Augmenting Human Prospective Memory Through Cognition-Aware Technologies

Abstract

Memory is a cognitive ability used in our everyday lives. However, it eventually declines and its adaptive nature results in memory troubles. We most often face prospective memory troubles related to forgetting to perform future intended tasks, for example, forgetting to take medication or bring items when leaving the house. With the advancement of technologies and the growth of the ageing population, new requirements and opportunities arise. Many technologies available today lack the means to understand our complex everyday situations to support prospective memory. There is a need to provide support through enhancing our memory and assisting with memory tasks, as well as to encourage our receptivity to these interventions. This thesis aims to investigate the ways to augment prospective memory through technologies that are aware of our cognitive contexts and integrate with our perception and behaviours. The original contributions of my work are as follows. 1. An overview of memory augmentation technologies that introduces a new taxonomy and reveals research challenges and opportunities. 2. The design and implementation of artefacts that provide technical details for novel technologies that augment prospective memory. 3. Empirical findings from user and evaluation studies with the artefacts that show user needs and experience. 4. A collection of design insights for realising envisioned future memory augmentation technologies. I introduce how we can enhance memory through memory training by digitally mediating a memory strategy. The user studies show that this improves users’ performance on prospective memory tasks and self-reported memory. Technologies can encourage receptivity to memory training by sensing cognitive contexts through physiological signals (biosignals) and suggesting training sessions during moments of low emotional arousal and cognitive load (calm moments). I unveil user perceptions of voice reminders which use the voices of friends and family, and discuss how this might benefit user receptivity. I discuss opportunities for memory assistance through technologies that use biosignals to understand cognitive contexts such as our visual recognition processes. This work offers a new perspective on designing technologies that support our memory abilities and experiences.