Jun HU :: HU, Jun

Rui Wang et al.

Physical separation between family members arises not only from life choices such as education and employment, but also from health-related constraints that limit physical co-presence. This paper presents StepsConnect, a real-time step-sensing-based ambient display system that transforms personal walking data into dynamic digital art, providing low-effort and non-intrusive presence cues for family members living apart. The system continuously captures step data via smartphones and renders them as spatial and embodied visual cues embedded in everyday environments. We conducted a 90 min laboratory study with 15 young adult–parent dyads, in which young adults engaged in a simulated work session while viewing real-time visualizations of their parents’ step activity. Young adults’ perceived connectedness was measured using the Inclusion of Other in the Self (IOS) scale and complemented with semi-structured interviews, while parents’ walking data were logged to provide an objective behavioral reference. Quantitative results indicated modest and heterogeneous changes in IOS scores at the group level, with individual variability across participants. Qualitative findings suggested that step-based visualizations primarily functioned as ambient reminders and cues of presence, supporting momentary relational awareness while remaining calm and non-intrusive within the workspace context. Walking data exhibited large variation across dyads, providing objective context for participants’ subjective experience of presence, although connectedness was not simply proportional to activity magnitude. The findings suggest that aesthetic step-based ambient visualization primarily supports momentary relational awareness rather than immediate shifts in stable closeness. By clarifying this distinction, the study advances understanding of how sensing-based digital art may function as a complementary presence layer in intergenerational contexts.

Shanshan Chen et al.

Digital sleep diaries are widely used in clinical practice and research to monitor children’s subjective sleep quality. A well-known limitation of survey methods is that children may not provide high-quality responses because they cannot or are not motivated to do so. We examine how to design “live”, continuous feedback in voice-based sleep diaries in order to enhance the quality of children’s responses. In a co-design workshop, we explored children’s preferences for different forms of feedback. We designed and compared experimentally symbolic (smiley), numeric, and no-feedback conditions, showing that both feedback types improved response quality across questions. Finally, an eight-day field study revealed that feedback resulted in higher and more consistent quality in self-report over time. Across these three studies, children valued playful and clear feedback, with preferences shifting depending on their cognitive needs. Our findings provide evidence that effective feedback must balance affective engagement and cognitive clarity and adapt to different contexts. We contribute empirically supported design insights for creating child-centered voice-based surveys that aim to enhance children’s adherence in independent self-report surveys. Our recommendations based on the study of sleep diaries can potentially be applied in other areas using voice-based surveys.

Shanshan Chen et al.

Children’s self-report is essential for research, education, and healthcare, yet existing methods such as surveys and diaries can be experienced as tedious and so lead to disengagement and low-quality responses. Chatbots have been suggested as a way to support children through conversational interaction, using age-appropriate language and an empathetic tone. Here we explore what could be suitable conversational styles for such chatbots. Specifically, we explore rhyme as a child-centered conversational style. We first conducted a co-design workshop with 35 children, which revealed preferences for short, playful, and soothing conversational patterns. Building on these insights, we designed a voice-based sleep diary in rhyming style and compared it to a prose style in a within-subjects study involving 40 children aged 8-12. Results show that rhyming prompts significantly improved response quality across question types and age groups, while maintaining high engagement even among children who preferred the prose style. We contribute proof-of-concept empirical evidence and design insights demonstrating how phonological scaffolding exemplified through rhyme extends the design space of capability-adapted chatbots beyond semantic simplification alone. While limited to short-term, lab-based sessions, this work provides initial evidence that conversational style can function as a design lever.

By Jing Li et. al.

Exergaming interventions have been shown to improve physical and cognitive functions in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). However, designing exergames specifically targeting the motor and social skills of children with ASD remains an important open area. To address this gap, we developed WonderFish, a social exergame incorporating bodily interplay theory explicitly developed and designed to engage children with ASD alongside their parents. This paper presents the design and evaluation of WonderFish across four game modes, assessing its impact on children’s motor and social skills, parent-child interactions, and user experience with eight pairs of children with ASD and their parents. We conducted qualitative and quantitative analyses, including game scores, physiological data, behavioral observations, surveys, and interviews. The results indicate that the game mechanism effectively elicited targeted motor and social behaviors during parent–child collaboration across the different modes. However, while parent-child dyads showed high levels of engagement, their interaction dynamics varied notably between the four modes.

by Tianqin Lu et al.

The global incidence of chronic diseases is rising, posing substantial social and economic challenges. These conditions necessitate effective long-term self-care, which can be supported by digital interventions using remote measurement technologies, like smartphones and wearables. This systematic review investigates the motivational strategies within digital technologies to improve self-care adherence for chronic illnesses, particularly cardiovascular diseases and diabetes mellitus. A literature search was conducted, focusing on studies from 2004 to 2024. A total of 17 studies met the inclusion criteria. The reviewed interventions targeted medication adherence, lifestyle modifications, and symptom tracking. Findings suggest that motivational strategies, such as feedback, health literacy, reminders, and motivational messages, goal-setting, social interaction, gamification, and rewards can improve patient adherence to self-care behaviors. However, their effectiveness relies on theoretical grounding, data-driven features, and personalization. Future research should prioritize integrating robust theories and developing standardized metrics for adherence to enhance the reliability and impact of digital interventions.