Papers by Jaroslaw Kowalski
The Internet of Things as an extension and augmentation of the user
Human Factors and Systems Interaction
In recent decades, the world of objects and tools has altered markedly. New devices, which commun... more In recent decades, the world of objects and tools has altered markedly. New devices, which communicate with other devices via digital protocols, have emerged. Digital creations, including programs, applications, websites, and bots have also become widespread. These can be considered tools, but are simultaneously immaterial. As a raft of Internet of Things (IoT) products enter the market, a new stage of development can be seen on the horizon: IoT will be superseded by the Internet of Everything, which enables communication between material objects and data, programs, processes, and people. In this new world, technology will become active in new ways and gain new types of agency. Newly created technologies enter into a specific type of relationship with their users and exercise significant impacts upon them.This article presents the results of a qualitative study (28 individual in-depth interviews) conducted on users of different types of digital device, including wearable technologie...
Energies
We examine the motivations behind the electrical energy conservation and smart management at hous... more We examine the motivations behind the electrical energy conservation and smart management at households to verify whether we are observing an ecological breakthrough, or a mere continuation of the well-trodden consumption-growth path. We conducted an online survey in France, Spain, Italy, and Denmark (n = 3200) on the subject of electricity use and generation. We utilized a generalized structural equation model to simultaneously test the direct reasons behind different energy-use behaviors and intentions, as well as their motivating factors. Measures to conserve electrical energy and install renewable energy equipment are not solely driven by ecological concerns; a crucial role is played by openness to new technologies, which correlates with high financial status. Saving electrical energy and new-tech eagerness go hand-in-hand with attachment to consumption and comfort. Social environment is relevant, as it allows users to converse about electricity saving with friends, and to obser...
Naturality and Non-Transparency of Technology in the Age of Intelligent Voice Assistants
Intelligent Human Systems Integration (IHSI 2022) Integrating People and Intelligent Systems
This article describes the psychosocial consequences of using voice assistants, based on a look a... more This article describes the psychosocial consequences of using voice assistants, based on a look at the interface as a tool that allows the use of another tool. In analysing the history of interfaces and considering them in terms of naturalness (ease of use) and transparency (visibility and understandability to the user), we observe that they long evolved in the direction of unnaturalness, but have recently reverted towards naturality. A late stage of interface development is that of the voice interface; one that is highly natural (controlled by natural speech) and extremely non-transparent. The combination of these properties results in such interfaces exerting a significant influence on human functioning.
Digital Interaction and Machine Intelligence, 2021
Voice User Interfaces (VUIs) owing to recent developments in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Nat... more Voice User Interfaces (VUIs) owing to recent developments in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Natural Language Processing (NLP), are becoming increasingly intuitive and functional. They are especially promising for older adults, also with special needs, as VUIs remove some barriers related to access to Information and Communications Technology (ICT) solutions. In this pilot study we examine interdisciplinary opportunities in the area of VUIs as assistive technologies, based on an exploratory study with older adults, and a follow-up in-depth pilot study with two participants regarding the needs of people who are gradually losing their sight at a later age.
Smart Home Technology as a Creator of a Super-Empowered User
Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing, 2019
Over the last few years Smart Home Technology area has been rapidly growing. The home space satur... more Over the last few years Smart Home Technology area has been rapidly growing. The home space saturated with remotely monitored and controlled sensors is different from the same space without these capabilities. The article presents the results of a qualitative study (7 in-depth interviews) conducted in 2018 on users of Smart Home Technology. The research shows that the administrative functions of the system usually become the domain of one household member with the highest technical skills. Such person becomes a “super-empowered user”, for whom it is possible to control the house space (e.g. change temperature, light etc.) and watch other householders in real time, even being hundreds of miles away. Such situation changes the relations of power and control in the family. The study shows that the smart building and home space becomes, through the technology, an extension of the senses of the supervisor.
Immersive Virtual Reality (IVR) may potentially effect considerable lifestyle changes in societie... more Immersive Virtual Reality (IVR) may potentially effect considerable lifestyle changes in societies, comparable to those seen with the spread of smartphones. Questions arise as to the significance of IVR, and how people will respond to this type of innovation. The article presents the results of a qualitative study which assesses the reactions of adults from Generations X, Y and Z to IVR. 18 people aged 20-55 took part in the study; seven IVR applications were used. The study assessed participants' reactions, level of presence, affective response and susceptibility to cybersickness. The development potential of IVR was also considered. It was assumed that older generations would be less present in the IVR and their subjective assessment of satisfaction would be lower. The results of the study confirmed the hypothesis that, as people age, their level of presence in IVR decreases, but surprisingly, it emerged that satisfaction with being in IVR increases along with the age of the p...
