Communications of the ACM
Authentication Solutions Explored for People with Upper Extremity Impairments
URI Ph.D. student Brittany Lewis (left) and Computer Science Professor Krishna Venkatasubramanian interviewed eight people with upper extremity impairments.
Credit: University of Rhode Island
Backed by a three-year, $516,000 grant from the U.S. National Science Foundation, Krishna Venkatasubramanian, an assistant professor of computer science at the University of Rhode Island, is researching computer authentication problems faced by people with upper extremity impairment with a goal of developing software that allows users to more easily access their devices. Venkatasubramanian is collaborating with TechACCESS of Rhode Island, which provides assistive technology services for people with disabilities.
There is little research on the experiences and needs of users with upper extremity impairments, which can affect the range of motion, strength, endurance, and accuracy in the movement of an individual's shoulders, arms, hands, and fingers, Venkatasubramanian said.
Second-year Ph.D. student Brittany Lewis has been working on the project. A research paper on their work has been accepted for publication at the 2021 ACM CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems.
Venkatasubramanian is looking at a variety of solutions that would leverage assistive technologies commonly used by people with upper extremity impairment.
His team is testing eye-gaze trackers with test subjects to aid direct password or PIN entry or for use in biometrics, including exploring that number-pad layout that works best. The project is also looking at ways for users to share log-in credentials with caregivers, which was mentioned by several people interviewed by the researchers.
"We're allowing the community to guide us to what is important," he said.
From University of Rhode Island
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