2025
Other
Open Access
Personalised serious games with humanoid robots for older adults cognitive training
Canapa G., Catricalà B., Manca M., Paternò F., Santoro C., Zedda E.
This paper outlines the experiences in the SERENI project concerning the development and evolution of a humanoid robot-based platform for personalized cognitive training aimed at supporting older adults with cognitive decline . Using a humanoid robot and the Remind web application [1], the platform developed tailor serious games to users' personal memories. Iterative improvements introduced adaptive difficulty, diverse robot personalities, and AI-driven personalization to enhance user engagement, inclusivity, and empowerment. Findings highlight the importance of personalization and adaptability in fostering emotional connection, active participation, and a sense of empowerment for users, demonstrating the potential of humanoid robots to support cognitive health in aging populations.Project(s): SERious gamEs with humanoi robots in cogNItive training
Canapa G., Catricalà B., Manca M., Paternò F., Santoro C., Zedda E.
This paper outlines the experiences in the SERENI project concerning the development and evolution of a humanoid robot-based platform for personalized cognitive training aimed at supporting older adults with cognitive decline . Using a humanoid robot and the Remind web application [1], the platform developed tailor serious games to users' personal memories. Iterative improvements introduced adaptive difficulty, diverse robot personalities, and AI-driven personalization to enhance user engagement, inclusivity, and empowerment. Findings highlight the importance of personalization and adaptability in fostering emotional connection, active participation, and a sense of empowerment for users, demonstrating the potential of humanoid robots to support cognitive health in aging populations.Project(s): SERious gamEs with humanoi robots in cogNItive training
See at:
CNR IRIS 
| r4h-workshop.github.io | CNR IRIS 
2025
Conference article
Open Access
Pepper-based serious games for older adults: initial experiences in real-world settings (short paper)
Canapa G., Catricalà B., Manca M., Paternò F., Santoro C., Zedda E.
Social robotics for supporting cognitive stimulation of older adults has been investigated in recent years but it has not been adopted in the real world. To better understand how it can be deployed in such settings, we have carried out a trial in a healthcare residence. A set of games able to automatically personalise their interactions according to user memories has been designed and implemented in a Pepper robot. The games aim to stimulate cognitive resources such as memory and attention. In this paper, we introduce the approach proposed, how it has been proposed in a residential health care facility for older adults, and discuss the initial feedback received.Source: CEUR WORKSHOP PROCEEDINGS, vol. 3957, pp. 465-473. Cagliari, Italy, 24/03/2025
Project(s): SERious gamEs with humanoi robots in cogNItive training
Canapa G., Catricalà B., Manca M., Paternò F., Santoro C., Zedda E.
Social robotics for supporting cognitive stimulation of older adults has been investigated in recent years but it has not been adopted in the real world. To better understand how it can be deployed in such settings, we have carried out a trial in a healthcare residence. A set of games able to automatically personalise their interactions according to user memories has been designed and implemented in a Pepper robot. The games aim to stimulate cognitive resources such as memory and attention. In this paper, we introduce the approach proposed, how it has been proposed in a residential health care facility for older adults, and discuss the initial feedback received.Source: CEUR WORKSHOP PROCEEDINGS, vol. 3957, pp. 465-473. Cagliari, Italy, 24/03/2025
Project(s): SERious gamEs with humanoi robots in cogNItive training
See at:
ceur-ws.org | CNR IRIS | CNR IRIS
2025
Journal article
Open Access
Combined accessibility validation and monitoring of web sites and PDF documents
Iannuzzi N., Manca M., Paternò F., Santoro C.
Accessibility validation of online digital content through automatic tools has been addressed in limited terms. There is a need for a holistic approach to accessibility validation, able to align well with the goals of public organisations and accessibility authorities. In this perspective, one main issue is that usually such tools aim to assess either the web content, or the PDF documents, but not both. However, users need that all the content be accessible, regardless of the format used, thus it would be helpful to have tools able to perform a combined analysis of both web pages, and PDF files connected with such pages. This combined approach to accessibility validation, beyond providing a more complete and coherent view on the accessibility supported for everyone, would also be important for accessibility authorities (who must monitor the state of accessibility on a large scale, e.g., to comply with the EU WAD Directive), as well as for public organisations (since they could incur in legal risks and potential lawsuits, if only web pages are compliant). Indeed, a combined accessibility analysis would help them to identify the sites that need more interventions and would also be useful more generally to stimulate web developers and content providers to pay attention to both aspects. In this paper, we present how a tool that originally supported Web accessibility validation only, has been extended to include in the supported accessibility analysis also PDF files, to provide a more comprehensive assessment of the evaluated content. We describe the tasks it supports, the possible use cases, as well as some results obtained in a large-scale combined validation (Web and PDF content), carried out on Italian public service websites. The paper also reports the results of a user study carried out to understand the usability of the features that were added to the tool to support the validation of the accessibility of both web and PDF content.Source: UNIVERSAL ACCESS IN THE INFORMATION SOCIETY
DOI: 10.1007/s10209-025-01194-7
Project(s): Monitoraggio dell'accessibilità web della pubblica amministrazione italiana
Metrics:
Iannuzzi N., Manca M., Paternò F., Santoro C.
