The workshop “Accessibility Engineering with User Models, Simulation and VR” was successfully organized in the context of the 2011 Joint Virtual Reality Conference on 21 September 2011, Nottingham UK. The workshop chaired by Manfred Dangelmaier (Fraunhofer IAO, Stuttgart, Germany), and which took place on Wednesday afternoon 21 September 2011, gathered a wide array of experts and users in the area of Simulation and Virtual Reality, and showcased relevant projects and initiatives in the area of accessible design and simulation in the areas of automotive, home, working environment, infotainment and ehealth design.
VERITAS organised a successful 2nd User Forum in Nottingham on the 20th September 2011, with the participation of designers, developers and beneficiaries (people with disabilities, older people) from various European countries.
You will find below short interviews with some of the participants/stakeholders.
Interview with Ms. Adenike Pearse (Brunel University, UK) at VERITAS User Forum, 20th September 2011, Nottingham UK.
Interview with Ms. Qin Gao (Assistant professor at Tsinghua University, P.R.C.) at VERITAS User Forum, 20th September 2011, Nottingham UK.
Interview with Mr. Lino Brundu (Atlha Onlus of Milan, Italy) at VERITAS User Forum, 20th September 2011, Nottingham UK.
In addition, the project demonstrated some of the simulations via videos:
Video: Automotive – Pull Handbrake (dynamic, hard handbrake and easy handbrake)
Subjects: Normal & Elderly
This video describes a scenario where the designer performs accessibility evaluation of a car’s handbrake prototype for a fully capable user and an elderly user with limited force exertion capabilities. The designed prototype is evaluated via the framework by following step by step the a scenario containing four subtasks: a) locate the handbrake, b) reach it, c) grab it and d) pull it. Two different handbrake models were tested: the first had a resistance torque of 17Nm, which loosely speaking can be translated into lifting a weight of about 4.8kgr, while in the second the resistance was 6Nm (~1.7kgr).
The results of the simulation process showed that the normal user was able to perform the requested tasks in both prototypes. However, it was clearly revealed that were accessibility issues for the elderly user regarding the first handbrake: the user failed to complete the task because of his limited strength capabilities. However, when the resistance torque was reduced, the elderly user managed to complete the task.
Video: Workplace – Open Drawer (kinematic, drawer above desk and drawer below desk)
Subjects: Normal & User having Rheumatoid Arthritis on the left arm.
In these 2 videos, two different desk prototypes were evaluated: one having its drawers above the desk and one having them below. Two virtual user models were tested: normal user and user having rheumatoid arthritis on his left arm. The users asked to perform four tasks: a) locate the bottom drawer, b) reach its handle, c) grab it and d) pull the drawer.
The results of the simulation process clearly revealed accessibility issues of the rheumatoid arthritis user. More specifically, while the normal user performed successfully in both designs, the reumatoid arthritis user could not reach the drawer above the desk, because of his left arm’s limited range of motion. As it is shown, the impaired user managed to open the drawer when it was placed below the desk.
Video: Infotainment – Navigate to a visible location, Navigate to audio source. (Vision, Hearing)
Subjects: Normal & various Vision and Hearing impairments among which (colour blindess (3 kinds), Macular Degeneratio, Autitis, Otosclerosis, etc.)
This video demonstrates the scenario where the user wants to enter a 3D metaverse environment, in this case Second Life. The user must be able to acces both the 2D elements of the GUI but also to navigate the avatar inside the 3D space both towards visible locations but also to locations defined by distinct audio sources. The virtual user models that correspond to visual impairments demonstrated include Macular Degeneration, Protanopia, Deuteranopia, Tritanopia, Cataract etc. and the virtual user models that correspond to hearing impairments Otosclerosis, Otitis, Presbycusis etc. while some virtual user models combining both types of impaiments are also used. The simulation of the effects of these impairments help the designer/developer of such an application to identify directly any accessibility problems in an interactive manner.
