Content Management Systems (CMS) can support the creation and maintenance of an e-commerce website and its content. Together with the advance of mobile technology and Internet, it is now possible for business owners to manage their online store using their mobile touchscreen devices. This thesis aims to define the usability problems of the existing CMSs when they are used on mobile touchscreen devices. Heuristic evaluation was performed in three CMSs in order to gain a better understanding of how CMS on touchscreen works and what are the major issues that could downgrade usability. Based on the results of the evaluation, a prototype was implemented and evaluated in order to find out if the design characteristics of the prototype can enhance usability. The impact of the prototype is discussed in terms of efficiency and heuristics violations. Moreover, design guidelines are suggested and uncovered usability problems for further research are provided. / Innehållshanteringssystem (från engelskans Content Management System, CMS) kan stödja skapandet ochunderhållet av en e-handelswebbplats och dess innehåll. Utvecklingen av mobilteknik och internet har gjort detmöjligt för företagare att hantera sin webbutik med hjälp av sina mobila enheter. Denna studie syftar till attdefiniera användbarhetsproblemen hos befintliga CMS när de används på mobila enheter. En heuristiskutvärdering av tre CMS utfördes för att få en bättre förståelse av hur CMS fungerar på en pekskärm, samt för attidentifiera de största problem som kan minska användbarheten. Baserat på resultaten av utvärderingenutvecklades och utvärderades en prototyp för att ta reda på om prototypens designegenskaper kunde förbättraanvändbarheten. Prototypens inverkan diskuteras med avseende på effektivitet och heuristiska oegentligheter. Designriktlinjer föreslås och funna användbarhetsproblem presenteras för vidare forskning.

Ownership of mobile devices, such as tablets and smartphones, has quickly risen in the last decade. Unsurprisingly, they are now being integrated into the training and classroom setting. Specifically, the U.S. Army has mapped out a plan in the Army Learning Model of 2015 to utilize mobile devices for training purposes. However, before these tools can be used effectively, it is important to identify how the tablets' unique properties can be leveraged. For this dissertation, the touch interface and the interactivity that tablets afford were investigated using a procedural-motor task. The procedural motor task was the disassembly procedures of a M4 carbine. This research was motivated by cognitive psychology theories, including Cognitive Load Theory and Embodied Cognition. In two experiments, novices learned rifle disassembly procedures in a narrated multimedia presentation presented on a tablet and then were tested on what they learned during the multimedia training involving a virtual rifle by performing a rifle disassembly on a physical rifle, reassembling the rifle, and taking a written recall test about the disassembly procedures. Spatial ability was also considered as a subject variable. Experiment 1 examined two research questions. The primary research question was whether including multiple forms of interactivity in a multimedia presentation resulted in higher learning outcomes. The secondary research question in Experiment 1 was whether dynamic multimedia fostered better learning outcomes than equivalent static multimedia. To examine the effects of dynamism and interactivity on learning, four multimedia conditions of varying levels of interactivity and dynamism were used. One condition was a 2D phase diagram depicting the before and after of the step with no animation or interactivity. Another condition utilized a non-interactive animation in which participants passively watched an animated presentation of the disassembly procedures. A third condition was the interactive animation in which participants could control the pace of the presentation by tapping a button. The last condition was a rifle disassembly simulation in which participants interacted with a virtual rifle to learn the disassembly procedures. A comparison of the conditions by spatial ability yielded the following results. Interactivity, overall, improved outcomes on the performance measures. However, high spatials outperformed low spatials in the simulation condition and the 2D phase diagram condition. High spatials seemed to be able to compensate for low interactivity and dynamism in the 2D phase diagram condition while enhancing their performance in the rifle disassembly simulation condition. In Experiment 2, the touchscreen interface was examined by investigating how gestures and input modality affected learning the disassembly procedures. Experiment 2 had two primary research questions. The first was whether gestures facilitate learning a procedural-motor task through embodied learning. The second was whether direct touch input using resulted in higher learning outcomes than indirect mouse input. To examine the research questions, three different variations of the rifle disassembly simulation were used. One was identical to that of Experiment 1. Another incorporated gestures to initiate the animation whereby participants traced a gesture arrow representing the motion of the component to learn the procedures. The third condition utilized the same interface as the initial rifle disassembly simulation but included "dummy" gesture arrows that displayed only visual information but did not respond to gesture. This condition was included to see the effects (if any) of the gesture arrows in isolation of the gesture component. Furthermore, direct touch input was compared to indirect mouse input. Once again, spatial ability also was considered. Results from Experiment 2 were inconclusive as no significant effects were found. This may have been due to a ceiling effect of performance. However, spatial ability was a significant predictor of performance across all conditions. Overall, the results of the two experiments support the use of multimedia on a tablet to train a procedural-motor task. In line with vision of ALM 2015, the research support incorporating tablets into U.S. Army training curriculum.

