Research Interests
I develop technology that is rooted in real world problems and is constrained by pre-existing human behaviors. My research goal is to develop technology that automatically adapts to existing human behaviors based on unobtrusive detection of human actions. My approach includes using qualitative research methods to analyze a current environment, design and build technology that fits within the constraints of that environment, and finally evaluate this technology in the real world with target users. This work sits at the intersection of assistive technology, context aware computing, and interaction design.

I am passionate about solving current social problems with technology. My dissertation focused on improving computer access for individuals with disabilities and the elderly by studying their pointing ability. Specifically, I developed tools to automatically assess their pointing use during everyday computer tasks. Improving computer access for these individuals is important because it can provide them with many new professional, social, and education opportunities.

Since Joining UMBC, I have started researching Do It Yourself (DIY) Assistive Technology opportunities and how we can empower people to build accessibility and assistive technology solutions that meet their needs.

CV [PDF]

PhD Dissertation [PDF]

Research Opportunities! [PDF]

Publications: [Assistive Technology] [Design] [Computer Vision Applications] [Mobile Devices]

Assistive Technology Research

• Do It Yourself (DIY) Assistive Technology
  • C. Brown and A. Hurst. 2012. VizTouch: automatically generated tactile visualizations of coordinate spaces. In Proceedings of the Sixth International Conference on Tangible, Embedded and Embodied Interaction (TEI '12), Stephen N. Spencer (Ed.). ACM, New York, NY, USA, 131-138.
  • A. Hurst and J. Tobias Empowering Individuals with Do-It-Yourself Assistive Technology. in proc. ACM SIGCHI Conf. on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS) ACM, New York, NY, USA, 11-18. [PDF]
• Automatically Adapting Interfaces to User Needs
  • Krzysztof Z. Gajos, Amy Hurst, and Leah Findlater. 2012. Personalized dynamic accessibility. interactions 19, 2 (March 2012), 69-73.[ PDF]
  • Amy Hurst, Krzysztof Gajos, Leah Findlater, Jacob Wobbrock, Andrew Sears, and Shari Trewin. 2011. Dynamic accessibility: accommodating differences in ability and situation. In Proceedings of the 2011 annual conference extended abstracts on Human factors in computing systems (CHI EA '11). ACM, New York, NY, USA, 41-44. [Workshop Webpage]
  • A. Hurst, S. E. Hudson, and J. Mankoff, Automatically Identifying Targets Users Interact With During Real World Tasks. In Intelligent User Interfaces (IUI), 2010, 11-20. [PDF]
  • A. Hurst, J. Mankoff, and S.E. Hudson, Understanding Pointing Problems in Real World Computing Environments. in proc. ACM SIGCHI Conf. on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS) (Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, 2008), 43-50. [PDF]
  • A. Hurst, S.E. Hudson, J. Mankoff, and S. Trewin, Automatically Detecting Pointing Performance. in ACM conference on Intelligent User Interfaces (IUI '08) (Maspalomas, Gran Canaria, Spain, 2008), 11-19. [PDF]
  • A. Hurst, J. Mankoff, A. K. Dey, and S. E. Hudson Dirty Desktops: Using a Patina of Magnetic Mouse Dust To Make Common Interactor Targets Easier To Select. in Proceedings of the 20th Annual ACM Symposium on User interface Software and Technology UIST '07 (Newport, Rhode Island, USA, 2007), 183-186. [PDF]
  • A. Hurst, S. E. Hudson, and J. Mankoff, Dynamic Detection of Novice vs. Skilled Use Without a Task Model. in proc. ACM SIGCHI Conf. on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI), (San Jose, CA, 2007), 271-280. [PDF]
  • S. Carter, A. Hurst, J. Mankoff, and J. Li, Dynamically Adapting GUISs to Diverse Input Devices. in proc. ACM SIGACCESS Conf. on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS), (Portland, OR, 2006), 63-70. [PDF]

