Available Research Tools

Transana 

Noldus The Observer XT

• is the most complete software for behavioural research
• application supports the coding of behaviours on a timeline
• allows for the unraveling of the  sequencing of events to integrating different data modalities in a complete lab
• supports the coding of Noldus FaceReader as well as the coding of video and other data sets

The EILab recently purchased an External Data Module that is integrated into The Observer XT

• supports the import of data from a wide range of data acquisition systems
• accurately synchronizes concurrent acquired data of external data acquisition systems
• can combine and analyze almost any physiological signals with the behavioral data and video
• developed to enable advanced analysis of multi-modal data in relation to observational data
• external data sources, such as psychophysiological, eye tracking, and facial expression data, can be imported into The Observer XT and can be used for analysis in combination with behavioural data
• Import and visualize up to 256 channels of physiological data, sound waveforms or any other time-varying signal
• synchronized data acquisition
• set synchronization for each data stream individually to correct for offset and gain differences without editing the data themselves
• import European Data Format files. This simple and flexible format for exchange and storage of multichannel biological and physical signals can now be imported quick and easy
• zoom function, from milliseconds to days
• includes software interfaces for common systems (MindWare BioLab, Biopac Acqknowledge, FaceReader, Polar Precision Performance 4.01, PST E-prime, Tobii Pro Studio, SMI)
• intuitive customizable interface wizard to import any other data from text file
• enables the study of the relationship between behaviour, physiological signals and other modalities
• easy import of external data
• frame-accurate synchronization of physiological signals, observed events, screen capture and video recordings of the subject
• integrated and interactive display of video streams, behavioural event log, time-stamped notes, and physiological signals
• synchronized playback of all data modalities
• view and export external data fragments based on the data selection

Additional information about The Observer XT can be found at https://www.noldus.com/observer-xt 

Noldus FaceReader

• designed to gain accurate and reliable data about facial expressions
• the most robust automated system
• automated analysis of facial expressions brings clear insights into the effect of different stimuli on emotions
• easy-to-use: save valuable time and resources
• easy integration with eye tracking data and physiology data

The EILab has recently purchased an upgrade to FaceReader with the Remote PhotoPlethysmoGraphy (rppg) module

• can estimate the heart rate of the subject in front of the camera by means of RPPG by measuring small changes in color under the skin epidermis caused by variations in volume and oxygen saturation of the blood in the vessels, as a result of the subject’s heart beats
• view the current heart rate of the test participant as estimated by means of RPPG
• optical technique enables the non-invasive measurement of physiological responses
• combine facial expressions with heart rate data analysis
• measure responses without additional hardware
• can be used as an additional indicator of arousal
• physiological information is less sensitive to socially desirable answers

Additional information about FaceReader can be found at https://www.noldus.com/facereader 

Jeffrey’s Amazing Statistics Program (JASP)

• free and open-source program for statistical analysis
• supported by the University of Amsterdam
• designed to be easy to use, and familiar to users of SPSS
• promotes open science by integration with the Open Science Framework and reproducibility by integrating the analysis settings into the results
• similar to Excel and SPSS in terms of the types of analyses that can be carried out

Additional information about JASP can be found at https://jasp-stats.org/ 

nVivo

• primarily used in EILab for analysis of textual data (emails, text documents, spreadsheets, online surveys, web content and social media)
• can be used for audio, video and images (although Noldus The Observer XT and Transana are probably better suited for these functions)
• code (emergent thematic or grounded analysis) your data in order to more quickly identify themes and trends
• organize the people, places, and core metrics of your analysis as cases
• link cases to attribute values such as age and gender to compare different groups in your data

Additional information about nVivo can be found at QSR International

Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS)

IBM® SPSS® Statistics is a powerful statistical software platform. It delivers a robust set of features that lets your organization extract actionable insights from its data.

With SPSS Statistics you can:

• analyze and better understand your data, and solve complex business and research problems through a user-friendly interface
• understand large and complex data sets quickly with advanced statistical procedures that help ensure high accuracy and quality decision making
• use extensions, Python and R programming language code to integrate with open source software
• select and manage your software easily, with flexible deployment options.

