Netbox: Input Device

Despite having conceived of numerous possible prototypes for an input device, we decided that familiarity would, at this stage, be the most important aspect. We therefore opted for a remote with functions that would reflect those of a conventional TV/Sky device. At this stage the essential functions that our input device/remote provides are:

• The ability to replace all other remotes that require the use of the TV (e.g. the normal TV, DVD, Video and Sky remotes). It's keypad therefore provides such functionality.


• 'Arrow button' navigation with a central 'Select' button. This works in the way of a conventional remote: menus can be navigated via the arrow buttons and options selected via the 'Select' button.


• A telephone/mobile phone style keypad which permits alpha-numeric input (see diagram). Such functionality will provide the means by which text input is achieved (for chat and e-mail facilities).


• An easy-access 'Menu' button that, when pressed, results in Netbox's main menu being displayed on-screen.


• An 'Favourites' button for use with the internet. This will allow users to select, access, and bookmark favourites at the touch-of-a-button.


• A 'Communicate' button that provides a quick shortcut to Netbox's communications facilities (chat and email).

Netbox: Product Software

When the NetBox is switched on, pressing "Menu" will enable the user to access the NetBox main menu. This will override the signal received from their standard television reception. The software allows the user to select one of three options from the main menu by pressing the corresponding number on their remote control keypad:

1. Surf the web
2. View your email
3. Chat and socialise

Alternatively, the user can press the star button, which provides a short cut to their stored web "favourites" or the speech bubble, which provides a short cut to email and chat. Each menu screen provides a consistent look and feel to aid familiarity and usability.

Surf the web

The NetBox user may surf the web by either entering the full web address / URL of a website and selecting "Go", entering keywords into the NetBox search engine and selecting "Search" or by selecting "Go to Favourites" which will let them access their list of stored/bookmarked favourite websites. They may also select "Back" to return to the previous screen / main menu.

The user enters text into the text fields by using their remote control keypad, moves between text fields and on-screen buttons by using their 4-way directional arrow navigational buttons, and makes a selection by pressing "select" on their keypad.

Information (Directgov: State Pensions and Benefits)

The Netbox product will contain innovative software that enables the user to define and customise the way in which web content is displayed. By way of a simple options menu, the elderly user will be able to easily switch between the original design of the website, a set of default design templates or their own user-defined layout design. The options menu will also allow the user to store their preferred layout design so that this is remembered for each and every website that is viewed, even when the Netbox has been turned off for a considerable amount of time.

The usability benefits, of this user-defined approach to web content presentation, are as follows:

• Consistent layout and presentation of content
• Uniform font sizes, colours and styles
• Ability to change colour schemes and text size to suit needs of the user (RNIB Web Access Centre – FAQs)
• Easily identifiable web links across all pages and sites
• Assists in ensuring websites are accessible to blind and disabled users (Disability Discrimination Act)

Further examples

Special Interest (MSc HCI 2007 Blog)

Information, Support & Advice (Age Concern: Age Discrimination)

Information, Support & Advice (Help The Aged: Elder Abuse)

News (MSN News & Weather)

View your email

The user is required to enter their email address and password in order to view their emails (e.g. norman85@netbox.com). As before, the user uses their navigation buttons and select button to move around the on-screen options (or by pressing the corresponding numerical option on their keypad, e.g. 1, 2 or 3).

Each screen is clearly laid out and intentionally simple. The NetBox does not allow users to send attachments but does enable them to select an existing contact from their email address book (should any be stored).

