Publications
CONFERENCE (INTERNATIONAL) Investigating Acceptable Voice-based Notification Timings through Earable Devices: A Preliminary Field Study
Manaka Ito (The University of Tokyo), Kota Tsubouchi, Nobuhiko Nishio (Ritsumeikan University), Masamichi Shimosaka (Tokyo Institute of Technology), Akihito Taya (The University of Tokyo), Kaoru Sezaki (The University of Tokyo), Yuuki Nishiyama (The University of Tokyo)
The 2024 ACM International Joint Conference on Pervasive and Ubiquitous Computing (UbiComp 2024)
October 18, 2024
Earable devices, a subset of wearable technology, are designed to be worn on the ear and used in daily life. These innovative devices enable users to receive voice-based notifications through a minute built-in speaker without requiring any user operations, seamlessly integrating technology into everyday activities. The timing deemed acceptable for receiving voice-based notifications through earable devices varies based on the user and surrounding situation; thus, inappropriate notification timing may reduce usability. However, determining the safest and most comfortable timing for voice-based notifications using earable devices remains unclear. This study investigates the acceptable timing of voice-based notifications through earable devices. To explore the acceptable timing, we developed a smartphone application, SoNotify, which can send dummy voice-based notifications and collect sensor data on a smartphone and an earable device. Our field studies with eight participants showed that voice-based notifications were highly acceptable during outdoor walking, with an acceptance rate of approximately 86%. However, users tended to refuse notifications in situations in which they needed to concentrate on avoiding collisions with pedestrians, cyclists, or vehicles.
Paper :
Investigating Acceptable Voice-based Notification Timings through Earable Devices: A Preliminary Field Study
(external link)