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HaptiMap, Haptic, Audio and Visual Interfaces for Maps and Location Based Services

HaptiMap has performed novel and original research into multimodal perceptualizations. We have investigated how, and in what ways, multimodal feedback can both augment and replace visual feedback for diverse users in diverse situations. The results of this research has been published both as research reports and as guideline documents and it has been encapsulated in the HaptiMap toolkit and the HaptiMap demonstrators. Research in HaptiMap has been performed in a user centred way - during the initial studies 221 users participated in different research activities. Formative evaluations during the development has involved 113 individual users. Our final evaluations involved 392 users (including 27 developers evaluating the toolkit). Thus our results and recommendations are based on a substantial body of evidence. Check out the HaptiMap video for a quick introduction.

 

The HaptiMap guideline documents are:

 

The HaptiMap toolkit allows software engineers easy access to the HaptiMap multimodal components. It was designed for all mobile and desktop platforms but has found most favour on Android and iOS. On these two mobile platforms there are a number of directly ‘pluggable’ components such as the tactile compass, the Geiger compass, the touchover map and the activity recogniser.There is a rich support system available for the toolkit, through either a Wiki, a forum or a help ticketing system. Examples of toolkit use can be found in the demonstrators and in the entries to the HaptiMap developer competition. The toolkit has also been found useful as a tool for teaching students of computer science, interaction design, and engineering. It is also finding its way into research projects in the area of connected health and assisted living. The toolkit has been successfully evaluated by external professional developers who found it easy, useful and also stated that it was well ahead of any other systems currently available.

The toolkit includes two specialist APIs:

 

As part of the HaptiMap project, demonstrator applications have been developed for Android and iOS by using the toolkit.These demonstrators illustrate one or more different HCI concepts that have been designed as part of the project. The demonstrators that were released to the app stores have achieved several thousand downloads, spreading the idea of the project to more users than ever could be reached with traditional methods.

 

In HaptiMap we have also done original work aimed at supporting industrial design and development by providing tools that support the inclusion of a wide range of users and contexts in the design process. The HaptiMap context card bundle is a versatile tool that can be used during all phases in a design process. The context cards are complemented by a workbook containing background information, practical advice, additional design methods as well as a workshop template developed to fit well in the industrial setting. Under design tools you find guidelines and checklists, information on simulation and prototyping tools, standards and regulations as well as evaluation materials and the evaluation tool available through the HaptiMap toolkit: the Virtual observer.

 

Want to learn more? Welcome to the HaptiMap training site: http://www.haptimap-training.org/ (opens in a new window).

 

A four page text describing the work done in HaptiMap can be found in the HaptiMap final overview.

 

The HaptiMap project has now ended, but please follow us on the HaptiMap facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Haptimap

 

About HaptiMap