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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Follow along with this talk• http://bitly.com/csun2017

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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

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

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