Chat and socialise

The first time a user enters chat they will be presented with a screen asking them to 'enter chat name'. Using the number buttons on the remote remote control, they will type the name they wish to be known by (this can be changed at a later date if necessary). Whatever they type will automatically appear in the 'Name?' box/field. The buttons work like a mobile phone: pressing '1' once will enter 'a'; twice will enter 'b', and three times will enter 'c'. The characters are therefore selected by using the appropriate number buttons. If a mistake is made, the user can press '*' to delete. This will delete one character per depression of '*'.Once a name has been entered, simply pressing 'Select' on the remote control (see diagram) will enter this as the user name. If the name is not available, 'Name already taken by another Netbox user - Please choose another name' will be displayed. Once the user has chosen a valid name, they will be asked to provide a password ('enter password'). They do so by using the keys on the remote control, followed by 'select'. The password will appear as they type and they will be instructed to 'Choose something that you can remember'.The user then navigates to 'send' using the arrow keys, and pressing 'select' will be greeted with the message 'Thank you for logging-in to Chat'.

Using Chat

The user is presented with a screen that has a large main 'window', a smaller 'compose' window below this, and 3 options (along the bottom of the screen):

• Users
• Rooms
• Exit to Main Menu

The Main Window

This is where messages appear. Entering text into the smaller window/field (see below)followed by 'send' will result in it being displayed in this main window. Any comment that is made will be preceeded by the user's name. For example: 'Mark Smith Says: Hello everyone, I'm new here. Can anyone tell me what they like about Netbox?' To post a message, the user must use the smaller 'compose' window located below the main window.

The Compose Window

This is where messages are composed. To navigate here a user must utilise the arrow buttons on the remote (although by default, this is already highlighted).As with other windows/boxes/icons, the 'compose' window will be highlighted in blue when it is selected. To type a message, the user utilises the method outlined earlier. Navigating to 'send' via the arrow buttons, followed by depression of 'select will send the message, thereby displaying it in the main window. Any responses to messages will be displayed in the main window.

Users

Using the arrow keys to highlight 'users', followed by 'Select' will provide a list of people/users currently using Netbox chat.Pressing the up and down arrows on the remote control will highlight an individual user. To chat to a highlighted user, the user must press the large circular 'Select' button on the remote, located between the arrow buttons. This will in turn highlight the 'compose' window from where a message can be typed (via the method outlined above). To send the message, the user must navigate to 'Send' using the arrow buttons on the remote. The message will then appear in the main window (which is now acting as a private window between the two users). If any mistakes are made while typing, the '*' key can be used to delete any text. To exit chat, navigate to 'Exit to Main Menu' via the arrow keys on the remote, followed by 'Select' (once the icon is highlighted). This will return you to Netbox's main menu.

Rooms

Using the arrow keys to highlight 'Rooms', followed by 'Select' will display a list of rooms.To enter a room, the arrow buttons are used to highlight the room. The remote button 'Select' is then pressed in order to enter the room. Room names relate to particular topics. Individual rooms function in the same way as the main chat screen.

Exit to Main Menu

A user navigates to here by using the arrow keys. Pressing 'Select' will then exit to the main Netbox menu.

Netbox: Hardware Prototype

The basic features of netbox are to be able to access the internet and perform most of the tasks that a standard pc can whilst connected. This will include web browsing, email, download files, video messaging, voip, etc. However, the basic user may only wish to browse web sites or use email, and so we need to provide a hardware design that caters to the basic user. When designing the hardware, several considerations must be made.

• A non-threatening design - the hardware does not have a multitude of sockets or ports that will intimidate the user.


• Is it easy to set up?


• Is it easy to use?


• What additional features will be used, e.g. USB ports, memory card readers, webcam, etc.


• Where will the additional features be placed?

We want the basic netbox to be as plain looking as possible, to provide an unintimidating user experience. We feel it is important to keep the front of the box with just the essential features, i.e. power button, and anything else hidden out of sight. However, additional features need to be readily accessed, so we decided to put these features on the front of the box, but hidden by a flap.