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<p>This master’s thesis is built around a design case and aims to explore the possibility of combining three methods in the design process: contextual inquiry in the pre-study phase, the creation of personas to guide the design, and cooperative evaluation to test the prototype. The methods were used in a design project proposed by EssNet AB in Stockholm, an international company in the gaming business, for whom a prototype for their touchscreen interface was developed. The contextual inquiry consisted in visits to four different vendors, where the work situation and the current use of computer systems for game registration were studied. The results from the inquiry lay ground for the creation of two personas, one primary and one secondary. These personas then guided the design of both Lo-Fi and Hi-Fi prototypes. The design ideas of the Lo-Fi design phase were evaluated in several discussion sessions and the Hi-Fi prototype was finally tested by six participants, using the cooperative evaluation method. The conclusion drawn from the study is that although the three methods are indeed compatible, there is still a creative leap to make between the data gathered in the contextual inquiry and the creation of the personas. It is also of importance that the participants in the cooperative evaluation match the personas to some degree in order to confirm the personas’ validity.</p>

Zoological institutions emphasise the importance of excelling in the areas of animal welfare, conservation, education, and research, not only to better the lives of the animals under their care, but to also influence the general population in the pursuit to conserve the natural world. As a result, zoo life is anything but simple. This research project monitored the lives of a captive group of chimpanzees over a two-and-a-half-year period, during which time we explored four research topics while assessing the development of a cognitive research programme and chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) introductions in a zoo: welfare, cognition, public engagement with science, and animal management. The project’s use of touchscreen technology and on-exhibit research was the first of its kind for the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland’s Edinburgh Zoo. As a result, the researchers placed a great deal of importance not only on assessing the welfare of the chimpanzees throughout training and testing phases, but also assessing the public’s perception of cognitive research being conducted through an internationally broadcast documentary about the project. In the short duration of the project, these research naïve chimpanzees did not fully grasp the concept of video selection in our free-choice activity, but overall, the introduction of a cognitive research programme did not compromise welfare, and the chimpanzees’ repeated interest suggests that chimpanzees found the research to be reinforcing. Partly funded by the BBC, the Chimpcam Project was shown in the UK (broadcast January 2010) and in a variety of other countries, including the United States and Canada (on Animal Planet in 2011). The broadcast allowed us to gather information over the internet on the wider public’s perception of conducting research with great apes in zoos, to complement data collected on visitors to the exhibit itself. Our assessment of the documentary’s impact on public perception showed that it had a positive influence on perceptions of zoo research, scientists, welfare, and the importance of choice for animals. During this research project, a new group of chimpanzees arrived in Edinburgh as part of the international breeding programme for western chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes verus). As the zoo’s focus switched to helping the two chimpanzee groups merge into one, we took the opportunity to apply psychological research to this context, namely the use of video as a research tool and the recognition of the importance of individual differences in response to challenge. The project maintained the cognition and welfare focus by using video introductions (allowing the chimpanzees to watch video footage of the individuals they were about to meet and track the formation of other sub-groups). In addition, personality ratings and chimpanzee behaviour during the visual access period (an animal management technique used prior to physical introductions where the groups could see each other without physical contact) were collected to examine the efficacy of these measures in guiding introductions in order to reduce risk. Personality ratings and behaviours observed during the video introductions could predict the chimpanzees’ behaviour during the physical introductions, however, the visual access period had no predictive power. The welfare implications of the introduction process were also assessed and suggested that: the choice of location (i.e. options of where to be) was more important than the total amount of available space; having individuals removed from your group was more stressful than having individuals added; self-directed behaviour (SDB) performance was context-specific where rubbing significantly increased during periods of uncertainty that were not necessarily negatively valenced; regurgitation and reingestion (R/R) decreased over time; and both in-group members and those of high ranks spent more time grooming others. Overall our data indicate that the chimpanzees coped well with both cognitive challenges and social upheaval during introductions. Despite being regularly studied in captivity and in the wild, chimpanzees have a great deal more to teach us about their world. In order to provide the best welfare for the chimpanzees in our care, we need to understand how research and management practices affect their lives and how the public interpret what we do as researchers. By understanding these aspects of their world, we can better serve those in captivity and influence public opinion on the importance of conserving those in the wild.

