Assistive Augmentation

This book addresses Assistive Augmentation, highlighting the design and development of assistive technologies, user interfaces, and interactions that seamlessly integrate with a user’s mind, body, and behavior, providing an enhanced perception. Our senses are the dominant channel we use to perceive the world around us. Whether they have impairments or not, people often find themselves at the limits of their sensorial capabilities. Some seek assistive or enhancing devices that enable them to carry out specific tasks or even transform them into a “superhuman” with capabilities well beyond the ordinary. The overarching topic of this book revolves around the design and development of technologies and interfaces that provide enhanced physical, sensorial and cognitive capabilities: “Assistive Augmentation”. The Assistive Augmentation community convened at an interdisciplinary workshop at the 2014 International Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI) in Toronto, Canada. The community is comprised of researchers and practitioners who work at the junction of human–computer interaction, assistive technology and human augmentation. This edited volume, which represents the first tangible outcome of the workshop, presents stimulating discussions on the challenges of Assistive Augmentation as examined through case studies. These studies focus on two main areas: (1) Augmented Sensors and Feedback Modalities, and (2) Design for Assistive Augmentation.

This groundbreaking report looks at patenting and technology trends in innovation in assistive technology. It identifies the prominent technologies, top players and markets for patent protection across seven domains – mobility, cognition, communication, hearing, the built environment, self-care and vision. Using a scale of technology readiness, it reveals which of the identified assistive products filed for patent protection are closest to commercialization.

Assistive Technology Design for Intelligence Augmentation presents a series of frameworks, perspectives, and design guidelines drawn from disciplines spanning urban design, artificial intelligence, sociology, and new forms of collaborative work, as well as the author's experience in designing systems for people with cognitive disabilities. Many of the topics explored came from the author's graduate studies at the Center for LifeLong Learning and Design, part of the Department of Computer Science and the Institute of Cognitive Science at the University of Colorado, Boulder. The members of the Center for LifeLong Learning and Design came from a wide range of design perspectives including computer science, molecular biology, journalism, architecture, assistive technology (AT), urban design, sociology, and psychology. The main emphasis of this book is to provide leverage for understanding the problems that the AT designer faces rather than facilitating the design process itself. Looking at the designer's task with these lenses often changes the nature of the problem to be solved. The main body of this book consists of a series of short chapters describing a particular approach, its applicability and relevance to design for intelligence augmentation in complex computationally supported systems, and examples in research and the marketplace. The final part of the book consists of listing source documents for each of the topics and a reading list for further exploration. This book provides an introduction to perspectives and frameworks that are not commonly taught in presentations of AT design which may also provide valuable design insights to general human-computer interaction and computer-supported cooperative work researchers and practitioners.

This book constitutes the refereed proceedings of 17th International Conference, AC 2023, held as part of the 25th International Conference, HCI International 2023, which was held virtually in Copenhagen, Denmark in July 2023. The total of 1578 papers and 396 posters included in the HCII 2023 proceedings was carefully reviewed and selected from 7472 submissions. The AC 2023 conference focuses on topics related to Brain-Computer Interfaces and neurotechnology; neuroergonomics, physiological measurements, and human performance; evolving theory and practice of AC; Augmented and Virtual Reality for AC; as well as understanding human cognition and performance in IT security.

Volume I, entitled “Augmentation of Brain Functions: Brain-Machine Interfaces”, is a collection of articles on neuroprosthetic technologies that utilize brain-machine interfaces (BMIs). BMIs strive to augment the brain by linking neural activity, recorded invasively or noninvasively, to external devices, such as arm prostheses, exoskeletons that enable bipedal walking, means of communication and technologies that augment attention. In addition to many practical applications, BMIs provide useful research tools for basic science. Several articles cover challenges and controversies in this rapidly developing field, such as ways to improve information transfer rate. BMIs can be applied to the awake state of the brain and to the sleep state, as well. BMIs can augment action planning and decision making. Importantly, BMI operations evoke brain plasticity, which can have long-lasting effects. Advanced neural decoding algorithms that utilize optimal feedback controllers are key to the BMI performance. BMI approach can be combined with the other augmentation methods; such systems are called hybrid BMIs. Overall, it appears that BMI will lead to many powerful and practical brain-augmenting technologies in the future.

The Springer Handbook of Augmented Reality presents a comprehensive and authoritative guide to augmented reality (AR) technology, its numerous applications, and its intersection with emerging technologies. This book traces the history of AR from its early development, discussing the fundamentals of AR and its associated science. The handbook begins by presenting the development of AR over the last few years, mentioning the key pioneers and important milestones. It then moves to the fundamentals and principles of AR, such as photogrammetry, optics, motion and objects tracking, and marker-based and marker-less registration. The book discusses both software toolkits and techniques and hardware related to AR, before presenting the applications of AR. This includes both end-user applications like education and cultural heritage, and professional applications within engineering fields, medicine and architecture, amongst others. The book concludes with the convergence of AR with other emerging technologies, such as Industrial Internet of Things and Digital Twins. The handbook presents a comprehensive reference on AR technology from an academic, industrial and commercial perspective, making it an invaluable resource for audiences from a variety of backgrounds.

This book enables readers to interrogate the technical, rhetorical, theoretical, and socio-ethical challenges and opportunities involved in the development and adoption of augmentation technologies and artificial intelligence. The core of our human experience and identity is forever affected by the rise of augmentation technologies that enhance human capability or productivity. These technologies can add cognitive, physical, sensory, and emotional enhancements to the body or environment. This book demonstrates the benefits, risks, and relevance of emerging augmentation technologies such as brain–computer interaction devices for cognitive enhancement; robots marketed to improve human social interaction; wearables that extend human senses, augment creative abilities, or overcome physical limitations; implantables that amplify intelligence or memory; and devices, AI generators, or algorithms for emotional augmentation. It allows scholars and professionals to understand the impact of these technologies, improve digital and AI literacy, and practice new methods for their design and adoption. This book will be vital reading for students, scholars, and professionals in fields including technical communication, UX design, computer science, human factors, information technology, sociology of technology, and ethics. Artifacts and supplemental resources for research and teaching can be found at https://fabricofdigitallife.com and www.routledge.com/9781032263755.