News

June 2010: HFES Training TG Newsletter Article (pp. 2-3)

Learn more about DI's adaptive training capabilities in the latest HFES Training TG newsletter here

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June 2010: HFES ACTG Newsletter Article (pp. 4-5)

Learn more about DI's ScreenADAPT product in the latest HFES ACTG newsletter here

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Febuary 2010: Design Interactive's Capabilities are In-line with Military Needs and Research Agenda

A recent report by the National Research Council calls on the military to double its funding in social and behavioral sciences. This increase in funding would primarily be directed at achieving short-term and long term goals in Technology-based Training, Intercultural Competence, Behavioral Neurophysiology, Non-verbal Behavior, Emotion, and Teams in Complex Environments.

Design Interactive's core competencies are in-line with these key areas of critical need and are demonstrated via the participation by DI on numerous successful efforts as described below:

Technology-based Training. DI is involved in the development of multiple training systems that utilize innovative adaptive technologies, allowing systems to tailor training according to an individual's needs. Specifically, DI's Auto-Diagnostic Adaptive Precision Training (ADAPT) framework is currently being integrated into multiple training systems for Perceptual Skills (ADAPT-AAR; SCREEN-ADAPT), Decision-Making (ADAPT-DM), and Cross-Cultural Competency (ADAPT-HT). DI's ADAPT-based training systems use eye-tracking, EEG, and other physiological technologies in combination with behavioral responses to collect objective and diagnostic information about a trainee's proficiencies that can then trigger tailored remediation strategies in real-time. In addition, DI has been active in extending the breadth of its capabilities and is now involved in the development of the first casualty extraction simulator, for which it is using its proprietary Sensory Task Analysis and Sensory-Perceptual Taxonomy for the development of the Vehicle Casualty Extraction Training Simulator (V-Xtract).

Intercultural Competence. Using the ADAPT framework, DI's Auto-Diagnostic Adaptive Precision Training for the Human Terrain (ADAPT-HT) effort is focused on the improvement of cross-cultural competency through the development of a proof of concept demonstration. This proof of concept will incorporate neurophysiological measures (i.e., EEG, as well as eye tracking) into an adaptive learning scenario where scenario adaptations can be driven in real-time based on trainee performance. For example, if a trainee is not maintaining appropriate eye contact, a critical sign of trust in some cultures, the training system adapts the scenario accordingly. Since cultural nuances are mostly nonverbal, the use of neurophysiological measures is anticipated to provide a significantly improved level of cross-cultural competency assessment, greatly surpassing current performance outcomes and subjective report assessment methods.

Behavioral Neurophysiology. In addition to the ADAPT framework, DI has been researching and developing means for introducing neurophysiological measures into systems to provide more detailed information regarding behaviors and cognitive state. Combining eye tracking and EEG, DI developed a patent-pending approach of Fixation-Locked Event Related Potentials (FLERPs). FLERPS create a measure of cognitive interest, which has been integrated for use within imagery data and text documents under DI's Revolutionary Accelerated Processing Image Detection (RAPID) and Advanced Neurophysiology for Intelligence Text Analysis (ANITA) projects. DI has also developed the Training Effectiveness Evaluation: Fidelity Assessment of VE Training Systems (TEE-FAST) framework for evaluating virtual training system fidelity using neurophysiological measures, thereby ensuring that trainees experience similar behavioral and neurophysiological responses to that experienced in field training.

Non-verbal Behavior. DI has been involved in numerous efforts, focused on communication, cultural training and human performance, to analyze and explore the use of human non-verbal behavior under military domains. Several such successful projects have been undertaken. For example, DI has developed a family of tactile communication systems, including the Tactile Reception of Advanced Patterns (STRAP) and Tactical Telehaptic Communication (HAPTAC) systems. These systems use a tactile communication language that enables covert communication for dismounted soldiers, improved team coordination, and increased situation and spatial awareness capabilities via advanced multimodal interfaces. In another example, DI has recently released to the market its innovative easyGazeT software and easyWareT hardware, which are eye tracking solutions used in perceptual training systems, such as for training threat detection and recognition.

