Tacha Serif

Pervasive and standalone computing: The perceptual effects of variable multimedia quality.

Abstract The introduction of multimedia on pervasive and mobile communication devices raises a number of perceptual quality issues; however, limited work has been done examining the three-way interaction between use of equipment, quality of perception and quality of service. Our work measures levels of informational transfer (objective) and user satisfaction (subjective) when users are presented with multimedia video clips at three different frame rates, using four different display devices, simulating variation in participant mobility. Our results will show that variation in frame rate does not impact a users level of information assimilation, however, does impact a users’ perception of multimedia video ‘quality’. Additionally, increased visual immersion can be used to increase transfer of video information, but can negatively affect the users’ perception of ‘quality’. Finally, we illustrate the significant affect of clip-content on the transfer of video, audio and textual information, placing into doubt the use of purely objective quality definitions when considering multimedia presentations.

3-D Pain Drawings–-Mobile Data Collection Using a PDA

A large number of the adult population suffers from some kind of back pain during their lifetime. Part of the process of diagnosing and treating such back pain is for a clinician to collect information as to the type and location of the pain that is being suffered. Traditional approaches to gathering and visualizing this pain data have relied on simple 2-D representations of the human body, where different types of sensation are recorded with various monochrome symbols. Although patients have been shown to prefer such drawings to traditional questionnaires, these pain drawings can be limited in their ability to accurately record pain. The work described in this paper proposes an alternative that uses a 3-D representation of the human body, which can be marked in color to visualize and record the pain data. This study has shown that the new approach is a promising development in this area of medical practice and has been positively received by patients and clinicians alike.

Indoor location detection with a RSS-based short term memory technique (KNN-STM)

The interaction between devices and users has changed dramatically with the advances in mobile technologies. User friendly devices and services are offered by utilizing smart sensing capabilities and using context, location and motion sensor data. However, indoor location sensing is mostly achieved by measuring radio signal (WiFi, Bluetooth, GSM etc.) strength and nearest neighbor identification. The algorithm that is most commonly used for Received Signal Strength (RSS) based location detection is the K Nearest Neighbor (KNN). KNN algorithm identifies an estimate location using the K nearest neighboring points. Accordingly, in this paper, we aim to improve the KNN algorithm by integrating a short term memory (STM) where past signal strength readings are stored. Considering the limited movement capabilities of a mobile user in an indoor environment, users previous locations can be taken into consideration to derive his/her current position. Hence, in the proposed approach, the signal strength readings are refined with the historical data prior to comparison with the environments radio map. Our evaluation results indicate that the performance of enhanced KNN outperforms KNN algorithm.

A Jini-Based Solution for Electronic Prescriptions

In most countries today, handwritten, paper-based medical prescriptions are the norm. While efforts have been made in the past and are being made at present to migrate toward electronic dispensation of prescriptions, these have generally omitted to incorporate ubiquitous computing technology in their proposed solutions. In this paper, we focus on this issue and describe a Jini-based prototypical solution for electronic prescriptions, which allows for their wireless transmission to in-range pharmacies and the augmentation of the service levels rendered to the user, with, for instance, information about queue lengths and estimated waiting times being provided to the patients. Clinical and user evaluation revealed that there were high levels of agreement as regards the prototypes effectiveness, ease of use, and usefulness

HMD versus PDA: a comparative study of the user out-of-box experience

The out-of-box experience (OOBE) has been identified as a significant factor contributing to user perception and acceptance of products and technologies. Whilst there has been considerable emphasis placed on formalising methodological procedures for evaluating the OOBE and on the creation of positive user experiences through appropriate interfaces and applications, relatively little work has been undertaken examining how the OOBE is impacted when the experience itself covers a range of (possibly interconnected) devices. In this paper we report the results of an empirical study which examined the OOBE when a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) and Head Mounted Device (HMD) were configured and then connected for inter-operability purposes. Our findings show that type of device has a considerable impact on the OOBE, with the ask of interconnecting devices having a detrimental effect on the OOBE. The OOBE, however, is in main unaffected by user type and gender.

