Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC) in its robotics lab in Santa Clara, California is working to provide better smartphones, tablets and laptops by making the gadgets more touch-sensitive, says a report from CNBC by Mark Berniker. The engineers and computer scientists at the facility are working to make the experience even better.
Intel using robots to enhance user experience
To materialize the plan, the chipmaker is working with some of the heavyweight phone and computer manufacturers, as well as other consumer electronics companies. Intel, for security reasons, has not yet revealed any information and companies with which it is collaborating.
Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC) is extensively using its robotics to bring down the cost considerably in product testing with hundreds of beta users. A group of psychologists prepare questions for the focus group on which testing is to be conducted. The questions framed in the questionnaire include; “how does your phone feel next to your ear?” “Do you like the swiping action on your tablet?” and “Are you satisfied with your laptop’s scrolling action?”
The answers of the focus group are saved into the computer memory of robot, which in turn conducts many tests on what people like and don’t like in their smartphones, steering various measurement and analysis of eye and hand movements.
The numerical scores collected from these experiments are converted into a rating between one and five to find out the features users want to see in the touch interface.
Different robots serve different objectives
A robot named Oculus is an expert in analyzing the look and feel of the smartphone or tablet experience. Oculus, which is a Latin word for an eye, has its hands full and faces constantly evolving challenges, according to Matt Dunford, a worker in Intel’s robotic lab.
“Consumers see their friends with a new device and feel like it’s way better than the one they have,” he said. “Now their expectations are up here, even though the device they own is down here.”
Another robot Andy or Auditus performs its functions in a soundproof room within the lab analyzing the phone’s audio clarity. The tests are being conducted on how the sound travels through the network to the phone and to the ear.
