Our voice and hands are doing much more these days than chit-chatting with friends and typing on the computer. Through new technologies being developed by companies in the eWeek-designated “blooming tech community” of Orlando, interactive voice systems are operating military aircraft and allowing soldiers to easily communicate in Iraq, while fingerprint ID software is providing security measures for our nation’s port workers and to average citizens. And, these tech innovations point to an even bigger picture … human factors research & development (that is, studying how humans relate to and interact with technology) has taken off in the past few years. Leading work in this field is happening at the University of Central Florida.

From A to V
Four Orlando-area companies are leading the voice and touch tech charge:

Adacel. The company established its North American headquarters in Orlando and is an industry leader in aviation speech recognition technology, software integration and simulation. Recently, Adacel was selected by Boeing to provide a Voice Activated cockpit interface to be used in human factors R&D studies for the AH-64 Apache attack helicopter. This system will provide the pilot and weapons system operator with the capability to interact with avionics functions using voice commands as an alternative to manual input. And, it has the potential to significantly optimize the work load of the Apache crew, allowing more focus on the mission and less time on aircraft administration. www.adacel.com

ID Solutions. Just last year, four-year-old ID Solutions was awarded a contract from the Transportation Security Agency to supply sophisticated fingerprint ID software to help the agency eliminate fraudulent or duplicate credentials among the nation’s 850,000 port workers. The company provides highly accurate, scalable, and cost-effective credentialing solutions including secure access, voter registration, registered traveler, and border and immigration programs in the US and around the world. www.id-sol.com

Sequiam. If Sequiam CEO Nick VandenBrekel isn’t at your front door yet, he will be soon. The company is a major player in biometric security and has designed a biometric lock for your front door. Just swipe your finger over the sensor and you’re in. A partnership between Sequiam and lock company Kwikset, a division of Black & Decker, will put biometric security — once the province of Homeland Security applications — literally in the hands of the average consumer and is currently marketed at Home Depot. “We think about it not just from the security standpoint, but also about convenience,” VandenBrekel emphasizes. “Think about not having to carry keys. At some point in the near future most, if not all, of human transactional behavior will be authenticated through biology.” Sequiam is not only on the ground floor of a growing industry that’s projected to reach $8 billion by 2009, it built a big piece of that floor.

Vcom3D. The VCommunicator Mobile LC is the latest tech gadget aiding our military. Through a recent contract awarded by the Army, hundreds of these iPod-based tools are already in the hands of our soldiers, allowing them to communicate in Iraqi Arabic and Kurdish on mission-specific issues. And the timing couldn’t be better as there is a severe shortage of translators in Iraq. Soldiers can either use it to learn the languages themselves or to project the recorded voice phrases. It also includes virtual characters speaking the phrases and video animations of culturally appropriate gestures. Not bad for a company that started exclusively to assist the deaf and hard of hearing. www.vcom3d.com

University of Central Florida Leads Human Factors R&D Work
The University of Central Florida, now the sixth largest university in the country, has noted researchers and scientists, maintains a dozen applied experimental and human factors research laboratories, and boasts recognized masters and PhD degree programs in clinical, industrial/organizational psychology and human factors. Among its most prominent and industry-leading human factors labs are:

• the Center for Applied Human Factors in Aviation
• Team Performance Lab
• the Institute for Simulation and Training’s Media Convergence Lab
• Center for Advanced Transportation Systems Simulation, and
• Minds in Technology/Machines in Thought.

Focus areas of human factors research include visual information processing, spatial awareness, performance measurement, judgment and prediction, and communications.

Noted UCF research scientists, psychologists, engineers and students are currently involved in research dealing with: improving pilot training; enhancing the design, operation and safety of transportation systems; reviewing the dynamics of a complex visual search task such as screening luggage; examining the relationships between soldiers and robots; and looking at stress and soldier performance.

Playing off of the region’s international reputation as a hub for the simulation industry, UCF also took the lead in another research area. An interactive simulator known as the ‘StoryBox’ is being developed at UCF. This project, which will allow students to experience ethical and critical thinking dilemmas, is part of a national initiative to instill personal and social responsibility among college students. UCF is leading the first phase of this Association of American Colleges and Universities initiative. It is one of only 18 universities in the country selected to participate. For more, visit http://psychology.cos.ucf.edu/labs_index.php.