Is a Virtual Ferrari as Good as the Real One? Children's Initial Reactions to Virtual Reality Experiences
The Virtual Reality (VR) world is very suggestive as it intensely affects the senses of vision, h... more The Virtual Reality (VR) world is very suggestive as it intensely affects the senses of vision, hearing and—to a limited extent—touch. It can be expected that in the near future VR will be widely disseminated and used by people of all ages, including children. We decided to conduct a qualitative research project to assess children’s (aged 7–12) first reactions to the use of VR. Children’s opinions and reactions gathered during the interviews indicate that children highly appreciated the attractiveness of the virtual experiences, which were often assessed at a similar or higher level than their real-world counterparts. Our findings clearly suggest that children very easily adopt VR without any prior experience with that technology. We recommend that studies on children’s behavior in VR are continued.
This analytical position paper aims to open a discussion on the future of the naturalized technol... more This analytical position paper aims to open a discussion on the future of the naturalized technology of reading. Our analysis contributes to the discussion that we think scholars in human-computer interaction should adopt from other disciplines. We begin with a seven-level technology pyramid which ends with naturalized technology. We look for the place of paper and digital books in this pyramid, currently somewhere between invisible and vital technologies. We discuss scenarios for the book, using current theories of reading from both philosophical and neuropsychological viewpoints. Finally, we show inspiring quantitative and qualitative data gathered during "total research" into the literary culture. They illustrate the ongoing change in the reading ecosystem.
In this article, we report on the results of a usability study on the Open Art mobile application... more In this article, we report on the results of a usability study on the Open Art mobile application conducted in a museum with blind, deaf and sighted/hearing people. The Open Art application was created following the principles of Universal Design to give all types of users the opportunity to use the app on equal terms. The main goal of the study reported here was to assess how the application is used in museum space. We tested 13 people: 1 blind, 5 partially sighted, 3 deaf and hard of hearing as well as 4 sighted/ hearing participants. The results show that the app was generally well received and that its use has a positive influence on museum visiting experience.
Remote Conference in the Times of the Pandemic
Human-Computer Interaction – INTERACT 2021, 2021
The COVID-19 pandemic forced a sudden increase of remote activities including work, learning and ... more The COVID-19 pandemic forced a sudden increase of remote activities including work, learning and also scientific conferences. Almost a year of experience in remote work, remote meetings and remote conferences clearly showed that these events are markedly different from their traditional counterparts. The aim of this workshop is to analyse factors influencing the user experience of remote conferences, thereby creating a set of guidelines for their future organizers. Patterns may be identified from personal experiences shared by HCI researchers as participants or organizers of remote conferences. Methodologically, the methods of Design Thinking combined with the auto-ethnographic approach will be employed for the workshop. Participants will be able to find new insights into the process of the organization of remote conferences and transform such insights into an actionable set of guidelines for future remote conference organization. © 2021, IFIP International Federation for Information Processing.
Extended Abstracts of the 2021 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, 2021
In this exploratory study, we examine the possibilities of noninvasive Brain-Computer Interface (... more In this exploratory study, we examine the possibilities of noninvasive Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) in the context of Smart Home Technology (SHT) targeted at older adults. During two workshops, one stationary, and one online via Zoom, we researched the insights of the end users concerning the potential of the BCI in the SHT setting. We explored its advantages and drawbacks, and the features older adults see as vital as well as the ones that they would benefit from. Apart from evaluating the participants' perception of such devices during the two workshops we also analyzed some key considerations resulting from the insights gathered during the workshops, such as potential barriers, ways to mitigate them, strengths and opportunities connected to BCI. These may be useful for designing BCI interaction paradigms and pinpointing areas of interest to pursue in further studies. CCS CONCEPTS • Human-centered computing → Interaction paradigms; HCI design and evaluation methods; Ubiquitous and mobile devices; • Social and professional topics → Seniors.
