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University of British Columbia | |
The Institute for Computing, Information, and Cognitive Systems (ICICS) is a University of British Columbia interdisciplinary research institute fostering a human-centered paradigm shift in emerging information technologies. Over 135 faculty members from Applied Science, Science, Commerce, Arts, Dentistry, Education, Forestry, Medicine, and Pharmacy collaborate within ICICS. The Observation Studio houses special rooms where experiments are designed, staged, and analyzed using a variety of techniques and technologies.
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Larger rooms for observing scenarios involving multiple people are available, as well as smaller rooms for controlled experimentation.
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The Noldus video observation suite The Observer is central to studies involving the acquisition and analysis of behavioral data in all parts of the ICICS Observation Studio. Video cameras are used to observe and record subjects and those recordings can then be broken into finite study segments, adequate for identifying and categorizing reactions. The Observation Studio provides an array of special equipment to support state-of-the-art human-computer interaction (HCI) research. SMART Board interactive displays (interactive whiteboards), MERL DiamondTouch surfaces (touch and gesture activated screens), wireless Polhemus trackers for body movement, and biopotential sensor suites are among the technologies available to students and faculty for their research. Some examples of research conducted by ICICS: 1. Observational studies of collaborative group work for architectural design development. We have been using The Observer to analyze design development meetings over the design and construction lifecycle of a very large scale (ca. US$ 20 million) building. Our goal has been to bring an architectural firm into the next generation of building design, including new CAD techniques, collaboration technology to support meetings, and a 4D (3D and time) approach to construction. 2. Developing interaction techniques for collaborative workspaces and large displays. The Observation Studio is also used as a staging area for testing new interaction techniques and technologies developed at UBC. We are working on developing a selection for new techniques that will allow people to work seamlessly between large wall and tabletop displays. The infrastructure in the studio will allow us to not only test the usability of these techniques, but also the longer term social and organizational effects. 3. The Lenfest Ocean Futures Project The larger observation spaces were used early on in an ongoing project between Computer Science department and the Fisheries Centre at UBC. The project involves effecting fishing policies that are both environmentally and economically sustainable. The centerpiece for this project is a state-of-the-art interactive workspace that will be used to allow government officials and representatives from industry to participate in multi-day summits with open dialogue and discussion. The observation spaces have been used to prototype these summits and the technologies that will be used in the Fisheries workspace.
ICICS | |