Multitouch technology allows the users to use both their hands and multiple fingers to manipulate digital content directly on the screen. This paper attempts to analyze the actual convenience of bimanual and multifinger manipulation on a multitouch display by conducting three observational experiments and studying how a group of volunteers use their hands and fingers when interacting with digital content on a touchscreen surface. In addition, the participants had to fill in a questionnaire where they give some additional insights on how they experienced the use of multitouch-based interface during the experiments. The results suggest that when participants were performing tasks in which they were instructed to manipulate the digital content as fast as they could, a high percentage of them resorted to the use of at least some level of bimanual manipulation of the digital content. However, when participants were told to perform the tasks calmly the big majority of participants decided to move the objects by using only one hand (unimanual). Same-hand multifinger manipulation was also used by a high percentage of participants when moving several objects simultaneously. Nevertheless, in all three experiments the most common way of moving objects across the screen was by dragging them one at a time (sequential move). Finally, in relation to the personal assessment made by the participants, a total of 70% feel that the possibility for engaging in bimanual interaction, that multitouch interface offers, is a clear benefit and advantage over traditional keyboard and mouse. However, 40% of the respondents feel that the use of mouse still is a more effective and natural form of interaction than multitouch technology.

FAÇANHA, Agebson Rocha. Uma proposta para acessibilidade visual e táctil em dispositivos touchscreen. 2012. 109 f. : Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Federal do Ceará, Centro de Ciências, Departamento de Computação, Fortaleza-CE, 2012. / Submitted by guaracy araujo (guaraa3355@gmail.com) on 2016-05-18T18:45:30Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertacao de Agebson Rocha Facanha.pdf: 2927212 bytes, checksum: c5bd4ddd54061bf8f97ac0b835fcb6b4 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by guaracy araujo (guaraa3355@gmail.com) on 2016-05-18T18:46:06Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertacao de Agebson Rocha Facanha.pdf: 2927212 bytes, checksum: c5bd4ddd54061bf8f97ac0b835fcb6b4 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-05-18T18:46:06Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertacao de Agebson Rocha Facanha.pdf: 2927212 bytes, checksum: c5bd4ddd54061bf8f97ac0b835fcb6b4 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012 / The use of touchscreen interfaces on smart phones and tablets bring tremendous benefits of connectivity and usability for their users. However, access to information via these devices represents a new challenge of interaction for users with visual impairments, after all, they have a glassy surface, with many visual elements, without reference to embossed tactile exploration. In this context, the study presents the main assistive technology to facilitate interaction of the visually impaired with touchscreen mobile devices and describes the fundamental aspects in an affordable touchscreen interface. From accessibility requirements found in the research, a group of three applications was designed and implemented (LêBraille - Text Editor; LêBrailleTWT - Twitter Client and LêBrailleSMS - Setting send / receive SMS) with accessible interface via audible and tactile feedback, the Android platform. The proposals were evaluated by a group of visually impaired users. Although there were rates to be improved with respect to time for performing operations on input data, was possible to obtain improvements in the use of the touchscreen technology. / O uso de interfaces touchscreen em smartphones e tablets traz enormes benefícios de conectividade e usabilidade para seus usuários. Contudo, o acesso à informação através desses dispositivos representa um novo desafio de interação para os usuários com deficiência visual, afinal possuem uma superfície vítrea, com diversos elementos visuais, sem uma referência em relevo para exploração táctil. Nesse contexto, este trabalho de mestrado apresenta um estudo das principais tecnologias para facilitar a interação do deficiente visual com dispositivos móveis touchscreen e elucida aspectos considerados fundamentais em uma interface touchscreen acessível. Seguindo os requisitos de acessibilidade propostos, foi concebida e implementada uma suíte com três aplicativos (LêBraille - Editor de texto; LêBrailleTWT – Cliente Twitter e LêBrailleSMS – Software de envio/recebimento de mensagens SMS) com interface acessível através de feedbacks sonoros e tácteis, na plataforma Android. As propostas foram avaliadas por um grupo de usuários deficientes visuais. E apesar de percentuais a serem melhorados em relação ao tempo para execução de operações na entrada de dados, já foi possível obter avanços na utilização da tecnologia pelos mesmos.