Location-aware patient record access: Patient identification using fingerprinting technique

In the last decade, penetration of mobile technologies has changed our daily lives and the way we interact with each other and the rest of the world. With the latest wireless and mobile technologies, today, mobile users can find out about the congestion levels of motorways and route their trip accordingly. They can access public transport timetables on-the-move and have the data tailored dynamically based on their location. In this work, not only to improve lifestyles but increase life standards, we aim to combine the paradigms above with healthcare and hospital patient records systems. Accordingly, this paper describes a location-aware electronic health record system that can sense the location of the physician by utilizing fingerprinting technique, and retrieve the relevant patients medical data on to the physicians mobile device. Furthermore, the system also enables medical personnel to transcribe post-it-like, audio-notes, and facilitate communication among physicians on other shifts by posting location-based notes. The prototype systems location precision and usability evaluation results indicate that the proposed system is conceived as easy to use, accurate, and efficient tool.

Satellite-based delivery of educational content to geographically isolated communities: a service based approach

Enabling learning for members of geographically isolated communities presents benefits in terms of promoting regional development and cost savings for governments and companies. However, notwithstanding recent advances in e-Learning, from both technological and pedagogical perspectives, there are very few, if any, recognised methodologies for user-led design of satellite-based e-learning infrastructures. In this paper, we present a methodology for designing a satellite and wireless based network infrastructure and learning services to support distance learning for such isolated communities. This methodology entails (a) the involvement of community members in the development of targeted learning services from an early stage, and (b) a service-oriented approach to learning solution deployment. Results show, that, while the technological premises of distance learning can be accommodated by hybrid satellite/wireless infrastructures, this has to be complemented with (a) high-quality audio–visual educational material, and (b) the opportunity for community members to interact with other community members either as groups (common-room oriented scenarios) or individuals (home-based scenarios), thus providing an impetus for learner engagement in both formal and informal activities.

Integrating Perceptual, Device and Location Characteristics for Wireless Multimedia Transmission

In this paper, we describe an investigation exploring user experiences of accessing streamed multimedia content, when that content is tailored according to perceptual, device and location characteristics. To this end, we have created pre-defined transmission profiles and stream perceptually tailored multimedia content to three different locations, each characterised by different infotainment requirements. In the light of our results, we propose that multimedia transmission to mobile and wireless devices should be made based on pre-defined profiles, which contains a combination of static (perceptual, device type, CPU speed, and display specifications) and dynamic information (streamed content type location of the device/user, context of the device/user). The evaluation of such a system showed that the users and service providers can gain from such an approach considerably, as user perceptions of quality were not detrimentally affected by QoS degradations. Consequently, service providers can utilise this information to effectively manage local network traffic and bandwidth

Satellite-Enabled interactive education: scenarios and systems architectures

There are specific sectors of the economy that can benefit from satellite-based tele-education. Areas, such as maritime and agriculture, share common needs for both broadband connectivity at remote geographical areas that cannot otherwise be covered, and for innovative content for tele-education purposes. Furthermore, each area has special requirements with regard to the type of content to be delivered. In this paper we propose a set of architectural designs and case scenarios that will realise such interactive end-to-end education systems based on satellite communications. Services requirements in this setting are also identified and discussed.

Electronic prescriptions: a ubiquitous solution using Jini

Ubiquitous computing has thus far not touched the realm of electronic prescriptions. This paper describes a Jini-based solution for electronic prescriptions, which allows for their wireless transmission to in-range pharmacies and the augmentation of the service levels rendered to the user, with, for instance, information about queue lengths and estimated waiting times being provided to patients. Clinical evaluation of the prototype has highlighted general consensus in respect of its effectiveness, ease of use and usefulness