Stuart Moran - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Papers by Stuart Moran
Safety, Reliability and Risk Analysis, 2013
Second IEEE International Workshop on Intelligent Data Acquisition and Advanced Computing Systems: Technology and Applications, 2003. Proceedings, 2003
The following topics are dealt with: data acquisition systems; intelligent measurement systems; a... more The following topics are dealt with: data acquisition systems; intelligent measurement systems; artificial intelligence; cyber security; distributed computing; virtual instrumentation; data mining; artificial neural networks; data analysis; signal processing; image processing; data compression; problem solving
The rapid development of new digital technologies has increased the expectations of academic rese... more The rapid development of new digital technologies has increased the expectations of academic research outputs. To meet these pressures, researchers have greater expectations of their digital work environments. In this paper we outline the drivers for digital transformation at our institution and how this manifested itself in a series of exploratory projects called digital initiatives. Based on our findings we propose a Digital Research Initiative framework to support research institutions in assessing and implementing digital transformation.
Proceedings of the Third IEEE International Workshop on Cellular Neural Networks and their Applications (CNNA-94), 1994
Proceedings of the Annual Symposium on Computer-Human Interaction in Play, 2020
The Corrupt Kitchen is a room-scale virtual-reality game in which players act as a chef servicing... more The Corrupt Kitchen is a room-scale virtual-reality game in which players act as a chef servicing a queue of customers. Tasked with making burgers, players must prepare the food while ensuring it is safe to eat, engaging explicitly and implicitly with challenges related to regulatory compliance and derived from UK legislation, but also efficient and ethical decision making; washing hands, placing rat traps, hiring appropriate help, time saving and money making. Interviewing nineteen players with professional involvement in food preparation reveals a diversity of perceived alignment with participants' everyday real-world practice that ranges from rules to be gamed to serious concerns. We contribute an examination of how the game, combined with a study protocol that further prompted debriefing and reflection, demonstrates opportunities for training, reflection and engagement with the subject matter. We consider how fidelity and immersion allow comparisons between gameplay and real world compliance.
Proceedings of the 2018 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, 2018
In the so called 'post-truth' era, characterized by a loss of public trust in various institution... more In the so called 'post-truth' era, characterized by a loss of public trust in various institutions, and the rise of 'fake news' disseminated via the internet and social media, individuals may face uncertainty about the veracity of information available, whether it be satire or malicious hoax. We investigate attitudes to news delivered by social media, and subsequent verification strategies applied, or not applied, by individuals. A survey reveals that two thirds of respondents regularly consumed news via Facebook, and that one third had at some point come across fake news that they initially believed to be true. An analysis task involving news presented via Facebook reveals a diverse range of judgement forming strategies, with participants relying on personal judgements as to plausibility and scepticism around sources and journalistic style. This reflects a shift away from traditional methods of accessing the news, and highlights the difficulties in combating the spread of fake news.
Journal of Ambient Intelligence and Smart Environments, 2010
Recent advances in ubiquitous computing are turning our environments into smart spaces, where tec... more Recent advances in ubiquitous computing are turning our environments into smart spaces, where technology is embedded into the physical environment. Significant levels of data must be constantly and ubiquitously collected to provide much of the new functionality; a process we refer to as ubiquitous monitoring. Existing research has shown that monitoring can often cause undesirable effects, such as increases in stress, and with the increased coverage of ubiquitous monitoring, we anticipate an increase in the impact of such effects. So far, a limited amount of research has investigated the impact of this new technology on users. As such, we propose a preliminary model consisting of a series of factors believed to influence user/occupant behaviour and augmented by the Theory of Planned Behaviour for explaining and potentially predicting any undesirable effects. As the model has the characteristic of system dynamics, a preliminary (proof of concept) simulation was carried out to examine the influence of each factor on one another, both directly and indirectly.
International Journal of Technology and Human Interaction, 2018
Empathy is a basic emotion trigger for human beings, especially while regulating social relations... more Empathy is a basic emotion trigger for human beings, especially while regulating social relationships and behaviour. The main challenge of this paper is study whether people's empathic reactions towards robots change depending on previous information given to human about the robot before the interaction. The use of false data about robot skills creates different levels of what we call ‘fake empathy'. This study performs an experiment in WOZ environment in which different subjects (n=17) interacting with the same robot while they believe that the robot is a different robot, up to three versions. Each robot scenario provides a different ‘humanoid' description, and out hypothesis is that the more human-like looks the robot, the more empathically can be the human responses. Results were obtained from questionnaires and multi- angle video recordings. Positive results reinforce the strength of our hypothesis, although we recommend a new and bigger and then more robust experiment.
