Hapgets, Towards Haptically- enhanced Widgets based on a User Interface Description Language Nikolaos Kaklanis, Juan González Calleros, Jean Vanderdonckt, Dimitrios Tzovaras

Outline Problem description Haptic Web Browser Conclusion

Outline Problem description Haptic Web Browser Conclusion

Audio Rendering of Web Pages - Problems There has been much work to offer an audio rendering of web pages to blind users, but even the best audio rendering engines still suffer from some intrinsic limitations such as:  sequential navigation  long processing time  difficult navigation within a long page or across web pages  audio rendering only works when HTML is well- formed

Haptic Rendering of Web Pages - Basic Idea Each HTML component is being transformed into a Hapget. Hapget = 3D widget + haptic feedback

Haptic Rendering of Web Pages - Advantages The user may freely navigate within a scene  the haptic pointer may asynchronously move from an object to another - no sequence is imposed The time required to switch from one screen object to another object may be reduced at the price of a haptic exploration of the scene The blind users can have a perception of the structure of the virtual environment, in our case the 3D corresponding of a web page, that is very close to the real one  it cannot be exactly the same because 3D rendering puts some limitations in positioning  It is essential not only to give blind people raw information but give them the opportunity to navigate through the internet in a way that makes navigation really interesting.

Outline Problem description Haptic Web Browser Conclusion

A Haptic Rendering Engine of Web Pages - Requirements - Navigate through the internet by touch! Not restricted to haptic interaction. Formal definition of the User Interface Reuse of existing web pages Vocal Interaction

A Haptic Rendering Engine of Web Pages - Requirements - Navigate through the internet by touch!  PHANTOM desktop support Not restricted to haptic interaction. Formal definition of the User Interface Reuse of existing web pages Vocal Interaction

A Haptic Rendering Engine of Web Pages - Requirements - Navigate through the internet by touch!  PHANTOM desktop support Not restricted to haptic interaction.  mouse support Formal definition of the User Interface Reuse of existing web pages Vocal Interaction

A Haptic Rendering Engine of Web Pages - Requirements - Navigate through the internet by touch!  PHANTOM desktop support Not restricted to haptic interaction.  mouse support Formal definition of the User Interface  UsiXML Reuse of existing web pages Vocal Interaction

A Haptic Rendering Engine of Web Pages - Requirements - Navigate through the internet by touch!  PHANTOM desktop support Not restricted to haptic interaction.  mouse support Formal definition of the User Interface  UsiXML Reuse of existing web pages Vocal Interaction

Haptic extension to UsiXML CUI model The new extension adds not just a new interaction type, the haptic, but also the 3-dimensional (3D) graphical representation. Each haptic component (”hapget”) has unique characteristics, such as:  shape  surface properties  appearance  a set of effects that are supported by the haptic device, including: buzzEffect constraintEffect inertialEffect

Hapget = Haptic 3D Widget

A Haptic Rendering Engine of Web Pages - Requirements - Navigate through the internet by touch!  PHANTOM desktop support Not restricted to haptic interaction.  mouse support Formal definition of the User Interface  UsiXML Vocal Interaction  speech synthesis  speech recognition Reuse of existing web pages

A Haptic Rendering Engine of Web Pages - Requirements - Navigate through the internet by touch!  PHANTOM desktop support Not restricted to haptic interaction.  mouse support Formal definition of the User Interface  UsiXML Vocal Interaction  speech synthesis  speech recognition Reuse of existing web pages

A Haptic Rendering Engine of Web Pages - Requirements - Navigate through the internet by touch!  PHANTOM desktop support Not restricted to haptic interaction.  mouse support Formal definition of the User Interface  UsiXML Vocal Interaction  speech synthesis  speech recognition Reuse of existing web pages

During execution… Mozilla FirefoxHaptic Rendering Engine

Guidelines The hapgets should be visually distinctive enough from each other to avoid any confusion. There is a need to supplement the visual distinction by other means. The hapgets should have colors that are distinctive enough from each other. The different colors should be radically different when they are turned into grayscale so as to support distinctiveness for color-blinded users. The hapgets should be haptically distinctive enough from each other. Each hapget should be perceivable enough per se. Otherwise, the haptic feedback is just ignored and do not provoke any emotional output.

Outline Problem description Haptic Web Browser Conclusion

Conclusion and Future work Hapgets Render engine Formalization in UsiXML Future work will be dedicated to analyze the graphical representation so as the interaction

Conclusion and Future work What is your opinion about 3D? What is your opinion about UIDL? Thanks