Clint Zeagler

Don't mind me touching my wrist: a case study of interacting with on-body technology in public

Wearable technology, specifically e-textiles, offers the potential for interacting with electronic devices in a whole new manner. However, some may find the operation of a system that employs non-traditional on-body interactions uncomfortable to perform in a public setting, impacting how readily a new form of mobile technology may be received. Thus, it is important for interaction designers to take into consideration the implications of on-body gesture interactions when designing wearable interfaces. In this study, we explore the third-party perceptions of a users interactions with a wearable e-textile interface. This two-prong evaluation examines the societal perceptions of a user interacting with the textile interface at different on-body locations, as well as the observers attitudes toward on-body controller placement. We performed the study in the United States and South Korea to gain cultural insights into the perceptions of on-body technology usage.

FIDO - facilitating interactions for dogs with occupations: wearable dog-activated interfaces

Working dogs have improved the lives of thousands of people. However, communication between human and canine partners is currently limited. The main goal of the FIDO project is to research fundamental aspects of wearable technologies to support communication between working dogs and their handlers. In this pilot study, the FIDO team investigated on-body interfaces for assistance dogs in the form of wearable technology integrated into assistance dog vests. We created four different sensors that dogs could activate (based on biting, tugging, and nose gestures) and tested them on-body with three assistance-trained dogs. We were able to demonstrate that it is possible to create wearable sensors that dogs can reliably activate on command.

FIDO--Facilitating interactions for dogs with occupations: wearable communication interfaces for working dogs

Abstract Working dogs have improved the lives of thousands of people throughout history. However, communication between human and canine partners is currently limited. The main goal of the FIDO project is to research fundamental aspects of wearable technologies to support communication between working dogs and their handlers. In this study, the FIDO team investigated on-body interfaces for dogs in the form of wearable technology integrated into assistance dog vests. We created five different sensors that dogs could activate based on natural dog behaviors such as biting, tugging, and nose touches. We then tested the sensors on-body with eight dogs previously trained for a variety of occupations and compared their effectiveness in several dimensions. We were able to demonstrate that it is possible to create wearable sensors that dogs can reliably activate on command, and to determine cognitive and physical factors that affect dogs’ success with body–worn interaction technology.

The Textile Interface Swatchbook: Creating graphical user interface-like widgets with conductive embroidery

The Textile Interface Swatchbook demonstrates how conductive embroidery can render graphical user interface-like (GUI) widgets on fabric. Such widgets might be used to control mobile electronics such as a music player, mobile phone, or projected display. At present, six swatches have been created for the swatchbook: pleat, menu, rocker, multi-touch gesture, zipper, and proximity. The three most diverse and original are discussed here. In addition, we develop a hybrid resistive-capacitive touch sensing technique designed to be more tolerant to the flexing typical of fabric. We hope to develop the Textile Interface Swatchbook into a reference tool for textile interfaces.

Is It Gropable? Assessing the Impact of Mobility on Textile Interfaces

In a mobile environment, the visual attention a person can devote to a computer is often limited. In such situations, a manual interface should be “gropable,” that is, the user should be able to access and use the interface with little to no visual attention. We compare stationary and mobile input on two embroidered textile interfaces; a single touch three button interface and a multitouch four button interface that is activated by pressing two buttons at the same time. Sixteen participants completed 480 trials while walking a path and sitting. While multitouch increases the expressiveness of gestures that can be performed, our user study only shows a slight, not statistically signi¿cant, increase in accuracy and an understandable decrease in speed for simple selection tasks.

The social comfort of wearable technology and gestural interaction.

The “wearability” of wearable technology addresses the factors that affect the degree of comfort the wearer experiences while wearing a device, including physical, psychological, and social aspects. While the physical and psychological aspects of wearing technology have been investigated since early in the development of the field of wearable computing, the social aspects of wearability have been less fully-explored. As wearable technology becomes increasingly common on the commercial market, social wearability is becoming an ever-more-important variable contributing to the success or failure of new products. Here we present an analysis of social aspects of wearability within the context of the greater understanding of wearability in wearable technology, and focus on selected theoretical frameworks for understanding how wearable products are perceived and evaluated in a social context. Qualitative results from a study of social acceptability of on-body interactions are presented as a case study of social wearability.

Textile Interfaces: Embroidered Jog-Wheel, Beaded Tilt Sensor, Twisted Pair Ribbon, and Sound Sequins

Electronic textiles (or e-textiles) attempt to integrate electronics and computing into fabric. In our efforts to create new e-textile interfaces and construction techniques for our Electronic Textile Interface Swatch Book (an e-textile toolkit), we have created a multi-use jog wheel using multilayer embroidery, sound sequins from PVDF film and a tilt sensor using a hanging bead, embroidery and capacitive sensing. In order to make capacitive sensing over long leads possible on the body, we have constructed twisted pair ribbon and demonstrated its effectiveness over more typical sensing techniques. We detail construction techniques and lessons learned from this technology exploration.

Innovation and Wearable Computing: A Proposed Collaborative Policy Design Framework

The rapidly expanding market for wearable computing devices (wearables), driven by the confluence of information and communication technology and public acceptance of a design aesthetic, suggests nearly limitless potential for consumer uses. As adoption of wearables spreads, there are cultural and social impacts that represent both barriers and opportunities, with subsequent public policy ramifications. All too often designers, technologists, and policymakers operate independently; consequently, often products are out of sync, lack interoperability, or are hindered by well-meaning (but obstructive) policy. This article proposes a collaborative policy design framework, based on initial trials undertaken at a multidisciplinary collaborative engineering center, the Wireless Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center. The proposed collaborative policy design process will enhance the development of wearable devices and guide interdisciplinary collaborators as they explore the various implications and effects of device design in social, technological, and regulatory contexts.

Can i wash it?: the effect of washing conductive materials usedin making textile based wearable electronic interfaces.

We explore the wash-ability of conductive materials used in creating traces and touch sensors in wearable electronic textiles. We perform a wash test measuring change in resistivity after each of 10 cycles of washing for conductive traces constructed using two types of conductive thread, conductive ink, and combinations of thread and ink.

Search and rescue: dog and handler collaboration through wearable and mobile interfaces

Search and Rescue (SAR) is a critical component of disaster recovery efforts. Every second saved in the search increases the chances of finding survivors and the majority of these teams prefer using canines [5]. Our goal is to help enable SAR dog and handler teams to work together more effectively. Using a semi-structured interviews and guidance from K9-SAR experts as we iterate through designs, we develop a two-part system consisting of a wearable computer interface for working SAR dogs that communicates with their handler via a mobile application. Additionally, we discuss the system around a heuristic framework that includes dogs as active participants. Finally, we show the viability of our tool by evaluating it with feedback from three SAR experts.