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USee: A Mobile Usability Research Tool Using Google Glass Jibo He, Barbara S. Chaparro and Christal Haskins Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting 2014 58: 1242 DOI: 10.1177/1541931214581259 The online version of this article can be found at: http://pro.sagepub.com/content/58/1/1242
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Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society 58th Annual Meeting - 2014
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USee: A Mobile Usability Research Tool Using Google Glass Jibo He, Barbara S. Chaparro, and Christal Haskins Department of Psychology, Wichita State University Wichita, KS 67260-0034 ABSTRACT The rapid increase in mobile devices (such as smartphone, tablet, smartwatch, and Google Glass) has resulted in the need for more usability research of mobile applications and devices. However, tools for usability testing in a mobile environment are lacking. This demonstration introduces a new mobile usability research tool called uSee, which uses Google Glass, a smartphone or tablet, a smartwatch, and a computer for research observation and communication. With uSee, remote observers can view the scenes directly from a camera mounted near the users’ eye, which offers researchers a scene from the users’ point of view. Alternatively, a researcher can wear Google Glass and use the uSee application to record user video and communicate with remote observers. In addition, usability researchers can log important events by simply tapping the Google Glass stem. This demonstration will show how uSee can serve as a tool for mobile usability research as well as discuss the pros and cons of the tool.
Not subject to U.S. copyright restrictions. DOI 10.1177/1541931214581259
INTRODUCTION Usability testing and analysis is an empirical method of measuring a product’s ease of use with prospective end users. For software or website usability analysis, usability researchers typically use custom software tools to gather measures such as time on task, mouse clicks, keyboard inputs, as well as subjective comments from the end users. Tools for traditional desktop computer usability research include Morae TM, Camtasia TM, and Surflogger (Techsmith, 2006; He, 2008). In addition to the software, a webcam is typically used to monitor user behavior and capture user comments. See Figure 1 for a typical usability testing setup. The rapid increase in mobile devices (such as smartphone, tablet computers,) has resulted in the need for more usability research of mobile applications and devices. Tools for usability testing of mobile devices are not as readily available. A webcam video solution is low-cost, however, it is typically not practical
when observing a user in a mobile setting. Mobile environments present challenges in that the user and/or the product being tested may not be stationary. Therefore, alternative solutions need to be investigated to capture video for post analysis.
Figure 1. Typical usability testing setup. A researcher monitors a participant using software. A webcam collects video for post analysis. A new tool for mobile usability study called uSee was developed. USee uses Google
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Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society 58th Annual Meeting - 2014
Glass as the major component, with an optional Android device, a computer, and a Samsung Gear smartwatch. USee can be used by the participant in a mobile usability study to provide point-ofview video or by the study researcher to log events of interest and to communicate with remote observers. Participant Point of View: A usability test participant wears Google Glass with uSee installed while performing a task. An observer uses a remote computer to monitor the point-ofview video. This version is useful in settings in which the user is mobile, or working with a product that involves them moving around. Examples include conducting an Out-of-the-Box experience or monitoring a participant in a mobile environment (e.g., shopping). Researcher Point of View: Traditional usability testing in a laboratory typically involves a researcher (or facilitator) observing and interacting with a participant as they use a product. The facilitator monitors the participant’s actions and makes notes regarding their behavior and comments. Or, they may use a computer program (i.e., Morae) to log an interesting comment or event for post analysis. In addition, the researcher may receive chat messages from others who may be watching remotely with follow-up questions for the participant. One disadvantage of a desktop or laptop-based chat session is that it requires that the researcher to view the computer screen to notice the message. The researcher may not get notified and view the messages in a timely manner if the message is sent to a computer screen. With Google Glass and the uSee application, researchers can: 1. Record a video of the participant and the usability scenario, 2. Log a noteworthy event by simply tapping the Google Glass stem, and
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3. Receive communication in the Glass display from remote observers. When a message comes, Google Glass will vibrate to notify the researcher. Optionally, researchers can also wear a Samsung Gear smartwatch. Messages will be delivered to the smartwatch and vibrate the watch to notify researchers. Remote Observation: the uSee app can be installed on any Android device. The mobile device is connected via Bluetooth to Goggle Glass and allows remote observers to type and send messages to the researcher as observers watch the remote video. The usability researchers can read the messages from remote observers in the display of their Google Glass or the smartwatch. TECHNOLOGY FRAMEWORK The uSee solution consists of a Google Glass, and an optional Android device, a computer, and a Samsung Gear smartwatch. The current version of uSee also requires an Internet network, which allows the Google Glass and computer to transfer real-time video. The Android device can be either an Android phone or a tablet with Bluetooth support. See Figure 2 for the technology framework. Google Glass runs the uSee application. Users can start the uSee application in Google Glass simply by saying “OK, Glass. Start uSee”. USee has three versions, uSee GlassUser, uSee GlassResearcher, and uSee GlassObserver.
