Real-Time Data Transfer and Data Reduction

Introduction

For usability testing purposes Noldus Information Technology bv develops software for logging the interaction of a user with the Windows XP or Vista computers. Usability testing offers means for measuring how well people can use human-made objects (such as a web page, a computer interface or a device) for the purpose it is intended for.

We want to add a new dimension to our usability testing tools by including stress measurements. There are various ways to measure stress during task performance (such as speech analysis, Galvanic Skin Response), but they all are require expensive equipment and complex analysis is needed. A low cost alternative could be measuring pressure exerted on a mouse.

Assignment

We need to have the mouse pressure as a measurement tool for stress validated in a series of validation experiments. This encompasses:

• Design of one or more experiments (usability tests) in which the behaviors and the mouse movement measure mentioned above can be verified.
• Recruitment of participants for these test.
• Carrying out of usability tests.
• Reporting on the accuracy of our algorithms and make suggestions for improvement.

For the experiments you can use our fully equipped usability testing facilities.

Your background

We are looking for students who have a good knowledge of Human-Computer Interaction and the skills to carry out usability tests.

More information

If you are interested in this project please contact Tobias Heffelaar (Tobias@noldus.nl). Information about our company: www.noldus.com.