Ongoing
2023 - Present
SoNotify: Interruptability-Aware Notification via Earable Devices
Investigating and optimizing acceptable voice-based notification timings through earable devices to minimize user interruption.
Earable Computing
Interruptability
Notification
Overview
Earable devices enable users to receive voice-based notifications seamlessly in daily life, but inappropriate notification timing may reduce usability and even compromise safety. SoNotify investigates and optimizes acceptable voice-based notification timings through earable devices, aiming to minimize disruption to ongoing activities.
Approach
- SoNotify application: A smartphone application that sends dummy voice-based notifications and collects sensor data from both a smartphone and an earable device
- Field study: Real-world investigation of acceptable notification timings with participants wearing earable devices during daily activities
- Sensor-based context detection: Utilizing motion sensor data from smartphones and earable devices to estimate user interruptability
Results
- Voice-based notifications were highly acceptable during outdoor walking, with an acceptance rate of approximately 86%
- Users tended to refuse notifications in situations requiring concentration on avoiding collisions with pedestrians, cyclists, or vehicles
- Identified context-dependent patterns of notification acceptability based on surrounding traffic conditions
Significance
SoNotify provides foundational insights for designing context-aware notification systems on earable devices, enabling safer and less disruptive voice-based information delivery in everyday scenarios.
