MHNSS: um Middleware para o Desenvolvimento de Aplicações Móveis com Interações Baseada na Fala

Abstract

Applications for mobile computing environments usually have several accessibility limitations due to the dependency on the interaction with the user through the device display, which hinders its use to people who have limitations to read, write (type) and/or have little fluency in the use of technology. In this master thesis we propose a middleware that provides support for developing mobile applications with accessibility features through spoken dialogue systems. These systems are able to hold a conversation with the user, providing a natural interaction interface that does not require prior learning. Thus, mobile applications can use the middleware to provide accessibility to the user that overcomes the physical or visual contact needs. The proposed middleware was developed in the context of the MobileHealthNet project, where it will help mobile applications with focus in the health domain to reach users with different profiles, with particular attention to underserved and remote communities. To perform the middleware evaluation, we used a case study based on a mobile application for evaluating the health condition of patients with atrial fibrillation. The evaluation involved 10 individuals, and the results obtained were very positive.