Wheelchair-mounted robotic arms (WMRAs) are assistive manipulators designed to increase the functional independence of individuals with limitations in the upper and lower extremities. While previous research has identified several visual, cognitive, and physical abilities that facilitate optimal operation of such a device, these have yet to be accounted for when designing the human–robot interface. This study investigates whether interface-level compensations can improve usability and support more personalized control across users with different abilities. Five interface compensations were implemented and evaluated: object highlighting, move suggestions, slowing near objects, a one-click approach, and a level indicator. A user study was conducted among individuals with spinal cord injury as well as able-bodied younger and older adults serving as comparison groups. Evaluations of task performance metrics, perceived WMRA usability, and user experience were conducted. The results indicate that younger adults achieved the highest task efficiency, followed closely by participants with spinal cord injury, with both groups reporting good-to-excellent usability, whereas older adults showed lower efficiency and rated the system as having fair usability. The one-click automated object approach feature was identified as the most useful compensation among all participant groups. Overall, participant feedback indicated that spatial visualization and spatial orientation were the most important individual differences affecting the operation of the arm.

The corporeality of social robots can be broken down into anthropomorphic (humanoid), zoomorphic (animal-like), mechanoid (machine-like), and functional (use-based). The effects of these corporeal forms and their functions have been investigated within prior research; however, the benefits of each form and how they may relate to social presence still need investigation. 95 participants were randomly assigned to interact with either Lynx (humanoid), Vector (mechanoid), or Alexa Echo (functional) and then answered questionnaires related to the robot’s embodiment and perceived social presence. There is supporting evidence that social presence is explained by a few key factors of embodiment, but not all of them. (shared) perceptions and interpretations were found to be a requirement for social presence in robots. Once met, the robot’s motion seems to be the most important factor for improving and predicting emotional and behavioral interdependence. Based on these findings, robot development for social purposes would benefit by implementing different movements that can help build rapport.

As COVID-19 cases continue to be prevalent, at-home testing for the illness will continue to be in demand. At-home testing is convenient as results are obtained quickly and often at a lower cost. This study utilized Nielsen’s Ten Usability Heuristics to evaluate at-home COVID-19 test kits, with consideration given to older users when applicable. Understanding whether users can correctly use and interpret these tests is critical to ensure the kits provide accurate results and to ensure user trust. Results of our analysis showed that there is a need for at-home COVID-19 test kits to improve the way results are presented and implement more error prevention techniques. In regards to older users, the kits would benefit from clearing up ambiguities which require reference materials, accommodating users with contrast sensitivity difficulties, and ensuring that the test kit products are easy to manually handle. While the kits have acceptable usability, improvements to the usability of COVID-19 at-home test kits will lead to lower user errors and improved result accuracy.

Research on patient experiences within healthcare systems tend to report a variety negative encounters. This can be especially observed in food distribution systems within nursing homes. While nursing homes have various practices and structures that affect a resident’s physical and mental health, the process of food distribution considerably relates to issues of autonomy. Because loss of independence may lead to increased rates of elderly loneliness and depression, mealtimes and the process of food distribution are an integral part of improving a resident’s quality of life and encouraging socialization and self-sufficiency. Moreover, developing patient experiences within food distribution systems, whether centralized or decentralized, will likely improve resident’s autonomy and self-efficacy, reduce frustration, and enhance their overall mental and physical health. The present study utilizes Arhippainen’s User Experience heuristics to identify manners of augmenting patient experiences relating to food distribution in nursing homes by addressing patients’ needs, values, and desires. By utilizing these heuristics, patient experiences and assessments of healthcare systems would become more personalized and fulfilling to the individuals.

