Brasileira de Distrofia Muscular (ABDIM). A análise dos dados coletados permitiu constatar que este sistema traz os seguintes benefícios para apoiar intervenções de reabilitação motora: aumento da motivação e satisfação dos pacientes e facilitação do fazer musical de pessoas com deficiência física que possuem dificuldades em manusear os instrumentos musicais convencionais. / Music therapy is the science of using sound-rhythmic-musical elements in treatment, reeducation, recovery and rehabilitation of individuals with various diseases or in preventive activities. Often, patients with severe physical disability need to adapt musical instruments to perform \"music making\" activities in music therapy. Some adaptations are made by music therapists and, therefore, in small quantities. Sometimes, a resource adapter for instrumental practice serves only the needs of a particular disability, and for others, the same feature can be uncomfortable. Also, may be interesting for some patients to put practice some guidelines received at the music therapy session in their home environment. However, the economic situation of some patients associated with the elevated price of some adapted musical instruments hampers or prevents the continuation of care in home environments. In this study, we sought to investigate whether it would be possible to design an interactive electronic system able to support and expand the music therapist intervention strategies. The research methodology followed the exploratory strategy of applied technological, aiming to generate a product with immediate goals, based on prior knowledge, capable of delivering tests and studies in real use. Contributors to this research included music therapists, occupational therapists and patients under motor rehabilitation treatment. From the survey and studies on the state of the art, as well as observations of music therapy sessions, a proposal for an augmented reality musical system for rehabilitation was designed. Based on this proposal, were implemented and evaluated three versions of system. The first evaluation was performed with a specialist in Music Therapy to verify the applicability of system. The second evaluation was carried out during a Music Therapy intervention in the Assistance Association for Children with Disability (AACD) and, on another occasion, during an occupational therapy intervention at home. The third evaluation was performed in Music Therapy interventions in the AACD and the Brazilian Association of Muscular Dystrophy (ABDIM). The data collected analysis allowed us to observe some benefits that this technology brings to support motor rehabilitation interventions: increased morale and satisfaction of patients and facilitation of \"music making\" activities along people with physical disabilities who have difficulty handling conventional musical instruments.

Musicoterapia é a ciência que utiliza elementos sonoro-ritmico-musicais no tratamento, reeducação, reabilitação e recuperação de indivíduos com diversas patologias ou ainda na área preventiva. Muitas vezes, pacientes com deficiência física grave, necessitam de adaptações nos instrumentos musicais para realizar o fazer musical musicoterapêutico. Algumas adaptações são feitas sob encomenda pelo musicoterapeuta e, portanto, em pequenas quantidades para o setor. Algumas vezes, um recurso adaptador de prática instrumental atende apenas às necessidades de uma determinada incapacidade física, sendo que para outras, este mesmo recurso pode ser desconfortável. Para alguns pacientes pode ser interessante colocar em prática algumas orientações recebidas na sessão de Musicoterapia em ambiente domiciliar. Entretanto, a situação econômica de alguns pacientes associada ao elevado preço de alguns instrumentos musicais adaptados, dificulta ou inviabiliza a continuidade do tratamento em ambiente domiciliar. Neste trabalho, buscou-se investigar se seria possível conceber um sistema eletrônico interativo capaz de apoiar e ampliar as estratégias de intervenções musicoterapêuticas. A metodologia da pesquisa seguiu a estratégia exploratória, de natureza tecnológica aplicada, tendo como objetivo a geração de um produto com finalidades imediatas, com base em conhecimentos prévios, capaz de viabilizar testes e estudos em situações reais de uso. Colaboraram nesta pesquisa musicoterapeutas, terapeutas ocupacionais e pacientes em tratamento de reabilitação motora. A partir do levantamento e estudos sobre o estado da arte, bem como de observações de sessões de Musicoterapia, foi concebida uma proposta de sistema de Realidade Aumentada musical para reabilitação. A partir desta proposta, foram implementadas e avaliadas três versões do sistema. A primeira avaliação foi realizada com uma especialista em Musicoterapia a fim de verificar a aplicabilidade do sistema. A segunda avaliação foi realizada durante uma intervenção de Musicoterapia na Associação de Assistência à Criança Deficiente (AACD) e, em outro momento, durante uma intervenção de Terapia Ocupacional em domicílio. A terceira avaliação foi feita em intervenções de Musicoterapia na AACD e na Associação Brasileira de Distrofia Muscular (ABDIM). A análise dos dados coletados permitiu constatar que este sistema traz os seguintes benefícios para apoiar intervenções de reabilitação motora: aumento da motivação e satisfação dos pacientes e facilitação do fazer musical de pessoas com deficiência física que possuem dificuldades em manusear os instrumentos musicais convencionais. / Music therapy is the science of using sound-rhythmic-musical elements in treatment, reeducation, recovery and rehabilitation of individuals with various diseases or in preventive activities. Often, patients with severe physical disability need to adapt musical instruments to perform \"music making\" activities in music therapy. Some adaptations are made by music therapists and, therefore, in small quantities. Sometimes, a resource adapter for instrumental practice serves only the needs of a particular disability, and for others, the same feature can be uncomfortable. Also, may be interesting for some patients to put practice some guidelines received at the music therapy session in their home environment. However, the economic situation of some patients associated with the elevated price of some adapted musical instruments hampers or prevents the continuation of care in home environments. In this study, we sought to investigate whether it would be possible to design an interactive electronic system able to support and expand the music therapist intervention strategies. The research methodology followed the exploratory strategy of applied technological, aiming to generate a product with immediate goals, based on prior knowledge, capable of delivering tests and studies in real use. Contributors to this research included music therapists, occupational therapists and patients under motor rehabilitation treatment. From the survey and studies on the state of the art, as well as observations of music therapy sessions, a proposal for an augmented reality musical system for rehabilitation was designed. Based on this proposal, were implemented and evaluated three versions of system. The first evaluation was performed with a specialist in Music Therapy to verify the applicability of system. The second evaluation was carried out during a Music Therapy intervention in the Assistance Association for Children with Disability (AACD) and, on another occasion, during an occupational therapy intervention at home. The third evaluation was performed in Music Therapy interventions in the AACD and the Brazilian Association of Muscular Dystrophy (ABDIM). The data collected analysis allowed us to observe some benefits that this technology brings to support motor rehabilitation interventions: increased morale and satisfaction of patients and facilitation of \"music making\" activities along people with physical disabilities who have difficulty handling conventional musical instruments.

