Home page for YehyaMohamad http://access.fit.fraunhofer.de

Yehya Mohamad has a Diploma Degree in Computer Science (Technical University of Berlin 1986). He is currently a senior researcher at the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Information Technology (FIT). Since 1987, Mr. Mohamad has held several positions in Industry and Research Centers. Before joining FIT, he was employed in the following companies and institutes: Free University of Berlin, Institute of Logistics and Economics in Bremen, Port and Transport Consulting Bremen, BLG Data Services Bremen and Medical Faculty at the University of Bonn. Key working areas include: Systems Analysis, software development and Web technologies. He has been a team member in many German and European R&D projects.

In the Area of emotions my main focus is on the development of therapeutical training systems for children:

Recent psychological research demonstrates, that children with cognitive disorders can clearly benefit by special training of meta-memory strategies. Though up to now this kind of memory training requires a specialized coach who performs an individual motivational support.

Animated Pedagogical Agents (APAs) that inhabit interactive training environments can exhibit lifelike behaviours. APAs combined with adaptive user interfaces opens up new perspectives in realizing individual tele-therapeutical systems.

As a consequence we started to develop a tele-medical Training system that is primarily based on the concept of Animated Pedagogical Agents (TAPA). These agents are able to impart and coach memory strategies in a very suitable way to children. In addition to provide problem-solving advice in response to children's activities, TAPA may also be able to play a powerful motivational role.

• TAPA will be employed to attract the child's focus of attention and pursuing goals in the training environment.
• TAPA will adapt its behaviour as needed in response to unexpected events.
• TAPA can respond to a child with a human-like combination of verbal communication and non-verbal gestures such as gaze, pointing, body stance, and head nods.
• And finally TAPA is able to convey emotions such as surprise, approval, or disappointment.

We focus our project on the following aspects:

1. Emotional Agents
2. Basics of meaningful Agent - User Interaction using Interpersonal Perception Method (IPM)

3. Adaptivity:

   • User Model
   • Domain Model

On the other side Adaptive User Interfaces are seen as a critical success factor in the development of training and learning systems. Adaptive interfaces have been based on an approach consisting of user and device profiles. Recently, personality and mental states have been added and are used in research projects to expand the reliability and context awareness of such systems. This approach enhances adaptive usage of training and therapeutic systems. The developed system effectively combines biofeedback sensors and a set of software algorithms to estimate the current motivation/frustration level of the user. Based on this concept, it will be possible to develop narrative training and therapeutic systems, which could adapt to the motivation level of the user and focus her attention on the fulfilment of the current task.

Emotion recognition through the combination of non-intrusive biofeedback sensors and stochastic algorithms has increased the chances for the development of new advanced systems in many areas like e-learning and entertainment. The use of this technology improves Human-Computer Interaction by complementing existing interaction models. The research area of recognition and integration of emotions into computer systems is an interdisciplinary topic. In particular, we foresee an impact on interface agents, story-telling systems, neuropsychological emotion theory, e-learning, user profiling techniques, sensors and biofeedback systems.

Publications:

• Velasco C A, Mohamad Y, Gilman A S, Viorres N, Vlachogiannis E, Arnellos A, Darzentas J S (2003). Universal Access to Information Services - the Need for User Information and its Relationship to Device Profiles. Universal Access in the Information Society, erscheint in Kürze.

