Research

Research in Human-Computer interaction focuses on usability evaluation of interactive applications, creating multimodal interfaces for specific user groups (e.g. children with learning difficulties), identifying usability flaws based on physiological users’ measurements, etc.

Members and associates of the Software Quality and Human-Computer Interaction Laboratory are working on the following research activities:

Usability evaluation

Laboratory methods of Usability Evaluation, using state of the art tools for eye-tracking (eye-trackers, mobile eye-trackers, eye-tracking glasses), for physiological measurements (respirators, skin conductance sensors, blood volume pulse sensors) for the formative and summative evaluation of various interactive products.

Usability interface efficiency

Evaluating and improving usability interface efficiency using the KLM-FA , a tool that carries out Keystroke Level Model symbolic calculations of the time required to fill a specific web form in a straightforward and automatic manner. KLM-FA calculates the form completion time according to different interaction strategies or users’ characteristics. In addition, Fitts’ law is computationally realized to calculate the exact time required to move the cursor to the form’s elements. Preliminary case studies illustrated the tool capability to support both designers and evaluators in an efficient and effective manner. Furthermore, the tool is used for teaching UI efficiency in various HCI courses.

A Natural User Interface for children

Kin-LDD, a computer-based game where in-game mechanics utilize Microsoft Kinect technology to provide hand gesture recognition for its interface. As children accomplish predefined tasks and they are evaluated against their cognitive abilities, the game also collects metrics for their motor skills. During the game, a series of activity screens are presented to the child and each of them is compiled by placing multimedia content, graphics audio and text, onto a pre-generated background. The goal of the game is for the child to accomplish a series of tasks based on the instructions shown on each activity screen. Kin-LDD has been successfully used to assist the diagnostic process of children with learning difficulties.

Users’ stress during interaction

Measurements of users stress during interaction using physiological data analyzed by PhysiOBS. PhysiOBS is an innovative tool that effectively combines observation data and self-reported data for continuous emotional states analysis. PhisiOBS creates Areas of Interest (AOIs) indicating usability issues based on participant’s physiological data (such as heart rate, blood volume pressure, respiration, skin conductance), to assist the usability expert in various evaluation methods.

Gamification of in-classroom diagram design

Diagram⊷atic, is an environment used to gamify the in-classroom activity of designing diagrams during a lecture. Using Diagram⊷atic the professor, instead of lecturing about diagrams or showing examples of such diagrams, can design short games where the students could play by competing during the lecture. Diagram⊷atic is a complete environment offering to the professor a design application to create games and a management application. The management application is used for monitoring the games while students play, as well as to present the results to the students after the end of each game, or to evaluate these results after classroom time. The students may use the mobile application on their mobiles to practice by designing diagrams outside of the classroom, as well as to play a game during classroom time. The environment handles the communication from students’ mobiles to the professor’s applications and vice versa, while the students submit their diagrams or receive the correct ones, so to proceed to follow up games.

Educational tools

Interactive learning environments, using 3D virtual worlds to assist teaching and enhance the learning experience and gamification in learning to gamify various aspects of HCI and Software Engineering.

Human-Robot Interaction

Human-Robot Interaction, and in particular designing the user interface and the interaction for agricultural robots (Agrirobot and SAVSAR prototype robots).

