Antonella Santangelo

Human-to-human interfaces: emerging trends and challenges

We present a new research domain, human-to-human interaction (HHI) that describes how todays human interaction is largely indirect and mediated by a wide variety of technologies and devices. We show how this new and exciting field of design originates from the convergence of a few well-established research areas, such as traditional graphical user interfaces (GUIs), tangible user interfaces (TUIs), touchless gesture user interfaces (TGUIs), voice user interfaces (VUIs), and brain computer interfaces (BCIs). We analyse and describe current research in those areas and offer a first-hand view and presentation of its salient aspects for the human-to human interaction domain.

Interacting with Augmented Environments

Pervasive systems augment environments by integrating information processing into everyday objects and activities. They consist of two parts: a visible part populated by animate (visitors, operators) or inanimate (AI) entities interacting with the environment through digital devices, and an invisible part composed of software objects performing specific tasks in an underlying framework. This paper shows an ongoing work from the University of Palermos Department of Computer Science and Engineering that addresses two issues related to simplifying and broadening augmented environment access.

Novel Human-to-Human Interactions from the Evolution of HCI

The interaction ways made available by the evolution of the human-computer interfaces, led to novel Human-to-Human Interaction (HHI) modes, enabling people to cooperate for almost any task any time and any where. HHI nowadays is largely indirect and mediated by a wide variety of technologies and devices. This new and exciting field of design originates from the convergence of a few well-established research fields within the HCI area, such as traditional Graphical User Interfaces (GUI), Tangible User Interfaces (TUI), Touchless Gesture User Interface (TGUI), Voice User Interfaces (VUI), and Brain Computer Interfaces (BCI). We analyze and describe the evolution of the HCI in those fields, and how it paved the way for novel current and upcoming human-to human interaction ways.

A virtual shopper customer assistant in pervasive environments

In this work we propose a smart, human-like PDA-based personal shopper assistant. The system is able to understand the user needs through a spoken natural language interaction and then stores the preferences of the potential customer. Subsequently the personal shopper suggests the most suitable items and shops that match the user profile. The interaction is given by automatic speech recognition and text-to-speech technologies; localization is allowed by the use of Wireless technologies, while the interaction is performed by an Alice-based chat-bot endowed with reasoning capabilities. Besides, being implemented on a PDA, the personal shopper satisfies the user needs of mobility and it is also usable on different mobile devices.

Platforms for Human-Human Interaction in Large Social Events

In this paper we present the evolution of QRouteMe, an information system built to provide people with rich user experiences when attending museums or exhibits. QRouteMe is a platform for indirect, mediated, and facilitated interactions among humans during large social events, by means of a wide variety of concurrent technologies and devices. The system evolution is analyzed according to the new human-to-human interaction (HHI) research domain. In particular, we show how QRouteMe has been adapted for the different events in which it has been used. We analyze and describe social interaction aspects during the events and we discuss some data and results. Finally we outline some possible future development of the platform.

A Multichannel Information System to Build and Deliver Rich User-Experiences in Exhibits and Museums

In this article a multichannel information system to build and deliver rich user experiences in exhibits and museums is presented. The system was designed to use information about a particular exhibit or museum while delivering a wide user experience based on different distribution channels. The overall information is used to build different solutions that can be delivered simultaneously on different media from touch-screen installations to portable devices like smart phones. Moreover, all the devices signed in the environment are able to communicate to each others to increase the level of the usability of the system. A case study and analysis of experimental results are also provided.

Multimodal virtual navigation of a cultural heritage site: The medieval ceiling of Steri in Palermo

The advance of information technology has enabled in recent years new fruition scenarios for cultural heritage sites. Multidisciplinary approaches integrate survey techniques with multimodal interfaces to allow enhanced fruition for larger group of users. In this paper we propose a multimodal interface to a virtual representation of a medieval ceiling, built in the XIV century, which covers the “Sala Magna” of Steri, the historical headquarters of the University of Palermo, in Italy. This research deals with the definition of a process for the integration of surveying techniques, modelling processes and communication technologies for the documentation of such artifacts. This is a two-stage process: in the first stage, a 3D digital document is produced that describes the artifact; in the second stage, a multimodal guide interacting with the 3D model is developed. A prototype multimodal guide has been implemented to narrate the Trojan Cycle, depicted on two of the rafters in the ceiling. This prototype was demonstrated to the general public and is detailed in the paper.

A Multimodal Guide for Virtual 3D Models of Cultural Heritage Artifacts

The area of cultural heritage preservation and fruition has drawn an ever growing attention of artificial intelligence and human-computer interaction research in the last decades. The common aim is to develop systems that can interact with the user in a variety of modes and in the most natural way. In this paper, a multimodal guide for virtual 3D environment navigation is presented. The proposed system integrates X3D environment with a multimodal interface. The application scenario is to provide a visitor assistance and guidance during the visit of one of the halls in the historical Palazzo Steri, the headquarters of the University of Palermo.

XPL, a Presentation Language based on User Interface Design Pattern

The great diversity of presentations in software applications deals with fulfillment of various type of graphic interface constructions related to different programming languages. Moreover, in the Internet era html pages play a main role because of the increasing complexity of Web applications. In Software Engineering, the use of design patterns is proven remarkable for the design and reuse of software components. Visual design patterns (ViDP) are useful to define interaction schemas between user and computer. By the some token, visual design patterns are useful to incorporate common interfaces of interaction schemas between user and computer. This paper describes the extensible presentation language (XPL), a presentation language based on visual pattern. XPL framework implementation will be discussed in details and a case study showing the benefits of employing XPL will be presented.

XPL the eXtensible presentation language

The last decade has witnessed a growing interest in the development of web interfaces enabling both multiple ways to access contents and, at the same time, fruition by multiple modalities of interaction (point-and-click, contents reading, voice commands, gestures, etc.). In this paper we describe a framework aimed at streamlining the design process of multi-channel, multimodal interfaces enabling full reuse of software components. This framework is called the eXtensible Presentation architecture and Language (XPL), a presentation language based on design pattern paradigm that keeps separated the presentation layer from the underlying programming logic. The language supplies a methodology to expedite multimodal interface development and to reduce the effort to implement interfaces for multiple access devices, by means of using the same code. This paper describes a methodology approach based on Visual Design Pattern (ViDP) and Verbal Design Pattern (VeDP), offering examples of multimodal and multichannel interfaces created with the XPL Editor.