Emotion. DI has conducted in-depth research in affect in order to develop innovative products and systems that are scientifically informed. These

efforts are exemplified in EmoProT, DI's proprietary emotional profiling tool and the Affective Framework For Emotionally Charged Training - Design and eXecution (AFFECT-D/X). EmoProTMi is an electronic subjective emotion assessment tool that utilizes animated representations of emotional expressions, which eliminate the verbal bias associated with traditional instruments. AFFECT-D/X allows the targeted introduction of emotional cues during training for more affectively realistic training.

Teams in Complex Environments. Two key projects highlighting DI's capabilities in analyzing and documenting teams in complex environments have been the Multi-axis APproach to Measuring and Interpreting Team Communications (MAP IT-C) and the Office of Naval Research Virtual Technologies and Environment (VIRTE) program. Under MAP IT-C, DI offered the capability to monitor and diagnose team communications in dynamic C2 environments. This was done by developing a predictive task-social-network framework and online measurement and diagnostic tools to identify errors in information flow, highlighting team performance issues and communication breakdowns in real time. Under VIRTE, DI developed a training effectiveness design and evaluation process to ensure that team training systems are based on operationally, theoretically, and empirically driven requirements. These proprietary approaches were applied across a number of VIRTE systems (VELCAC, VEHELO, VEMOUT, MSAT, and MOTIVE [e.g., FOPCSim, FACPCSim]). Also under this program, DI designed the Performance ASsessment and diagnostic Tool (PAST), a tool which supports instructors in team performance assessment through performance measurement, diagnosis, interpretation and presentation.

As can be seen from the vast array of past and present work, DI has a unique combination of expertise and capabilities to address the needs of military science now, as well as the R&D capability to envision and pursue future solutions. Should you wish to learn more about these or any of our many other products and capabilities, please contact us at:

You may obtain a copy of this report at: http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12023

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January 2010: Adaptive Training For Adaptive Decision Making.

Learn more about DI's ADAPT-DM product in the latest issue of Human Factors and Ergonomics Society COGNITIA: here

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January 2010: DI Named DARPA Success Story!

Design Interactive was just honored as a DARPA Success Story for their innovative work using neurophysiological measures including eye tracking and EEG in training systems, imagery analysis and intelligence data analysis. Read the full Success Report here.

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January 2010: DI to talk to the Space Coast Human Factors and Ergonomics Society

DI Senior Research Associate, Meredith Carroll, will be giving a talk to the Space Coast Human Factors and Ergonomics Society on Tuesday February 25th from 5:30-7:30pm at Beef O'Brady's in Titusville (2825 Garden St. #9-12). The talk entitled "Leveraging Advanced Technology Capabilities to Create Unique Design and Evaluative Tools and Metrics" will describe several of DI's current research and development projects which have incorporated Next Generation technology such as Physio and Neuro technology to deliver more effective systems, for both operations and training.

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December 2009: Design Interactive releases EmoPro version 3.0

Design Interactive completed an upgrade to its proprietary emotional profiling tool EmoPro in December of 2009. Using the talented artists at Full Sail University in Orlando, DI upgraded the design of the graphical user interface and increased the fidelity and reliability of the individual emoticons used in the tool. The redesign of the emoticons, the most significant change, resulted in a more effective and refined representation of the different emotions using more robust animation techniques to achieve more refined characters. DI also upgraded the functionality of the tool to enhance usability. EmoPro is available for licensing in 2010 and DI can provide training for licensee's, teaching users how to integrate emotional profiling with EmoPro into an existing product evaluation process.