Accessibility validation of online digital content through automatic tools has been addressed in limited terms. There is a need for a holistic approach to accessibility validation, able to align well with the goals of public organisations and accessibility authorities. In this perspective, one main issue is that usually such tools aim to assess either the web content, or the PDF documents, but not both. However, users need that all the content be accessible, regardless of the format used, thus it would be helpful to have tools able to perform a combined analysis of both web pages, and PDF files connected with such pages. This combined approach to accessibility validation, beyond providing a more complete and coherent view on the accessibility supported for everyone, would also be important for accessibility authorities (who must monitor the state of accessibility on a large scale, e.g., to comply with the EU WAD Directive), as well as for public organisations (since they could incur in legal risks and potential lawsuits, if only web pages are compliant). Indeed, a combined accessibility analysis would help them to identify the sites that need more interventions and would also be useful more generally to stimulate web developers and content providers to pay attention to both aspects. In this paper, we present how a tool that originally supported Web accessibility validation only, has been extended to include in the supported accessibility analysis also PDF files, to provide a more comprehensive assessment of the evaluated content. We describe the tasks it supports, the possible use cases, as well as some results obtained in a large-scale combined validation (Web and PDF content), carried out on Italian public service websites. The paper also reports the results of a user study carried out to understand the usability of the features that were added to the tool to support the validation of the accessibility of both web and PDF content.Source: UNIVERSAL ACCESS IN THE INFORMATION SOCIETY
DOI: 10.1007/s10209-025-01194-7
Project(s): Monitoraggio dell'accessibilità web della pubblica amministrazione italiana
Metrics:
See at:
CNR IRIS | link.springer.com | CNR IRIS
2025
Conference article
Open Access
How an LLM can improve automatic web accessibility validation?
Paternò F., Vinci M., Manca M., Iannuzzi N.
Digital accessibility is important since it allows all people, including those with disabilities, to interact and access the desired information available on the Web. The W3C WCAG guidelines provide a rich set of indications about how to obtain it. Over time, they have become very extensive in order to consider the many possible cases. Manual checking of all the corresponding techniques is impossible; thus, interest in the support provided by automatic tools is increasing. However, current validation tools sometimes have several limitations in their analysis, which still require considerable manual intervention to validate several accessibility techniques. Large Language Models (LLMs) present an opportunity to address such cases. In this paper, we report on an investigation that focused on exploiting the functionality made available by the GPT 4o APIs to address such cases. We report on the types of prompting techniques used for this purpose, how they have been exploited, for which accessibility techniques, and how they have been validated. The results provide useful indications for understanding the role of large language models for accessibility validation.DOI: 10.1145/3750069.3750310
Metrics:
Paternò F., Vinci M., Manca M., Iannuzzi N.
Digital accessibility is important since it allows all people, including those with disabilities, to interact and access the desired information available on the Web. The W3C WCAG guidelines provide a rich set of indications about how to obtain it. Over time, they have become very extensive in order to consider the many possible cases. Manual checking of all the corresponding techniques is impossible; thus, interest in the support provided by automatic tools is increasing. However, current validation tools sometimes have several limitations in their analysis, which still require considerable manual intervention to validate several accessibility techniques. Large Language Models (LLMs) present an opportunity to address such cases. In this paper, we report on an investigation that focused on exploiting the functionality made available by the GPT 4o APIs to address such cases. We report on the types of prompting techniques used for this purpose, how they have been exploited, for which accessibility techniques, and how they have been validated. The results provide useful indications for understanding the role of large language models for accessibility validation.DOI: 10.1145/3750069.3750310
Metrics:
See at:
dl.acm.org | CNR IRIS | CNR IRIS
2025
Contribution to book
Open Access
Empowering end-user in creating extended reality content with a conversational chatbot
Mereu J., Artizzu V., Carcangiu A., Spano L. D., Simeoli L., Mattioli A., Manca M., Santoro C., Paternò F.
Recent advancements in eXtended Reality (XR) technologies have found application across diverse domains. However, creating complex interactions within XR environments remains challenging for nontechnical users. In this work, we present EUD4XR, a project aiming to: i) empower end-user developers (EUDevs) to customize XR environments by supporting virtual objects and physical devices; ii) involve an intelligent conversational agent which assists the user in defining behaviours. The agent can handle multimodal input, to drive the EUDev during the rule authoring process, using contextual knowledge of the virtual environment and its elements. By integrating conversational assistance, EUD4XR seeks to lower further the usage barriers for end-users to personalize XR experiences according to their needs.Source: LECTURE NOTES IN COMPUTER SCIENCE, vol. 15518, pp. 126-137
DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-91760-8_9
Project(s): EUD4XR: End-User Development for eXtended Reality
Metrics:
Mereu J., Artizzu V., Carcangiu A., Spano L. D., Simeoli L., Mattioli A., Manca M., Santoro C., Paternò F.