In order to provide easy setup, we have reduced the number of cables needed to a bare minimum. The essential cables will be a power supply and a television/monitor connector. We have decided to make the netbox connection to a phone line wireless. This means that the user will connect an additional modem directly to their phone socket and this will talk wirelessly to the netbox unit. This should mean that netbox is easier to setup overall. Another consideration is the cables, especially in terms of size, shape and colour. The cables need to be easy to connect and so each cable should therefore have a unique colour and shape, and also be of a reasonable size to allow someone with reduced mobility/sight to use.

Netbox should be plug and play, i.e. once it is connected and switched on it takes the user directly to the browser and they can go from there. There should be no maintainence issues, e.g. anti-virus software, etc, so we decided that each netbox will come with a fixed amount of server storage space, as opposed to having an in-built hard drive. This will provide a worry free user experience.

The additional features we decided on were usb ports, so external devices can be connected. We also wanted memory card readers, as a lot of users will have digital camera's, which they may want to send pictures and such via email. These facilities will be placed on the front of the box to enable easy access for the user. We wanted only the device connectors to be located at the back, so once it is connected, it will not need to be moved. We wanted to build in a webcam into the box itself, however, this means that the box will have to be put in a prominent position in order to talk into the camera. This will probably be impractical, as most people will probablt store the box under their television, near the floor somewhere. We have therefore decide to bundle a webcam as a separate unit within the netbox package.

The initial prototype is therefore shown below:

User Interface: Scrollable display

I was just reading the following on BBC News:

Scrollable displays set to debut

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/6345869.stm

"One of the first mobile devices with a scrollable screen will go on sale in Italy later this year. Billed as a PDA, electronic book and music player the Readius device has onboard a flexible LED screen that unrolls to 12.7cm (5in) across. Polymer Vision, the creators of the gadget, claims the high-contrast black and white screen is as readable as printed paper."


Quite impressive... and a possible idea for our product: could a (basic) "keyboard" scroll out from the product's remote control so it's an all-in-one input device?

Pseudo Task Analysis: PC Internet Access

The above video is a recording of a 67 year-old male using a home computer for the first time. The individual knew of the internet and was given the task of gaining access via a typical Windows XP set-up (commencing from the desktop). Minimal instructions were given to the 'subject' with regard to how to operate the mouse and keyboard. If at any point the individual paused or seemed in difficulty, they were given a hint as to how they should proceed. A narrative for the above video sequence would be as follows:

1.The user initially struggles with the optical mouse, sometimes lifting it from the mouse mat. This resulted in the pointer rapidly traversing the screen.

2.They then proceed to explore the 'landscape', moving the pointer as they do so, simultaneously experimenting with the left and right mouse buttons (at this point I advised them to use the left button only).

3.Having noticed the word 'internet' on the Internet Explorer icon, they click on it, but only once. The application fails to open, so they repeat this process (clicking only once) several times.

4.Having failed to open the browser with the above process, they proceed to the Start menu. They explained to me afterward that they expected the internet browser to open when they either pointed or clicked here, and were quite daunted by the menu.

5. Nevertheless, they managed to correctly locate the Internet Explorer icon and subsequently open the browser (revealing Google as the homepage).

6.Here I gave a brief explanation about search engines and ended the recording.

Without question, the individual would not have completed the above task without having undertook some form of tuition, whether that be via a manual, a basic course in computing, or advice from another individual. Our aim is to eliminate the need for such tuition by providing a highly-intuitive product. Removal of the PC as a means of accessing the internet was identified as key to achieving this goal.

* Oh, and apologies for the poor video definition...

User Interface Considerations

I was pondering a brief chat we'd had regarding user interfaces when I recalled a video I'd seen recently. It's Jeff Han, a research scientist at New York University's Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences, showcasing a Minority Report style interface (first video of the two above). Another similar video (the second) got me thinking about how we could incorporate games or physical exercise software into the system (perhaps akin to Nintendo Wii, as opposed to touch-screen?), as a way of encouraging the elderly to keep a good range of motion in their upper limbs. Might not be directly relevant to what we do but it sure blows the dust from the cerebrum!