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December 2009: DI successfully delivers international product evaluation

DI was selected by one of the US' largest manufacturer of notebook computers to conduct an international product design evaluation. This evaluation was the third stage in an iterative design process conducted throughout 2009. The first stage resulted in the identification of the most important physical attributes to business client notebook purchasers. The second stage involved an evaluation of notebook design imagery concepts created using the information from the first stage. For this third stage, conducted in Berlin, Germany and Chicago, Illinois in successive weeks, DI recruited Fortune 500 purchasers and Gen Y users of business client notebooks to evaluate hard models of the exterior and interior design of multiple notebooks. Using DI's proprietary EmoPro tool and a custom developed qualitative survey, participants evaluated each concept, providing feedback on the design of various physical design attributes. Using this information, DI created an emotional profile for each notebook and provided the client with recommendations that enabled selection of a leading concept and redesign of the next generation business client notebook.

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June 2009: DI successfully transitions DARPA and ONR funded projects

DI has successfully combined and transitioned technologies from two independent efforts to a commercial aviation training simulation. Leveraging advanced neurophysiological assessment of cognitive state using a combination of eye tracking and EEG developed under a DARPA Phase II SBIR and eye tracking-based performance assessment capabilities developed under an ONR funded project, DI developed a training evaluation system for a commercial aviation simulation. This training evaluation system facilitates an assessment of perceptual (scanning) and cognitive (detection/recognition) skills not otherwise accessible to instructors, and supports tailoring of feedback to very specific skill decrements based on detailed AAR displays that highlight patterns of errors, root cause(s) of errors, and training recommendations to address deficiencies. The system was delivered to end users June 1, 2009.

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March 2009: DI receives NASA SBIR Phase II award for CogGauge

DI received a Phase II award to further the development of the CogGauge cognitive assessment tool that will be used to assess the cognitive state (specifically to detect cognitive deficits) of astronaut crew members, and to diagnose probable causes of identified cognitive decrements. The theoretical and practical significance of the proposed innovation is in leveraging the use of predictive workload estimations to calibrate metrics that assess performance decrements, possibly resulting from fatigue, stress or neuro-cognitive deficits. CogGauge will be a portable handheld device that engages astronauts in an entertaining gaming experience that detects and diagnoses cognitive decrements and provides feedback to astronauts/flight surgeons.

This effort is being performed in collaboration with Full Sail University, who will be in charge of programming the game interfaces. Upon culmination of this effort, a portable handheld game for cognitive state assessment will be developed, validated, and available for use by potential Phase III users.

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December 2008: I/ITSEC 2008

DI actively participated in I/ITSEC 2008, held Dec. 1-4 in Orlando, FL. DI showcased their capabilities and products in their exhibition booth, highlighting their MAP-IT technology that incorporates physiological measures (i.e., eye tracking) to evaluate trainee performance in a visual scanning task and their STRAP tactile language technology for support of haptic communications. DI personnel also presented 3 papers focused on improving training system design and evaluation methods, specifically addressing 1) Challenges and lessons learned associated with design of scenarios in a Mixed Reality environment resulting from work performed on the Infantry Immersive Trainer (IIT), 2) Development of DI's Performance Assessment and diagnosis Tool (PAST), an instructor aid to diagnose performance, and 3) DI's Cue Fidelity Evaluation, a requirements-driven approach to Training Effectiveness Evaluation (TEE) aimed at facilitating a less resource intensive evaluation.

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December 2008: DI receives SBIR Phase I award for V-Xtract (Vehicle Casualty EXTRACTion Training Simulator)

DI received a Phase I award for the development of the V-Xtract simulator that will be used to train military and emergency response personnel in the extraction of casualties from vehicles under realistic conditions. This effort seeks to bridge the current existing gaps found in casualty extraction training found in both military and civilian environments by providing a reusable and adaptable simulator capable of reproducing the necessary sensory and contextual cues found in war-time and non-war-time conditions.