Personal and Ubiquitous Computing, 2016
Both breathing and internal self-awareness are an integral part of any yoga practice. We describe... more Both breathing and internal self-awareness are an integral part of any yoga practice. We describe and discuss the development of ExoPranayama, an actuated environment that physically manifests users' breathing in yoga. Through a series of trials with yoga practitioners and expert teachers, we explore its role in the practice of yoga. Our interview results reveal that biofeedback through the environment supported teaching and improved selfawareness, but it impacted group cohesion. Two practical uses of the technology emerged for supporting breath control in yoga: (1) biofeedback can provide new information about users' current internal states; (2) machinedriven feedback provides users with a future state or goal and leads to improved cohesiveness.
As in any technology systems, analysis and design issues are among the fundamental challenges in ... more As in any technology systems, analysis and design issues are among the fundamental challenges in persuasive technology. Currently, the Persuasive Systems Development (PSD) framework is considered to be the most comprehensive framework for designing and evaluation of persuasive systems. However, the framework is limited in terms of providing detailed information which can lead to selection of appropriate techniques depending on the variable nature of users or use over time. In light of this, we propose a model which is intended for analysing and implementing behavioural change in persuasive technology called the 3D-RAB model. The 3D-RAB model represents the three dimensional relationships between attitude towards behaviour, attitude towards change or maintaining a change, and current behaviour, and distinguishes variable levels in a user’s cognitive state. As such it provides a framework which could be used to select appropriate techniques for persuasive technology
Lecture Notes in Computer Science, 2014
With ever increasing developments in computing technology, approaches to attaining informed conse... more With ever increasing developments in computing technology, approaches to attaining informed consent are becoming outdated. In light of this ongoing change, researchers have begun to propose several new mechanisms to meet the emerging challenges of consent in pervasive settings. Unfortunately a particular problem arises when considering consent in the context of Human-Agent Collectives (HACs). These large-scale heterogeneous networks, of multiple cooperating humans and agents are particularly complex and it is difficult to know what, where and how to introduce these new mechanisms. In this paper we explore the potential of patterns of interactional arrangement as a framework for embedding consent mechanisms in HACs and other ubiquitous computing systems.
Proceedings of the 2014 ACM International Joint Conference on Pervasive and Ubiquitous Computing: Adjunct Publication, 2014
Terms and Conditions (T&Cs) are frequently unread as a consequence of their complexity and length... more Terms and Conditions (T&Cs) are frequently unread as a consequence of their complexity and length. Readability formulas are used to objectively measure this complexity, but ironically their outputs are also unreadable to many. This motivated the development of a chrome extension called Literatin that compares the complexity of popular fictional literature to T&Cs in order sensitise people to their complexity. In this paper we discuss whether this has been achieved, and outline plans to further develop the extension.
Proceedings of the 2014 ACM International Joint Conference on Pervasive and Ubiquitous Computing: Adjunct Publication, 2014
Existing approaches to attaining informed consent are outdated and inappropriate for use in ubiqu... more Existing approaches to attaining informed consent are outdated and inappropriate for use in ubiquitous computing systems. The pervasiveness of the technology and the nature of user interaction require a rethinking of consent mechanisms. In this paper we briefly introduce and discuss several new approaches to consent acquisition developed specifically for the new era of ubiquitous computing.
2011 IEEE/WIC/ACM International Conferences on Web Intelligence and Intelligent Agent Technology, 2011
Abstract Distributed cognition is a useful approach to study the interaction between agents (huma... more Abstract Distributed cognition is a useful approach to study the interaction between agents (humans or artefacts) in a system, such as the collaboration involved in air traffic control. When taking a distributed cognition perspective, information processing can be directly observed. This provides the opportunity to explore how information moves through a system, and to identify specific areas where (pervasive) technology can be introduced. However, the analysis involved can not be simply used" off-the-shelf" and must be tailored to a specific ...
2014 IEEE International Conference on Pervasive Computing and Communication Workshops (PERCOM WORKSHOPS), 2014
The field of Adaptive Architecture aims to design built environments, which truly adapt to their ... more The field of Adaptive Architecture aims to design built environments, which truly adapt to their occupants. ExoBuilding is an in-house prototypical example of Adaptive Architecture, which actuates in response to breathing and heartrate of its occupants. In this work-in-progress paper, we discuss our aims to apply the technology to the practice of Yoga, in which a core aspect is controlled breathing. We explore the social considerations of deploying this novel technology, and then examine the different possibilities for interaction.
