We present SetPad, a new application prototype that lets computer science students explore discrete math problems by sketching set expressions using pen-based input. Students can manipulate the expressions interactively with the tool via pen or multi-touch interface. Likewise, discrete mathematics instructors can use SetPad to display and work through set problems via a projector to better demonstrate the solutions to the students. We discuss the implementation and feature set of the application, as well as results from both an informal perceived usefulness evaluation for students taking a computer science foundation exam in addition to a formal user study measuring the effectiveness of the tool when solving set proof problems. The results indicate that SetPad was well received, allows for efficient solutions to proof problems, and has the potential to have a positive impact when used as as an individual student application or an instructional tool.

The way we use interactive mobile technology everyday is changing the human cognitive landscape and how we are dealing with reality. In our daily life, SnT (Social-networking technology) has become something we cannot avoid using, as the need of being constantly updated and virtually connected to our social and working circle has prominently emerged. In this Interaction design thesis, I intend to explore the possible ways in which digital users, physical people in the first place, can prevent addictive loops of being constantly connected to such services and smartphones. Ethnographic research methods were performed along with iterative prototyping phases, leading to the development of speculative design interventions. Altering different responsiveness rates of a mobile user experience led me to design six bodystorming concepts and enact relative roleplay activities supposed to prevent SnT addiction and eventually help people being in control again of their spent digital time.

At present, human-computer interaction (HCI) is no longer limited to traditional input hardware like mouse and keyboard. In the last few years, Augmented and Virtual Reality (AR, VR) have dramatically changed the way we interact with a computer. Currently, one of the many design challenges of these systems is the integration of the physical and digital aspects in an accessible and usable way. The design success of AR systems depends on the fluid and harmonious fusion of the material and digital world. Pointing, which is a radical gesture in communication, can enable easy and intuitive interaction within the AR application. This study explores two pointing techniques that can be used in an AR application. I developed two prototypes, and the concept of laser pointing was used, by shooting out a laser from the point of origin into the application, to perform pointing. The point of origin for the laser is the camera, in the first prototype called camera laser and the fiducial, in the second prototype called pen laser. The camera laser showed promising results in terms of ease of use and reliability, but the pen laser felt more natural to the user. In this study, I present the prototypes, followed by the user study and the results. / För närvarande är interaktionen mellan människa och dator (HCI) inte längre begränsad till traditionaell ingångshårdvara som mus och tangentbord. Under de senaste åren har Augmented och Virtual Reality (AR, VR) dramatiskt förändrat vårt sätt att interagera med en dator. För närvarande är en av de måmga designutmaningarna för dessa system att sammanföra de fysiska och digitala aspekterna på ett tillgångligt och användbart sätt. AR-systemens framgång beror på den löpande och harmoniska sammansmältningen av den materiella och digitala världen. Pekande, som är ett radikalt sätt att kommunicera på, kan möjliggöra enkel och intuitiv interaktion inom AR-användning. Denna studie undersöker två pektekniker som kan användas i AR-användning. Jag utvecklade två prototyper. Laserpekning användes genom att skjuta ut en laser från startpunkten till applikationen, för att utföra pekning. Utgångspunkten för lasern är kameran, i den första prototypen som kallas kameralaser och fiducial, i den andra prototypen som kallas pennlaser. Kameralasern visade lovande resultat när det gäller användarvånlighet och tillförlitlighet, men pennlasern upplevdes mer naturlig för användaren. I denna studie presenterar jag prototyperna följt av användarstudien och resultaten.

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The size of the gold foil figures is about the size of half a postal stamp and consists of millimeter-thin gold plates with depicted motifs. They may be the smallest artefact that we have left from the Late Iron Age, more specifically 6th and 7th Century CE. Despite this, it has not stopped the craftsman from creating such detailed motifs that are almost impossible to see to the naked eye. In previous research, the gold foil figures have been treated as representative images, however, this present work shows that these small gold plates have been considered as more than just images. An investigation is conducted of phenomenological aspects that can be observed in the picture, and of different conditions in which the find arises. By studying and discussing the collection of gold foil figures from four locations in southern Sweden and comparing various aspects that arise in the material, interesting patterns and details are noted which did not receive much attention previously.

This paper explores how touch gestures with the help of audio feedback can be used to make touch screens easy to use and possible to interact with eyes-free in an in-vehicle context. Prototypes will be created and usability tested in order to investigate how the gestures and feedback performs in the context. These results will be discussed and analyzed and transformed into a few design principles that should be considered when designing gestures for use in an in-vehicle context.

This study proposes a new “vocabulary” of gestural commands for mobile devices, based on established bodily practices and daily rituals. The research approach is grounded in a theoretical framework of phenomenology, and entails collaborative improv workshops akin to bodystorming. The combination of these methods is named as “hacking the physical actions” and the significance of this approach is highlighted, especially as a constituting source for the similar researches in this field. The resulting ideas for gestural commands are then synthesized and applied to fundamental tasks of handling mobile phones and explained with a supplementary video.

[pt] A Visão Computacional pode ser utilizada para capturar gestos e criar dispositivos de interação com computadores mais intuitivos e rápidos. Os dispositivos comerciais atuais de interação baseados em gestos utilizam equipamentos caros (dispositivos de seguimento, luvas, câmeras especiais, etc.) e ambientes especiais que dificultam a difusão para o público em geral. Este trabalho apresenta um estudo sobre a viabilidade de utilizarmos câmeras Web como dispositivo de interação baseado em gestos da Mão. Em nosso estudo consideramos que a mão humana está limpa, isto é, sem nenhum dispositivo (mecânico, magnético ou óptico) colocado nela. Consideramos ainda que o ambiente onde ocorre a interação tem as características de um ambiente de trabalho normal, ou seja, sem luzes ou panos de fundo especiais. Para avaliar a viabilidade deste mecanismo de interação, desenvolvemos alguns protótipos. Neles os gestos da mão e as posições dos dedos são utilizados para simular algumas funções presentes em mouses e teclados, tais como selecionar estados e objetos e definir direções e posições. Com base nestes protótipos apresentamos algumas conclusões e sugestões para trabalhos futuros. / [en] Computer Vision can be used to capture gestures and create more intuitive and faster devices to interact with computers. Current commercial gesture-based interaction devices make use of expensive equipment (tracking devices, gloves, special cameras, etc.) and special environments that make the dissemination of such devices to the general public difficult. This work presents a study on the feasibility of using Web cameras as interaction devices based on hand-gestures. In our study, we consider that the hand is clean, that is, it has no (mechanical, magnetic or optical) device. We also consider that the environment where the interaction takes place has the characteristics of a normal working place, that is, without special lights or backgrounds. In order to evaluate the feasibility of such interaction mechanism, we have developed some prototypes of interaction devices. In these prototypes, hand gestures and the position of fingers were used to simulate some mouse and keyboard functions, such as selecting states and objects, and defining directions and positions. Based on these prototypes, we present some conclusions and suggestions for future works.