Welcome to the January 2020 SIGCHI edition of ACM TechNews.

ACM TechNews - SIGCHI Edition is a sponsored special edition of the ACM TechNews news-briefing service focused on issues in Human Computer Interaction (HCI). This service serves as a resource for ACM-SIGCHI Members to keep abreast of the latest news in areas related to HCI and is distributed to all ACM SIGCHI members the first Tuesday of every month. ACM TechNews is a benefit of ACM membership and is distributed three times per week on Mondays, Wednesday, and Fridays to over 100,000 ACM members from over 100 countries around the world. ACM TechNews provides timely coverage of established and emerging areas of computer science, the latest trends in information technology, and related science, society, and technology news. For more information on ACM TechNews and joining the ACM, please click. The Interactions mobile app is available for free on iOS, Android, and Kindle platforms. Download it today and flip through the full-color magazine pages on your tablet or view it in a simplified low-bandwidth text mode on your phone. And be sure to check out the Interactions website, where you can access current and past articles and read the latest entries in our ever-expanding collection of blogs.

The Machines Are Learning, and So Are the Students
The New York Times
Craig S. Smith
December 18, 2019

While people have tried to create new teaching methods using artificial intelligence (AI) for years, it was not until the recent machine learning revolution that real progress has been made. Algorithms are slowly penetrating classrooms across the country, taking over repetitive tasks like grading, optimizing coursework to fit individual student needs, and revolutionizing the preparation for College Board exams like the SAT. In addition, a range of online courses and tutorials have freed teachers from lecturing and allowed them to spend more time working on problem-solving with students. Separately, researchers are using AI to understand how the brain learns and they are applying that knowledge to systems that they hope will make it easier and more enjoyable for students to study.

Full Article

As Robots Take Over Warehousing, Workers Pushed to Adapt
Associated Press
Matt O'Brien
December 30, 2019

Increasing automation of warehouse operations is creating stress for employees who must work alongside self-directed robots—and companies are pressuring workers to adjust to this situation. For example, Amazon has more than 200,000 robotic vehicles transporting goods through its U.S. delivery fulfillment centers, up from 15,000 in 2014. The University of Illinois at Chicago's Beth Gutelius said this is increasing human burnout due to pressure on workers to accelerate their own performance to keep pace with that of robots. Amazon's 2012 acquisition of startup Kiva Systems as a robot design/manufacturing unit is credited for much of the explosion in warehouse robotics among retailers. Supporters claim automation can shift human workers to tasks that involve problem-solving and common sense; however, a report Gutelius co-authored found warehouse technology could encourage wage stagnation, increase turnover, and hinder work experiences because of the way artificial intelligence software can track and micromanage employee behavior.

Full Article

MAX Crashes Strengthen Resolve of Boeing to Automate Flight
The Wall Street Journal
Andy Pasztor; Andrew Tangel
December 31, 2019

Boeing hopes to increasingly computerize aircraft controls after two 737 MAX crashes revealed flaws in the plane's automated flight-control system. Boeing and Airbus executives said they have flight-control systems tailored for younger pilots under development, hoping those pilots' greater familiarity with technology will enhance flight safety. Airbus has introduced touchscreens for its A350 aircraft, allowing pilots to use finger swipes to operate the vehicle; meanwhile, Boeing plans to refine its design and training to better serve more diverse pilots. Some of the new technologies aim to sustain flight stability while pilots troubleshoot in certain situations. Former Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg said, "We're also going to take a look at the pilot-machine interface on our airplanes in designing that for the next generation, as technology is rapidly evolving."