For this effort DI will exercise its expertise in performing contextual task analysis and systems requirement and specifications development, and applying their own proprietary Sensory Task Analysis and simulator fidelity specification process and tools. In addition this effort is being performed with collaboration with Lockheed Martin Simulation, Training and Support's (LM STS) Advanced Simulation Center (ASC) who will be exercising their expertise in building advanced concept training system prototypes as well as their work on several successful research and development programs that have transitioned into fielded training solutions.

Upon culmination of this effort, a portable, adaptable, modular simulator will be developed for fielding within the armed forces as well as versions adapted for civilian use by emergency response personnel in phase III.

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DI receives SBIR Phase II award for A-VETS

DI received a Phase II award to further the development of the A-VETS training design tool that will be used to guide the design and control of emotionally-charged VE training systems. Under this effort, three components will be developed to:

  • Provide guidance about what multimodal cues should be integrated into training environments to create emotional experiences while training targeted objectives;
  • Guide users through the process of developing emotionally rich training scenarios; and
  • Control the activation of affect induction techniques during real-time training based on trainee performance levels and emotional response

This effort is being performed under close collaboration with VRSonic, who is developing RADIS, a system that determines trainees emotional states in real-time and applies the induction techniques provided by A-VETS in real-time. Upon culmination of this effort, a generalized system for creating accurate emotional experience during training will be developed, validated, and available for use by potential Phase III users.

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October 2008: DI to participate at I/ITSEC trade show.

You are cordially invited to visit us at the I/ITSEC trade show from December 1 – 4 (booth 227, located across from PM CATT). Please come see our booth displays, including demonstrations of our capabilities in Training and Human Systems Integration:

  • See our patent-pending method for event-based physiological monitoring via FLERPs (fixation-locked event-related potentials) that uses operator-internal physiological indicators of cognitive activity to guide EEG evaluation. FLERPs evaluation enables time-locked cognitive assessment without a need for external stimuli as is being applied to detect a person’s interest in both images and text sources.
  • Experience STRAP, a prototype tactile communication system that enables commanders to send silent commands to platoon members. STRAP uses a large vocabulary of over 50 tactile symbols that are based on hand signals and can be combined to form complex, yet easy-to-interpret tactile sentences using a patent-pending method. The current STRAP prototype will be available for anyone to try.
  • Watch a movie about NexIS – our vision of a Next-Generation Interaction System that optimizes performance and survivability in warfighting equipment. NexIS is a closed-loop system that monitors high-level states (cognitive, behavioral, system) derived from a multi-tier of sensors, and dynamically takes action as required to ensure optimal warfighter and system performance throughout the mission.
  • See a demo of our MAPIT/ObSERVE system.

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September 2008: MIDS goes IMPRINT.

DI successfully completed a proof-of-concept integration of their Multimodal Information Design Support (MIDS) tool into the Army Research Laboratory’s IMPRINT modeling tool. This effort was a first step in transitioning DI’s SBIR Phase II development effort on the MIDS tool to a commercial product. It is anticipated that DI will continue to work with ARL to complete a full implementation of MIDS into IMPRINT in the coming year.

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September 2008: MIDS goes IMPRINT.

DI successfully completed a proof-of-concept integration of their Multimodal Information Design Support (MIDS) tool into the Army Research Laboratory’s IMPRINT modeling tool. This effort was a first step in transitioning DI’s SBIR Phase II development effort on the MIDS tool to a commercial product. It is anticipated that DI will continue to work with ARL to complete a full implementation of MIDS into IMPRINT in the coming year.

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September 2008: "Augmented Cognition: A Practitioner's Guide" released

New book debuts – "Augmented Cognition: A Practitioner’s Guide" (Editors: Dylan Schmorrow and DI's Kay Stanney) represents the first comprehensive publication dedicated to formalizing the study and practice of augmented cognition. The Practitioner's Guide is built on the collective efforts of hundreds of dedicated scientists and engineers who worked diligently over the past decade to establish the science, tools, and technologies that comprise the field of augmented cognition.

