Product Accessibility Evaluation using Virtual User Models

Panagiotis Moschonas∗ Athanasios Tsakiris† Dimitrios Tzovaras‡

Visual Analytics, Augmented and Virtual Reality Lab,Information Technologies Institute (ITI),

Centre for Research and Technology - Hellas (CERTH),6th km Charilaou-Thermi, 57001, Thessaloniki, Greece.

ABSTRACT

We introduce an open framework for built-in accessibility supportat all stages of product development based on the Virtual UserModel concept. The goal is to introduce simulation-based and VRtesting into the automotive, smart living spaces, workplace, info-tainment and personal healthcare applications areas. Our frame-work also aims to ensure that future products and services arebeing systematically designed for all people including those withfunctional limitations. An open simulation platform parted of sev-eral tools provides automatic simulation feedback and reportingfor guideline/methodologies compliance and quality of service. Toachieve this objective, detailed virtual user physical, cognitive, be-havioral and psychological models as well as the correspondingsimulation models have been integrated to support simulation andtesting at all stages of product planning and development.

Index Terms: H.5.2 [User Interfaces]: Ergonomics; I.6.1 [Simula-tion and Modeling]: Applications; K.4.2 [Social Issues]: Assistivetechnologies for persons with disabilities.

1 DEMO DESCRIPTION

The demonstration will focus on existing research prototypes andtoolkits of the project. The main target groups concerned willbe ICT and non-ICT product developers and designers, accessi-bility experts and evaluators, public bodies and private organiza-tions, users with disabilities as well as any other interested visitors.Additionally, the demonstration will aim primarily to illustrate thedisabled user modeling methodology. The visitors will have thepossibility to see how structured user models can be utilized so asto simulate their behavior in several demonstration scenarios. Thevisitors will also see how the parameters and characteristics of dif-ferent virtual disabled users will affect the simulation and its results.Demonstrations will include several application tools, which

perform automatic accessibility assessment based on simulatingthe behavior of avatars interacting with virtual product prototypes.These prototype scenarios include the ergonomic evaluation of carinterior designs, motorcycle dynamics evaluation, wheelchair nav-igation, virtual home environments accessibility testing, as wellas cognitive and vision impairment simulation of interaction withgraphical user interfaces. Many other examples are available if re-quested by the audience.The audience will be also introduced in the structured Virtual

User Models that represent the capabilities of impaired virtual usersand in the product specific simulation models that actually representthe virtual user actions during the assessment. In addition to the livedemonstration of the accessibility tools, several videos with infor-

∗e-mail:moschona@iti.gr†e-mail:atsakir@iti.gr‡e-mail:tzovaras@iti.gr

mation (instructions and tutorials) about the project will be visibleduring the demonstration, while a poster will be also present.A video demonstration of the proposed basic methodology along

with various simulation cases can be found in [1].

2 DESCRIPTION OF THE RESEARCH LAB

The Information Technologies Institute (ITI) was founded in 1998as a non-profit organization with its head office located in Thessa-loniki, Greece. Since 2000, it is a founding member of the Centrefor Research and Technology Hellas (CERTH). CERTH/ITI is oneof the leading Institutions of Greece in the fields of Informatics,Telematics and Telecommunications, with long experience in nu-merous European and national R&D projects. It is active in a largenumber of research domains such as Security and Surveillance, Im-age and Signal Processing, Computer & Cognitive Vision, HumanComputer Interaction, Virtual and Augmented Reality, Multimedia,Database and Information Systems and Social Media Analysis.CERTH/ITI has participated in more than 60 research projects

funded by the European Commission and more than 85 researchprojects funded by Greek national research programs and indus-try. For the last 10 years, the publication record of CERTH/ITIincludes more than 250 scientific publications in international jour-nals, more than 450 publications in conferences and 70 books andbook chapters. In 2002, CERTH/ITI was awarded the excellencegrade in Virtual Reality and 3D by an international panel of expertevaluators. The Information Technologies Institute exhibits sub-stantial research activity, both basic and industry-oriented, as wellas technology transfer actions, in the area of virtual, augmented andmixed realities where included modeling and simulation of com-plex virtual environments, haptic force feedback applied research,3D modelling and compression, deformable objects and cloth mod-elling, collaborative virtual environments, new sensor developmentfor head/hands/body tracking, multimedia analysis/synthesis, ges-ture recognition, head motion modelling and tracking, advancedapplications of virtual/augmented/mixed reality in education andtraining, e-health, assistive technologies, culture, industry and e-business.The ITI-CERTH Visual Analytics, Augmented and Virtual Real-

ity Lab operates a fully operational and well-equipped Virtual Re-ality Laboratory that serves as a reference for augmented and vir-tual reality applications and demonstrations in Greece. Among theequipment the lab has in its disposal are: a VR single-wall ICIDOCAVE installation that consists of a 2.8 x 2.0m screen, 2 DLP pro-jectors, ART IR tracking equipment 3D wand and glasses, hap-tic devices including Cybertouch and Cybergrasp gloves, SensablePhantom and Novint Falcon, HMDs for VR and AR (Stereograph-ics V8 and NVisor ST) respectively as well as magnetic tracker sup-port for head and body tracking. Finally, the lab also has a multitudeof stereoscopic cameras (Kinect, Primesense and Point Gray).The lab employs a high quality scientific group of personnel,

consisted of over 40 developers and researchers, for the design, de-velopment and demonstration of advanced augmented and virtualreality applications and services. It participates in research net-works with assorted institutes and industrial partners in Greece and

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Europe and is in the process of establishing a spin-off company,to commercially exploit the research results (already available asprototypes) of the Laboratory.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSThis work is supported by the EU funded project VERITAS (FP7247765) [2].

REFERENCES[1] P. Moschonas, A. Tsakiris, and D. Tzovaras. Product accessibility

evaluation using virtual user models, demonstraction video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GAUB5PqXA8, January 2014.

[2] VERITAS. Virtual and augmented environments and realistic userinteractions to achieve embedded accessibility designs. http://veritas-project.eu/, January 2014.

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