Our heartiest congratulations to Qi Min Ser, who recently completed her Masters in Human Interface Technology at the HIT Lab NZ.  Her thesis focused on the redesign of a speech and language database (LaBB-CAT) and its associated app (ElicitSpeech), a web and tablet application for eliciting and gathering speech recordings from the public.

Qi finished her bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Biological Sciences from the University of Canterbury in 2014. She hopes to gain more opportunities to work on research from the field of human-robot interaction in the future.

in her spare time, Qi Min enjoys travel, food, and online games.

Thesis Title: Novel GUI Design for LaBB-CAT, a Speech Database Application

Senior Supervisor: Christoph Bartneck

Abstract:

Since the origins of human society, we have been dependent on our ability to communicate. Communication disorders are rampant in the world, with one in six Americans being afflicted with it at some point in their lives. Dysarthria is a communication disorder that occurs when a neurological disorder causes muscle movements required in producing speech to become slow, weak and uncoordinated. The current project investigates the usability of the LaBB-CAT interface for both novice and expert researchers, and the usability of the associated app, ElicitSpeech, for non-expert users. The objective of this project is to redesign the current LaBB-CAT and ElicitSpeech interfaces using a user-centred approach. This involves uncovering the problems in the current interfaces for both LaBB-CAT and ElicitSpeech through user studies, create or reorganise information to tailor to users’ needs, and produce a final prototype that is based on user research. The final prototype will then be evaluated on its effectiveness in optimising efficiency of use. In my initial investigation of the current interfaces, LaBB-CAT is difficult to learn and use, whilst ElicitSpeech is easy to use, but appears bland and boring.