uSee GlassUser
uSee GlassResearcher
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uSee GlassObserver
Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society 58th Annual Meeting - 2014
Figure 2. Technology framework of uSee Glass. uSee GlassUser: When worn by a usability test participant, the app will broadcast video captured from the Google Glass camera to a website via an Internet network for viewing by a remote observer. The primary purpose of the Google Glass device in this scenario is to send line of sight video from the perspective of the user. Nothing is shown in the Google Glass headup display in order to minimize distraction. See Figure 3 for a sample video screenshot of an Outof-the-Box study of a guitar.
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Bluetooth. From this app, remote observers can send messages to the usability researcher. See Figure 5.
Figure 4. Interface of Google Glass for the researcher after a message is sent.
Figure 3. Live videos captured from Google GlassUser, demonstrating an Out-of-the-Box study of a guitar. uSee GlassResearcher: Google Glass is worn by the usability researcher while in the vicinity of the participant. The researcher can move around to capture video that is of interest and log an event of interest by tapping the Google Glass stem. The uSee GlassResearcher app is also capable of receiving live messages from a remote observer who is also watching the video. The messages are displayed in the Google Glass display as shown in Figure 4. uSee GlassObserver: The uSee GlassObserver app is used on a mobile device (i.e., smartphone, tablet) that is connected to the Google Glass via
Figure 5. uSee application that may reside on a tablet or smartphone for remote observer to send a message to the researcher. A COMPARISON OF MOBILE USABILITY TESTING TOOLS To assess the efficacy of uSee, an Out-of-the-Box study was conducted with both traditional means (a standard webcam) and with uSee. In this study, participants were given the scenario of receiving a new guitar in the mail as a gift. They were asked to open the guitar box and set it up for first time usage (the guitar was electric and required the user to hook it up to a
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Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society 58th Annual Meeting - 2014
computer and install accompanying software). Table 1 shows a comparison of the features of each method. Advantages of uSee were found to be the ability to capture video from the users’ perspective, ability to easily capture video in a mobile setting, and the ability to send and receive messages in a head-mounted display. While the same data was attainable using the traditional method with a webcam and a laptop computer with chat, it required an extra person to carry a webcam around and follow the participant as they completed the Out-of-the-Box exercise. Limitations The use of Google Glass for observational studies is not without limitation. The following problems were noted in the Out-of-the-Box exercise: •
•
•
•
The field of view for the video may not be broad enough to see objects. Currently, it is limited to an approximate visual angle of 67° horizontal and 50° vertical. This could be problematic for studies involving small objects held close to the user and out of the camera field of view (e.g., cell phones). The image quality of the video is dependent on the quality of the Internet connection. Slower connections could result in a grainy image that is delayed. The Google Glass screen is limited to 5-8 lines of text for chat beyond which users must scroll. Glass has limited battery life, especially when broadcasting video. Recording time was limited to approximately 50 minutes of continuous uSee broadcasting.
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Table 1. Comparisons of uSee versus typical usability testing video capture software for mobile environment uSee Participant and researcher perspective
Traditional Software with webcam Researcher perspective only
Researcher logs through taps
Observer logs from separate room
No extra person needed to follow with camera
2nd researcher needed to follow participant with camera
Text chat in Glass head-mounted display (HMD)/line of sight
Text chat in headdown display (HDD)/ out of line of sight
Manual video analysis
Specialized software program
Mobile solution, portable
Not portable
Low cost app
High cost and maintenance fee for custom software
DISCUSSION This article summarizes a demonstration of the use of Google Glass and an app called uSee. The solution provides the ability to capture product usage from both the perspective of the end user and a usability researcher. In addition, it provides a means for remote observers to communicate with a researcher via message to the Google Glass head-mounted display. This
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Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society 58th Annual Meeting - 2014
app provides a potential solution for usability observation in a mobile environment. The convenience of this mobile solution comes at the cost of limitations related to visual angle, image quality, screen size, and battery life. Solutions to address these limitations should be examined further. REFERENCES Techsmith (2006). Morae™, Camtasia™ (http://www.techsmith.com/morae.as p) He, J. (2008). SurfLogger: A logging browser and data processing method in web-based studies. Proceedings of Society of Computer in Psychology’2008, Chicago.
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