A phenomenon regarding motion sickness mitigation, documented infrequently in the voluminous scientific literature on motion countermeasures, involves pre-exposing individuals to unusual motion, resulting in reduced symptoms on subsequent exposures to similar or even dissimilar motion events. The phenomenon does not seem to have the attention that a drug free and rapidly applied technique deserves in literature reviews of motion mitigation. Desensitization techniques are often described, particularly in the military but these take weeks and are difficult to apply. The development of new motion environments that could greatly benefit humanity, such as space travel and cyberlearning, are hampered by symptoms of motion sickness. We feel that this pre-exposure mitigation phenomenon needs a name to organize and promote research required to develop the technique. We propose the name Adaptive Perceptual Learning (APL) training to highlight the idea that some, as yet unexplained, perceptual learning is involved in pre-adapting individuals to motion sickness. This chapter examines three studies that used APL training to reduce symptoms of motion sickness through pre-exposure events. These data indicate that APL is a real phenomenon and deserves methodical exploration. Much remains to be learned concerning how long the increased resistance lasts and how dissimilar motion events can be and still afford protection. We discuss future directions for research.

At-home dialysis treatments are becoming increasingly common as suitable options for renal disease treatment. However, the nature of self-administered, at-home dialysis presents specific medical risks and unsupervised patient experiences that require unique attention by health professionals. This study utilized Arhippainen’s ten user experience heuristics to evaluate and identify strengths and weaknesses of at-home dialysis treatments while suggesting methods to improve the at-home patient experience. Results of our heuristic assessment showed that some at-home dialysis providers consider patient needs and consider human factor design aspects. However, patient experience can still be improved by implementing UX principles aimed at providing a satisfying and positive interaction with products and services.

The present research explores how the relationship between a user’s personality and the perceived personality of a social robot influences the relationship of parasocial presence, para-friendship, and intention to use a social robot. Specifically, the research examines how continued use of a social robot is related to the interaction of user and perceived robot personality through the mediating role of parasocial presence. Participants interacted with a social robot in a semi-structured interaction and provided ratings of parasocial presence, robot personality, and use intention. Although parasocial presence and para-friendship aspects the interaction predicted intention to use the robot, personality similarity at the profile level did not impact this relationship.

Patient experiences within the healthcare system are often negative due to the predominantly system-centric nature of healthcare, as well as the physical or mental symptoms of the medical condition being experienced. Improved patient experiences are likely to improve patient visits, engagement with treatment, reduce frustration, and in some medical conditions, improve treatment outcomes. One way to improve patient experiences is to apply user experience principles to the design of patient interactions within the healthcare system. The present study utilized Arhippainen’s User Experience heuristics to identify ways in which patient experiences can be improved. Fundamental restructuring towards patient-centric experiences and general security practices would lead to improved PX and perceptions of healthcare.

As intelligent personal assistants gain popularity, the technology sees increasing adoption by older users. The device’s use of natural language processing for human-agent interaction purportedly makes it easier for older users to adopt. However, to properly understand how older users perceive and use the devices, continuous user research is needed. To this end, we conducted a user perception, task performance, and social presence study with two standalone IPAs to assess elements of usability and user experience. Additionally, since current research indicates that the devices may help ameliorate loneliness in older populations, the present study assessed perceived social presence and its relationship to loneliness in our sample. Results indicate that older users are mostly satisfied with the device interactions regardless of their actual performance while using the devices. Finally, in our sample, loneliness was not associated with perceived social presence.

During the present COVID-19 global pandemic, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is tasked with providing information and public guidance for appropriate COVID-19 prevention and management. However, public perception is varied and disseminated information must compete with sources of misinformation. Given usability’s impact on trust, usefulness, and attitudes towards systems, we conducted a usability heuristic assessment of the CDC’s COVID-19 information dissemination practices on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Results show a critical need for dissemination practices to include design elements which help reduce external influences. Additionally, the usability of the CDC health information is impacted by the medium through which the information is disseminated, especially when the information is released via social media.

The present study investigates user perceptions (anthropomorphism, animacy, likeability, perceived intelligence, and perceived safety) in regard to robot embodiment type. Results indicated that the animal-like robot was having higher levels of perceived anthropomorphism and animacy. Further regressions were run on the results to understand factors of embodiment’s influence and found anthropomorphism and animacy could be influenced by encapsulation type and distinct embodiment factors ((shared) perception and interpretations, tactile interactions and mobility, nonverbal expressiveness, and/or corporeality).

