An ever-increasing number of smart technologies are being developed all over the world to coach people on healthier, as well as more responsible behaviors, providing them timely and ubiquitously with personalized information and support.
Marlin is one such wearable swim coach, specifically for distance swimmers, which constantly monitors a swimmer's performance and provides them necessary real-time feedback through sonification while swimming. It is a tool for coaches to plan a detailed training program, set new targets and sync them to the swimmers' device. It allows both the coaches and swimmers to analyze their performance by tracking their progress and giving them guidance immediately. In this project, we evaluate the usability of the interface for the coaches and the swimmers and study if they modify their behavior according to the feedback.
The Georgia Tech Sonification Lab is an interdisciplinary research group based in the School of Psychology and theSchool of Interactive Computing at Georgia Tech. Under the direction of Prof. Bruce Walker, the Sonification Lab focuses on the development and evaluation of auditory and multimodal interfaces, and the cognitive, psychophysical and practical aspects of auditory displays, paying particular attention to sonification. Special consideration is paid to Human Factors in the display of information in "complex task environments," such as the human-computer interfaces in cockpits, nuclear powerplants, in-vehicle infotainment displays, and in the space program.
[Random Image of Auditory Interface] Since we specialize in multimodal and auditory interfaces, we often work with people who cannot look at, or cannot see, traditional visual displays. This means we work on a lot of assistive technologies, especially for people with vision impairments. We study ways to enhance wayfinding and mobility, math and science education, entertainment, art, music, and participation in informal learning environments like zoos and aquariums.
The Lab includes students and researchers from all backgrounds, including psychology, computing, HCI, music, engineering, and architecture. Our research projects are collaborative efforts, often including empirical (lab) studies, software and hardware development, field studies, usabilty investigations, and focus group studies.
