Research team
Expertise
Usability and User Experience Testing Testing both pragmatic and hedonic quality of digital products and systems is part of my field of expertise. Pragmatic quality involves the usability and utility of digital products and systems. Hedonic qualtity encompasses the mental well-being that such products and systems catalyse in their users. Research through Design As a long-time design expert at Achilles Design (www.achilles.be), I am a pioneer and advocate of Research through Design, which uses design as a fully-fledged tool for scientific research. I believe that Research through Design, more than traditional research methods, leads to new thinking and innovation. My own research within the UA illustrates this, as does my research with Ground Eight (www.ground-eight.be).
Force measurements on a racing bike handlebars with the goal of improved cycling performance, injury prevention and rehabilitation.
Abstract
This project focuses on the further development of a racing bike handlebar for an indoor bike trainer. This racing bike handlebar is equipped with an integrated system for force measurement. In recent years, measuring instruments for pedal force and saddle force have led to new insights. Both forces are related to each other within the kinematic chain of movements a cyclist exerts on his/her bicycle. An unequal distribution of force between, for example, the left and right pedal can be the cause of inefficiency within this kinematic chain. During rehabilitation, such force distribution may indicate poor recovery, eventually leading to injuries in another region of the body. This project focuses on the development of a marketable product with which professionals can perform measurements on the third contact point between cyclist and bicycle: the contact between hands and handlebars. Within the Product Development research group, a prototype was previously designed, built, and used in a physiotherapist's practice. The prototype works well in this environment and has already led to innovative insights around rehabilitation. A better integration of the sensors in the handlebar will lead to a marketable design with better usability and user-friendliness than the first prototype. The result of this project is a marketable product design that can be used in the practice of professional bike fitters and physiotherapists.Researcher(s)
- Promoter: Van Campenhout Lukas
- Co-promoter: Kuppens Kevin
Research team(s)
Project type(s)
- Research Project
Design for Embodied Mediation.
Abstract
This research project is about everyday interactive products: digital cameras, washing machines, TV and audio sets, pocket calculators, electrical bikes, electronic toys, etc. It focuses on the mediation of these products: their ability to influence people's behavior in the long run. We want to give designers of such interactive products fundamental insight in the mechanism of mediation, in order to turn mediation into a design driver: a product objective that can be actively steered by the designer, during the design process. More specifically, we want to investigate how an embodied interaction approach to the design of these products influences their mediation. The project employs a Research-through-Design (RtD) methodology, combined with a long-term field test. As a practical context for the RtD process, we choose the conception of an interactive product with a predefined mediation. The product aims to stimulate the connection of elderly people over 70 with their close family and friends, in order to counter their isolation and feeling of loneliness. It is an interactive household product, located in the home of the older person. In a first, exploratory part of the project, the interactive product is preliminarily designed, with its predefined mediation in mind. Through an iterative process of design, user testing and reflection, we get a grip on the concept of mediation as a design driver and on its intertwinement with embodied interaction, in the design process of an interactive product. In a second part, a demonstrator of the newly designed product is developed and produced in a small series. These demonstrators are deployed in a long-term field test, and placed at participants' homes for several weeks. Through regular interviews and recorded demonstrator data, the interaction patterns of the participants with the demonstrator are revealed, and compared with the predefined mediation. Throughout the project, the Design for Embodied Mediation framework is gradually forged, and tested by setting up design projects for students at Product Development, University of Antwerp, and at Industrial Design, Eindhoven University of Technology. The relevance of the framework for design practice is assessed by confronting it with professional design experts.Researcher(s)
- Promoter: Van Campenhout Lukas
- Fellow: Martínez Gasca Omar
Research team(s)
Project type(s)
- Research Project
A Taxonomy for Multi-Motion Systems.
Abstract
There is a demand from Flanders Make for a taxonomy of existing and future multi-motion systems. This taxonomy is put down in a partly visual and partly verbal language, and aims to facilitate the internal communication around multi-motion systems within Flanders Make.Researcher(s)
- Promoter: Van Campenhout Lukas
- Co-promoter: Verlinden Jouke Casper
Research team(s)
Project type(s)
- Research Project
Robust Optimization Demo - VaProFam Demo.
Abstract
Innovative visualisation embodied in a demonstrator, to empower communication between stakeholders of abstract design and optimisation algorithms, developed at Flanders Make Codesigns. Based on research through design approach and to be exhibited during the Danders Make "Top Tech on tour"Researcher(s)
- Promoter: Verlinden Jouke Casper
- Co-promoter: Van Campenhout Lukas
Research team(s)
Project type(s)
- Research Project
Design & optimisation cluster toolchains.
Abstract
- From Flanders Make there is a demand for a classification of current and future tools developed by the cluster Design & Optimisation in order to facilitate the design process of multidisciplinary systems. - This classification is multi-dimensional, if based on different parameters. It must be understandable for a wide audience, while containing sufficient nuance to provoke discussion among experts. - This classification must be translated into a coherent, graphic visual language that can be used by Flanders Make researchers and business developers. - The classification and visual language will initially be used internally by Flanders Make. The purpose is to give a clear overview of the available tools and to make it easy to fit these tools into the targets of the roadmap. In addition, the classification and the visual language also serve as a vivid and understandable tool to explain the content of the tools to the prospects and customers of Flanders Make. Based on the presented classification, the right questions can be asked to the customer and the relevant tools can be filtered out. To this end, Flanders Make also wants to generate a series of use cases from completed projects. For each use case, a slide needs to be composed showing, with text, pictures and graphics, an application in which one or more tools were used.Researcher(s)
- Promoter: Van Campenhout Lukas
- Co-promoter: Verlinden Jouke Casper
Research team(s)
Project type(s)
- Research Project
Demonstrator CONCEVAL.
Abstract
Demonstrator development for a Flanders Make project, focused on generative design and semi-automatic ranking of design proposals. Involves hardware and software to enable an embodied experience with the algorithm.Researcher(s)
- Promoter: Verlinden Jouke Casper
- Co-promoter: Van Campenhout Lukas
Research team(s)
Project website
Project type(s)
- Research Project