Interacting with Empathy at the IxD Senior Show

Charlie! The Whenever, Wherever Assistant. 

About Charlie!

Spring 2017, I had the opportunity to design a wearable device. A voice controlled wearable solely running on IoT cloud connections with an AI assistant, independent from other software and hardware technologies. Cloud based personalized assistant that adjusts itself through smart learning.

I wanted to explore intuitive and more effective methods of artificial intelligence and eliminate people's dependency on visual Interfaces. Sure, there are several personal assistants, like Siri, Alexa, or Google Assistant, on the market, but they do not do justice inclusively, specially for people with paralysis. They lack many functionalities for people with paralysis. These assistants lack remote control, precise understanding in speech impairment, and  individual productivity.

Managing independence when living with paralysis is exceedingly important. With new advances in technology, I wanted to explore intuitive and more effective methods of artificial intelligence and eliminate people's dependency on visual Interfaces.

Currently, personal assistants are not wearables, nor do hear or activate efficiently. These products exclude everyone who may have a physical disability and who wish to do more on their own, like flipping the TV channels or opening doors. I wanted to create a wearable that would help and assist people with paralysis in their everyday lives to aid in their independence.

Senior Show

I didn’t know what to showcase or if I even wanted to participate, since it was basically optional.

After talking to a few people I gained inspiration and motivation. I have a passion for accessibility and Charlie! was all about accessibility. Now the question was how to display what Charlie! means to me and to the rest of the disabled community of paraplegics. Magically, the idea of playing with empathy arose and how might I give a senior exhibition for people to play with empathy with the idea of paraplegics in mind.

To give Charlie! importance and awareness, I realized I had to demonstrate how helpful Charlie! can be.

Interacting with Empathy

I would like to demonstrate how AI and future technologies can help assist people with paralysis. The idea would be to have the interactor realize reality of both worlds of the able bodied and the non-able bodied. This would be done by giving them tasks to do on a desktop within a dark isolated both. First, is to physically do the following tasks, jotting down some notes with a pen and paper, making a phone call, checking the home thermostat with your mobile phone, and ordering pizza. Second, giving them the same exact tasks with limiting them to not move but the ability to use Google, Alexa, Siri. Then, again having them to do the same exact tasks without moving a single muscle, even trying not to move their mouth/lips. This will have the user be surprised at how important it is to be able bodied, once the constraint of being paralyzed is placed forcing the user to emphasize with people with disabilities. After they have come to this realization, they will have the opportunity to meet Charlie!

Storyboard of Interaction with Empathy Concept

Exhibition had a walk-in booth with a table, chair, and TV. On the table there would be random pen and paper, and a jar of marshmallows. The TV would be playing a presentation slide with instructions to do random tasks and putting physical constraints on themselves.

Props and items needed

• Black curtains to darken and isolate both: To create loneliness, isolation, and darkness

• A booth with a table and chair: To give comfort and direction, also sitting position is a paraplegic perspective.

• 50” TV and earphones: To view visuals and hear audio

• Prompts for tasks: Slide presentation instructions

• Pen, paper, mittens, and marshmallows: Interactive props and components

• Google Home Assistant: To understand current technology failures

• Introducing Charlie!: Visual aids, imagery, or video

Decisions

There were many testings and troubleshooting before day of show.

Being a paraplegic is often very dark and lonely, where one might feel isolated, especially if an accident or sudden illness caused the paraplegia; rather than being born or not knowing or not having a paraplegic life.

Prompts for tasks were presentation slides placed on a 50’” TV. Presentation instructions had a series of able-bodied tasks and then a series of tasks with different constraints.

• Google Assistant: Asking Google a random question (able-bodied task)

• Marshmallow: Asking Google a random question with a marshmallow in their mouth (speech impairment caused by paraplegia)

• Instructions to sit on hands: To see what it feels like to not be able to use your hands but wanting to write something or use a phone.

• Originally, visitors had to where mittens before writing with a pen. Mitten were to imitate numbness and grabbing limitations but then were revised to be removed from presentation/instruction. Replacement was to sit on your hands and attempt to write in any alternative way.

My approach to showcase my work was to help people understand and emphasize on the difficulties of paraplegia lives and bring awareness that even the latest technologies are not designed inclusively. The tasks that were given inside my booth was intended and designed to show the perspective a paraplegic and their disadvantages due to non emphatic designs in technologies. I envision my Charlie! exhibition as an example for future technology to help develop services and products inclusively.

Thanks To: Amanda, Maxim Safioulline, Esteban, Melissa, Manuel, Tri, and CMD IxD Program.

Read more about Charlie!:

Designer’s site: https://www.ojenshammasian.com/charlie
Designer’s blog: https://ixd330ojenshammasian.wordpress.com/design-process