The Augmented Cognition Practitioner 's Guide has been published and is available at HFES.

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September 2008: DI at HFES 2008

Dr. Kay Stanney and Dr. Kelly Hale attended the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual meeting held in NY, NY September 22-26, 2008. Among them, they presented 4 papers highlighting DI’s work in Augmented Cognition, tactile display design, and training evaluation methodologies, and participated in a panel session showcasing the Augmented Cognition Technical Group as a new area within the greater Human Factors and Ergonomics Society. Dr. Kay Stanney also participated in a book signing with Dr. Dylan Schmorrow to promote the new release of ‘Augmented Cognition: A Practitioner’s Guide’.

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July 2008: DI at AHFEI in Las Vegas

Design Interactive, Inc. (DI) was among a number of small businesses, research labs, and universities that participated at the second annual Applied Human Factors and Ergonomics Conference (AHFEI) Conference July 14-17 at Caesar’s Palace, Las Vegas, NV. DI staff hosted a full day tutorial on multimodal interaction design, a panel session paper, and exhibited a number of ongoing research and development efforts that highlighted DI’s expertise in Human Systems Integration and Training Systems Design.

The full day tutorial presented by DI, entitled “Multimodal and Adaptive Display Design”, addressed multimodal interaction design and lessons learned, including current technologies, human cognitive processes, unimodal and cross-modal considerations, stimulus-cognition-response compatibility schemes, adaptive display design from the field of Augmented Cognition, and future directions in multimodal interaction. DI’s Dr. Kelly Hale presented a paper in the Special Interest Group Panel 2: AugCog-Enabled Research and Applications, entitled Driving EEG cognitive assessment using eye fixations. The paper highlighted work on an IARPA-funded project entitled Revolutionary Accelerated Processing Image Detection (RAPID), which is creating neurophysiological target detection signatures using EEG and eye tracking technologies to support image analysts in their work. DI is performing similar research in the field of text-based analysis under a DARPA-funded Phase 2 SBIR entitled Advanced Neurophysiology for Text Analysis (ANITA).

DI also played a key role in developing a future direction of Augmented Cognition (AugCog), resulting in the NexIS concept, which evaluates cognitive state, biological state, and system state derived from a multitude of sensors that trigger adaptation strategies in real-time to optimize soldier performance. Working with FullSail University film producers, DI created a video demonstration of the NexIS concept, which was presented in part to conference attendees in Dr. Dylan Schmorrow’s keynote address.

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March 2008: DI’s PACES Project Featured in WIRED Blog

DI’s work on PACES (a Proactive Aiding in Command-and-Control Environments System), was recently featured in the WIRED DangerRoom, a news blog about the latest technology in national security and defense. The article, describing the evolvement of Augmented Cognition Research, highlighted that the “Air Force has tapped Design Interactive, Inc. to build a battlefield command-and-control system that [is] supposed to use EEG and eye-tracking monitors to ‘assess the operator's actual cognitive state,’” referring to an SBIR Phase I contract recently awarded to the company. PACES will be an automatic agent, informed by real-time data streams from the system, the mission, and the operator's cognitive state, using dynamic constraint-based task modeling to anticipate future mission state and operator functional state (OFS) ahead of time.

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March 2008: DI on Development Team for Training System Praised by Top Military Official

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen, visited the Infantry Immersion Trainer (IIT) at Camp Pendleton. “I’m very impressed with it,” noted Adm. Mullen. “It’s a reminder of what simulation can do- it’s certainly great preparation for the Marines as they prepare to go to Iraq-and in the end hopefully it will contribute significantly to a better way to execute the mission and save lives." IIT is a revolutionary training system that uses virtual reality to re-create foreign urban scenes – right down to the sounds and smells – to give troops the necessary skills to win and survive in battle overseas. Read more here.

