A comparative study of systems for the design of flexible user interfaces

Abstract

Abstract. There are a number of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) services that can be used to increase quality of life of older adults and persons with special needs. Unfortunately, there is often a mismatch between the offered services and their user-friendliness, hindering their use and reducing their utility. One of the most important factors is the ability to provide accessible, attractive and user-friendly interaction. In this study, three systems for the design of flexible user interfaces are compared based on a generic framework. The framework introduces a multi-step adaptation process, the concept of context of use and the distinction between adaptable and adaptive user interfaces. The three systems -AALuis, GPII/URC and universAALare independently presented and compared by means of ten framework-related criteria. The analysis of the systems reveals similarities (e.g., context of use, resource provision, and commitment to standards) and differences (e.g., abstract description of the user interfaces, generation of user interfaces or pluggable user interfaces and maintenance of the user model). This paper shows for each system where it is best suited in terms of application areas and desired system features. There is a need for further research to work towards harmonization between the systems and their application areas so that they may mutually benefit from each others' strengths.

Interaction Modeling in PRACTICE - CTT Vs. SCXML - A Comparison of Two Practical Solutions Applying Interaction Modeling Techniques for Multimodal User-System Interaction

“…The comparison focuses on applicability aspects from the technical point of view. Concrete user evaluation settings and user involvement results are outside of the scope of this paper and are separately presented on the 17th International Conference on Human-Computer Interaction (Sili, 2015).…”

Bath-Ambience—A Mechatronic System for Assisting the Caregivers of Bedridden People

“…Using Information and Communication Technology (ICT)−based products and services for the propose to increase the benefits for older adults, developers and service providers must not only focus on the functionality itself, but also, even especially, on the user interface. Part of the purpose was to provide a generic framework for the design of flexible user interfaces, such as: AAL, GPII/URC and universal ones [ 13 ].…”

“…Environment variables can also be monitored by the system [ 14 ]. The environment for giving an automated bath was developed to meet the different demands of patients; therefore, it provides an environment that supports the patient in standing in a vertical position, which makes it possible to run a pre-programmed course of a sequence of tasks: lathering, rinsing and drying, in order to minimize the effort of caregivers [ 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 ].…”

“…Therefore, the need to have a healthy ageing society requires major help from technology [ 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 ]. Considering technologies developed to assist the activities to care for bedridden people, there have been several developments in the bathing area, such as improving the the environment for giving the bath, smart bathrooms [ 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 ], bed technology [ 14 , 15 ], washing systems [ 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 ], including the use of body sensors and control systems [ 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 ].…”

Automatic IO Device Selection for Ambient Environments

“…AAL services are meant to be integrated into the live of the user as seamlessly as possible. Therefore the user interfaces (UIs) are of particular interest in AAL environments [3]. The project Ambient Asssisted Living User Interfaces (AALuis) [4] is concerned with the flexible creation of accessible UIs for AAL services.…”