Voice assistants (VAs) are typically evaluated through task performance metrics and self-report questionnaires, but people’s voices themselves carry rich paralinguistic cues that reveal affect, effort, and interaction breakdowns. We present a within-subjects study (N=49) that systematically compared three VA personas across three usage scenarios to investigate whether speech-derived audio features can serve as a proxy for user experience (UX). Participants’ speech was analyzed for temporal, spectral, and linguistic markers, alongside standardized UX measures, brief mood and stress ratings, and a post-study questionnaire. We found correlations between specific speech features and self-reported satisfaction and experience. Furthermore, a machine learning model trained on speech features achieved promising accuracy in classifying UX levels, indicating that this might be a reasonable alternative to self-report instruments. Our findings establish speech as a viable, real-time signal for implicitly measuring UX and point toward adaptive VUIs that respond dynamically to emotional and usability-related vocal cues.

While walking meetings offer a healthy alternative to sit-down meetings, they also pose practical challenges. Taking notes is difficult while walking, which limits the potential of walking meetings. To address this, we designed the Walking Talking Stick—a tangible device with integrated voice recording, transcription, and a physical highlighting button to facilitate note-taking during walking meetings. We investigated our system in a three-condition between-subjects user study with thirty pairs of participants (N=60) who conducted 15-minute outdoor walking meetings. Participants either used clip-on microphones, the prototype without the button, or the prototype with the highlighting button. We found that the tangible device increased task focus, and the physical highlighting button facilitated turn-taking and resulted in more useful notes. Our work demonstrates how interactive artifacts can incentivize users to hold meetings in motion and enhance conversation dynamics. We contribute insights for future systems which support conducting work tasks in mobile environments.

Reflecting on personal challenges can be difficult. Without encouragement, the reflection process often remains superficial, thus inhibiting deeper understanding and learning from past experiences. To allow people to immerse themselves in and deeply reflect on past challenges, we developed SelVReflect, a VR experience which offers active voice-based guidance and a space to freely express oneself. SelVReflect was developed in an iterative design process (N=5) and evaluated in a user study with N=20 participants. We found that SelVReflect enabled participants to approach their challenge and its (emotional) components from different perspectives and to discover new relationships between these components. By making use of the spatial possibilities in VR, participants developed a better understanding of the situation and of themselves. We contribute empirical evidence of how a guided VR experience can support reflection. We discuss opportunities and design requirements for guided VR experiences that aim to foster deeper reflection.

Abstract Remote health monitoring (RHM) provides various benefits to older adults, but its use is still limited. Remote monitoring may help in avoiding emergencies and prolong users’ independence. To understand how to design systems which support older adults, we studied a large-scale remote health monitoring system. The system used fitness-grade smartwatches to monitor the vital signs of more than 2000 users constantly. To probe the lived experience of using RHM, we conducted an explorative interview study (N = 41) with operators, carers, and users of the RHM system. Our thematic analysis reveals that personalisation of care ecology is crucial for developing users’ confidence and trust in the system. We found that participation in RHM may catalyse positive changes in older adults’ lifestyles. Based on our findings, we formulate five recommendations for designing future health monitoring systems. Our work contributes to insights into the lived experience and stakeholder ecology of health monitoring systems.

A rapid shift towards online education witnessed in recent years, re-shaped the necessary skill set of a modern teacher. Delivery of classes in remote and hybrid format became an integral part of education. However, providing feedback on lecturing technique at scale still remains a challenge. We present the design and implementation of Speecoach – an online tool for lecturers that analyses the audio recordings of lectures and provides feedback concerning their style of speech delivery. Our system analyses the pitch, speech rate and volume dynamics of a recording and compares it against the reference model based on a data set of professional-grade talks. Our tool facilitates teachers’ self-development by providing contextualised feedback on the parameters of their speech and comparing it to different forms of public addresses. Our work contributes a prototype tool facilitating public speaking and envisions future developments and studies in life-long learning of education professionals.

Due to multimodal approach, the virtual reality experiences become increasingly more immersive and entertaining. New control modalities, such as brain-computer interfaces (BCIs), enable the players to engage in the game with both their bodies and minds. In our work, we investigate the influence of employing BCI-driven mechanics on player’s in-game immersion. We designed and implemented an escape room-themed game which employed player’s mental states of focus and relaxation as input for selected game mechanisms. Through a between-subject user study, we found that controlling the game with mental states enhances the in-game immersion and attracts the player’s engagement. At the same time, using BCIs did not impose additional cognitive workload. Our work contributes qualitative insights on psychocognitive effects of using BCIs in gaming and describing immersive gaming experiences.