Work

“One for All, All for One”. A First Step Towards Universal Access with a Social Robot

Year: 2023

Type: book-chapter

Abstract: The number of worldwide inhabitants suffering from visual or hearing impairments reaches billions according to the World Health Organization, making the need for universal access and inclusion in Intelligent Environments (IE) essential. An adaptive Rock-Paper-Scissors application using a simulation of the social robot Haru is presented. The accessibility of the application which covers three modes - where the user able to see and hear, only to see, or only to hear – was verified through a user-study. A multivariate analysis of variance with repeated measures determined that the ratings from the 12 participants differed significantly across the three modes with F(6,6) = 6.823, η2p = .872, p = .017. Results show that users tend to expect applications to be harder to use when suffering from a disability, especially a visual impairment. All modes in the application were deemed acceptable in terms of usability, proving that the multimodality that comes with IE can help in promoting universal access and reducing social exclusion.

Source: Ambient intelligence and smart environments

DOI: 10.3233/aise230031

Authors: Julie Pivin-Bachler, Randy Gomez, Egon L. Van Den Broek

Institutions: Utrecht University, Honda Research Institute Japan Co., Ltd. (Japan)

Language: English

Topic: Digital Accessibility for Disabilities

Subfield: Human Factors and Ergonomics

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Reduced inequalities, Good health and well-being

Open Access status: hybrid

Funder: Universiteit Utrecht