Welcome to the November 2022 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.

Implant Turns Brain Waves into Words
IEEE Spectrum
Edward Chang
October 29, 2022

Researchers at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) are developing a brain-machine interface (BMI) to translate users' brain signals into text. "Instead of decoding a user's intent to move a cursor or a pen, we decode the intent to control the vocal tract, comprising dozens of muscles governing the larynx (commonly called the voice box), the tongue, and the lips," explained UCSF's Edward Chang. A flexible electrocorticography (ECoG) array draped over the patient's brain detects movement commands for the vocal tract from the motor cortex; wires connecting to a skull port transmit the signals to a computer for decoding into text. Chang’s team recruited two paralyzed volunteers with implanted ECoG arrays as part of ongoing tests of hardware and software "to explore the limits of our BMI and determine what kind of speech we can restore to people."

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Coding Tool Could Aid Computer Programmers Who Are Blind or Have Low Vision
Pennsylvania State University News
Jessica Hallman
November 1, 2022

Pennsylvania State University (Penn State) researchers have developed a free online tool to help computer programmers who are blind or have low vision read, navigate, and edit code. Users can import lines of code from an existing codebase into Grid Editor, where the number of rows in the grid are equal to the number of lines in the code being edited and the number of columns in the grid are equal to the number of levels in the code. Grid Editor provides audible cues to users, such as alerting them to blank cells, the location of the cursor, and the boundary of the grid. The tool currently supports the Python programming language.

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Tesla Crash Trial in California Hinges on Question of 'Man vs Machine'
Reuters
Hyunjoo Jin
November 2, 2022

A manslaughter trial scheduled to begin Nov. 15 in Los Angeles will serve as a test for the legal responsibility of human drivers in a partly autonomous vehicle. The case involves a fatal crash caused by a Tesla operating on Autopilot, which can control a vehicle’s speed, breaking, and steering. Georgetown University's Edward Walters said, "The state will have a hard time proving the guilt of the human driver because some parts of the task are being handled by Tesla." Tesla has not been charged in the case, but it has been sued by the family of one of the victims, with a trial scheduled for July.

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How Low-Cost Earbuds Can Make Newborn Hearing Screening Accessible
University of Washington News
Sarah McQuate
October 31, 2022

A hearing screening system developed by a University of Washington (UW)-led research team relies on a smartphone and inexpensive earbuds to offer a cost-effective way to test for hearing loss in newborns. Unlike commercial devices that feature speakers that play two different tones without interference, the new system uses each earbud to play one of the two tones. The earbuds are connected to a microphone in a probe that is placed in the patient's ear, with the recorded sounds transmitted to the smartphone. Algorithms that can run in real time on any smartphone were developed to detect the signal, regardless of background noise. In a test of 114 patients, including 52 babies up to 6 months old, and pediatric patients with known hearing loss, the system correctly identified those with hearing loss and performed as well as a commercial device.

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Ai-Da the First Robot to Be Grilled by U.K.'s House of Lords
EuroNews
October 17, 2022

The Communications and Digital Committee of the U.K.'s House of Lords recently questioned the android Ai-Da, billed as the first-ever super-realistic and artificially intelligent robot artist, about the relationship between artificial intelligence (AI), robots, and the arts. Researchers at U.K. humanoid entertainment robot manufacturer Engineered Arts and the University of Oxford created Ai-Da, with the latter contributing AI algorithms. The robot "sees" using eye cameras linked to a computer vision system that is interrogated by an algorithm. Ai-Da told the committee, "The role of technology in creating art will continue to grow as artists find new ways to use technology to express themselves and reflect and explore the relationship between technology, society, and culture."

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Microsoft Army Goggles Left U.S. Soldiers with Nausea, Headaches
Bloomberg
Anthony Capaccio
October 13, 2022

The Pentagon's testing office reports that U.S. soldiers field-testing customized HoloLens goggles from Microsoft suffered headaches, eyestrain, and nausea. Microsoft's Integrated Visual Augmentation System is expected to support a heads-up display for ground forces, enabling commanders to project information onto visors in front of a soldier's face. Operation Test and Evaluation's Nickolas Guertin told U.S. Army and Defense Department officials that 80% of participants who experienced discomfort exhibited symptoms after less than three hours using the goggles, which continue to suffer excessive functional failures. On the other hand, the report indicated the goggles' mean time between failures has improved, while leaders and soldiers also said the latest version "enhanced navigation and coordination of unit movements."