Recent advancements in eXtended Reality (XR) technologies have found application across diverse domains. However, creating complex interactions within XR environments remains challenging for nontechnical users. In this work, we present EUD4XR, a project aiming to: i) empower end-user developers (EUDevs) to customize XR environments by supporting virtual objects and physical devices; ii) involve an intelligent conversational agent which assists the user in defining behaviours. The agent can handle multimodal input, to drive the EUDev during the rule authoring process, using contextual knowledge of the virtual environment and its elements. By integrating conversational assistance, EUD4XR seeks to lower further the usage barriers for end-users to personalize XR experiences according to their needs.Source: LECTURE NOTES IN COMPUTER SCIENCE, vol. 15518, pp. 126-137
DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-91760-8_9
Project(s): EUD4XR: End-User Development for eXtended Reality
Metrics:
See at:
CNR IRIS | link.springer.com | CNR IRIS | CNR IRIS | CNR IRIS
2025
Journal article
Open Access
Adaptive humanoid robot behaviour in a serious game scenario through reinforcement learning
Zedda E., Manca M., Paternò F., Santoro C.
The study presents an adaptive technique that enables a humanoid robot to select appropriate actions to maintain the engagement level of users while they play a serious game for cognitive training. The goal is to design and develop an adaptation strategy for changing the robot's behaviour based on Reinforcement Learning (RL) to encourage the user to remain engaged. Initially, we trained the algorithm in a simulated environment before moving on to a real user experiment. Thus, we first design, develop, and validate the RL strategy in a simulated environment. Subsequently, we integrate the trained policy into the robotic system, allowing it to select the best actions based on the detected user state during real user test. The RL algorithm was designed and implemented to determine an effective adaptation strategy for the robot's actions, encompassing verbal and non-verbal interactions. The proposed solution was first trained in a simulated environment and then tested with 28 users in a mixed-method design study.Source: BEHAVIOUR & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY, pp. 1-26
DOI: 10.1080/0144929x.2025.2456068
Project(s): SERious gamEs with humanoi robots in cogNItive training
Metrics:
Zedda E., Manca M., Paternò F., Santoro C.
The study presents an adaptive technique that enables a humanoid robot to select appropriate actions to maintain the engagement level of users while they play a serious game for cognitive training. The goal is to design and develop an adaptation strategy for changing the robot's behaviour based on Reinforcement Learning (RL) to encourage the user to remain engaged. Initially, we trained the algorithm in a simulated environment before moving on to a real user experiment. Thus, we first design, develop, and validate the RL strategy in a simulated environment. Subsequently, we integrate the trained policy into the robotic system, allowing it to select the best actions based on the detected user state during real user test. The RL algorithm was designed and implemented to determine an effective adaptation strategy for the robot's actions, encompassing verbal and non-verbal interactions. The proposed solution was first trained in a simulated environment and then tested with 28 users in a mixed-method design study.Source: BEHAVIOUR & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY, pp. 1-26
DOI: 10.1080/0144929x.2025.2456068
Project(s): SERious gamEs with humanoi robots in cogNItive training
Metrics:
2025
Conference article
Open Access
Conversational rule creation in XR: user’s strategies in VR and AR automation
Carcangiu A., Manca M., Mereu J., Santoro C., Simeoli L., Spano L. D.
Rule-based approaches allow users to customize XR environments. However, the current menu-based interfaces still create barriers for end-user developers. Chatbots based on Large Language Models (LLMs) have the potential to reduce the threshold needed for rule creation, but how users articulate their intentions through conversation remains under-explored. This work investigates how users express event-condition-action automation rules in Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) environments. Through two user studies, we show that the dialogues share consistent strategies across the interaction setting (keywords, difficulties in expressing conditions, task success), even if we registered different adaptations for each setting (verbal structure, event vs action first rules). Our findings are relevant for the design and implementation of chatbot-based support for expressing automations in an XR setting.Source: LECTURE NOTES IN COMPUTER SCIENCE, vol. 15713, pp. 59-79. Munich, Germany, 16-18 June 2025
DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-95452-8_4
Project(s): EUD4XR: End-User Development for eXtended Reality
Metrics:
Carcangiu A., Manca M., Mereu J., Santoro C., Simeoli L., Spano L. D.
Rule-based approaches allow users to customize XR environments. However, the current menu-based interfaces still create barriers for end-user developers. Chatbots based on Large Language Models (LLMs) have the potential to reduce the threshold needed for rule creation, but how users articulate their intentions through conversation remains under-explored. This work investigates how users express event-condition-action automation rules in Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) environments. Through two user studies, we show that the dialogues share consistent strategies across the interaction setting (keywords, difficulties in expressing conditions, task success), even if we registered different adaptations for each setting (verbal structure, event vs action first rules). Our findings are relevant for the design and implementation of chatbot-based support for expressing automations in an XR setting.Source: LECTURE NOTES IN COMPUTER SCIENCE, vol. 15713, pp. 59-79. Munich, Germany, 16-18 June 2025
DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-95452-8_4
Project(s): EUD4XR: End-User Development for eXtended Reality
Metrics:
See at:
CNR IRIS | link.springer.com | CNR IRIS | CNR IRIS | CNR IRIS | CNR IRIS
2025
Journal article
Open Access
Exploiting personal memories in humanoid robot serious games for mild cognitive impaired older adults
Catricalà B., Manca M., Paternò F., Sale A., Santoro C., Zedda E.