Safety, Reliability and Risk Analysis, 2013
Second IEEE International Workshop on Intelligent Data Acquisition and Advanced Computing Systems: Technology and Applications, 2003. Proceedings, 2003
The following topics are dealt with: data acquisition systems; intelligent measurement systems; a... more The following topics are dealt with: data acquisition systems; intelligent measurement systems; artificial intelligence; cyber security; distributed computing; virtual instrumentation; data mining; artificial neural networks; data analysis; signal processing; image processing; data compression; problem solving
The rapid development of new digital technologies has increased the expectations of academic rese... more The rapid development of new digital technologies has increased the expectations of academic research outputs. To meet these pressures, researchers have greater expectations of their digital work environments. In this paper we outline the drivers for digital transformation at our institution and how this manifested itself in a series of exploratory projects called digital initiatives. Based on our findings we propose a Digital Research Initiative framework to support research institutions in assessing and implementing digital transformation.
Proceedings of the Third IEEE International Workshop on Cellular Neural Networks and their Applications (CNNA-94), 1994
Proceedings of the Annual Symposium on Computer-Human Interaction in Play, 2020
The Corrupt Kitchen is a room-scale virtual-reality game in which players act as a chef servicing... more The Corrupt Kitchen is a room-scale virtual-reality game in which players act as a chef servicing a queue of customers. Tasked with making burgers, players must prepare the food while ensuring it is safe to eat, engaging explicitly and implicitly with challenges related to regulatory compliance and derived from UK legislation, but also efficient and ethical decision making; washing hands, placing rat traps, hiring appropriate help, time saving and money making. Interviewing nineteen players with professional involvement in food preparation reveals a diversity of perceived alignment with participants' everyday real-world practice that ranges from rules to be gamed to serious concerns. We contribute an examination of how the game, combined with a study protocol that further prompted debriefing and reflection, demonstrates opportunities for training, reflection and engagement with the subject matter. We consider how fidelity and immersion allow comparisons between gameplay and real world compliance.
Proceedings of the 2018 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, 2018
In the so called 'post-truth' era, characterized by a loss of public trust in various institution... more In the so called 'post-truth' era, characterized by a loss of public trust in various institutions, and the rise of 'fake news' disseminated via the internet and social media, individuals may face uncertainty about the veracity of information available, whether it be satire or malicious hoax. We investigate attitudes to news delivered by social media, and subsequent verification strategies applied, or not applied, by individuals. A survey reveals that two thirds of respondents regularly consumed news via Facebook, and that one third had at some point come across fake news that they initially believed to be true. An analysis task involving news presented via Facebook reveals a diverse range of judgement forming strategies, with participants relying on personal judgements as to plausibility and scepticism around sources and journalistic style. This reflects a shift away from traditional methods of accessing the news, and highlights the difficulties in combating the spread of fake news.
Journal of Ambient Intelligence and Smart Environments, 2010
Recent advances in ubiquitous computing are turning our environments into smart spaces, where tec... more Recent advances in ubiquitous computing are turning our environments into smart spaces, where technology is embedded into the physical environment. Significant levels of data must be constantly and ubiquitously collected to provide much of the new functionality; a process we refer to as ubiquitous monitoring. Existing research has shown that monitoring can often cause undesirable effects, such as increases in stress, and with the increased coverage of ubiquitous monitoring, we anticipate an increase in the impact of such effects. So far, a limited amount of research has investigated the impact of this new technology on users. As such, we propose a preliminary model consisting of a series of factors believed to influence user/occupant behaviour and augmented by the Theory of Planned Behaviour for explaining and potentially predicting any undesirable effects. As the model has the characteristic of system dynamics, a preliminary (proof of concept) simulation was carried out to examine the influence of each factor on one another, both directly and indirectly.
International Journal of Technology and Human Interaction, 2018
Empathy is a basic emotion trigger for human beings, especially while regulating social relations... more Empathy is a basic emotion trigger for human beings, especially while regulating social relationships and behaviour. The main challenge of this paper is study whether people's empathic reactions towards robots change depending on previous information given to human about the robot before the interaction. The use of false data about robot skills creates different levels of what we call ‘fake empathy'. This study performs an experiment in WOZ environment in which different subjects (n=17) interacting with the same robot while they believe that the robot is a different robot, up to three versions. Each robot scenario provides a different ‘humanoid' description, and out hypothesis is that the more human-like looks the robot, the more empathically can be the human responses. Results were obtained from questionnaires and multi- angle video recordings. Positive results reinforce the strength of our hypothesis, although we recommend a new and bigger and then more robust experiment.
