Travis Kent

Towards virtualized welding: Visualization and monitoring of remote welding

We present a new hybrid reality system that supports the monitoring and visualizing of a welding system. Our system first uses 3D scanning techniques to create a digital model of objects to be welded. Based on the model, a mock-up is constructed from a set of templates or 3D printed. The welding process is captured by cameras and visualized on the 3D mock-up using projectors. The welder can therefore monitor the welding process as if the welding is on the mock-up with proper spatial and 3D cues. An initial user performance evaluation of the system demonstrated several cognitive and performance benefits of the current implementation and suggests avenues for future research.

User centered design of a hybrid-reality display for weld monitoring

We present a current multi-study process aimed at developing a hybrid-reality display for use in remote welding. Results from an initial user study and applied cognitive task analysis are discussed along with possible future development directions.

Development of a Hybrid Reality Display for Welders through Applied Cognitive Task Analysis

With the current trend toward semi-autonomous welding systems, the typical duties of a skilled welder are likely to transition from that of manual operator to a more supervisory role. The shifting demands on welders necessitates novel welding displays to support an increased variety of tasks. The current work utilizes applied cognitive task analysis to identify the needs of expert welders, specifically in regards to the identification of important sensory cues useful when monitoring the welding process in real-time. Results are presented in a cognitive demands table in a manner intended to be useful to multidisciplinary teams engaged in the development of future welding platforms.

Flashy or Functional The Impact of Graphical Content on the Effectiveness of Résumés

Résumés sometimes contain graphical elements, and the use of such “graphical résumés” may be increasing. The purpose of this study was to compare the effect of including different types of graphical elements in a résumé on the most important outcome measure from the perspective of the applicant – the probability of a positive selection decision by the evaluator. There was a reliable preference for a textual résumé when participants asked which design they thought would be most effective. However, there was no reliable effect of résumé design on evaluator’s decisions about the applicant whose qualifications were represented.

The Effect of Aesthetic Principles and a Functional Prime on Participant Ratings of Visual Appeal

A recent thread of usability research is the investigation of the relationship between a product’s degree of usability and its degree of beauty. Previous research endeavors have found support for both “what is beautiful is usable” and “what is usable is beautiful” claims, emphasizing the need for further study on the topic. The current study was performed to further investigate this relationship by manipulating usability indirectly – by use of a functional prime, and by experimentally manipulating aesthetic principles. One hundred twenty-two participants rated sixteen manipulated on four aesthetic principles: symmetry, composition, curvature, and prototypicality after being presented with one of two functional primes. Results indicate that the aesthetic principles of symmetry and composition are independent primed function whereas curvature was dependent on priming.

Graphic vs. Text-Only Résumés: Effects of Design Elements on Simulated Employment Decisions

Résumés sometimes contain graphical elements, and the use of such “graphical résumés” may be increasing. The purpose of this study was to compare the effect of including different types of graphical elements in a résumé on the most important outcome measure from the perspective of the applicant – the probability of a positive selection decision by the evaluator. There was a reliable preference for a textual résumé when participants asked which design they thought would be most effective. However, there was no reliable effect of résumé design on evaluator’s decisions about the applicant whose qualifications were represented.

Do Aesthetic Design Principles Predict Visual Appeal of a Simple Control Panel

Numerous studies have investigated the relationship between a product’s degree of usability and its degree of beauty. Both directions of causality have been demonstrated leading to “what is beautiful is usable” and “what is usable is beautiful hypothesis. Additionally, aesthetic research has demonstrated several principles that elicit a consistent pattern of responses. The current study aimed to investigate the relationship between aesthetics and usability by means of a functional prime. Forty participants rated sixteen stimuli manipulated on four aesthetic principles; prototypicality, symmetry, composition, and shape. Mixed results indicate that certain aesthetic principles interact with one another in a functional usage.

Does an Abstract Weld Pool Visualization Help Novice Welders Assess the Performance of a Weldbot

The domain of welding recently has seen the introduction of numerous potential aids to the practitioners who monitor welding robots (“welbots”) or perform welds themselves. One such aid is the visual augmentation or visualization of particular weld pool parameters. The purpose of this study was to examine the potential effects of a simple, geometric weld pool visualization on the ability of novice welders to relate what they witnessed in welding videos to the completed welds on physically-present pipes (a situation awareness outcome). In addition to participants’ accuracies on the situation awareness measure, perceived usability and subjective workload were also assessed. There was no reliable benefit for the augmented condition compared to the raw, unedited video condition. The results may indicate a task specificity for the type of augmentation utilized or possible limitations of the current rendering methods.

Towards a Taxonomy for Classifying Intuitive Usability Prediction Strategies in Non-Experts

In order to compare the strategies consumers use to make predictions about the ease-of-use of products, the authors conducted a card sorting exercise with subject-matter experts (SMEs) to refine a coding scheme from current, widely-used usability definitions and measurement tools. Nine SMEs sorted 83 cards containing aspects found in usability definitions, guidelines, measurement tools and descriptions. The resulting fifteen clusters define a coding scheme that is both comprehensive and flexible. The refined taxonomy does not seek to redefine usability, but to provide a mechanism for researchers wanting to use a coding scheme that includes methods for classifying strategies such as usability attribution to system features, metacognitive behaviors (planning and evaluating), and exemplar-based strategies (memory for performing similar tasks).

Can Incongruencies Between Prospective and Retrospective Ease-of-Use Perceptions Affect Post-Use Satisfaction Ratings?

Consumers’ expectations about the usability of products may be an important contributor to their overall satisfaction with a design. The purpose of this study was to explore how incongruencies between predicted usability and actual usability of a design affect a user’s post-use satisfaction ratings for a design. Participants predicted the usability of two stove designs and then used the designs to perform a task. Interactive stoves had varying degrees of burner-knob s-r compatibility. In general, the relative dissatisfaction associated with the “hard” design compared to the “easy” design was dependent on the initial usability prediction of the participant. Participants who initially predicted the design would be difficult-to-use had lower satisfaction ratings for easy-to-use designs than participants who initially predicted the same designs would be easy-to-use. These finding suggests that making a product look easy-to-use may be as important as actually making it easy-to-use, therefore designers should consider designing for both initial impressions of usability as well as actual usability.