Selected Recent Publications from last 5 years

  • Mallas A., Rigou M., Xenos M., “Comparing the Performance and Evaluation of Computer Experts and Farmers when Operating Agricultural Robots: A Case of Tangible vs Mouse-Based UIs”, Human Behavior and Emerging Technologies, Volume 2022, Article ID 6070285, August 2022. https://www.hindawi.com/journals/hbet/2022/6070285/
  • Zarkadoula K., Xenos M. “Evaluating Usability and Educational Effectiveness of a Serious Game for Programmers Using Alternative Interfaces and Types of Activities”, Proceedings of the IEEE EDUCON2022 Conference, pp. 645-652, Tunis, Tunisia, 28-31 March 2022. https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/9766768
  • Evangelou S.M., Xenos M., “Banner Advertisement Effectiveness using Big-5 Personality Traits, Advertisement Recall, and Visual Attention”, Proceedings of the 24th Panhellenic Conference on Informatics, PCI2020, Main Track, pp. 256-259, Athens, Greece, 20-22 November 2020. https://doi.org/10.1145/3437120.3437319
  • Karousos N., Tatsis F., Karousos D., Katsanos C., Xenos M., Tselios M., “WKLM-FA: A Web Application for Automated Human-Computer Interaction Modeling of Web Form Filling Tasks”, Proceedings of the 24th Panhellenic Conference on Informatics, PCI2020, Main Track, pp. 183-187, Athens, Greece, 20-22 November 2020. https://doi.org/10.1145/3437120.3437303
  • Mallas A., Xenos M., Rigou M., “Evaluating a Mouse-based and a Tangible Interface Used for Operator Intervention on two Autonomous Robots”, 22nd International Conference on Human-Computer Interaction, LNCS Vol 12182 Springer, pp. 668-678, Copenhagen, Denmark, 19-24 July 2020. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-49062-1_46
  • Liapis A., Katsanos C., Karousos N., Sotiropoulos D., Xenos M., Orphanoudakis T., “Stress HeatMaps: a Fuzzy-based Approach that Uses Physiological Signals”, 22nd International Conference on Human-Computer Interaction, LNCS Vol 12202 Springer, pp. 268-277, Copenhagen, Denmark, 19-24 July 2020. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-49757-6_19
  • Liapis A., Katsanos C., Karousos N., Xenos M., Orphanoudakis T., “UDSP+: Stress Detection based on User-Reported Emotional Ratings and Wearable Skin Conductance Sensor”, Adjunct Proceedings of the 2019 ACM International Joint Conference on Pervasive and Ubiquitous Computing and Proceedings of the 2019 ACM International Symposium on Wearable Computers, pp.125-128, London, UK, September 9-13 2019. https://doi.org/10.1145/3341162.3343831
  • Liapis A., Katsanos C., Xenos M., Orphanoudakis T., “Effect of Personality Traits on UX Evaluation Metrics: A Study on Usability Issues, Valence-Arousal and Skin Conductance”, ACM CHI 2019, Glasgow, UK, 4-9 May 2019. https://doi.org/10.1145/3290607.3312995
  • Katsanos C., Xenos M., Tselios N., “Tool-mediated HCI Modeling Instruction in a Campus-based Software Quality Course”, HCII2018, 20th International Conference on Human-Computer Interaction, LNCS 10901 Springer, pp. 114-125, Las Vegas, Nevada, 15-20 July 2018. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-91238-7_10
  • Xenos, M., and Rigou, M., “Teaching HCI Design in a Flipped Learning M.Sc. Course Using eye Tracking Peer Evaluation Data”. Proc. 17th European Conference on e-Learning, ECEL2018, Athens, Greece, November 1-2 2018. https://arxiv.org/abs/1903.01345
  • Xenos, M., and Velli, V., “A Serious Game for Introducing Software Engineering Ethics to University Students”. Proc. 21st International Conference on Interactive Collaborative Learning, ICL2018, Kos, Greece, September 25-28 2018. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-11932-4_55
  • Liapis, A., Katsanos, C., and Xenos, M., “Don’t Leave Me Alone: Retrospective Think Aloud Supported by Real-Time Monitoring of Participant’s Physiology”, in HCI2018, Springer International Publishing, pp. 148-158, 2018. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-91238-7_13
  • Katsanos, C., Xenos, M., and Tselios, N., “Tool-Mediated HCI Modeling Instruction in a Campus-Based Software Quality Course”, in HCI2018, Springer International Publishing, pp. 114-125, 2018. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-91238-7_10
  • Xenos, M., “The Future of Virtual Classroom: Using Existing Features to Move Beyond Traditional Classroom Limitations”, in IMCL2017, Springer International Publishing, pp. 944-951, 2017. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-75175-7_92
  • Xenos, M., Maratou, V., Ntokas, I., Mettouris, C., and Papadopoulos, G., “Game-based learning using a 3D virtual world in computer engineering education”, in IEEE EDUCON, pp. 1073-1078, 2017. https://doi.org/10.1109/EDUCON.2017.7942982
  • Liapis, A., Katsanos, C., Sotiropoulos, D.G., Karousos, N., and Xenos, M., “Stress in interactive applications: analysis of the valence-arousal space based on physiological signals and self-reported data”, Multimedia Tools and Applications, 76, (4), pp. 5051-5071, 2017. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11042-016-3637-2
  • Chatzidaki, E., Xenos, M., and Charikleia, M., “A Natural User Interface Game for the Evaluation of Children with Learning Difficulties”. Proc. 19th ACM International Conference on Multimodal Interaction, Workshop on Child Computer Interaction (WOCCI), Glasgow, Scotland, 13-17 November 2017. http://dx.doi.org/10.21437/WOCCI.2017-3
  • Adamides, G., Katsanos, C., Parmet, Y., Christou, G., Xenos, M., Hadzilacos, T., and Edan, Y., “HRI usability evaluation of interaction modes for a teleoperated agricultural robotic sprayer”, Applied Ergonomics, 62, pp. 237-246, 2017. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apergo.2017.03.008
  • Chatzidaki, E., and Xenos, M., “A case study on learning through natural ways of interaction”. Proc. Global Engineering Education Conference (EDUCON) 2017. https://doi.org/10.1109/EDUCON.2017.7942931
  • Xenos, M., Maratou, V., Stefanov, S., and Stefanov, E., “Using a 3D Virtual World to Teach Children about Flood and Fire Safety”. Proc. Multidisciplinary Academic Conference on Education, Teaching and Learning (MAC-ETL 2016), Prague, Czech Republic, December 9-10 2016.
  • Adamides, G., Katsanos, C., Constantinou, I., Christou, G., Xenos, M., Hadzilacos, T., and Edan, Y., “Design and development of a semi‐autonomous agricultural vineyard sprayer: Human–robot interaction aspects”, Journal of Field Robotics, 34, (8), pp. 1407-1426, 2017. https://doi.org/10.1002/rob.21721
  • Maratou, V., Chatzidaki, E., and Xenos, M., “Enhance learning on software project management through a role-play game in a virtual world”, Interactive Learning Environments, 24, (4), pp. 897-915, 2016. https://doi.org/10.1080/10494820.2014.937345
  • Adamides, G., Christou, G., Katsanos, C., Xenos, M., and Hadzilacos, T., “Usability Guidelines for the Design of Robot Teleoperation: A Taxonomy”, IEEE Transactions on Human-Machine Systems, 45, (2), pp. 256-262, 2015. https://doi.org/10.1109/THMS.2014.2371048