Written on November 3, 2008 – 2:32 pm | by Maria Mihale |

Futuristic handsets are most of the times aimed at the general public, but there are a few niche products designed for the enlightened minds of scientists, who mustn’t be forgotten. One such device is the FieldCREW User Research Concept Platform, meant for observation of the user interaction, which was designed and developed by Rob Tennen and his team at the Bressler Group, where he is Director of Research.

The device was shown at the Design Research Conference (DRC2008) where Tannen presented on the topic of user research technologies what’s currently in use and some of the newer tools that can be applied to research. One of the key points he found most important and chose to debate was the lack of tools that are specifically and intentionally designed around the needs of user researchers with respect to data gathering, analysis and communication of findings. Trying to address that need, Rob Tannen joined the design team at Bressler Group on creating this concept user research technology platform.

FieldCREW is primarily targeted at improving data collection efficiency, particularly when studying complex, multi-dimensional work situations such as surgery in an operating room or a construction crew. On the other hand, the device gathers a number of “near-future” technologies to support user research in two contexts: when a researcher is working by him/herself and needs to play the role of both note-taker and videographer and when a team of observers is working together and needs a way to synchronize their observations around multiple events.



The Workstation consists of the table and several wireless data gathering components: wireless, remotely controlled tracking video cameras for audio and video recording, handheld wireless taggers that allow each observer to tag key events of their choosing for later review – tagging is synched to a common timeline on the tablet and subvocalization sensor that allows the researcher to silently dictate notes which are automatically transcribed to text and stored on the tablet.

On the other hand, the tablet manages and receives data from these wireless components and provides components including: video notation (id est telestrator) for annotation of events as they happen, speech-to-text translation of recorded audio (and subvocalizations), access to stored and online project research reference materials, built-in storage and recharging for wireless components and synchronization of all input sources (video, tagging, notes) for streamlined analysis.

Scientists will surely be grateful for such a device, so the next time they say “note to self: the subject is not behaving well”, they will address these words to the FieldCREW tablet.

(Source concept-phones.com)