Frontiers in Sociology, 2019
This paper presents several state-of-the-art concepts within Internet studies and applies them to... more This paper presents several state-of-the-art concepts within Internet studies and applies them to the creative writing of older people using the Internet. For more than 10 years two creative Web users aged 80+, assisted by younger proxy users, were involved in preliminary action research. It was aimed at finding patterns of inducing older people's creativity and sharing their wisdom with the general Internet audience. The effectiveness of conducted action research in transferring wisdom using silver digital content is high. It is demonstrated with (a) qualitative participants' insights, (b) the quantitative description of statistics of blog visits, and (c) the social significance of the topics covered in the created content. Lasting for more than a decade and located within the space of socio-technological solutions in Central and Eastern Europe, the results delivered patterns of emerging technologies aimed at enhancing older people's creativity on the Web. The insights from those two action-based case studies enabled the development of new hypotheses. New directions of further, more advanced research of older users' activity are based on interdisciplinary studies at the crossroads of public health, sociological theory, gerontology, and human-computer interaction studies. New research questions are presented, to be explored within the social scientific studies of the next-generation Internet. Departing from the established concepts and preliminary research, the authors hypothesize that: (1) in order to optimize non-human technology-based assistants, human proxy users should be researched; (2) voice assistant technology could become the primary proxy for a production of silver digital content; and (3) interactive and intelligent technology will be the substitute for social actors that prevent exclusion and disengagement. The remaining research question also refers to the conditions under which the technology can be a viable substitute for proxy users.
Significance of Social Factors for Effective Implementation of Smart Energy Management Systems in End-User Households
Intelligent Human Systems Integration, 2017
Rising popularity of photovoltaic panels and other equipment allowing the electricity production ... more Rising popularity of photovoltaic panels and other equipment allowing the electricity production in households evoke the new challenges – i.e. high energy exchange due to high production or usage peaks. One of the solution to such problems is the Energy Management System (EMS) which is able to monitor and report real-time power consumption. EMS allows for launching a whole range of new features – i.e. flexible tariffs or automatic scheduling of home appliances starting time. In this paper we present the results coming from social research conducted within project “e-balance - balancing energy production and consumption in energy efficient smart neighborhoods” realized within European 7FP. We outline four areas of potential social barriers for EMS adoption: engagement, unwillingness to leave appliances unattended, division of roles in the household and privacy concerns. Concluding, our studies indicate that the inclusion of the human perspective is necessary for the effective implementation of Energy Management Systems.
Extended Abstracts of the 2019 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, May 2, 2019
In this paper we present the results of an exploratory study examining the potential of voice ass... more In this paper we present the results of an exploratory study examining the potential of voice assistants (VA) for some groups of older adults in the context of Smart Home Technology (SHT). To research the aspect of older adults' interaction with voice user interfaces (VUI) we organized two workshops Permission to make digital or hard copies of part or all of this work for personal or classroom use is granted without fee provided that copies are not made or distributed for profit or commercial advantage and that copies bear this notice and the full citation on the first page. Copyrights for third-party components of this work must be honored. For all other uses, contact the owner/author(s).
How Might Voice Assistants Raise Our Children?
Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing
International Journal of Management and Economics
Development of renewable energy means that there is a growing demand for technology that helps to... more Development of renewable energy means that there is a growing demand for technology that helps to manage and consume it in an optimal way, using more energy when it is produced on sunny/ windy days, preferably at the place of production, and avoiding long-distance transmission. This opens the field for solutions based on the Internet of Things (IoT) technologies, advanced demand management, and the concept of smart energy. The creation of a smart home energy management system (HEMS), which will help end users to manage the produced electricity, was the goal of the project entitled “e-balance – Balancing Energy Production and Consumption in Energy Efficient Smart Neighbourhoods”. Research with potential users carried out within the project showed that the existence of such systems in the home environment redefines the concept of electricity, which becomes tangible and always present in sight. Users also expected that the system would significantly reduce their electricity bills, an e...
IFAC-PapersOnLine
In this paper we report on a study conducted with a group of older adults in which they engaged i... more In this paper we report on a study conducted with a group of older adults in which they engaged in participatory design workshops to create a VR ATM training simulation. Based on observation, recordings and the developed VR application we present the results of the workshops and offer considerations and recommendations for organizing opportunities for end users, in this case older adults, to directly engage in co-creation of cutting-edge ICT solutions. These include co-designing interfaces and interaction schemes for emerging technologies like VR and AR. We discuss such aspects as user engagement and hardware and software tools suitable for participatory prototyping of VR applications. Finally, we present ideas for further research in the area of VR participatory prototyping with users of various proficiency levels, taking steps towards developing a unified framework for co-design in AR and VR.
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Papers by Jaroslaw Kowalski