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Touchscreen interfaces for machine control and educationKivila, Arto 20 September 2013 (has links)
The touchscreen user interface is an inherently dynamic device that is becoming
ubiquitous. The touchscreen’s ability to adapt to the user’s needs makes it superior
to more traditional haptic devices in many ways. Most touchscreen devices come with
a very large array of sensors already included in the package. This gives engineers
the means to develop human-machine interfaces that are very intuitive to use. This
thesis presents research that was done to develop a best touchscreen interface for
driving an industrial crane for novice users. To generalize the research, testing also
determined how touchscreen interfaces compare to the traditional joystick in highly
dynamic tracking situations using a manual tracking experiment.
Three separate operator studies were conducted to investigate touchscreen control
of cranes. The data indicates that the touchscreen interfaces are superior to the
traditional push-button control pendent and that the layout and function of the
graphical user interface on the touchscreen plays a roll in the performance of the
human operators.
The touchscreen interface also adds great promise for allowing users to navigate
through interactive textbooks. Therefore, this thesis also presents developments
directed at creating the next generation of engineering textbooks. Nine widgets were
developed for an interactive mechanical design textbook that is meant to be delivered
via tablet computers. Those widgets help students improve their technical writing
abilities, introduce them to tools they can use in product development, as well as give
them knowledge in how some dynamical systems behave. In addition two touchscreen
applications were developed to aid the judging of a mechanical design competition.
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Communicating science : developing an exhibit with scientists and educatorsLemagie, Emily 28 October 2011 (has links)
Outreach is a small, but significant component to modern research.
Developing an exhibit for public display can be an effective way to communicate science to broad audiences, although it may be a less familiar method to scientists than writing papers or giving presentations. I outline the process of developing an interactive exhibit for outreach, and evaluate and discuss the effectiveness of a computer exhibit designed to communicate estuary currents and scientific modeling using Olympia Oyster restoration in the Yaquina Bay estuary as a theme. I summarize the results of this project in three primary recommendations: 1) exhibit developers should be deliberate in the decision to use a computer and only select this media if it is determined to be the best for communicating exhibit learning outcomes, 2) the design of visualizations to convey research results should be carefully modified from their scientific forms to best meet the exhibit learning outcomes and expectations of the exhibit audience, and 3) scientists should play an integral role in the development of scientific content-based exhibits, but their expertise, and the range of expertise from other members of the exhibit development team, should be strategically utilized. / Graduation date: 2012
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