The use of humanoid robots in older adult training has recently started to be considered. We investigated a solution that offers serious games personalised to each individual, to stimulate more interest and participation in cognitive training. In particular, we have studied how to consider personal memories in customising humanoid robot games for Mild Cognitive Impaired (MCI) older adults. For this goal, a prototype platform for collecting and exploiting personal memories in associated games is presented. The memories are exploited by six games designed and implemented in a Pepper robot considering current practices. We report on a mixed-method study consisting of a two-phase trial that involved 15 MCI older adults. The participants first furnished some memories from their past, and then used two game versions regularly for twelve weeks, one personalised and one with general content. We collected both quantitative (through questionnaires and interaction log analysis) and qualitative feedback. The results provide useful information about the robot games’ impact on users and, more generally, for understanding how to introduce robot games based on personal memories in cognitive training programmes.Source: BEHAVIOUR & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY, pp. 1-26
DOI: 10.1080/0144929x.2025.2484647
Project(s): Ageing Well in an Ageing Society, SERious gamEs with humanoi robots in cogNItive training, Tuscany Health Ecosystem
Metrics:
Catricalà B., Manca M., Paternò F., Sale A., Santoro C., Zedda E.
The use of humanoid robots in older adult training has recently started to be considered. We investigated a solution that offers serious games personalised to each individual, to stimulate more interest and participation in cognitive training. In particular, we have studied how to consider personal memories in customising humanoid robot games for Mild Cognitive Impaired (MCI) older adults. For this goal, a prototype platform for collecting and exploiting personal memories in associated games is presented. The memories are exploited by six games designed and implemented in a Pepper robot considering current practices. We report on a mixed-method study consisting of a two-phase trial that involved 15 MCI older adults. The participants first furnished some memories from their past, and then used two game versions regularly for twelve weeks, one personalised and one with general content. We collected both quantitative (through questionnaires and interaction log analysis) and qualitative feedback. The results provide useful information about the robot games’ impact on users and, more generally, for understanding how to introduce robot games based on personal memories in cognitive training programmes.Source: BEHAVIOUR & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY, pp. 1-26
DOI: 10.1080/0144929x.2025.2484647
Project(s): Ageing Well in an Ageing Society, SERious gamEs with humanoi robots in cogNItive training, Tuscany Health Ecosystem
Metrics:
See at:
CNR IRIS | www.tandfonline.com | CNR IRIS | CNR IRIS | CNR IRIS
2025
Other
Open Access
EUD4XR: D2.1 - Authoring and run-time support (initial version)
Spano D., Carcangiu A., Mereu J., Manca M., Santoro C., Simeoli L.
EUD4XR aims to empower end-user developers, EUDs, with an intuitive and practical tool for customizing XR experiences by setting the behavior of the involved virtual and real objects. Our proposed system supports the customization of the interactions through a rule-based language based on an event-condition-action (ECA) scheme. It is integrated with an intelligent conversational agent (ICA) tasked with supporting and guiding the user when help is needed. In this document, we describe a proof-of-concept implementation of our approach that includes the following components: Rule Engine: this module monitors the extended environment, detects events occurring in the system, accesses the APIs of virtual and physical objects that make up the scene, and commands the execution of the actions at runtime. Intelligent Conversational Agent or ICA: is a chatbot implemented through a large language model, LLM, and refined using prompt engineering. The ICA must support the user on: o Providing information about the environment and its objects. o Customizing the environment by adding a virtual object. o Creating or editing a rule. Rule Authoring UI: to support users in configuring the environment, EUD4XR provides an immersive interface that allows both direct editing of ECA rules in situ without requiring coding skills, and interaction with an intelligent chatbot. Through this interface, the user can create, edit and manage ECA rules, but also request and receive assistance from the chatbot to define or correct rules according to their needs. Section 2 provides an overview of the framework supporting the components that are the subject of the deliverable D2.1. Section 3 lists and explains the rule engine's requirements, while Section 4 describes its implementation. Sections 5 and 6 define the requirements and the implementation of rule authoring UI. Next, Section 7 illustrates the intelligent conversational agent: it first reviews the current state of the art, then reports on the result of a pilot test, and finally details its requirements and design.Project(s): EUD4XR: End-User Development for eXtended Reality
Spano D., Carcangiu A., Mereu J., Manca M., Santoro C., Simeoli L.
EUD4XR aims to empower end-user developers, EUDs, with an intuitive and practical tool for customizing XR experiences by setting the behavior of the involved virtual and real objects. Our proposed system supports the customization of the interactions through a rule-based language based on an event-condition-action (ECA) scheme. It is integrated with an intelligent conversational agent (ICA) tasked with supporting and guiding the user when help is needed. In this document, we describe a proof-of-concept implementation of our approach that includes the following components: Rule Engine: this module monitors the extended environment, detects events occurring in the system, accesses the APIs of virtual and physical objects that make up the scene, and commands the execution of the actions at runtime. Intelligent Conversational Agent or ICA: is a chatbot implemented through a large language model, LLM, and refined using prompt engineering. The ICA must support the user on: o Providing information about the environment and its objects. o Customizing the environment by adding a virtual object. o Creating or editing a rule. Rule Authoring UI: to support users in configuring the environment, EUD4XR provides an immersive interface that allows both direct editing of ECA rules in situ without requiring coding skills, and interaction with an intelligent chatbot. Through this interface, the user can create, edit and manage ECA rules, but also request and receive assistance from the chatbot to define or correct rules according to their needs. Section 2 provides an overview of the framework supporting the components that are the subject of the deliverable D2.1. Section 3 lists and explains the rule engine's requirements, while Section 4 describes its implementation. Sections 5 and 6 define the requirements and the implementation of rule authoring UI. Next, Section 7 illustrates the intelligent conversational agent: it first reviews the current state of the art, then reports on the result of a pilot test, and finally details its requirements and design.Project(s): EUD4XR: End-User Development for eXtended Reality
See at:
CNR IRIS | prin.unica.it | CNR IRIS
2025
Conference article
Open Access
Tell-XR: conversational end-user development of XR automations
Carcangiu A., Manca M., Mereu J., Santoro C., Simeoli L., Spano L. D.