Context. Daily active listening is important for the deaf and hard of hearing people (DHH) of their hearing rehabilitation, but the related hearing activities are usually not enough for them due to kinds of reasons. Although some traditional desktop computer-assisted tools were created for encouraging active listening, the usage rate is not high. Nowadays, mobile smart devices become more and more widely used and easily accessible all around the world. Game applications on these devices are good tools for training related activities. However, in the market, there are limited games designed for the DHH, especially aiming for engaging them in active listening. Therefore, such a game on mobile platform is the inspiration for increasing their everyday active listening. Objective. In this study, an audio-based mobile game application called the Music Puzzle was to create on Android operating system, for encouraging the DHH in their active listening. With aim of making the game have good usability and engaging for real use, we were to evaluate the game and conduct experiments on its usage, to see if it could be more used than another traditional hearing game on desktop platform and bring greater amount active listening for the DHH. Methods. In this study, overall, methods of literature review, game development, preliminary and evaluation experiments, as well as tracking study were used. In the development phase, interaction design theories and techniques was applied for assisting the design work. Android and Pure Data were employed for the software implementation work. In the evaluation phase, System Usability Scale (SUS) and Intrinsic Motivation Inventory (IMI) questionnaire were used for respectively testing the game usability and engagement. Then a four-week tracking study was conducted to acquire the usage data of the mobile game among the target group. Afterwards, the data was collected and compared with the usage data of the desktop game using statistical method of paired sample t-test. Results. From the preliminary experiments results, most of the participants reported their enjoyment with playing Music Puzzle and willingness to use it. Subsequent experiment gave good results on the game usability and engagement. The final tracking study shows that most participants activated and played Music Puzzle during the given time period. Compared with the desktop game, the DHH spent significantly greater amount of time on playing the mobile game. Conclusion. The study indicates that the Music Puzzle has good usability and it is engaging. Compared with the desktop game, The Music Puzzle mobile game is a more effective tool for encouraging and increasing the amount of active listening time among the DHH people in their everyday life.

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The main campus of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) has a current parking inventory of approximately 14,310 parking spaces in 88 surface lots. Of the available parking spaces 92% are designated for the use of Virginia Tech students, faculty and staff members. The share of visitor usage of these parking spaces is approximately 2%. The objective of this thesis is to evaluate the current visitor parking system and develop techniques to enhance the parking facility operations. The current visitor parking demand is determined by conducting a field evaluation of the visitor parking in five parking lots. Personal and follow-up interviews were conducted with university visitors to determine their satisfaction levels with the existing parking facilities. While the survey results demonstrated that 52% of visitors rated the parking services to be good or very good, the study also showed that approximately 28% of the visitors did not know the location of the most convenient parking lot to access their destination and almost 6% were not satisfied with the parking services offered by Virginia Tech. Apart from this, about 32% of the visitors had to visit at least 2 parking lots before finding a parking space. These figures clearly demonstrate a need for a better management of the parking lots to serve the visitors in an efficient way. In an attempt to enhance the visitor parking system a web-based interactive framework is proposed. This framework identifies the best possible parking lot(s) for a selected destination considering various factors like - distance of the parking lot to the destination and typical occupancy of the parking lot at specific times of the day and other relevant factors. The web-based interactive system is designed to provide the visitor with two or more choices for the parking in order to arrive at their desired destination. / Master of Science