General Innovation 2: RTFM

Leaders:
WP1: Pirkko Saarikivi, Lulu Hyvätti (Foreca)

Description:
Better and taylored user-interfaces of text, image, audio, considering personal characteristics of users: language, disabilities, age, health, and other personal needs.


WP2 question:
To proceed with WP2 task 2.2 "New types of data needs" please determine the data requirements for your 'idea' untill August, 22!

1.  Purpose

 

There are many different variables why better and tailored user-interfaces of text, image and audio are needed. Often these variables may function simultaneously. New ideas and innovations don’t exist in a vacuum. In order to proceed from the state-of-the-art it is important to study these variables in their current context.

 

The structures of modern European societies are in a constant flux. Europe has to face several demographic challenges in the coming decades. The societies are ageing, the fertility rates are low and the life expectancy is getting higher and higher. At the same time a baby-boom generation is reaching retirement age. If the current development continues there will be a sizeable increase on the percentage of the EU’s population ages over 65 years.[i] 

 

According to resent study, with regard to ICT, the 50+ age group is more polarised than ever before:  47% have not computer access at home and 53% have not internet access. Compared to younger age groups the difference is noticeable. Also within the 50+ groups there is distinct correlation between age and the ICT usage level. The younger the person is the higher the usage. There are also other differentiating variables within the older age groups, such as socio-economic factors. It has proven that older people with disabilities or other functional impairment are less likely to use ICT and linked to socio-economic disadvantages this trend even more noticeable.[ii] 

 

Disabilities and other functional impairments may hinder the usage of ICT devices. According to a study, on average 17% of all Europeans had somewhat limited and 6% of all Europeans had severely limited capabilities to carry out normal activities because of physical or mental health conditions during past six months. Limitations were common  in particular amongst the older people. Of the studied respondents aged 85 and over, only quarter had not been limited at all in their activities past six months.[iii]

 

Within European single market area people, goods, services and money move as freely as within one country. Over 15 million EU citizens have moved to another EU country. Trade within the single market area has risen by 30% since 1992. All and all the single Market has increased the EU’s prosperity by 2,15% of GDP.[iv] Besides the 23 official languages in Europe, there are over 200 different languages spoken in Europe. From 400 million living in Europe 60 million speaks other than the official language of the resident country. The multitude of different languages and the level of language proficiency is a real problem with user-interfaces. Many of the ICT device manuals are proven to be too long, poorly translated and impractical. The multitude of functions may stay unused because of the time and effort it takes to familiarize to an ICT device properly.

 

Due to the ongoing digitalization process there is a mass of information available. The challenge is how to manage the information overload. Also ICT devices are getting more and more complex and multifunctional. To get the full benefit from them often requires familiarization to the device. Even though there might be various reasons for having difficulties operating an ICT device, the need and the market for a better and tailored user-interfaces clearly exists.

 

2.  State-of-the-art in Framework programs

 

There are several EU projects that studies the different aspects of user interfaces in a changing societies. FP7 Project ICESTARS (Integrated circuit/EM simulation and design technologies for advanced radio systems-on-chip) is a collaborative project that aims to design technologies for advanced radio systems-on-chip. The project has technologically oriented perspective.

 

FP7 Collaborative project NAPA-WINE (Integrated circuit/EM simulation and design technologies for advanced radio systems-on-chip) aims to analyze the massive deployment of IPTV platforms that will facilitate the change of paradigm of current TV broadcasting  from mass TV towards personalized TV.

FP7 Intra-European Fellowships program INFERENCEHCI (Inference and machine learning methods in human-computer interaction) plans to constructing human-computer interaction interfaces that are more efficient, less fatiguing and more interesting to use.

FP7 Collaborative project 3DPHONE (All 3D Imaging phone) tries to develop technologies and core applications enabling a new level of mobile 3D experience. The project includes interface and application development.

 

FP6 Specific Targeted Reserch Project EIAO (European Internet accessibility observatory) wanted to improve access to Internet content for people with special need such as visual impairment or users accessing web content by mobile phones.

 

FP6 Specific Targeted Reserch Project ENABLE (A wearable system supporting services to enable elderly people to live well, independently and at ease) developed a personal, user-centred enabling system, with services, for use by an elderly person in or out of the house, to mitigate the effects of any disability and to increase the quality of life.

 

FP6 Integrated Project WINNER (Wireless World Initiative New Radio) worked towards enhancing the performance of mobile communication systems. The purpose was to make mobile communication systems more adaptable to user needs.

 

FP6 specific Targeted Research Project IM@GINE IT (Intelligent mobility agents, advanced positioning and mapping technologies integration interoperable multimodal, location based services).

 

3.  Identifying different user-interfaces and their problems

 

Technological innovations have progressed towards digitalization, miniaturization and convergence of multifunctional and multimodal products.

 

Internet has evolved in several levels: innovations in technology, business models and communication have enabled a totally new level of cooperation between different user groups. At the same time the complexity of the information society has matured. Security and privacy issues have become an important factor to be considered.

 

Mobile and wireless technologies, services and devices have increased in EU area. The number of mobile phone subscriptions has increased almost fourteen times between 1996 and 2005 in the EU27.[v] According to the Eurobarometer survey 64.4 on the use of e-communications by households, mobile phone penetration rate is 80% among EU-25 households. [vi]

 

New innovations in user-interfaces are gaining Market awareness.  GIS positioning based devices, motion sensor games and e-paper are just a few examples.

 

The problems that may arise from new innovations are much the same as in the ICT field in general such as security issues, user-interface problems, reliability and validity of the content and accessibility problems.

 References