Wireless ranging for contactless cognitive load inference in ubiquitous computing

Pejović, Veljko (author), Matkovič, Tilen (author), Ciglarič, Mojca (author)

Untimely interaction in critical moments, content that does not capture a user’s attention, and missed opportunities for delivering relevant information are just some of the issues caused by ubiquitous computing devices’ inability to understand their users cognitive engagement. However, current means of inferring cognitive load are, with a few exceptions, based on intrusive methods requiring physical contact of the measurement equipment and the user, thus of limited applicability in ubiquitous computing. In this paper we propose Wi-Mind, a system for remote cognitive load assessment through wireless sensing. Wi-Mind is based on a software-defined radio radar that measures sub-millimeter movements related to a person’s breathing and heart beats, which, in turn allows us to infer the person’s cognitive load. We built and tested the system with 23 volunteers engaged in different tasks. Initial results show that while Wi-Mind manages to detect whether one is engaged in a cognitively demanding task, the inference of the exact cognitive load level remains challenging.

• Language: English
• Keywords: cognitive load, software-defined radio, machine learning
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: FRI - Faculty of Computer and Information Science
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2021
• Number of pages: Str. 1849-1873
• Numbering: Vol. 37, no. 19
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-141156
• UDC: 004
• ISSN on article: 1044-7318
• DOI: 10.1080/10447318.2021.1913860
• COBISS.SI-ID: 62110979
• Publication date in RUL: 23.09.2022

PEJOVIĆ, Veljko, MATKOVIČ, Tilen and CIGLARIČ, Mojca, 2021, Wireless ranging for contactless cognitive load inference in ubiquitous computing. International journal of human-computer interaction [online]. 2021. Vol. 37, no. 19, p. 1849–1873. [Accessed 26 April 2025]. DOI 10.1080/10447318.2021.1913860. Retrieved from: https://repozitorij.uni-lj.si/IzpisGradiva.php?lang=eng&id=141156

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: International journal of human-computer interaction
• Shortened title: Int. j. hum.-comput. interact.
• Publisher: Taylor & Francis
• ISSN: 1044-7318
• COBISS.SI-ID: 683029

Licences

• License: CC BY-NC-ND 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
• Description: The most restrictive Creative Commons license. This only allows people to download and share the work for no commercial gain and for no other purposes.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: kognitivna obremenjenost, programski radio, strojno učenje

Projects

• Funder: ARRS - Slovenian Research Agency
• Project number: P2-0098
• Name: Računalniške strukture in sistemi

• Funder: ARRS - Slovenian Research Agency
• Project number: N2-0136
• Name: Povečanje učinkovitosti uporabe virov na pametnih telefonih s pomočjo približnega računanja