Related US News Article

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Feb 2008: Design Interactive signs collaborative cross marketing agreement with 352 Media Group

Design Interactive is pleased to announce a collaborative cross marketing agreement with 352 Media Group, of Gainesville, Florida. 352 Media Group is an award winning web technology firm, and was ranked by Inc. magazine as one of the fastest growing privately held companies in America. 352 Media offers a wide range of web development services, including Information Architecture, Web site Design, Web Application programming, Intranet and Extranet development, Web Marketing, Flash animation, E-commerce and much more. By combining and utilizing Design Interactive’s expertise in Human Systems Interaction and 352 Media Group’s proficiency in web development services we are able to offer our customers a wide array of services throughout the system lifecycle development. This exciting joint venture allows both companies to ensure our customers development of user centered, efficient and highly satisfactory systems without costly and time consuming redesigns.

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Sept 2007: DI Summer/Fall Newsletter

We are happy to announce that the first issue of DIs semi-annual newsletter is now available for download (PDF)

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June 2007: DI Awarded Navy Phase I SBIR for A-VETS

The framework for an Affective Virtual Environment Training System (A-VETS) will be developed by Design Interactive, Inc., through a Navy Phase I SBIR. The goal of the system is to guide selection of appropriate affective cues for incorporation into training environments to enhance learning and training transfer based on specific training contexts and objectives. " - See full project description here

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5/23/07: DI to develop TEE-FAST through Navy Phase I SBIR

Design Interactive, Inc. was awarded a Navy Phase I SBIR to develop the Training Effectiveness Evaluation with Neurophysiological Metrics: Fidelity Assessment of VE Training Systems (TEE-FAST) framework with the goal of developing a combination of behavioral and physiological metrics to effectively gauge simulation fidelity. TEE-FAST will build upon current theoretical frameworks including TOMCAT and A-VETS to create a system that will allow evaluators to compare the cues present in the operational environment to those in the VE to determine where non-optimal levels of physical, functional, and psychology fidelity exist and provide guidelines to optimize system fidelity at those levels. " - See full project description here

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April 2007: DI Awarded Phase II SBIR contract through DARPA

In a DARPA Phase I effort, Design Interactive, Inc. (DII) made advances toward developing a system that measurably improves the speed and quality of individual situation awareness (SA) and decision making in tactical environments by creating event-based neurophysiological templates that could be used to drive real-time system mitigation for enhanced individual SA, decision making and performance. In this Phase II effort, DII will apply this neurophysiological approach to the Intelligence Text Analysis domain to develop the Advanced Neurophysiology for Intelligence Text Analysis (ANITA) system. This real-time system will use EEG/ERP (electroencephalogram/ event-related potentials), heart rate, and eye tracking to monitor analysts’ processing of textual data and identify conscious and unconscious areas of interest, with the goal of assisting intelligence analysts in achieving profound improvements in their ability to objectively capture information of interest to their current hypotheses or focus." - See full project description here

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02/08/07: Dr. Kay Stanney receives Virtual Reality Technical Achievement Award 2006

The 2006 Virtual Reality Technical Achievement Award went to Kay Stanney in recognition for seminal technical achievement in virtual & augmented reality. "Kay Stanney has been a leader in the field of virtual reality for the past ten years. Probably most important to the field of virtual reality (VR) is her contribution as editor of the Handbook of Virtual Environments: Design, Implementation, and Applications (2002, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates). Her research has centered on two primary areas: sickness and aftereffects associated with exposure to VR systems, as well as multimodal human-computer interaction..." - Download the full award notice (PDF)

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Nov 2006: DI Awarded Navy SBIR for Haptics Research

Design Interactive, Inc. (DII) was awarded a Navy Phase I SBIR contract to develop a bi-directional haptic communication system for dismounted soldiers that can be readily incorporated into a Marine’s attire. Phase I will focus on conceptual and prototype development of the System for Tactile Reception of Advanced Patterns (STRAP).

