A Social Q & A System for Young Adults with Autism

Faculty: 
Rosa Arriaga, Gregory Abowd
Students: 
Hwajung Hong

Users go to social network sites or online forums to get advice from members of their networks. Individuals with autism adopt and use such computer-mediated communication technology differently from typical users. They require advice about everyday situations ranging from very simple operations to complex social activities. We propose to develop a Q&A system with a robust network of people whom the user is not likely to know but who nonetheless may be willing to provide advice on everyday situations.

Lab: 

We are interested in ubiquitous computing and the research issues involved in building and evaluating ubicomp applications and services that impact our lives. Much of our work is situated in settings of everyday activity, such as the classroom, the office and the home. Our research focuses on several topics including, automated capture and access to live experiences, context-aware computing, applications and services in the home, natural interaction, software architecture, technology policy, security and privacy issues, and technology for individuals with special needs.