Below is the agenda for the forthcoming User forum on Tuesday 20th September from 13h00 till 17h00, hosted at Crown Plaza in Nottingham.
12.00 – 13.00 Sandwich lunch
13.00 – 13.10 Welcome and roundtable of participants AGE Platform Europe
13.10 – 13.40 The VERITAS project at a glance (Fraunhofer IAO)
13.40 – 14.00 Outcomes of the 1st User Forum (AGE Platform Europe)
14.00 – 14.30 Introducing the VERITAS task models – Demonstration of simulation environment (MCA & CERTH-HIT)
14.30 – 15.00 Coffee Break
15.00 – 16.00 Discussion in groups per application area (automotive, work and home environment, ehealth and infotainment) on the task models (Moderated by partners per application area and coordinated by MCA & CERTH-HIT)
16.00 – 16.45 Presentations in plenary on outcome of group discussions (Coordinated by AGE, MCA & CERTH-HIT)
16.45 – 17.00 Wrap-up and goodbye (AGE Platform Europe)
Following events have been planned by MyUI (VUMS partner project) for the following months:
Workshop: Interactive TV: Collaborative Design with Older People – 25/26 October 2001 at the Interactive Technologies and Games: Education, Health and Disability 2011 conference, 25th and 26th October 2011, Nottingham, UK (http://www.ntu.ac.uk/ITAG).
21st eChallenges e-2011 Conference, 26-28 October 2011, Florence, Italy (www.echallenges.org). Paper: “Accessible ICT-mediated services for older users through interactive TV: opportunities, challenges and achievements”.
Cambridge Workshop on Universal Access and Assistive Technology, 26 – 29 March 2012, Cambridge (http://www-edc.eng.cam.ac.uk/cwuaat/). Paper “From guinea pigs to design partners – involving older people in technology design”.
Participate in the VUMS (2nd Pan-European VERTAS workshop) workshop at JVRC 2011 on 21 September 2011.
VERITAS technical partners have organised a technical integration week in Trento (Italy) from 18-22 July 2011 at the premises of the Technical University of Trento. The meeting will be used to integrate a variety of sensors, and establish the VERITAS multisensorial platform, as well as undertake the first measurements.
An article in an Italian online magazine reports on this.
The next VERITAS User Forum entitled “Defining simulation task models for everyday solutions, designed for all”, takes place on Tuesday 20th September from 13h00 till 17h00, hosted at Crown Plaza in Nottingham.
This workshop is intended to attract:
End-users (people with disabilities, older people);
Designers from the automotive, home and working environment, ehealth, and infotainment area;
Representatives from end-user organizations;
Policy makers.
During this highly participative workshop you will be introduced to the VERITAS project, followed by a first demonstration of how accessible design can be simulated in the automotive, working and home environment. You will as such co-influence the project development and, through your input, expertise and feedback as users and designers of accessible solutions, ensure that the developed applications respond to real user needs
Main issues that will be addressed:
The VERITAS project at a glance
Outcomes of the 1st User Forum
Introducing to the VERITAS task models – Demonstration users/task models simulation environment.
Discussion in groups per application area on the task models
Presentations in plenary on outcome of group discussions
You are kindly invited to take part in this event. While access is free, places are limited. We therefore kindly ask you to register, using the below form.
The workshop chaired by Manfred Dangelmaier (Fraunhofer IAO, Stuttgart, Germany), and which is scheduled for Wednesday afternoon 21 September 2011, will gather a wide array of experts and users in the area of Simulation and Virtual Reality, and showcase relevant projects and initiatives in the area of accessible design and simulation in the areas of automotive, home, working environment, infotainment and ehealth design.
Project number: 247765 Project acronym: VERITAS Project full title: Virtual and Augmented Environments and Realistic User Interactions To achieve Embedded Accessibility DesignS Starting date: 1 January 2010 Duration: 48 Months
VERITAS is an Integrated Project (IP) within the 7th Framework Programme, Theme FP7-ICT-2009.7.2, Accessible and Assistive ICT
