Heather Roberts
PROJECTS
Georgia Tech Research Institute:
Unmanned Aircraft Pilot Selection
Problem: Unmanned aircraft need a different selection procedure for pilots since they have very different tasks and workloads.
Process: This is a project I just joined this semester. There are currently seven simulations that are designed to be similar to what an actual day as a pilot of unmanned aircraft would look like. This includes receiving new instructions and missions, and alerts when something has gone wrong. I am now running through the simulations and giving feedback on the interface so changes can be made before we begin testing in April.
Automated Vehicle Heads Up Displays
Problem: Self driving cars are relatively new to the HCI community and extremely new to the general public. I am currently co-leading a project group that is designing displays to convey system reliability information from the car to the driver. For example, if the car's sensors are not able to pick up the lines on the road, the car needs to alert the driver to take back control.
Process: This project is in the beginning stages. The first picture is a driving simulator for user testing. The dashboard will be replaced with screens and the windshield will have a heads up display, and we will be testing several different designs. We are currently in the brainstorming phase. The designs need to be glancable, to minimize time the driver is not looking at the road (if the yare driving). We will use auditory displays for alerts, such as the car has lost feedback from a sensor and the human needs to take control. This is important not only for safety, but also to increase trust of the human in the system so they can relax and take full advantage of the technology.
Solution: Yet to be determined! Since we have just started, the second two images are stock photos that best describe what we will working on.
Accessible Weather
Problem: The current weather apps for smartphones are not usable for visually impaired and blind users.
Process: I re-designed a two weather apps (iOS and Android) to make the task of checking the current and future weather conditions accessible to those who have visual impairments. Many weather apps promote themselves as being "accessible", however, they are extremely inefficient and make for a frustrating user experience. I prototyped my designs using Axure and Proto.io and worked with two computer science students to develop the apps. I used information obtained from focus groups and surveys that had already been completed and from knowledge of universal design and accessibility.
Solution: A weather app for iOS and Android that work with the smartphone's built in screen reader and have high contrast for low-vision users. I am also designing all usability testing and will be in charge of the iterative process of redesigns to the interface to improve usability.
The pictures shown are a work in progress of the first round of re-design.
Lupus Self-Care
Problem: Lupus patients have a complicated disease that makes it difficult to function, when keeping track of symptoms is important for designing a treatment plan with their doctor.
Process: In a team of four with different specialties (psychology, industrial design, and computer science), we created prototypes of a wearable wristband and smartphone app that will help people with lupus manage their day to day activities to control their symptoms and stay healthy. The system will help people manage their diet, exercise, amount of sun exposure, and track their symptoms. We had lupus patients fill out a survey to learn more about how they currently deal with their lupus and what features they would like in a smartphone app, among others. We also interviewed Rheumatologists and lupus patients to learn more detailed information to inform our design. We compled usability testing with lupus patients at Grady Hospital in Atlanta using a cognitive walkthrough and exit survey. We then implemented design changes on our interactive prototype based on results.
Solution: After feedback from users, the smartphone app had more interest than the smartwatch, so we focused our efforts. Usability testing pointed out flaws and confusing places in our design that we were able to correct before conducting more cognitive walkthroughs. The system was well received and lupus patients were excited about an easier way to track their symptoms, which can be especially difficult while they are having a flare up.
Cognitive Engineering in Aerospace Lab
This past summer I worked with an aerospace engineer and a computer scientist to research how pilots under varying levels of stress interact with an interface in an aircraft during a flight in order to build a new interface that facilitates decision-making. The first step is to conduct interviews and focus groups with pilots to learn more about the tools they currently use and how different stressful situations have affected their cognitive state and actions. I helped write the scripts and questions for the focus groups and an initial questionnaire. Unfortunately, the summer ended and I left the job to return to school before we conducted the focus groups. The next step will be to experiment using a flight simulator and various simulations that put pilots in stressful situations so we can view how they handle these events and what type of cognitive state they were in.
Accessible Astronomy
Problem: STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) education is commonly taught using visual aids, which greatly hinders the learning experience of someone who is visually impaired. These are subjects that are important to make accessible to all students.
Process: For my undergraduate senior thesis, I worked on the initual steps of making astronomy education accessible to visually impaired and blind students. I aimed to inform the design of a tool that would not only help the visually impaired, but also supplement and better teach those who are sighted. The initial stages of this project included semi-structured interviews with STEM instructors and a survey to college students to see how much they remember about space science and if there are any common misconceptions.
Solution: Our lab is partnered with Fernbank Science Center in Atlanta. I have handed this project off to another student who is working on creating an auditory display that can go along with Fernbank's Planetarium presentation, since this is a common field trip for students.
MobilePantry Smartphone App
Problem: Many people make grocery lists, some with paper and pencil, and some using their smartphones. However, many people have found themselves at home after the store and realized they forgot to list something they needed. Many people have also found themselves at the store knowing they have sugar and flour at home, but not remembering if they have enough for a recipe.
Process: In my first HCI/UX class, I worked in a team of two computer science students, one computational media student, and myself. We had friends and family fill out a survey asking about their grocery habits, including about how they currently make a grocery list and how they keep track of what is in their pantry. After prototyping a smartphone app, we conducted user testing with a cognitive walkthrough of the system. Based on feedback, we changed certain elements of the app and completed more user testing.
Solution: We created an interactive prototype for a smartphone app that brought together a grocery list and pantry list to make organizing what you need and what you already have easier. The pantry list included sub categories, expiration dates (with an alert if it is getting close), and amounts (so the user doesn't have to try to remember if they have enough sugar to make cookies, for example). The user could also transfer items between lists and enter items manually or using a barcode scanner. The app also featured three different ways of searching for deals: proximity, item, or store. This project spanned initial research to prototyping and doing user testing on the app.
Arduino Wearable
Problem: Consider this use case: two friends have gone to a crowded concert and need to stay together in the crowd, or find each other if they are separated. Phones can do this, however, they can get lost, stolen, lose battery, or lose signal.
Process: This was the final project completed in an Industrial Design class called Interactive Product Design, working in a group of three. Arduino to prototype a pair of wristbands that would help partners stay together, while also providing artistic and fun value. This was a big learning experience for me, since I previously had little coding experience and had never used Arduino.
Solution: When the wristbands were in close proximity and the wearers moved their arms (dancing at the concert) the LED strips in the bands strobed different colors. When the wristbands were further apart, they would help the partners find each other by changing color based on if the wearer was getting closer or further from the partner, mimicking a game of "hot and cold".
We used an accelerometer to make the bands strobe, RFID to wizard-of-oz whether the wristbands were together or apart, a vibrating motor to inform the user with haptic feedback while they are finding their partner (this is partially redundant, for those who are colorblind or did not notice that they had been separated), and RBG LED strips sewn between two layers of fabric.
3D Printing
I designed this using Fusion 360 in an Industrial Design class, Interface Prototyping. This was a concept for a wearable, a pendant, that would communicate with a smartphone app and device to help the elderly remember to take medicine. The pendant would have a speaker and make a sound when it is time to take a medication.