The availability of extended reality (XR) devices has widened their adoption, yet authoring interactive experiences remains complex for non-programmers. We introduce Tell-XR, an intelligent agent leveraging large language models (LLMs) to guide end-users in defining the interaction in XR settings using automations described as Event-Condition-Action (ECA) rules. Through a formative study, we identified the key conversation stages to define and refine automations, which informed the design of the system architecture. The evaluation study in two scenarios (a VR museum and an AR smart home) demonstrates the effectiveness of Tell-XR across different XR interaction settings.Source: LECTURE NOTES IN COMPUTER SCIENCE, vol. 16108, pp. 617-641. Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil, 08-12/09/2025
DOI: 10.1007/978-3-032-04999-5_35
Project(s): EUD4XR: End-User Development for eXtended Reality”
Metrics:
Carcangiu A., Manca M., Mereu J., Santoro C., Simeoli L., Spano L. D.
The availability of extended reality (XR) devices has widened their adoption, yet authoring interactive experiences remains complex for non-programmers. We introduce Tell-XR, an intelligent agent leveraging large language models (LLMs) to guide end-users in defining the interaction in XR settings using automations described as Event-Condition-Action (ECA) rules. Through a formative study, we identified the key conversation stages to define and refine automations, which informed the design of the system architecture. The evaluation study in two scenarios (a VR museum and an AR smart home) demonstrates the effectiveness of Tell-XR across different XR interaction settings.Source: LECTURE NOTES IN COMPUTER SCIENCE, vol. 16108, pp. 617-641. Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil, 08-12/09/2025
DOI: 10.1007/978-3-032-04999-5_35
Project(s): EUD4XR: End-User Development for eXtended Reality”
Metrics:
See at:
CNR IRIS | CNR IRIS | CNR IRIS | CNR IRIS | CNR IRIS
2025
Conference article
Open Access
Humanoid robot personalised serious games in an older adults’ care center
Canapa G., Catricalà B., Manca M., Paternò F., Santoro C., Zedda E.
Most countries are ageing rapidly, creating significant challenges in providing adequate care to elderly population. Older adults’ care centers face several difficulties in ensuring support able to address their diverse needs, due to several factors including increasing caregiver shortages, high variability in cognitive and health conditions of elderly, and challenges in delivering personalized interventions to them. Additionally, maintaining elderly engagement during cognitive training is often problematic due to the repetitive and impersonal nature of involved tasks. To address these limitations, we carried out a study investigating the use of a humanoid robot to deliver interactive, personalised serious games based on older adults' personal memories, to enhance relevance and engagement for them. The approach has been evaluated in a trial conducted in a center for older adults, involving users with varying cognitive abilities. Results indicated that such personalised games were well received by them, with a positive impact on their experience.DOI: 10.1109/ro-man63969.2025.11217838
Project(s): SERious gamEs with humanoi robots in cogNItive training
Metrics:
Canapa G., Catricalà B., Manca M., Paternò F., Santoro C., Zedda E.
Most countries are ageing rapidly, creating significant challenges in providing adequate care to elderly population. Older adults’ care centers face several difficulties in ensuring support able to address their diverse needs, due to several factors including increasing caregiver shortages, high variability in cognitive and health conditions of elderly, and challenges in delivering personalized interventions to them. Additionally, maintaining elderly engagement during cognitive training is often problematic due to the repetitive and impersonal nature of involved tasks. To address these limitations, we carried out a study investigating the use of a humanoid robot to deliver interactive, personalised serious games based on older adults' personal memories, to enhance relevance and engagement for them. The approach has been evaluated in a trial conducted in a center for older adults, involving users with varying cognitive abilities. Results indicated that such personalised games were well received by them, with a positive impact on their experience.DOI: 10.1109/ro-man63969.2025.11217838
Project(s): SERious gamEs with humanoi robots in cogNItive training
Metrics:
2024
Conference article
Open Access
Train the Brain with SERENI
Catricalà B., Manca M., Paternò F., Santoro C., Zedda E.
One way to address cognitive decline in ageing is the use of serious games delivered through humanoid robots, to provide engaging ways to perform exercises to train memory, attention, processing, and planning activities. We present an approach in which a humanoid robot, by using various modalities, proposes the games in a way personalised to specific individuals’ experiences using their personal memories associated with facts and events that occurred in older adults’ lives. We discuss how such an approach has been deployed in a trial and how we plan to extend it in a new trial.Source: CEUR WORKSHOP PROCEEDINGS, vol. 3794. Arenzano, Italy, 4/06/2024
Project(s): Sereni
Catricalà B., Manca M., Paternò F., Santoro C., Zedda E.