DII is teaming with AnthroTronix, Inc. (ATinc) located in Silver Spring, Maryland, who will provide expertise in tactile actuator technology. ATinc has extensive experience in research and development involving multimodal interfaces for communication and command/control of computer-based systems such as wearable computers and robotic platforms. The ATinc team is led by Corinna Lathan, PhD, PE, the co-founder, President, and CEO of AnthroTronix, Inc.

Looking towards Phase II, DI plans to incorporate the STRAP system with an embedded Team Status and Signaling system (TS3) developed by ATinc to create the desired bi-directional communication system for dismounted soldiers.

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11/04/06: Next Generation Home Appliances.

Design Interactive, Inc. completed a thorough usability analysis for a major home appliance manufacturer that focused on two next-generation advanced feature concepts. Analysis techniques included user profiling, contextual task analyses, focus groups, user testing, and emotional profiling of targeted users.

Our findings found numerous usability strengths as well as shortcomings with current designs. For each usability shortcoming, DI provided a rationale and included redesign recommendations targeted at alleviating the observed issues. Results were well received by the major home appliance manufacturer's usability, design, engineering and marketing staff, and are currently being implemented into their iterative design cycles.

The next-generation home applicance concepts examined in this project may shape the market and become industry standard in the near future. It is therefore expected that the study has global impact on the everyday life in millions of households over the within the next 2-5 years.

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10/17/06: HFES/ACI 2006 Round-up.

Four staff members of Design Interactive, Inc. (DII) attended the 2nd International Conference on Augmented Cognition (ACI) and the 50th Annual Meeting of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society (HFES) that were held jointly in San Francisco between October 15th and 21st.

DII staff were authors on 6 papers and held 4 paper presentations, all of which were well received in the community and triggered interesting discussions. References to the conference proceedings can be found on our Publications page. Sven Fuchs received a "Foundations of AugCog" award, and the paper “Physiological Measures Cannot Drive Mitigation Alone” by S. Fuchs and K. Hale of DII, C. Berka and Dan Levendowski of ABM and J. Juhnke of Tanagram Partners was selected as best paper in the Mitigation Strategies track of ACI. The work outlines a revolutionary approach to event-based mitigation of perception problems in complex, information rich environments, which was developed with Phase I SBIR funding from DARPA in collaboration with Advanced Brain Monitoring and Tanagram Partners. The approach utilizes event-specific EEG signatures and behavioral responses to detect shortcomings in perception and comprehension of events. Further benefits may be seen with an integrated predictive workload models to increase task context and make better assumptions about operator cognitive state so optimal display adaptations could be selected and applied in real-time to optimize operator situation awareness.

At the ACI reception event Tuesday night, both the Naval Command testbed used to develop the conceptual model for event-based, real-time mitigation outlined above and ABM’s real-time neurophysiological metrics were demonstrated.

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Oct 2006: DI Awarded Air Force SBIR for Team Performance Analysis

DI was recently awarded a Air Force SBIR Phase I contract to develop a conceptual model for a team performance assessment tool, targeted at both creating a priori hypotheses regarding potential team performance breakdowns and identifying and monitoring dynamic breakdowns in team performance. MAP IT-C utilizes social network analysis (SNA) to define team characteristics and to structure team task analysis. Mapped with task analysis data, potential team breakdowns in performance, are identified. Dynamic breakdowns are captured via contextually-driven metrics for online performance. EEG and eye tracking metrics are used to assess why breakdowns have occurred, due to situation awareness issues, team issues, or individual performance issues.

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09/27/06: Online Floral Purchasing - Usability Study.

Design Interactive, Inc. recently completed a usability study for a leading brand in the floral industry with millions of online orders per year. In particular, the online checkout process – a critical element of the e-shopping experience – was evaluated to assess the impact of the new design features included in a recently revised and modernized website design.