Design Research

• A. Hurst, J. Zimmerman, and M. Peeters, Fabric-circle-slider: Prototype Exploring the Interaction Aesthetic of Contextual Integration. in Designing Pleasurable Products and Interfaces (DPPI) (Eindhoven, The Netherlands, 2005).
• A. Hurst and J. Zimmerman, Evaluating a Fabric Device Controller. in Workshop W14: Innovative Approaches to Evaluating Affective Interfaces. Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI), (Portland, OR, 2005), [PDF]
• A. Hurst, J. Zimmerman, C. Atkeson, and J. Forlizzi, Late breaking results: posters: The Sense Lounger: Establishing a Ubicomp Beachhead in Elders' Homes. in Extended Abstracts, ACM SIGCHI Conf. on Human factors in Computing Systems (CHI), (Portland, OR, 2005). [PDF]
• N. Jafarinaimi, J. Forlizzi, A. Hurst, and J. Zimmerman, Late breaking results:07. ACM Press, New York, NY. short papers: Breakaway: an ambient display designed to change human behavior. in Extended Abstracts, ACM SIGCHI Conf. on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI), (Portland, OR, 2005), 1945-1948.
• J. Forlizzi, C. DiSalvo, J. Zimmerman, B. Mutlu, and A. Hurst, The SenseChair: The Lounge Chair as an Intelligent Assistive Device for Elders. in Designing for User eXperience (DUX), (San Francisco, CA, 2005). Volume 135,31. [PDF]
• D. Holstius, J. Kembel, A. Hurst, P. Wan, and J. Forlizzi, Infotropism: living and robotic plants as interactive displays. in Proceedings of the 2004 conference on Designing interactive systems: processes, practices, methods, and techniques (DIS), (Cambridge, MA,2004). 215-221. [PDF]

Computer Vision Applications

• T. Starner, B. Leibe, D. Minnen, T. Westeyn, A. Hurst, and J. Weeks, Computer Vision-Based Gesture Tracking, Object Tracking, and 3D Reconstruction for Augmented Desks. in Machine Vision and Applications, 2003. [PDF]

Developing and Studying Mobile Devices to Enhance Museum Visits

• R.E. Grinter, P.M. Aoki, A. Hurst, M.H. Szymanski, J.D. Thornton, and A.Woodruff, Revisiting the Visit: Understanding How Technology Can Shape the Museum Visit. in Proc. ACM Conf. on Computer Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW 2002), (New Orleans, LA, 2002), 146-155. [PDF]
• P.M. Aoki, R.E. Grinter, A. Hurst, M.H. Szymanski, J.D. Thornton, and A. Woodruff, Sotto Voce: Exploring the Interplay of Conversation and Mobile Audio Spaces. in Proc. ACM SIGCHI Conf. on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI), (Minneapolis, MN, 2002), 431-438. [PDF]
• A. Woodruff, P.M. Aoki, R.E. Grinter, A. Hurst, M.H. Szymanski, and J.D. Thornton, Eavesdropping on Electronic Guidebooks: Observing Learning Resources in Shared Listening Environments. in Proc. 6th Int'l Conf. on Museums and the Web (MW), (Boston, MA, 2002), 21-30. [PDF]
• A. Woodruff, M.H. Szymanski, P.M. Aoki, and A. Hurst, The Conversational Role of Electronic Guidebooks. in Proc. 3rd Int'l Conf. on Ubiquitous Computing (Ubicomp), (Atlanta, GA, 2001), 187-208. [PDF]
• A. Woodruff, P.M. Aoki, A. Hurst, and M.H. Szymanski, Electronic Guidebooks and Visitor Attention. in Proc. 6th Int'l Cultural Heritage Informatics Meeting (ICHIM), (Milan, Italy, 2001), 437-454. [PDF]
• P.M. Aoki, A. Hurst, and A. Woodruff, Tap Tips: Lightweight Discovery of Touchscreen Targets, in Extended Abstracts, ACM SIGCHI Conf. on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI), (Seattle, WA, 2001), 237-238 [PDF]
• A. Woodruff, P.M. Aoki, A. Hurst, and M.H. Szymanski, The Guidebook, the Friend, and the Room: Visitor Experience in a Historic House. in Extended Abstracts, ACM SIGCHI Conf. on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI), (Seattle, WA, 2001), 273-274. [PDF]

Research Groups
Human-Centered Computing, Information Systems Department, University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC)
HCII: Human Computer Interaction Institute, Carnegie Mellon
Sotto Voce, Palo Alto Research Center (PARC)
Contextual Computing Group (CCG), Georgia Institute of Technology