One way to address cognitive decline in ageing is the use of serious games delivered through humanoid robots, to provide engaging ways to perform exercises to train memory, attention, processing, and planning activities. We present an approach in which a humanoid robot, by using various modalities, proposes the games in a way personalised to specific individuals’ experiences using their personal memories associated with facts and events that occurred in older adults’ lives. We discuss how such an approach has been deployed in a trial and how we plan to extend it in a new trial.Source: CEUR WORKSHOP PROCEEDINGS, vol. 3794. Arenzano, Italy, 4/06/2024
Project(s): Sereni
See at:
ceur-ws.org | CNR IRIS | CNR IRIS
2024
Conference article
Open Access
Robots for Humans (RfH 2024) - Embracing human-centred robot design
Cocchella F., Eldardeer O., Manca M., Matarese M., Rezzani A., Zedda E.
The "Robots for Humans" (RfH) workshop bridges the HumanComputer Interaction (HCI) and Human-Robot Interaction (HRI) communities. The workshop encourages methodological exchange and explores theoretical, technical and design solutions in robotics. Join us to explore the intricate bond between humans and robots for thoughtful HRI advancements.DOI: 10.1145/3656650.3660535
Metrics:
Cocchella F., Eldardeer O., Manca M., Matarese M., Rezzani A., Zedda E.
The "Robots for Humans" (RfH) workshop bridges the HumanComputer Interaction (HCI) and Human-Robot Interaction (HRI) communities. The workshop encourages methodological exchange and explores theoretical, technical and design solutions in robotics. Join us to explore the intricate bond between humans and robots for thoughtful HRI advancements.DOI: 10.1145/3656650.3660535
Metrics:
See at:
IRIS Cnr | doi.org | IRIS Cnr | doi.org | CNR IRIS | CNR IRIS
2024
Contribution to book
Open Access
Preface for the 1st edition of the international Robots for Humans (RfH) workshop
Cocchella F., Eldardeer O., Manca M., Mattarese M., Rezzani A., Zedda E.
In recent years, the research field of Human-Robot Interaction has become crucial to understanding and designing the technological future. New methods and approaches in this field are urgently needed to meet the challenges of a rapidly changing landscape. In this workshop, we proposed that the intersection between Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) and HumanRobot Interaction (HRI) offers methodological opportunities while highlighting the new challenges that robot integration into society will face. In this perspective, humans bridge society, computers, and robots. Thus, the workshop proposed reflections on how embracing a human-centred design approach can help prioritise people's empowerment in society and collaborate with robots.Source: CEUR WORKSHOP PROCEEDINGS, vol. Robots for Humans Workshop 2024
Cocchella F., Eldardeer O., Manca M., Mattarese M., Rezzani A., Zedda E.
In recent years, the research field of Human-Robot Interaction has become crucial to understanding and designing the technological future. New methods and approaches in this field are urgently needed to meet the challenges of a rapidly changing landscape. In this workshop, we proposed that the intersection between Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) and HumanRobot Interaction (HRI) offers methodological opportunities while highlighting the new challenges that robot integration into society will face. In this perspective, humans bridge society, computers, and robots. Thus, the workshop proposed reflections on how embracing a human-centred design approach can help prioritise people's empowerment in society and collaborate with robots.Source: CEUR WORKSHOP PROCEEDINGS, vol. Robots for Humans Workshop 2024
See at:
ceur-ws.org | CNR IRIS | CNR IRIS
2024
Other
Open Access
EUD4XR: WP 1 - End-user development methodology
Spano D., Carcangiu A., Mereu J., Manca M., Santoro C., Simeoli L.
Recent advancements in technology, particularly in miniaturization, have contributed to the increasing prevalence of connected smart devices performing various functions across different domains, like home automation, healthcare, wellness, transportation and public safety. These devices are not only able to interact with each other by exchanging information but also to react autonomously to events in the physical world and influence it by performing processes or actions. In parallel, this surge in technology, in conjunction with investments by large companies, has renewed interest in XR applications and devices, e.g. Microsoft HoloLens, Oculus Rift or Meta Quest, from both consumers and researchers. Initially seen as tools for entertainment, these devices have matured, finding applications in various sectors, such as healthcare, aerospace, automotive, retail, and manufacturing. While these technologies have opened up new perspectives, such applications need to effectively address the needs of each potential end-user, or class of end-users, in order to be further confirmed and developed. Depending on the context, managing the needs of users at the design level could be inefficient, and lead to overtime and cost. One possible solution, as happened for example in the publication of web content, is to actively involve end users, intended as domain experts without a programming background, in the development and editing process. By providing easy-to-use and usable tools, we can empower them to customize mixed-reality environments creating interactions that involve real and virtual objects.Project(s): EUD4XR: End-User Development for eXtended Reality
Spano D., Carcangiu A., Mereu J., Manca M., Santoro C., Simeoli L.
