Browsing by Author "Mutemwa, Muyowa"

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    Cell phone notification via bluetooth for Web 2.0 applications
    (Telkom, 2009) Mutemwa, Muyowa; Tucker, William David; Norman, Michael
    This paper discusses how an Instant Messaging application on a computer can use Bluetooth in order to provide vibration notification on a mobile phone. The initial motivation was to aid Deaf1 office workers to know when events happened on the computer on their desks. Deaf people with access to modern technology have become accustomed to using Instant Messaging, email and video conferencing. However, most of these applications are designed for hearing users and often use audible notification. Cell phone vibration offers a way to convey similar notifications because many Deaf users have a cell phone. The use of SMS has also become widespread among Deaf users because they cannot hear or speak, even though they might be somewhat text illiterate. Vibration notification in addition to aural notification is common on most cell phones and Deaf users can use the former. This paper describes a Bluetooth notification system to notify a Deaf user with vibration on a cell phone whenever a new Instant Message is received on a given computer. A design goal was to provide an application programming interface to the notification system so that it can be used with any form of Web 2.0 desktop communication tool.
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    A mobile Deaf-to-hearing communication aid for medical diagnosis
    (Telkom, 2010) Mutemwa, Muyowa; Tucker, William David
    This paper describes how a deaf to hearing communication aid built for a mobile phone can be used to provide semi-synchronous communication between a Deaf person and a hearing person who cannot sign. Deaf people with access to mobile phones have become accustomed to using Short Messaging Services, to communicate with both hearing and Deaf people. However Most Deaf people have basic literacy levels and hence prefer not to communicate with text, but with South Africa Sign Language. The prototype uses interpreted communication between sign language and English. The mock-up is meant to help a Deaf person convey their medical conditions to a doctor face-to-face in the office. The prototype is made using prerecorded sign language videos for the Deaf person and English text for the hearing doctor. The interaction on the mobile phone is done inside the phone's browser using video streaming, instead of playing the video in a third-party media player. The design goal was to present the system on a mobile phone from the computer-based prototype. This paper takes a look at the background, related systems, the methods, the design and user testing of such a system on a mobile phone; using two prototypes client-server and client only.
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    A Mobile Deaf-to-hearing communication aid for medical diagnosis
    (University of the Western Cape, 2011) Mutemwa, Muyowa; Tucker, William D.
    Many South African Deaf people use their mobile phones for communication with SMSs yet they would prefer to converse in South African Sign Language. Deaf people with a capital `D' are different from deaf or hard of hearing as they primarily use sign language to communicate. This study explores how to design and evaluate a prototype that will allow a Deaf person using SASL to tell a hearing doctor how s/he is feeling and provide a way for the doctor to respond. A computer{based prototype was designed and evaluated with the Deaf people in a previous study. Results from the user trial of the computer{based mock{up indicated that Deaf users would like to see the prototype on a cell phone. Those user trial results, combined with our own user survey results conducted with Deaf people, are used as requirements. We built a prototype for a mobile phone browser by embedding SASL videos inside XHTML pages using Adobe Flash. The prototype asks medical questions using SASL videos. These questions are arranged in an organized way that helps in identifying a medical problem. The answers to the questions are then displayed in English and shown to the doctor on the phone. A content authoring tool was also designed and implemented. The content authoring tool is used for populating the prototype in a context free manner allowing for plug and play scenarios such as a doctor's office, Department of Home A airs or police station. A focus group consisting of Deaf people was conducted to help in the design and pilot trial of the system. A final user trial was conducted with more than thirty Deaf people and the results are presented and analyzed. Data is collected with questionnaires, semi-structured interviews and video recordings. The results indicate that most of the Deaf people found the system easy to learn, easy to navigate through, did not get lost and understood the sign language in the videos on the mobile phone. The hand gestures and facial expressions on the sign language videos were clear. Most of them indicated they would like to use the system for free, and that the system did not ask too many questions. Most of them were happy with the quality of the sign language videos on the mobile phone and would consider using the system in real life. Finally they felt their private information was safe while using the system. Many South African Deaf people use their mobile phones for communication with SMSs yet they would prefer to converse in South African Sign Language. Deaf people with a capital `D' are different from deaf or hard of hearing as they primarily use sign language to communicate. This study explores how to design and evaluate a prototype that will allow a Deaf person using SASL to tell a hearing doctor how s/he is feeling and provide a way for the doctor to respond. A computer{based prototype was designed and evaluated with the Deaf people in a previous study. Results from the user trial of the computer{based mock{up indicated that Deaf users would like to see the prototype on a cell phone. Those user trial results, combined with our own user survey results conducted with Deaf people, are used as requirements. We built a prototype for a mobile phone browser by embedding SASL videos inside XHTML pages using Adobe Flash. The prototype asks medical questions using SASL videos. These questions are arranged in an organized way that helps in identifying a medical problem. The answers to the questions are then displayed in English and shown to the doctor on the phone. A content authoring tool was also designed and implemented. The content authoring tool is used for populating the prototype in a context free manner allowing for plug and play scenarios such as a doctor's office, Department of Home A airs or police station. A focus group consisting of Deaf people was conducted to help in the design and pilot trial of the system. A final user trial was conducted with more than thirty Deaf people and the results are presented and analyzed. Data is collected with questionnaires, semi-structured interviews and video recordings. The results indicate that most of the Deaf people found the system easy to learn, easy to navigate through, did not get lost and understood the sign language in the videos on the mobile phone. The hand gestures and facial expressions on the sign language videos were clear. Most of them indicated they would like to use the system for free, and that the system did not ask too many questions. Most of them were happy with the quality of the sign language videos on the mobile phone and would consider using the system in real life. Finally they felt their private information was safe while using the system.