VIPR

Older adults, people ages 65 and older, may face challenges in being active members of society due to potential physical and mental limitations as they age. Our research looks for ways to improve the agency and engagement of older adults. With an inclusive design approach, we investigate how existing and future technology can be improved to serve the needs of older adults, such as examining the way autonomous vehicles can be designed to support older adult needs.

Accessibility: Older Adults

An inclusive society is one where people from all backgrounds can engage equally in all activities and endeavors. However, that is not the case, in particular for people with disabilities. Research conducted in this branch examines the barriers limiting people with disabilities from participating in society, what needs to be addressed, and how to design and develop technology for their benefit.

Our research will engage Black-identifying undergraduate students. There is a considerable gap  in the participation of Black students in research vs. their White counterparts, especially in  doctoral programs. According to the Pew Center, Black students accounted for only 7% of  research doctorates in Computer Science during the 2017-2018 year vs. 60% for White  students and 13% for Asian students [1]. According to the 2020 Taulbee Survey, Black students  represent only 1.7% of new Ph.D. students in Computer and Information Science and  Engineering (CISE) fields, vs. 64.9% of Non-resident Alien students and 21.2% White students  [2]. From the same survey, only 1.4% of CISE PhDs were awarded to Black students vs. 64.6%  for Non-resident Alien students and 22% for White students. Hence, it is critical to focus efforts  to improve Black students’ participation in computing research

Clemson Computing, Inclusion, And Identity Program (CCII)

Games and other media, such as virtual reality (VR) can serve as a source of entertainment; however, this may not hold true for all people. Our research focuses on examining the factors that may limit or deny people from fully engaging in games and other media and how such factors can be improved to make them more inclusive. Social media plays a considerable role in connecting people from across the world. However, many social networking sites may not be designed in a way that encourages participation of all people. Our projects explore the motivation, challenges, interactions at different stages, and experiences  of using social media by different populations to inform their design to improve accessibility and inclusivity of people, regardless of their ability.

Research For Social Good: Games And Other Media

As Autonomous Vehicle (AV) technology transitions from the realm of science fiction to reality, the benefits of this technology have become ever more broadly discussed. Our research aims to make substantial contributions centered around the design of AVs and supportive technologies for AVs and how they can benefit all future consumers, especially those who cannot operate conventional vehicles, such as older adults and people with disabilities.

Transportation: Autonomous Vehicles

While an autonomous vehicle can be compartmentalized down to its ability to transport a person from point A to point B safely, this is not the only important aspect of the vehicle. How should a user communicate with the autonomous vehicle? What is the best design for the vehicle’s interior and exterior? How do SAE Level 3 and Level 4 autonomous vehicles and riders share the driving tasks? These questions switch the focus from autonomous vehicle technology and center it on the human.

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