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This article presents the methodological process of creation in the development of the V.S.C.O (Ocular Control Video Synthesizer) software, which is the result of the research-creation project of the same name that gathers evaluation results of its prototype through user-centered design (UCD) tools. The user-software interface is also part of the conceptualization of an artwork that operates in the context of digital art and computational art. The descriptive methodology and mixed approach will allow, through the collection of user data, to delve into the public/player experience that integrates a typology of play in the field of creation and entertainment, thus demonstrating in a perceptual evaluation of the digital artwork how it promotes states of mental relaxation in the audience. The connection between sound and visuals in the V.S.C.O computational system is also appreciated, aligning with the aesthetic and technical purposes of Visual Music, an aesthetic that dates back to the early 20th century and aimed to create a temporal architecture realized in the synesthetic fusion of colors, shapes, and movements. It is expected that the visual and auditory dynamics of the V.S.C.O, through its interaction capabilities with the audience in space, will construct its own temporal architecture, linking it with the technical and poetic aspects of Visual Music. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The thrill of scientific discovery, the excitement of engineering development, and the fresh thinking of design explorations were invigorating as we participated in the birth of a new discipline: Information Visualization. This discipline, based on graphical user interfaces with pointing devices, became possible as software matured, hardware sped up, and screen resolution improved. Driven by the concepts of direct manipulation and dynamic queries, we made interactive interfaces that empowered users and opened up new possibilities for the next generation of designers. We worked with professionals who had real problems and tested real users to get their feedback. Some projects failed and some papers never got published, but many of the new ideas found their way into widely used commercial products. Our great satisfaction is that our students have spread the community spirit of the Human-Computer Interaction Laboratory as they continue to make further contributions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Design knowledge of tractor gear box is lacking at present. Particularly, there is no systematic design flow to support the specific design for the gear box in a tractor. The lack of design knowledge and the less evaluation of performance can lead to a long development cycle of products, unstable design quality, high cost of design and manufacturing for tractor gear box. In this study, a knowledge-based rapid design method was proposed, while a rapid design system was established for tractor gear box. The system was verified by a case study. A finite element method was used to analyze the data of system design, compared with a commercial products in the same transmission scheme. Firstly, the detailed design process of tractor gear box was summarized on the extensive knowledge in this field; Secondly, design knowledge was obtained from some national standards, enterprise design specifications and theoretical books, and then the knowledge was divided into the principle class and instance class, which were expressed by production and frame representation, respectively. A knowledge base was established in the platform of SQL Server2012. A top-down design method was explored in a skeleton model. A parametric modeling was carried out in the multi-information skeleton model. A hybrid reasoning method was used based on the rule and case using MFC of Visual Studio 2015. The human-computer interaction interface and bottom reasoning mechanism of system were compiled to complete the connection with knowledge base and model base, and further to establish the rapid design system for the gear box of power shift in a tractor. The proposed system was also applied to the specific design in the gear box of power shift with a rated power of 110 kW. Finally, the rear-suspended farm tools lifting, emergency turning and one-wheel hanging were selected as the typical working conditions of the whole vehicle, while, the forward-first gear four-wheel-drive creeping and reverse-first gear four-wheel-drive creeping were selected as the typical working conditions of the transmission. A platform (Ansys workbench 18.1) was used to simulate the output model of system, where the maximum deformation was 0.450 mm, the maximum equivalent stress was 206.19 MPa, the maximum gap change was 0.007 8 mm, the maximum offset was 0.026 mm, and the first natural frequency of gear box was 405.28 Hz, indicating that excellent characteristics, including the strength, rigidity, sealing, and dynamic in the gear box. Compared with a commercial products in the same transmission scheme, the height of gear box was reduced by 28 mm, and the mass was reduced by 28.8 kg, indicating a higher material utilization. The results demonstrated that the proposed system can be used to realize the knowledge-based rapid design of tractor gear box. The finding can provide a significant reference to shorten the design cycle, while improve the design quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To support the study of effective human-surrogate interaction techniques and modalities, the Office of Naval Research awarded an equipment grant to support the development of a Human-Surrogate Interaction Space (HuSIS) at the University of Central Florida in the Institute for Simulation & Training. The HuSIS consists of a dedicated physical space, structures, and components designed specifically for carrying out controlled studies related to human-surrogate interactions. This article describes the motivation, design, and realization of the HuSIS and the benefits of the common data-collection and analysis framework developed for HuSIS research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents a software system that allows astronomical data to be represented and analysed purely through sound. The goal is to use this for communicating astronomy to visually impaired students, as well as providing a new modality of astronomy experience for those who are sighted. The programme -- known as Bell3D and developed at the University of Aberdeen -- allows various stars to be selected from a database and then maps a variety of their astronomical parameters to audio parameters so that they can be analysed, compared and understood, solely through the medium of sound. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Students at Colorado State University built a virtual reality prototype for experimenting with cognitive control of connected household devices. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This article proposes a methodological approach to the historiography of computing in terms of information hiding--that is, the introduction of levels of abstraction (LoAs) between the human being and the computing machine. This approach applies the LoAs, in terms of the epistemological levelism proposed within the philosophy of information, to the transition from ancient to modern computing. In particular, the black-box metaphor and von Neumann's architectures are discussed. Also, the authors propose a formal LoAs method as a mathematical counterpart. Information itself is then treated as structure-preserving functions so that a LoA can distinguish what kind of information gets hidden when human beings interact with computing machines. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

We present a field study on how testers use knowledge while performing exploratory software testing (ET) in industrial settings. We video recorded 12 testing sessions in four industrial organizations, having our subjects think aloud while performing their usual functional testing work. Using applied grounded theory, we analyzed how the subjects performed tests and what type of knowledge they utilized. We discuss how testers recognize failures based on their personal knowledge without detailed test case descriptions. The knowledge is classified under the categories of domain knowledge, system knowledge, and general software engineering knowledge. We found that testers applied their knowledge either as a test oracle to determine whether a result was correct or not, or for test design, to guide them in selecting objects for test and designing tests. Interestingly, a large number of failures, windfall failures, were found outside the actual focus areas of testing as a result of exploratory investigation. We conclude that the way exploratory testers apply their knowledge for test design and failure recognition differs clearly from the test-case-based paradigm and is one of the explanatory factors of the effectiveness of the exploratory testing approach. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Abstract: WASPAR (Wide-Angle reflection–refraction Seismic data Processing And Representation) is a new free multi-platform software tool to process and display wide-angle seismic data. It has been designed to read different raw data formats, construct record sections, process them using existing and newly developed algorithms, pick seismic phases and generate graphic files using a single, user-friendly interface. The main characteristics of WASPAR are its flexibility and expandability. It has been designed in a modular way using a plug-in architecture to manage raw data access and processing functionalities. We thus obtain a stable base easily maintainable and expandable. We have chosen the programming language in combination with an object oriented methodology to facilitate the development of a multi-platform software tool, which is already available on Linux and MS Windows. In order to allow its expansion and upgrade, the program will be freely distributed under the terms of GPL license. The philosophy of this software tool is to leave it open to external contributions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Many software systems must adapt to suit the particular context in which they are operating. Runtime variability mechanisms are suitable for systems that must configure optimally during execution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]