Recent advancements in technology, particularly in miniaturization, have contributed to the increasing prevalence of connected smart devices performing various functions across different domains, like home automation, healthcare, wellness, transportation and public safety. These devices are not only able to interact with each other by exchanging information but also to react autonomously to events in the physical world and influence it by performing processes or actions. In parallel, this surge in technology, in conjunction with investments by large companies, has renewed interest in XR applications and devices, e.g. Microsoft HoloLens, Oculus Rift or Meta Quest, from both consumers and researchers. Initially seen as tools for entertainment, these devices have matured, finding applications in various sectors, such as healthcare, aerospace, automotive, retail, and manufacturing. While these technologies have opened up new perspectives, such applications need to effectively address the needs of each potential end-user, or class of end-users, in order to be further confirmed and developed. Depending on the context, managing the needs of users at the design level could be inefficient, and lead to overtime and cost. One possible solution, as happened for example in the publication of web content, is to actively involve end users, intended as domain experts without a programming background, in the development and editing process. By providing easy-to-use and usable tools, we can empower them to customize mixed-reality environments creating interactions that involve real and virtual objects.Project(s): EUD4XR: End-User Development for eXtended Reality
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CNR IRIS | prin.unica.it | CNR IRIS
2024
Book
Restricted
Proceedings of the 1st Workshop on Robots for Humans (RfH 2024), co-located with 17th edition of the Conference on Advanced Visual Interfaces (AVI 2024)
Cocchella F., Eldardeer O., Manca M., Mattarese M., Rezzani A., Zedda E.
In recent years, the research field of Human-Robot Interaction has become crucial to understanding and designing the technological future. New methods and approaches in this field are urgently needed to meet the challenges of a rapidly changing landscape. In this workshop, we proposed that the intersection between Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) and HumanRobot Interaction (HRI) offers methodological opportunities while highlighting the new challenges that robot integration into society will face. In this perspective, humans bridge society, computers, and robots. Thus, the workshop proposed reflections on how embracing a human-centred design approach can help prioritise people's empowerment in society and collaborate with robots. This CEUR-WS volume contains the proceedings of the first edition of the Robots for Humans (RfH) Workshop. The workshop was held on Jun 3rd, 2024, in Arenzano (Italy) during the 17th edition of the Conference on Advanced Visual Interfaces (AVI 2024 https://avi2024.dibris.unige.it/home). It receives contributions from authors from countries such as Italy, Germany and Israel.Source: CEUR WORKSHOP PROCEEDINGS, vol. 3794
Cocchella F., Eldardeer O., Manca M., Mattarese M., Rezzani A., Zedda E.
In recent years, the research field of Human-Robot Interaction has become crucial to understanding and designing the technological future. New methods and approaches in this field are urgently needed to meet the challenges of a rapidly changing landscape. In this workshop, we proposed that the intersection between Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) and HumanRobot Interaction (HRI) offers methodological opportunities while highlighting the new challenges that robot integration into society will face. In this perspective, humans bridge society, computers, and robots. Thus, the workshop proposed reflections on how embracing a human-centred design approach can help prioritise people's empowerment in society and collaborate with robots. This CEUR-WS volume contains the proceedings of the first edition of the Robots for Humans (RfH) Workshop. The workshop was held on Jun 3rd, 2024, in Arenzano (Italy) during the 17th edition of the Conference on Advanced Visual Interfaces (AVI 2024 https://avi2024.dibris.unige.it/home). It receives contributions from authors from countries such as Italy, Germany and Israel.Source: CEUR WORKSHOP PROCEEDINGS, vol. 3794
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ceur-ws.org | CNR IRIS | CNR IRIS
2023
Conference article
Open Access
Towards adaptation of humanoid robot behaviour in serious game scenarios using reinforcement learning
Zedda E, Manca M, Paternò F
Repetitive cognitive training can be seen as tedious by older adults and cause participants to drop out. Humanoid robots can be exploited to reduce boredom and the cognitive burden in playing serious games as part of cognitive training. In this paper, an adaptive technique to select the best actions for a robot is proposed to maintain the attention level of elderly users during a serious game. The goal is to create a strategy to adapt the robot's behaviour to stimulate the user to remain attentive through reinforcement learning. Specifically, a learning algorithm (QL) has been applied to obtain the best adaptation strategy for the selection of the robot's actions. The robot's actions consist of a combination of verbal and nonverbal interaction aspects. We have applied this approach to the behaviour of a Pepper robot for which two possible personalities have been defined. Each personality is exhibited by performing specific actions in the various modalities supported. Simulation results indicate learning convergence and seem promising to validate the effectiveness of the obtained strategy. Preliminary test results with three participants suggest that the adaption in the robot is perceived.Source: CEUR WORKSHOP PROCEEDINGS, pp. 93-99. Florence, Italy, 16/12/2022
Zedda E, Manca M, Paternò F
Repetitive cognitive training can be seen as tedious by older adults and cause participants to drop out. Humanoid robots can be exploited to reduce boredom and the cognitive burden in playing serious games as part of cognitive training. In this paper, an adaptive technique to select the best actions for a robot is proposed to maintain the attention level of elderly users during a serious game. The goal is to create a strategy to adapt the robot's behaviour to stimulate the user to remain attentive through reinforcement learning. Specifically, a learning algorithm (QL) has been applied to obtain the best adaptation strategy for the selection of the robot's actions. The robot's actions consist of a combination of verbal and nonverbal interaction aspects. We have applied this approach to the behaviour of a Pepper robot for which two possible personalities have been defined. Each personality is exhibited by performing specific actions in the various modalities supported. Simulation results indicate learning convergence and seem promising to validate the effectiveness of the obtained strategy. Preliminary test results with three participants suggest that the adaption in the robot is perceived.Source: CEUR WORKSHOP PROCEEDINGS, pp. 93-99. Florence, Italy, 16/12/2022
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ceur-ws.org | CNR IRIS | ISTI Repository | CNR IRIS
2023
Conference article
Open Access
An environment to collect personal memories of older adults and use them to personalise serious games with humanoid robots
Catricalà B., Ledda M., Manca M., Paternò F., Santoro C., Zedda E.