Online settings have become more commonplace for interactions. Currently, a common-place interaction is with a chatbot of some kind when traversing the web, however, chatbots offer a limited amount of communication channels for social interactions. These limitations could possibly be addressed by using social robots as alternatives for interacting. The present study examines the effects of a real visual component in an online viewing task on participants’ perceived beliefs (hedonic and utilitarian) of a virtual agent. Perceptual judgments were collected after actively viewing a task with one of the two agents (chatbot or online social robot). The focus of the study was to determine whether social robots offer an increased hedonic experience compared to chatbots. Additionally, utilitarian factors were explored. Results indicated that the online social robot offered an overall better experience being perceived as more hedonic as well as being more perceived as easier to use and adaptable.

In human-machine interaction (HMI), productivity is based on the performance of the system or user. Similarly, different mental models may exist when assessing accountability for productivity between a human or system. The present research examines how differences between user and system-based mental models of productivity and accountability affect perceived usability, usefulness, and intention to use technology within the Technology Acceptance Model framework. Differential models of productivity and accountability showed differences in the relationship between usefulness, usability, and intention to use an intelligent productivity application. This research demonstrates that differing mental models of productivity and accountability within HMI teams may impact adoption of technology.

Social robots are a proposed solution to feelings of loneliness and social isolation. Given the psychological complexity of experienced trait loneliness and its potential to reduce perceived social presence, an experiment using a social robot was conducted to examine how trait loneliness impacted perceived social co-presence, psychobehavioral interdependence, and subjective mutual presence in social robot interactions. Furthermore, we explored whether these effects differed from human-to-human interactions. Although trait loneliness only affected third order subjective copresence among the three social presence dimensions, individuals with higher trait loneliness were more likely to accept the robot as a social companion.

Intelligent personal assistants (IPAs) have gained in popularity over the last decade. However, while the devices have been adopted in over a quarter of US households, users often fail to engage with the devices regularly once the initial novelty use wears off and users fail to find new and useful ways in which to interact with the devices. One way companies improve both the usability of the devices and a user’s conceptual model of what an IPA is capable of is through the use of built-in touchscreen displays which can offer passive suggestions to users, increasing knowledge of available features and interactions. We compared two standalone IPAs to test if including a touchscreen on the device improved usability and perceived usefulness. Results indicate that touchscreen displays do not necessarily improve the usability, perceived usefulness, or perceived task effectiveness of an IPA device.

eHealth applications are expected to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of healthcare systems by providing improved medical information flow between medical providers and patients. Although the technology is expected to empower patients, lower treatment costs, and provide real-time collection of health data, individuals may be apprehensive about the use and efficacy of eHealth technologies. Medical professionals are often unaware of human factors technology acceptance or usability models which impact the use of medically focused technology, such as eHealth applications. Similarly, human factors professionals are often unaware of treatment adherence models which map the relationship of illness factors and individual differences to treatment protocols. The present paper presents a theoretical approach through which technology acceptance and usability models should be combined with medical treatment adherence models to ensure that eHealth applications are used properly and effectively.

Background: Robotic kits are a popular, modern pastime primarily marketed and designed for younger generations.Kits designed for use by older adults have the potential to promote cognitive, physical, and social engagement.Objective: This study sought to determine characteristics and abilities of older adults that predicted efficiency, perceived usability, and engagement in building a market-available kit.Methods: Fifty-nine adults, 25 males, and 34 females, ages 55 to 87 (M = 70.80,SD = 8.44) completed a series of assessments for spatial visualization, visual abilities, working memory, and dexterity before assembling a robot kit.Results: Backwards regression was utilized to create significant prediction models for five outcome variables: time on task, perceived system usability, task engagement, distress (i.e.negative affect), and worry (i.e.self-focused attention). Conclusion:Results indicated that younger individuals and those with higher spatial visualization ability completed the build faster and perceived the kit to be more usable.Dexterity in the non-dominant hand also predicted faster build times.The findings of this study can be used to inform gerontechnological designs of assembly kits.Future studies can examine if the important factors identified here are predictive of performance in building more complex robotic kits.