DuoRhythmo: Design and remote user experience evaluation (UXE) of a collaborative accessible digital musical interface (CADMI) for people with ALS (PALS)

Document Title

DuoRhythmo: Design and Remote User Experience Evaluation (UXE) of a Collaborative Accessible Digital Musical Interface (CADMI) for People with ALS (PALS)

Document Information

• Subject Area: Human-Computer Interaction, Assistive Technology, Music Creation, and Disability Welfare
• Keywords: Human-Computer Interaction, Accessibility Systems, Creative Collaboration, ALS Patients, Eye-Tracking, Digital Musical Interface, User Experience Evaluation

Research Background and Problem

• Approximately 140,000 people worldwide are diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) annually, which often leads to severe motor and communication impairments, significantly affecting quality of life.
• Studies show that music creation and appreciation not only help alleviate stress and anxiety but also improve mental health.
• Existing tools utilizing eye-tracking technology to assist ALS patients primarily focus on basic functionalities (e.g., communication and wheelchair control), lacking creative and social engagement.
• Research Question: How can a digital musical interface be designed to simultaneously emphasize accessibility, musical collaboration, and social interaction to improve the quality of life for ALS patients?

Solution

• Method/Solution: Proposed a prototype collaborative accessible digital musical interface (CADMI) named DuoRhythmo.
  • The design integrates multiple input methods, including eye-tracking, head tracking, and mouse, to accommodate ALS patients at different stages.
  • Utilized user-centered design methodology, collaborating with ALS patients and related communities to design and optimize the interface.
  • Developed features suitable for collaborative music creation, such as Euclidean rhythm-based beat generation and real-time music effect adjustments.
• Innovations:
  • Extended the application scope of eye-tracking technology to music creation.
  • Introduced the unique CADMI domain, emphasizing the combination of collaboration and real-time music creation.
  • Addressed operational challenges faced by ALS patients in complex digital audio workstations.
• Implementation Steps and Key Technologies:
  • Developed the interface using the Unity engine.
  • Leveraged Tobii Eye Tracking SDK and Wwise real-time audio tools for interaction and sound processing.
  • Designed a spatial rotation panel for collaborative operations, assigning users roles such as beat generation and sound effect modification.
  • Provided flexible input options and optimized eye-tracking selection operations through adjustable dwell times, making the interface more personalized.

Research Outcomes

• Specific Outcomes:
  • User experience testing indicated that DuoRhythmo is easy to learn and use for ALS patients, offering an enjoyable collaborative music creation experience.
  • The system achieved a high average score of 79.5 on the System Usability Scale (SUS), indicating overall positive user experience.
  • Test participants frequently described the experience using terms such as "fun," "empowering," "accessible," "easy to use," and "stimulating," and widely recognized the potential of collaborative music creation to alleviate loneliness.
• Experimental Evaluation Results:
  • Five ALS patients (at different ALS stages and using various input methods) successfully completed music creation tasks during testing.
  • Data analysis of user feedback revealed positive evaluations of system usability and collaborative functionality, though interface complexity (sliders and redundant buttons) requires improvement.
• Comparison with Existing Solutions:
  • Compared to traditional ADMIs (Accessible Digital Musical Interfaces), DuoRhythmo's innovation lies in its collaborative functionality and multi-input adaptation tailored to ALS patients' needs.
  • Optimized eye-tracking design and user-centric development make DuoRhythmo better suited to ALS patient scenarios.
• Limitations and Future Directions:
  • Limitations:
    • Focused on small-sample initial user experience testing, lacking data on long-term impacts.
    • Remote testing constrained the controllability of the testing environment, and installation posed technical challenges.
  • Future Directions:
    • Conduct longitudinal studies to evaluate CADMI's potential in improving quality of life.
    • Expand the target user group to include individuals with other motor or developmental disabilities.
    • Enhance interface design (e.g., optimizing sliders and indicators, reducing visual complexity) and add user customization features (e.g., audio storage and loading).