One of the goals of Ambient Assisted Living (AAL) solutions is to be able to stimulate the cognitive resources of older adults. An innovative way to address such stimulation is the use of serious games delivered through humanoid robots, as they can provide an engaging way to perform exercises useful for training human memory, attention, processing, and planning activities. This paper presents an approach to supporting cognitive stimulation based on personal memories. The humanoid robot can exhibit different behaviours using various modalities, and propose the games in a way personalised to specific individuals' requirements, preferences, abilities, and motivations, which can vary among older adults, and even dynamically evolve over time for the same person depending on changing user needs and health conditions. Using personal memories associated with facts and events thatoccurred in older adults life in the serious games can increase their engagement, and thus potentially reduce the cognitive training drop-out.Source: CEUR WORKSHOP PROCEEDINGS, pp. 44-54. Florence, Italy, 16/12/2022
Catricalà B., Ledda M., Manca M., Paternò F., Santoro C., Zedda E.
One of the goals of Ambient Assisted Living (AAL) solutions is to be able to stimulate the cognitive resources of older adults. An innovative way to address such stimulation is the use of serious games delivered through humanoid robots, as they can provide an engaging way to perform exercises useful for training human memory, attention, processing, and planning activities. This paper presents an approach to supporting cognitive stimulation based on personal memories. The humanoid robot can exhibit different behaviours using various modalities, and propose the games in a way personalised to specific individuals' requirements, preferences, abilities, and motivations, which can vary among older adults, and even dynamically evolve over time for the same person depending on changing user needs and health conditions. Using personal memories associated with facts and events thatoccurred in older adults life in the serious games can increase their engagement, and thus potentially reduce the cognitive training drop-out.Source: CEUR WORKSHOP PROCEEDINGS, pp. 44-54. Florence, Italy, 16/12/2022
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ceur-ws.org | CNR IRIS | ISTI Repository | CNR IRIS
2023
Other
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Modifiche piattaforma MAUVE++ per realizzare il monitoraggio nazionale dell'accessibilità di marzo 2023
Iannuzzi N., Manca M., Paternò F., Santoro C.
In questa nota riportiamo le principali modifiche effettuate alla piattaforma MAUVE+ per poter effetuare il monitoraggio nazionale dei siti web delle pubbliche amministrazioni di Marzo 2023, che è stato reso pubblico tramite la dashboard dell'accessibilità
Iannuzzi N., Manca M., Paternò F., Santoro C.
In questa nota riportiamo le principali modifiche effettuate alla piattaforma MAUVE+ per poter effetuare il monitoraggio nazionale dei siti web delle pubbliche amministrazioni di Marzo 2023, che è stato reso pubblico tramite la dashboard dell'accessibilità
2023
Conference article
Open Access
An adaptive behaviour-based strategy for SARs interacting with older adults with MCI during a serious game scenario
Zedda E., Manca M., Paternò F., Santoro C.
The monotonous nature of repetitive cognitive training may cause losing interest in it and dropping out by older adults. This study introduces an adaptive technique that enables a Socially Assistive Robot (SAR) to select the most appropriate actions to maintain the engagement level of older adults while they play the serious game in cognitive training. The goal is to develop an adaptation strategy for changing the robot's behaviour that uses reinforcement learning to encourage the user to remain engaged. A reinforcement learning algorithm was implemented to determine the most effective adaptation strategy for the robot's actions, encompassing verbal and nonverbal interactions. The simulation results demonstrate that the learning algorithm achieved convergence and offers promising evidence to validate the strategy's effectiveness.DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.2305.01492
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Zedda E., Manca M., Paternò F., Santoro C.
The monotonous nature of repetitive cognitive training may cause losing interest in it and dropping out by older adults. This study introduces an adaptive technique that enables a Socially Assistive Robot (SAR) to select the most appropriate actions to maintain the engagement level of older adults while they play the serious game in cognitive training. The goal is to develop an adaptation strategy for changing the robot's behaviour that uses reinforcement learning to encourage the user to remain engaged. A reinforcement learning algorithm was implemented to determine the most effective adaptation strategy for the robot's actions, encompassing verbal and nonverbal interactions. The simulation results demonstrate that the learning algorithm achieved convergence and offers promising evidence to validate the strategy's effectiveness.DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.2305.01492
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See at:
arxiv.org | CNR IRIS | ISTI Repository | CNR IRIS