Project Details
Projekt
A3D – Augmented Reality Attention Aid Displays for Multithread Task Situations
Subject Area
Image and Language Processing, Computer Graphics and Visualisation, Human Computer Interaction, Ubiquitous and Wearable Computing
Term
since 2026
Project identifier
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 576656192
In multithread task situations, humans need to switch between different but simultaneously ongoing task threads. For example, resuscitation team leaders must provide cardiopulmonary resuscitation (chest compressions, etc.), diagnose the cause of the arrest (considering and administering drugs, etc.), and plan the subsequent steps (catheterization lab, etc.). Such situations require disengaging from one task thread and shifting attention to another thread at the appropriate time, which is an inherently difficult demand. This project integrates activity tracking, ubiquitous computing, cognitive theories of multitasking, and augmented reality displays. We propose and explore the concept of AR Attention Aid Displays (A3Ds) to support multitasking in complex and fast-paced environments. In Aim 1, we (1) develop a multithread task environment that is representative of the physical and cognitive demands of in-hospital cardiac arrests but can be operated by university students, (2) a ubiquitous activity and information recognition system that enables tracking of tasks status and incorporation of information from different devices, and (3) the visual and cognitive design of an A3D for a head-worn display. In Aim 2, using the task environment, we conduct theory-guided, pre-registered, and aptly statistically powered experiments to investigate the effectiveness of the A3Ds, as well as the moderators and boundaries of their effectiveness. In Experiment 1, we investigate the effect of the A3D on multitasking performance and the choice of multitasking strategy. In Experiment 2, we investigate the impact of A3D reliability and the best interface design for reduced reliability. Experiment 3 refines the A3D design to accommodate the effects of system reliability and a multitasking strategy, thereby optimizing performance. In Aim 3, we build and test a functional demonstrator of an A3D for the resuscitation team leader in in-hospital cardiac arrest scenarios to validate the concept of A3D in a field setting. We adapt the ubiquitous activity and information recognition system to the context of in-hospital cardiac arrests and conduct formative evaluations with resuscitation teams to adjust the display to the context of resuscitation. In Experiment 4, we conduct a summative evaluation of the A3D in a full-scale medical simulation setting, which includes multiple qualified staff members, medical devices, and various resuscitation scenarios. The project will offer theory-driven and experimental insights into technology-supported multitasking performance, strategy selection, and activity tracking in both controlled and field environments. Through the design, formative, and summative evaluation of the A3D demonstrator, we will produce empirical datasets, an artifact, and inform the design of future attention aids. We contribute to the understanding of human cognition in socio-technical systems, improve technology design, and ultimately enhance patient safety.
DFG Programme
Research Grants