Personal and Ubiquitous Computing, 2016
Both breathing and internal self-awareness are an integral part of any yoga practice. We describe... more Both breathing and internal self-awareness are an integral part of any yoga practice. We describe and discuss the development of ExoPranayama, an actuated environment that physically manifests users' breathing in yoga. Through a series of trials with yoga practitioners and expert teachers, we explore its role in the practice of yoga. Our interview results reveal that biofeedback through the environment supported teaching and improved selfawareness, but it impacted group cohesion. Two practical uses of the technology emerged for supporting breath control in yoga: (1) biofeedback can provide new information about users' current internal states; (2) machinedriven feedback provides users with a future state or goal and leads to improved cohesiveness.
As in any technology systems, analysis and design issues are among the fundamental challenges in ... more As in any technology systems, analysis and design issues are among the fundamental challenges in persuasive technology. Currently, the Persuasive Systems Development (PSD) framework is considered to be the most comprehensive framework for designing and evaluation of persuasive systems. However, the framework is limited in terms of providing detailed information which can lead to selection of appropriate techniques depending on the variable nature of users or use over time. In light of this, we propose a model which is intended for analysing and implementing behavioural change in persuasive technology called the 3D-RAB model. The 3D-RAB model represents the three dimensional relationships between attitude towards behaviour, attitude towards change or maintaining a change, and current behaviour, and distinguishes variable levels in a user’s cognitive state. As such it provides a framework which could be used to select appropriate techniques for persuasive technology
Lecture Notes in Computer Science, 2014
With ever increasing developments in computing technology, approaches to attaining informed conse... more With ever increasing developments in computing technology, approaches to attaining informed consent are becoming outdated. In light of this ongoing change, researchers have begun to propose several new mechanisms to meet the emerging challenges of consent in pervasive settings. Unfortunately a particular problem arises when considering consent in the context of Human-Agent Collectives (HACs). These large-scale heterogeneous networks, of multiple cooperating humans and agents are particularly complex and it is difficult to know what, where and how to introduce these new mechanisms. In this paper we explore the potential of patterns of interactional arrangement as a framework for embedding consent mechanisms in HACs and other ubiquitous computing systems.
Proceedings of the 2014 ACM International Joint Conference on Pervasive and Ubiquitous Computing: Adjunct Publication, 2014
Terms and Conditions (T&Cs) are frequently unread as a consequence of their complexity and length... more Terms and Conditions (T&Cs) are frequently unread as a consequence of their complexity and length. Readability formulas are used to objectively measure this complexity, but ironically their outputs are also unreadable to many. This motivated the development of a chrome extension called Literatin that compares the complexity of popular fictional literature to T&Cs in order sensitise people to their complexity. In this paper we discuss whether this has been achieved, and outline plans to further develop the extension.
Proceedings of the 2014 ACM International Joint Conference on Pervasive and Ubiquitous Computing: Adjunct Publication, 2014
Existing approaches to attaining informed consent are outdated and inappropriate for use in ubiqu... more Existing approaches to attaining informed consent are outdated and inappropriate for use in ubiquitous computing systems. The pervasiveness of the technology and the nature of user interaction require a rethinking of consent mechanisms. In this paper we briefly introduce and discuss several new approaches to consent acquisition developed specifically for the new era of ubiquitous computing.
2011 IEEE/WIC/ACM International Conferences on Web Intelligence and Intelligent Agent Technology, 2011
Abstract Distributed cognition is a useful approach to study the interaction between agents (huma... more Abstract Distributed cognition is a useful approach to study the interaction between agents (humans or artefacts) in a system, such as the collaboration involved in air traffic control. When taking a distributed cognition perspective, information processing can be directly observed. This provides the opportunity to explore how information moves through a system, and to identify specific areas where (pervasive) technology can be introduced. However, the analysis involved can not be simply used" off-the-shelf" and must be tailored to a specific ...
2014 IEEE International Conference on Pervasive Computing and Communication Workshops (PERCOM WORKSHOPS), 2014
The field of Adaptive Architecture aims to design built environments, which truly adapt to their ... more The field of Adaptive Architecture aims to design built environments, which truly adapt to their occupants. ExoBuilding is an in-house prototypical example of Adaptive Architecture, which actuates in response to breathing and heartrate of its occupants. In this work-in-progress paper, we discuss our aims to apply the technology to the practice of Yoga, in which a core aspect is controlled breathing. We explore the social considerations of deploying this novel technology, and then examine the different possibilities for interaction.