Design Interactive, Inc. conducted an expert heuristic evaluation and usability testing of targeted customers. From this evaluation, both usability strengths as well as usability shortcomings that resulted in user error and/or non-optimal navigation were identified. The usability concerns identified were deemed crucial enough by the client to reschedule the launch date of the new website so that usability shortcomings identified by Design Interactive Inc.’s review could be addressed and a best-in-class shopping experience could be ensured. Read the complete case study here (PDF).

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Fall 2006: DI to Present at 3 Major Human Factors Conferences.

DI will be presenting its work at three major HCI conferences this Fall. In October, DI’s Kay Stanney will be Co-Chair of the 2nd Annual AugCog International Conference held in San Francisco, California. DI personnel will also be presenting several papers and a poster at various sessions of AugCog, showcasing the Company’s work in the areas of augmented cognition, situational awareness and mitigation strategies.

Concurrent with the AugCog Conference, DI staff will be presenting three papers at the 50th Annual Meeting of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society. DI will present findings based on the Company’s years of work in the VIRTE program on spatial awareness using tactile cues in a virtual environment, and learning curve analysis.

DI will close out the year with multiple paper presentations at the ITSEC show and conference in December in Orlando, Florida. DI staff has presented numerous papers and workshops each of the last four years at I/ITSEC, and this year DI will present three more papers in the area of Training Systems Design and Evaluation.

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06/15/06: DI Receives ARDA Funding.

DI was awarded a $2.86M, 4.5 year contract to develop an EEG-based system for analysis of SATINT data within the ARDA CASE program. The project will attempt to develop a rapid screening system for imagery data that utilizes advanced neurotechnology and physiological measures (eye-tracking) to significantly improve intelligence analysts’ data throughput. Bias detection is the ultimate goal of this effort.

DI is teaming with a world leader in electroencephalography (EEG) and neural signatures, Advanced Brain Monitoring, Inc. (ABM) of Carlsbad, California. ABM will provide technologies to identify states of bias in analysts. Also partnering with DI on this effort is Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) of Richland, Washington. PNNL is a leader in breakthrough science and technologies to meet key national needs within selected environmental, energy, health and national security objectives. The PNNL team is led by Dr. Andrew J. Cowell, a senior research scientist within the Rich Interaction Group. Andrew leads a group of researchers performing research in Social & Collaborative Environments.

This effort will culminate in 2010, with the development of a state of the art bias monitoring system. DI’s expertise in Augmented Cognition concepts and Human-Systems Integration will all be brought into play in this challenging and exciting effort.

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05/15/06: Dr. Kay Stanney is Awarded the 2006 Virtual Reality Technical Achievement Award

Kay Stanney has been awarded the 2006 Virtual Reality Technical Achievement Award in recognition for seminal technical achievement in virtual & augmented reality. The IEEE VGTC Technical Awards program recognizes individuals who have made a significant contribution to the community through their research.

Dr. Stanney has been a leader in virtual reality (VR) research and applications for the past 10 years. Her Design Interactive, Inc. team is currently training effectiveness evaluation (TEE) lead on the Office of Naval Research (ONR) Virtual Technologies and Environments (VIRTE) Program, which is an expansive program touching all aspects of expeditionary warfare and involves the use of virtual environment technologies for training, mission rehearsal, and other mission critical tasks.

Dr. Stanney co-founded, with Ronald Mourant, the Virtual Environments Technical Group (VETG) of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society (HFES), as well as the 1st Virtual Reality International, held in conjunction with HCI International 2005, the latter of which was co-founded with Michael Zyda. She is Editor of the seminal Handbook of Virtual Environments: Design, Implementation, and Applications (Lawrence Erlbaum Associates). She has also been interviewed on NBC Nightly News concerning her research in the area of sickness and aftereffects associated with VR exposure and their implications to the health and safety of VR users, as well as the acceptance of VR technology by society at large. Her research has also appeared on MTV Network’s health show MegaDose, CBC’s Undercurrents, and NBC Local Orlando News, as well as receiving front-page coverage in several local and national newspapers.

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