Overview
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Supple uses decision-theoretic optimization to automatically generate user interfaces adapted to a person's abilities, devices, preferences, and tasks. In particular, SUPPLE can generate user interfaces for people with motor and vision impairments and the results of our laboratory experiments show that these automatically generated, ability-based user interfaces significantly improve speed, accuracy and satisfaction of users with motor impairments compared to manufacturers' default interfaces
To quickly learn more about the project, see the video or read our AAAI '08 paper summarizing the project.
Motivation
Today's user interfaces are typically designed with the assumption that they are going to be used by an able-bodied user, who has typical perceptual and cognitive abilities, who is sitting in a stable warm environment, and who is using a typical set of input and output devices. Any deviation from these assumptions (for example, hand tremor due to aging, low vision, riding on a jostling bus, trying to use a laser pointer to control a mouse cursor, or trying to access an application from a mobile device), may drastically hamper users' effectiveness--not because of any inherent barrier to interaction, but because of a mismatch between users' situation and the assumptions underlying the user interface design.
Why generate user interfaces automatically?
We argue that interfaces should be personalized to better suit the contexts of individual users. Many personalized interfaces are needed because of the myriad of distinct individuals, each with his or her own abilities, preferences, devices and needs. Therefore, traditional manual interface design and engineering will not scale to such a broad range of potential contexts and people. A different approach is needed. We believe that automatically generated user interfaces, which are adapted to a person's devices, tasks, preferences, and abilities, can improve people's satisfaction and performance compared to traditional manually designed "one size fits all" interfaces.
Results so far
As part of the SUPPLE project, we have developed three systems to enable a broad range of personalized adaptive interfaces: SUPPLE itself, which uses decision-theoretic optimization to automatically generate user interfaces adapted to a person's device and usage; ARNAULD, which allows optimization-based systems to be adapted to users' preferences; and the ABILITY MODELER, which performs a one-time assessment of a person's motor abilities and then automatically builds a model of those abilities, which SUPPLE uses to automatically generate user interfaces adapted to that user's abilities. The results of our laboratory experiments show that these automatically generated, ability-based user interfaces significantly improve speed, accuracy and satisfaction of users with motor impairments compared to manufacturers' defaults. We also provide the first characterization of the design space of adaptive graphical user interfaces, and demonstrate how such interfaces can significantly improve the quality and efficiency of daily interactions for typical users.
Can I have it?
SUPPLE is still a research prototype. We do hope to create a public version of the system within the next couple of years. You should expect to see it deployed on the web first, giving people personalized access to web-based applications such as email, social networking, and others.
A 2005 version of SUPPLE (the basic interface generation engine) is available for download. We haven't packaged the latest version of the code for distribution yet.