The American Voice and Robotics" Guardian" System: A Case Study in User Interface Usability Evaluation

American Voice and Robotics (AVR), in conjunction with the Maryland Industrial Partnerships(MIPS) program, contracted the Human-Computer Interaction Laboratory (HCIL) to evaluate
the user interface of AVR's "Guardian"home automation system. Among their goals for the
system were:Ease of use and learning of the system (intuitiveness), Aesthetic appeal,
Unintimidating, Impressive, High Functionality, Fast and accurate input of useraction, Clear
feedback, Forgiving to errors, and Fun to use. Researchers found that users were initially
impressed with the system, but that they were not fully satisfied with it. Specific initial
recommendations, theoretical and methodological concerns, procedures, results, and
direction of future research will be discussed.