This master’s thesis is built around a design case and aims to explore the possibility of combining three methods in the design process: contextual inquiry in the pre-study phase, the creation of personas to guide the design, and cooperative evaluation to test the prototype. The methods were used in a design project proposed by EssNet AB in Stockholm, an international company in the gaming business, for whom a prototype for their touchscreen interface was developed. The contextual inquiry consisted in visits to four different vendors, where the work situation and the current use of computer systems for game registration were studied. The results from the inquiry lay ground for the creation of two personas, one primary and one secondary. These personas then guided the design of both Lo-Fi and Hi-Fi prototypes. The design ideas of the Lo-Fi design phase were evaluated in several discussion sessions and the Hi-Fi prototype was finally tested by six participants, using the cooperative evaluation method. The conclusion drawn from the study is that although the three methods are indeed compatible, there is still a creative leap to make between the data gathered in the contextual inquiry and the creation of the personas. It is also of importance that the participants in the cooperative evaluation match the personas to some degree in order to confirm the personas’ validity.

This thesis presents the design for a novel haptic interface for large-format touchscreens. Techniques such as electrovibration, ultrasonic vibration, and external braked devices have been developed by other researchers to deliver haptic feedback to touchscreen users. However, these methods do not address the need for spatial constraints that only restrict user motion in the direction of the constraint. This technology gap contributes to the lack of haptic technology available for touchscreen-based upper-limb rehabilitation, despite the prevalent use of haptics in other forms of robotic rehabilitation. The goal of this thesis is to display kinesthetic haptic constraints to the touchscreen user in the form of boundaries and paths, which assist or challenge the user in interacting with the touchscreen. The presented prototype accomplishes this by steering a single wheel in contact with the display while remaining driven by the user. It employs a novel embedded force sensor, which it uses to measure the interaction force between the user and the touchscreen. The haptic response of the device is controlled using this force data to characterize user intent. The prototype can operate in a simulated free mode as well as simulate rigid and compliant obstacles and path constraints. A data architecture has been created to allow the prototype to be used as a peripheral add-on device which reacts to haptic environments created and modified on the touchscreen. The long-term goal of this work is to create a haptic system that enables a touchscreen-based rehabilitation platform for people with upper limb impairments.

This master thesis describes the design of control unit, which has the task to operate industrial facilities for disinfection of swimming pools or living rooms. The designed control unit is trying to regulate power and flow rate, which is controlled by electronic valve with a flowmetr. The whole design is aimed at minimizing operating costs (mainly consumed liquid oxygen). Interaction with the operator is ensured by the HMI display. There is also an effort to highlight the importance of HMI applications in the industry.