Stefano Carrino

Designing a desirable smart bracelet for older adults

In this paper, we present the design process of a smart bracelet that aims at enhancing the life of elderly people. The bracelet acts as a personal assistant during the users everyday life, monitoring the health status and alerting him or her about abnormal conditions, reminding medications and facilitating the everyday life in many outdoor and indoor activities.

Humans and smart environments: a novel multimodal interaction approach

In this paper, we describe a multimodal approach for human-smart environment interaction. The input interaction is based on three modalities: deictic gestures, symbolic gestures and isolated-words. The deictic gesture is interpreted using the PTAMM (Parallel Tracking and Multiple Mapping) method exploiting a camera handheld or worn on the user arm. The PTAMM algorithm tracks in real-time the position and orientation of the hand in the environment. This information is used to point real or virtual objects, previously added to the environment, using the optical camera axis. Symbolic hand-gestures and isolated voice commands are recognized and used to interact with the pointed target. Haptic and acoustic feedbacks are provided to the user in order to improve the quality of the interaction. A complete prototype has been realized and a first usability evaluation, assessed with the help of 10 users has shown positive results.

Generic Framework for Transforming Everyday Objects into Interactive Surfaces

According to Mark Weiser, smart environments are physical worlds that are richly and invisibly interwoven with sensors, actuators, displays, and computational elements, embedded seamlessly in the everyday objects of our lives. At present however turn everyday objects into interactive ones is a very challenging issue and this limits their widespread diffusion. In order to address this issue we propose a framework to turn everyday objects, such as a table or a mirror, into interactive surfaces allowing to access and manipulate digital information. The framework integrates several interaction technologies such as electromagnetic, acoustic and optical one, supporting rapid prototype development. Two prototypes, an interactive table and an interactive tray, have been developed using the toolkit to validate the proposed approach.

PEGASO: Towards a Life Companion

In the frame of the PEGASO European project, we aim at promoting healthier lifestyles focusing on the alimentary education and physical activity. This paper presents the concept of health companion as the main tool to inform and push the user towards a healthier lifestyle. This companion is an advanced interface that assists and entertains the user, providing him an adequate knowledge about alimentary and physical education. The companion is based on a knowledge model of the user and its behavior; it is composed of three main facets: is tailored to the user, is based on affective design and is designed to be a life companion.

Opportunistic synergy: a classifier fusion engine for micro-gesture recognition

In this paper, we present a novel opportunistic paradigm for in-vehicle gesture recognition. This paradigm allows using two or more subsystems in a synergistic manner: they can work in parallel but the lack of some of them does not compromise the functioning of the whole system. In order to segment and recognize micro-gestures performed by the user on the steering wheel, we combine a wearable approach based on the electromyography of the users forearm muscles, with an environmental approach based on pressure sensors integrated directly on the steering wheel. We present and analyze several fusion methods and gesture segmentation strategies. A prototype has been developed and evaluated with data from nine subjects. The results prove that the proposed opportunistic system performs equal or better than each stand-alone subsystem while increasing the interaction possibilities.

WheelSense: Enabling Tangible Gestures on the Steering Wheel for In-Car Natural Interaction

This paper presents WheelSense, a system for non-distracting and natural interaction with the In-Vehicle Information and communication System (IVIS). WheelSense embeds pressure sensors in the steering wheel in order to detect tangible gestures that the driver can perform on its surface. In this application, the driver can interact by means of four gestures that have been designed to allow the execution of secondary tasks without leaving the hands from the steering wheel. Thus, the proposed interface aims at minimizing the distraction of the driver from the primary task. Eight users tested the proposed system in an evaluation composed of three phases: gesture recognition test, gesture recognition test while driving in a simulated environment and usability questionnaire. The results show that the accuracy rate is 87% and 82% while driving. The system usability scale scored 84 points out of 100.

ARAMIS: toward a hybrid approach for human- environment interaction

In this paper we describe ARAMIS a novel hybrid approach aiming to enhance the human smart-environment interaction. We define this approach as hybrid since it is the combination of three different dichotomies: wearable and pervasive computing paradigms, virtual and real worlds, optical and nonoptical sensing technologies. In order to validate the proposed approach we have designed a multimodal framework, in which gestures have been chosen as the main interaction modality. The framework design aims firstly to efficiently manage and merge information from heterogeneous, distributed sensors and secondly to offer a simple tool to connect together such devices. Finally a prototype has been developed in order to test and evaluate the proposed approach.

Augmenting Interaction Possibilities between People with Mobility Impairments and Their Surrounding Environment

Disability is manifested when person-environment interactions result in low participation in daily life activities, which involves interaction with the environment. We present a smart Bluetooth power strip that enables the implementation of convenient interaction paradigms in order to facilitate the interaction between people with reduced mobility and their surrounding environment. In particular, two gestures-based interaction paradigms are presented: a specific application for smartphones and a natural deictic gesture paradigm. The usability test conducted with 13 users assessed the enhanced accessibility provided by these interaction paradigms for the control of electrical appliances present in the users’ surrounding environment. The gestural approach scored 84 points out of 100 in the Brooke’s system usability scale; the smartphone approach scored 91.

Towards an Engaging Mobile Food Record for Teenagers

In the frame of the PEGASO European project, we aim at promoting healthier lifestyles among teenagers focusing on the alimentary education and physical activity. This paper presents a novel concept of mobile food record developed following a multidisciplinary approach to innovate both the monitoring and the user experience. This mobile food record does not count calories but is focused on tracking dietary patterns and support the adoption of target behaviours. Moreover, the introduction of game mechanics developed through participatory design techniques aims at sustaining engagement in the long term.

Senior Living Lab: An Ecological Approach to Foster Social Innovation in an Ageing Society

The Senior Living Lab (SLL) is a transdisciplinary research platform created by four Universities that aims at promoting ageing well at home through the co-creation of innovative products, services and practices with older adults. While most living labs for ageing well are focused on Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), this social laboratory adopts a transdisciplinary approach, bringing together designers, economists, engineers and healthcare professionals to develop multiple forms of social innovation using participatory methods. The SLL is based on an ecological approach, connecting professionals and users in a cooperative network and involving all of the stakeholders concerned with ageing well, such as existing associations, business entities and policy-makers. Three main themes for the co-design of products and services were identified at the beginning of the SLL conception, each sustained by a major business partner: healthy nutrition to cope with frailty, improved autonomous mobility to foster independence and social communication to prevent isolation. This article shows the innovative transdisciplinary approach of the SLL and discusses the particular challenges that emerged during the first year of its creation, investigating the role of ICTs when designing products and services for older adults.