Jahr 2003

• Mohamad Y, Velasco C A (2003). A conceptual model to support device-independent and accessible authoring and publishing by a next generation Web Publishing Framework. Erscheint in Kürze: Proceedings of the 10th International Conference on Human - Computer Interaction (Crete, Greece, June 2003).
• Mohamad Y, Velasco C A, Tebarth H, Berlage T (2003). Building Adaptive Training and Therapeutic Systems by Considering the User's Affective States. Erscheint in Kürze: Proceedings of the 10th International Conference on Human - Computer Interaction (Crete, Greece, June 2003).
• Viorres N, Koutsabasis P, Arnellos A, Darzentas J S, Velasco C A, Mohamad Y, Spyrou T, Darzentas J (2003). An Approach for Personalisation and Content Adaptation for Accessible Internet Services Based on User and Device Profiles. Erscheint in Kürze: Proceedings of the 10th International Conference on Human - Computer Interaction (Kreta, Greece, June 2003).
• Mohamad Y, Velasco C A (2003). IDCnet - A thematic network for Inclusive Design Curricula: aims and objectives. Erscheint in Kürze: Proceedings of the 10th International Conference on Human - Computer Interaction (Crete, Greece, June 2003).
• Mohamad Y, Gappa H, Nordbrock G, Stegemann D, Velasco C A (2003). BIKA - Competence Center Barrier-Free Information and Communication Technologies for All. Erscheint in Kürze: Proceedings of the 10th International Conference on Human - Computer Interaction (Creta, Greece, June 2003).
• Nordbrock G, Gappa H, Velasco C A, Mohamad Y (2003). Accessibility and usability issues of Internet Portals. Proceedings of CSUN 2003 International Conference «Technology and Persons with Disabilities» (Los Angeles, 2003). California State University Northridge: Northridge. Verfügbar unter: http://www.csun.edu/cod/conf/2003/proceedings/322.htm

Jahr 2002

• Mohamad Y, Hammer S, Haverkamp F, Nöker M, Tebarth H (2002). Evaluational Study: Training with Animated Pedagogical Agents. Miesenberger K, Klaus J, Zagler W (Hrsg.): Proceedings of the 8th International Conference Computer Helping People with Special Needs, ICCHP 2002, Linz, Austria, July 15-20, 2002, LNCS, p. 117. Springer-Verlag: Berlin.
• Mohamad Y, Velasco C A (2002). Supporting device independent and accessible authoring by a next generation Web Publishing Framework. Proceedings of the W3C Workshop on Device Independent Authoring Techniques (St. Leon-Rot, Germany, September 2002). Verfügbar unter: http://www.w3.org/2002/07/DIAT/presn/fraunhofer.html
• Velasco C A, Mohamad Y (2002). Web Services and User/Device Profiling for Accessible Internet Services Provision. Proceedings of CSUN's Seventeenth Annual International Conference «Technology and Persons with Disabilities» (Los Angeles, 2002). California State University Northridge: Northridge. Verfügbar unter: http://www.csun.edu/cod/conf/2002/proceedings/217.htm
• Velasco C A, Mohamad Y, Gappa H, Nordbrock G, Pieper M, Darzentas J, Darzentas J S, Koutsabasis P, Spyrou T (2002). IRIS: Toward An Environment That Supports Internet Design For All. Disability Group, British Computer Society (Hrsg.), Proceedings of International Conference on Assistive Technology (ICAT 2002, 24th-25th April, Pride Park Stadium, Derby, UK), pp. 1-7 (2002, ISBN 1-902505-47-6).

Jahr 2001

• Koutsabasis P, Darzentas J S, Spyrou T, Velasco C A, Mohamad Y, Darzentas J (2001). Towards an Environment that Supports Internet Design for All. Avouris N, Fakotakis N (Hrsg.), Advances in Human-computer Interaction (Proceedings of PC-HCI 2001), pp. 281-286 (Patras, Griechenland, 2001, ISBN 960-762018-6).
• Mohamad Y, Tebarth H (2001). Evaluation in the Development of a tele-medical Training System. In: Stephanidis C (Hrsg.), Universal Access in HCI, Towards an Information Society for All (Vol. 3 of the Proceedings of HCI International, New Orleans, U.S.A.), pp. 836-839. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates: New Jersey (ISBN 0-8058-3609-8).

Jahr 2000

• Tebarth H, Mohamad Y, Pieper M (2000). Cognitive Training by Animated Pedagogical Agents (TAPA) - Development of a Tele-Medical System for Memory Improvement in Children with Epilepsy. In: Emiliani P L, Stephanidis C (Hrsg.), Proceedings of the 6th ERCIM Workshop on User interfaces for All (Florence, 2000).