- The Effects of Technology on Pointing and Tracking Performance (ISRG)
[PS11b]
[PS11a]
[PS10]
[PS09a]
Many novel input devices have been presented for computer
systems. Beyond standard technology such as mice and pens, there are also
game console controllers (Nintendo Wii Remote, etc.) and many other
approaches. While each technology has different ergonomic aspects,
they also are based on different technical implementations.
This project investigates the
effect of technical factors such as delays (commonly called latency),
variations in delay (i.e. time jitter), spatial jitter, and several other
factors on pointing performance. The trade-offs between these factors
that are documented through our work
allow input device designers to make better choices for high-performance
input devices.
Recent work investigates how pursuit tracking, i.e. the ability to follow
a moving target on screen with an input device, is affected by the
mentioned technical factors.
A side project investigates how artificially introduced movement delays
over interesting features, such as word boundaries, affect pointing
performance in text selection.
- The Effects of Errors on Human Performance in Text Entry (ISRG)
[AS14]
[AS12]
[AS10a]
[AS09a]
When entering text, humans make errors. However, sometimes the text entry
technology is also not perfect, such as when a button malfunctions.
In Human-Computer Interaction research, many models have been presented to
predict and understand human performance in (error-free) text entry. Almost
all models are specific to a technology or fail to account for human factors.
Moreover, the process of fixing errors and its effects on text entry
performance has not been studied.
Here, we first analyze real-life text
entry error correction behaviors. We then use our findings to develop a
new model to predict the cost of error correction for character-based
text entry technologies. We validate our model against quantities derived
from the literature, as well as with a user study. Our study shows that
the predicted and observed costs of error correction correspond well.
At the end, we discuss potential applications of our new model.
- User Interface Façades - Towards Fully Adaptable User Interfaces (ISRG, together with O. Chapuis & N. Roussel from inSitu, Paris-Sud, France)
[AS13a]
Video
[AS10c]
[SOPR06]
Video
This project presents a new
technology that lets end-users adapt the user interface of arbitrary
applications to their needs without resorting to coding. The user can
select one or more widgets and drag them into other windows to create new
GUIs (or drop them onto the desktop to create a new façade).
Alternatively, users can
replace widgets or change the mapping of mouse events to adapt any GUI
to their own requirements and patterns of usage. The current version of
User Interface Façades is based on the accessibility interface
provided by most GUI toolkits and a novel GUI server.
More information, videos, and source code, can be found on the
User Interface
Façades WWW page.
Recent work builds on Façades to enhance the interaction with
common GUI elements.
- User Performance Modeling
and Cognitive Modeling for Text Entry Methods (ISRG)
[AS13b]
[DS13]
[DS12]
[AS12]
[AIS11]
[DS10b]
[AS10b]
[AS09a]
[DS08f]
[DS08d]
[DS07a]
[PS05a]
[PS04a]
[PS03]
One line of research in this project concentrates on models to predict text
entry rates for novice users. All other models focus on experts only,
which provides only information about peak speeds, which are often very
unrealistic. The predictions generated by the new model are
strikingly close to the results of user studies with novies.
Recent work in this project investigates new text entry methods for mobile
devices, both button-based (Less-Tap) as well as on touch screens.
Another line of research focuses on predictive models to simulate the
transition of novices to experts, i.e. learning of new text entry techniques.
- New User Interfaces for Cloning Objects (ISRG)
[ZS10a]
[ZS10b]
Cloning objects is a common operation in graphical user interfaces. One
example is calendar systems, where users commonly create and modify
recurring events, i.e. repeated clones of a single event. Inspired by
the calendar paradigm, we introduce a new cloning technique for 2D
drawing programs. This technique allows users to clone objects by first
selecting them and then dragging them to create clones along the dragged
path. Moreover, it allows editing the generated sequences of clones
similar to the editing of calendar events. Novel approaches for the
generation of clones of clones are also presented.
In a user study, the new clone creation technique has been shown to be
faster than both dialogs and smart duplication for most conditions.
For clone editing, our new technique compares also favourably against
previous work. Participants preferred the new techniques overall, too.