Full Article

Brainwave Devices Can Leak Sensitive Medical Conditions, Personal Information
UAB News
Yvonne Taunton
December 18, 2019

A study by University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) researchers found brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) may be exploited to reveal sensitive medical conditions and personal data, as users surf online or interact with apps. UAB's Nitesh Saxena examined how such devices distinguish between people suffering from alcohol use disorder (AUD) and healthy persons, as well as people in different age groups. Bad actors could use such data to target susceptible individuals, because BCIs do not control access to the brainwaves they record, so any malicious app or website could capture those signals as users browse. The researchers designed one attack, Hemorrhage, using machine learning methods to identify users with AUD and their age group from brainwave signals leaked online as subjects viewed simple images or watched videos. The technique could determine AUD presence and age group with 96% and 94% accuracy, respectively.

Full Article

Mindfulness Game Changes Areas of Brain Associated with Attention
University of Wisconsin-Madison News
Marianne Spoon
December 26, 2019

Researchers at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and University of California, Irvine designed a video game to enhance mindfulness in middle-schoolers, and found young players exhibited changes in brain regions associated with attention. The Tenacity game requires participants to count their breaths by tapping a touchscreen to advance, and leads players through soothing landscapes. Players tap once per breath while counting breaths for the first four breaths, then tap twice every fifth breath; players gain more points and advance by accurately counting sequences of five breaths. The researchers followed two groups assigned to Tenacity or to "Fruit Ninja," which does not train mindfulness. Over two weeks of daily 30-minute sessions, the researchers observed changes to the connectivity between the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and the left inferior parietal cortex in the brains of Tenacity players—which correlated with improved performance of an attention task.

Full Article

People Who Regularly Use Driver-Assistance Tech are More Likely to Be Distracted, Research Shows
CBS News
December 17, 2019

People who regularly use advanced driver-assistance technology are much more likely to be distracted behind the wheel, according to research from AAA. Driver assistance technology systems can make a car semi-autonomous, but the National Transportation Safety Board warns that some drivers rely on them too much. Almost 93% of all new cars have at least one available advanced driver-assistance feature, designed to help drivers maintain their lane, speed, and distance from other cars, and even apply the brakes if necessary. However, AAA found drivers who regularly use those systems are nearly twice as likely to be distracted than when the systems are off. The research also found that drivers who were new to the assistance technology were less likely to show signs of distracted driving with the systems active compared to when they were driving without them.

Full Article

Are Colleges Risking Students' Privacy with Mental Health Apps?
The Washington Post
Deanna Paul
December 27, 2019

U.S. colleges are licensing mental health apps to help students access traditional psychological services while circumventing barriers like stigma and counselor availability—and are advising incoming freshmen to use such apps. Critics are concerned such offerings may be encouraging students to relinquish more privacy than they realize. Grit Digital Health's YOU at College software platform, in which freshmen can build profiles that function as personalized well-being websites, often quantifies student progress with routine evaluations that prompt students to monitor their thoughts, physical activity, diet, and symptoms. A 2018 study by the Institute for Science, Law, and Technology found just 38% of hundreds of mobile medical apps had privacy policies pre-downloaded, so consumers could not ascertain how their information would be used.

Full Article

'Dark Patterns' Trick You into Spending More Online
NextGov.com
Robert Mitchum
December 12, 2019

Researchers led by Princeton University graduate student Arunesh Mathur have developed a Web-crawling tool to analyze more than 50,000 product pages from 11,000 shopping sites in order to identify both known and new "dark patterns," a user interface design technique meant to push people shopping online into spending more money. The researchers found more than 1,800 instances of dark pattern usage on 1,254 websites, though this figure likely represents a low estimate of their true presence. The researchers have provided information to the U.S. Senate sponsors of the Deceptive Experiences To Online Users Reduction (DETOUR) Act, introduced in 2019. Marshini Chetty at the University of Chicago said the research was designed to gauge whether there was an actionable problem. If so, "then the government can pass legislation that would make it very difficult for service providers to use certain dark patterns, particularly those that try to trick users into giving up information or that are directed at children."