Additional information about SPSS can be found at https://www.ibm.com/analytics/spss-statistics-software

Camtasia Video Editor & Screen Recorder

Otter.ai (Transcription Software)

• capture and share insights from your meetings
• records meetings, takes notes in real time, and generates an automated summary to share with everyone and to help you remember everything
• provides faculty and students with real time captions and notes for in-person and virtual lectures, classes or meetings
• use on the Web, on iOS and Android mobile apps, or the Chrome Extension for Google Meet. Otter Assistant integrates with Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams
• transcribe accurately from video recordings

Additional information about Otter.ai can be found at https://otter.ai/education

Noldus Media Recorder 4.0

• offers precision and flexibility in video recording and synchronization
• the ideal recording tool that enables synchronous video recordings from up to eight different sources
• acquire high quality recordings
• easy to use
• accurate synchronization of up to eight (the EILab has a 4 camera version) cameras
• compatible with The Observer® XT, FaceReader, and a broad range of cameras

This tool is found on a separate workstation at the EILab location at 61 Charles St. and is integrated with the cameras, displays and microphones to capture multiple perspectives of a person working at a workstation in a controlled environment, i.e., laboratory.

Additional information about Noldus Media Recorder can be found at https://www.noldus.com/mediarecorder-human

Axis Device Manager

• easy, cost-effective and secure management of Axis devices
• manage all major installation, security and operational tasks
• fast, easy configuration of devices with backup and restore settings
• efficient installation of firmware upgrades and applications
• apply cybersecurity controls such as HTTPS and IEEE 802.1x certificates

This tool is found on a separate workstation at the EILab location at 61 Charles St. and is integrated with the cameras, displays and microphones to capture multiple perspectives of a person working at a workstation in a controlled environment, i.e., laboratory.

Additional information about Axis Device Manager can be found at https://www.axis.com/support/tools/axis-device-manager

Axis Camera Station

• easy and efficient video surveillance and access control
• easy and efficient operations
• surveillance and physical access control
• optimized for Axis network products
• powerful feature set
• easy to use with an intuitive interface so anyone can manage the system, handle incidents and quickly export high-definition evidence

This tool is found on a separate workstation at the EILab location at 61 Charles St. and is integrated with the cameras, displays and microphones to capture multiple perspectives of a person working at a workstation in a controlled environment, i.e., laboratory.

Additional information about Axis Camera Station can be found at https://www.axis.com/products/axis-camera-station

Axis Networked Cameras, Microphones, and additional Infrastructure

• multiple networked (TCPIP) cameras -2 fixed on the ceiling and wall, others can be mounted on tripods and placed around the participant
• 2 flat desktop-mounted high-fidelity microphones
• ethernet cabling is installed from the EILab to office
• Power-over-Ethernet modules are tied to the fixed cameras to power the cameras and provide access to PTZ controls
• adjustable LED lights are available to eliminate participant

These tools are installed and maintained in the EILab location at 61 Charles St. and the neighbouring office and are designed to capture multiple perspectives of a person working at a workstation in a controlled environment, i.e., laboratory. If you have inquiries about the use of these tools, please contact the Director of the EILab at eilab.uoit@gmail.com.

Tobii Glasses 2 (An instance of Tobii Glasses 2 hardware and software is available for use at EILab. However, this version is discontinued and consequently the information below is for the new version of this tool)

• Tracking of wider gaze angles for more comprehensive data on visual attention
• Wide-angle scene camera allows recording gaze data over a large field of view
• Patented 3D eye model combined with two cameras per eye guarantees very accurate gaze data
• Slippage compensation technology and persistent calibration for consistent data throughout recordings
• Accelerometer, gyroscope, and magnetometer sensors differentiate head and eye movements
• Successful tracking of a large percentage of the population regardless of eye color or shape
• Withstands the elements and bright light thanks to protective lenses
• Lightweight and robust designs ensure compatibility with protective headgear

Additional information about Tobii Glasses can be found at Tobii

If you have inquiries about the use of these tools, please contact the Director of the EILab at eilab.uoit@gmail.com.