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Superhuman Computing LabUniversity of Colorado Boulder
Assistive Wearables: Emerging Trends and Design Considerations
Shaun Kane (@shaunkane), Halley Profita (@halleyprofita), Michael Lightner, and Nikolaus Correll
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Last year’s talk• Slides available at http://bitly.com/csun2016
• Examples of recent wearable assistive devices• Wearables for sensory substitution, rehabilitation,
communication support, emotional and behavioral support
• Design considerations for assistive wearables
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In this talk• Update on recent trends in wearable assistive
technology• 2 studies on the social implications of assistive
wearables• Projects from our research lab• Next steps, challenges, and opportunities
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Why is this an exciting time?• Wearables are a growing market• Assistive-ish devices• Wearables as fashion items
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The wearables market• Approximately 40
million devices sold in 2016 (up from 32 million in 2015)
• New form factors: hearables, smart glasses
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Blurred lines between assistive and non-assistive devices
Hy on IndiegogoApple Watch wheelchair mode
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Wearables as fashion items
Apple Watch Bands from CasetifyDot Watch
Bradley watch
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Advances in textile-based computing• Textile based computing components• Flexible circuit boards, conductive thread, etc• Modular tools for creating wearable devices
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Textile-based computing
Gilliland et al., The Textile Interface Swatchbook LilyPad Arduino
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Do it Yourself!
LilyPad beating heart headband by Becky Stern and Jimmie Rodgers
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Studies from Our Labsuperhuman.cs.colorado.edu
(or shaunkane.com)
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The big idea• The growing availability of wearable technology
can affect perceptions of technology and the user
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Understanding perceptions of wearable technology in public• Collected data from 1200 web
users about perceptions of a wearable computing user
• Adjusted physical appearance of user and description of video (disability, assistive use)
• Is the user: cool, awkward, nerdy, distracting
• Paper
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Findings• In general, participants reported that they felt more
positively about examples when the individual was identified as having a disability
• More specificity about the use resulted in more positive reactions
• “I would be less likely to form a negative opinion of a disabled person wearing such a device, because I would likely believe that it was helpful or necessary for them. A non-disabled person using such a device in public is more likely to seem obnoxious.”
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Takeaways• Explaining that a
device is assistive (and what it is useful for) improves perception– Similar to service dog
jacket• But, this threatens
privacy• Can we provide control
over disclosure?
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Understanding customization of on-body assistive devices• Studied an online
community with over 4,000 users dedicated to decorating hearing aids
• Analyzed posts, questions, methods used
• Link to paper
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Findings• Many people decorated their
devices using stickers, colored tape, etc.
• Shared techniques online• Many examples involved
parents designing for their kids• Decorations were contextual• Decoration seemed to differ by
gender
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Follow-up interviews• “…it means you have a certain power over something which
is attached to you that you wish rather wasn't attached to you.”
• “Where before it would be unwanted attention… it’s now compliments.”
• “By drawing attention to them you're signaling to other people that it's okay to talk about that. As it's an indicator for something to ask about it.”
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Takeaways• Decoration reveals a
strong desire to customize devices
• Suggests design trends (coordination, using favorite characters)
• Challenges to supporting DIY modification
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Example Wearable Projects from Our Lab
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Flutter dress
• Spatial Awareness of Sounds for Individuals with Hearing Impairments
• Microphones and vibration motors embedded in garment detect and relay sound direction
• Leveraging fashion to integrate hardware
• Profita et al., Flutter: An exploration of an assistive garment using distributed sensing, computation and actuation
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LightWear – wearable light therapyHalley Profita, Roseway, Czerwinski
• Wearable light therapy for seasonal affective disorder
• Different form factors (hat, glasses)• Study participants willing to use in both public and
private if appropriately designed and controllable
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Chairable Technology• Power wheelchairs can be
cumbersome
• How can we make using a power wheelchair an asset?
• Use wheelchair as a computing platform
• Papers: 1, 2
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Supporting diverse gestures
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Wearable AAC devices• Textile-based wearable AAC device
for sports therapy (Halley Profita)• Fabric-based user interface
– Flexible– Can be worn during sports– Very simple UI– Not dynamic– Family collaboration
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Challenges and opportunities• Technical
– Ensure assistive features are integrated into mainstream wearable platforms
– Allow customization of on-body placement and input/output– Support remote control from smartphone or PC
• Social– Ensure policies allow (responsible) use of wearables in public
spaces– Support customization and concealment of devices
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Conclusion• Wearables are not one-size-fits-all solution• Technology is enabling new kinds of support via
wearable devices• Challenges to ensure appropriate features
included in emerging wearables platforms• Assistive wearables: “separate but equal” vs.
universal design
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How you can get involved• Talk to me about participating in research• Graduate programs in computer science, design• Start a do-it-yourself project
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Thank you!
Shaun Kane , Halley Profita, Michael Lightner, and Nikolaus Correll@shaunkane, @halleyprofita, @correlllabUniversirty of Colorado Bouldersuperhuman.cs.colorado.edu
Talk with me for a demo or about participating in research