An educational visual prototyping environment for real-time imaging

This paper presents the results of a comparison study using the Visual VIPERS interface, a graphical interface which can be applied as an educational tool for novice computer vision students. The goal of the study was to evaluate the change in usability of the interface after the addition of a monitor tool, which can be used to view intermediate image results at specific stages of an algorithm. A user study was conducted in which participants were asked to find an error in a pre-assembled algorithm. Results indicate that participants using the older version of the interface (with no monitor tool) took, on average, less time to find the error than participants who used the monitor tool. However, interview responses indicated a greater level of understanding of the algorithm from participants who used the monitor tool. Interview responses also demonstrated a clear desire from users of the old interface for the addition of a debugging tool (such as the newly introduced monitor tool). Our belief is that participants using the monitor tool performed a more thorough search of the algorithm, and thus gained a greater understanding of how the algorithm operated, while attempting to determine the source of the error.