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SkinKit Offers Versatile, Wearable On-Skin Computing
Cornell Chronicle
Tom Fleischman
November 3, 2022

Cornell University researchers developed on-skin interfaces, often called “smart tattoos,” for a variety of purposes. The SkinKit plug-and-play interface constitutes a multi-layer thin film structure the researchers call "skin cloth." The layered material can be cut into shapes and fitted with miniaturized flexible printed circuit board modules. SkinKit is fabricated using temporary tattoo paper, a silicone textile stabilizer, and water. Cornell's Pin-Sung Ku said the SKinKit modules are easily attachable and detachable, and study participants with STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) and design backgrounds have created modules for use in health and wellness, personal safety, alerts, and assistive functions.

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Exoskeleton Walks Out into the Real World
Stanford News
Taylor Kubota
October 12, 2022

Stanford University engineers have constructed an untethered exoskeleton that helps users walk and run faster, with less exertion. Stanford's Steve Collins said the device "personalizes assistance as people walk normally through the real world," and has yielded "exceptional improvements in walking speed and energy economy." The "robotic boot's" motor interacts with calf muscles to give the wearer an extra push with each step, while a machine learning-based model trained over years on exoskeleton emulators adds personalization. Stanford's Patrick Slade said the exoskeleton saves twice as much energy as previous exoskeletons in treadmill tests. The researchers calculated that the device's energy savings and speed upgrade were equivalent to that of "taking off a 30-pound backpack."

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Shaking Up Disaster Preparedness with Videogames
Lewis & Clark College
Gabe Korer
October 11, 2022

Researchers at Lewis & Clark College (L&C) created the Cascadia 9.0 videogame to simulate a real-life earthquake as a disaster preparedness testbed. L&C's earthquake preparedness project team developed the videogame, and recently studied a treatment group that played Cascadia 9.0, compared with a control group that searched for information online. Analysis revealed that videogame group participants spent more time learning about earthquake preparedness, downloaded more information immediately afterward, and felt more confident about meeting certain earthquake-related challenges. L&C's Erik Nilsen said, "We discovered that the elements they seemed to remember best and reflect on were those that required 'stickiness,' where they had to go through a series of actions or problem-solving to be successful in the game."

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An Uneasy Use for Apple's AirTags: Tracking a Loved One with Dementia
The Wall Street Journal
Julie Jargon
October 15, 2022

Apple's AirTags are being used by some caregivers to monitor people with dementia by attaching the tracking devices to their keys and wallets. Although AirTags are a cost-effective alternative to other monitoring systems, there are concerns some caregivers are using them to track loved ones without their consent. Apple says the devices are not meant to be used to track people, and has issued software updates that allow people to determine whether they are being tracked by someone else's AirTags. Instead of GPS, the trackers use the location services of nearby Apple devices, with the Find My app used to determine the AirTag's location on a map, which means caregivers cannot learn the person's precise location in real time.

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Mouthguard Controls Electronic Devices Through Biting
The Engineer
October 11, 2022

A smart mouthguard developed by researchers at the National University of Singapore (NUS) and China's Tsinghua University can control electronic devices through bite patterns. This bite-controlled optoelectronic system could help those with limited hand function operate computers, smartphones, wheelchairs, and other devices. The device detects dental occlusal patterns using integrated pressure sensors. The control pads emit different colors and intensities when bitten, which are measured by machine learning algorithms. The researchers found the device to be 98% accurate in translating bite patterns into data inputs that can be used to control various gadgets. They said the mouthguard is easier for users to learn than existing assistive technologies.

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Algorithm Measures Quality of Gait Through Smartwatches
UNSW Sydney Newsroom (Australia)
October 11, 2022

The Watch Walk algorithm developed by researchers from Neuroscience Research Australia and Australia's University of New South Wales, Sydney (UNSW Sydney) can accurately measure one’s gait via a smartwatch's accelerometer. The researchers based the digital gait biomarker algorithm on data from at-home movements, walking, and running by 101 participants between the ages of 19 and 81. The researchers validated Watch Walk on 78,822 participants who were 46 to 77 years old when their data was collected for the U.K. Biobank database. The algorithm measured activities classified as Walking, Running, Stationary, or Unspecified Arm activities with 93%, 98%, 86%, and 74% accuracy, respectively.

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Smart Helmet for Firefighters Uses Sensors, AI to Rescue Victims Faster
Yahoo! News
Oceane Duboust
October 3, 2022

A smart helmet developed by researchers at Scotland's National Robotarium aims to help firefighters navigate smoke-filled environments to locate and rescue victims faster using artificial intelligence, sensors, thermal cameras, and radar technology. The researchers designed the smart helmet in collaboration with the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service. The device, which can fit standard firefighting helmets, is lightweight and comprised of low-cost components. Said Scottish Fire and Rescue Service's Glen Macaffer, "We can scan a room a lot better. We can take 5 to 10 seconds compared to probably a couple of minutes when we wouldn't have that technology. So for us to have that would be a massive game changer."

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