Integrated exertion - understanding the design of human-computer integration in an exertion context

Researchers in human-computer interaction (HCI) are increasingly exploring how to support the exerting user through interactive technology. To date, most assistive systems have focused on sensing and presenting information to the user during the experience. Recently, due to advances in technology, systems can sense, interpret and automatically act on information, giving the system the opportunity to act on the experience alongside the user without needing user input. These advancements offer the opportunity to design human-computer integration, where the user and the system work in a partnership. The gap in knowledge today is that there is limited design knowledge for designing human-computer integration experiences in an exertion context. To explore this gap, I conducted three experiments by building three eBike systems, because eBikes allow the user to invest physical effort as part of an exertion experience and eBikes can be easily modified to study different forms of integration with the exerting body.<br><br> In Case study one, I created an eBike system that used the user's movement data to synchronously increase engine support as the user moved, offering the user the sensation of having extra physical strength that was controlled with their body. This resulted in design knowledge to design superpower-like integrated exertion experiences. In Case study two, I created an eBike system that used traffic light data to facilitate user-system co-operation to cross traffic lights on green, where the user could gain physical support to go faster and also gain increased sense-making in relation to the changing traffic light patterns. This resulted in design knowledge to design user-system co-operative-like integrated exertion experiences. In Case study three, I created an eBike system that used the user's physiological data via electropherogram to monitor neurological activity in relation to the user's field of view, reaching peripheral awareness to regulate engine support. This resulted in design knowledge to design symbiotic-like integrated exertion experiences.<br><br> By building, studying and publishing each system and consulting with my group, I began iterating and refining the framework for designing integrated exertion. This framework presents the intersection of two dimensions; the first dimension is: 'The type of support offered', on one end of this dimension to extend the user's abilities and on the other end to challenge the user's abilities. The second dimension is: 'The degree of control the user has over the system', on one end of this dimension to cause momentarily loss of bodily control over the system and on the other end to support maintenance of bodily control over the system. This intersection revealed four key areas and twelve integrated exertion user experiences to further the general HCI understanding of designing integrated exertion experiences.<br><br> My intention with this work is to promote a future with exertion experiences through a human-computer integration approach to explore how technology can extend the user's abilities to enable engaging experiences. <br><br>