Full Article

U-M Art Professor Leads Creation of Interactive Game for Kids With/Without Disabilities
University of Michigan
Bernie DeGroat
December 10, 2019

Researchers at the University of Michigan (U-M) have developed an augmented reality game system that aims to be a truly inclusive environment for children to play and exercise together. The iGYM system includes two ceiling-mounted projectors that project a court on the floor, with a goal on either side. Upon entering the court, an overhead computer vision camera detects each player and surrounds them with a "peripersonal circle," which the players can use to hit a projected ball or puck toward the other player's goal. Players can expand the circle to "kick" the ball by extending their arms, physically kicking, or by pressing a "kick-button" mounted on their body. This functionality creates an equitable play experience for kids with mobility disabilities and their peers without disabilities.

Full Article

Bioelectronics: Science Fiction Becomes Science Fact
Financial Times
Gavin Jackson
December 8, 2019

Companies such as medical research firm Neuralink are exploring the practical applications of bioelectronics—implants that facilitate computer-to-brain communication—with Neuralink founder Elon Musk expecting trials by year's end. Healthcare professionals see bioelectronics as tools for treating neural damage like paralysis. Tim Denison at the U.K.'s University of Oxford said the technology is giving researchers new insights into the brain. Such findings, in conjunction with advances in miniaturization, battery technology, and artificial intelligence, bring devices that can communicate with the brain and treat chronic ailments closer to reality. The University of Edinburgh's Sarah Chan said an important issue is the effect of bodily enhancement via bioelectronics on what humans value. Said Chan, "In the case of neural interfaces, the technologies are developing in partnership: we are looking both at medical interventions and entertainment and recreation at the same time."

Full Article

People in Japan are Wearing Exoskeletons to Keep Working as They Age
New Scientist
Alice Klein
December 12, 2019

Japan is aging rapidly, with 28% of the population over the age of 65. This trend has resulted in a shortage of workers, especially in manual labor industries. To encourage older people to stay in or switch into these industries, several technology companies in Japan have developed exoskeleton suits that make it easier to lift and carry heavy objects. One such suit—the Every Muscle Suit developed by Innophys—is worn like a backpack, does not contain any batteries or motors, and weighs less than four kilograms (just under 9lbs.), but allows people to lift up to 25 kilograms (55 lbs.). Other companies have developed similar suits. The demand for this kind of technology is expected to increase as Japan is forced to raise the retirement age to address worker shortages.

Full Article

AI System Warns Pedestrians Wearing Headphones About Passing Cars
IEEE Spectrum
Jeremy Hsu
December 27, 2019

Columbia University, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Barnard College researchers have developed an artificial intelligence (AI)-driven system that can alert pedestrians wearing headphones of passing vehicles. The prototype Pedestrian Audio Warning System (PAWS) uses machine learning algorithms to interpret sounds and notify pedestrians of the location of vehicles up to 60 meters (196 feet) away. The researchers built PAWS with a low-power array of microphones installed in different parts of the headphones, drawing power from a rechargeable battery. A custom integrated circuit only extracts the most relevant sounds from the captured audio, and sends that data to a smartphone app trained on audio from 60 distinct types of vehicles in various environments. Work continues on how the system will alert users, with the researchers currently leaning toward either a warning beep on one side of a stereo headphone, or simulating three-dimensional warning sounds for more spatially-relevant information.

Full Article

How Hacking the Human Heart Could Replace Pill Popping
BBC News
Gemma Church
December 16, 2019

Companies like the Bios biomedical startup are developing next-generation implantable medical devices to manage chronic illnesses by tapping nerves. The hope is that increasing knowledge of neural biomarkers will lead to devices that autonomously deliver treatments to patients by stimulating specific nerves. These devices would decode and react to neural signals, in order to monitor conditions and provide treatment as needed. Bios is recording raw neural data via neural interfaces in sync with recordings of physiological signals like heart rate, blood pressure, and glucose levels, to train artificial intelligence algorithms to spot patterns that signify persistent neural biomarkers and their connection to changes in organ function. Bios hopes clinicians will be able to use its platform to formulate new treatments.

Full Article