- Pressure-based touch interaction (ISRG)
[AMS14]
[AS13c]
We explore a new method for pseudo-pressure detection on standard touchscreens
and its applications.
- Perception-Based Grouping (ISRG)
[SSH15]
Video
[LHM+13]
Video
[DS10d]
Video
[DS10a]
[DS09b]
[DS09a]
[DS08e]
Video
[DS08b]
[DS08a]
[DS07b]
[DS06a]
[DS06b]
The direct manipulation of objects and efficient selection of objects is an
integral part of modern user interfaces. Most systems support only
rectangle selection and shift-clicking for group selection. In this project
we investigate a new selection technique, which is based on the way human
perception naturally groups objects.
- Novel Layout Mechanisms for Graphical User Interfaces (ISRG)
[ZLSW13b]
Video
[ZLSW13a]
[SS09]
The way various user interfaces elements (i.e. widgets) are placed on
inside a window is described via layout mechanisms. This becomes
particularly relevant, when the size of the window is changed, as the
layout mechanism also incorporates the resizing behaviour.
Commonly used layout methods are fairly simplistic and have their
limitations. While there are very powerful methods to define layouts,
the associated methods and programming interfaces are hard to understand and
graphical user interface builders for such layouts are difficult to use.
This work investigates a new, easy-to-understand layout mechanism and
evaluates its implementation. Part of the work focuses on a new user
interface builder systems that includes a novel form of preview window
to illustrate the design choices immediately to the user, while still
enabling easy access to all necessary parameters.
- Enhanced Methods for Document Differencing and Versioning (ISRG)
[DS11]
[ZKS11b]
[ZKS11a]
[DS10c]
[DS08c]
Comparing and selecting text from multiple versions of a document
is a common task in collaborative scenarios. Similarly, collaborative updating
diagrams, such as orgcharts, UML diagrams, and course prerequisite
visualizations, again involves visual comparisons of changes followed by
selection of a new "final" version.
Even single users benefit from
versioning facilities when working on any form of document as they can easily
see what they have changed previously.
Text and diagram versioning methods are not well documented in the
scientific literature, even though implementations of text versioning
are abundant in commercial and non-commercial software.
Our work presents several new methods for text and diagram versioning.
We validated the results with user studies.
This research is part of the GRAND (Graphics, Animation and New Media) Network of Centres of Excellence.
- Context-Sensitive Cut, Copy and Paste (ISRG)
[KS08]
Creating and editing source code are tedious and error-prone
processes. One important source of errors in editing programs is
the failure to correctly adapt a block of copied code to a new
context. This occurs because all semantic dependencies to the
surrounding code need to be adapted in the new context
and it is easy to forget some. Conversely, this also makes
such errors hard to find.
Our research investigates a new method for identifying some common
types of errors in cut, copy and paste operations. The method
analyzes the context of the original block of code and tries to
match it with the context in the new location to find such errors.
- On- and Off-Line User Interfaces for Collaborative Cloud Services (ISRG)
[St11]
Cloud-based services have become prevalent on the Internet. However,
the usability aspects of these services are often in their infancy.
Here, we describe a vision for user interfaces of cloud-based systems that permit seamless collaboration and provide also on- and off-line access to data. All individual components of this vision are currently available in various systems, but the sum of the components will satisfy user needs much more comprehensively compared to the current state of the art.
- Behavioural Training with Mobile Computers (ISRG, together with P. Ritvo)
This project investigates how a mobile computing platform can be used
to help people to adhere e.g. to a diet. A new
version of this system is currently in the works. It will be based
on Web 2.0 services and feature support for offline access and data
entry.
- Pen-based Computing (ISRG)
[ZSS13]
[ZS13b]
[ZS13a]
[ZS12]
[KS06]
[KMS05]
Tablet PC's and personal digital assistants (PDA's) are becoming more and
more popular. However, interaction techniques for manipulating objects in
drawings/designs/diagrams are often based on ideas from mouse-based interfaces.
We are performing research into steering motions and explore new techniques
for the interactive selection and manipulation of arbitrary groups of objects.
This will make work on large scale diagrams/designs/drawings easier.
Other work investigated the differences between drawing with a mouse, touch, and a stylus.