Nicholas Caporusso

• PhD
• Professor (Associate) at Northern Kentucky University

In the past decades, brain–computer interfaces (BCIs) have been among the fastest-growing technologies and a very prolific research field. Typically, sending input to a computer requires the user to use their hands (e.g., for controlling the mouse and keyboard), their eyes (e.g., in gaze tracking), or realize some type of physical action. On the co...

Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), a subset of AI that can generate novel content such as images, text, and music, has the unique transformative potential of augmenting human creativity, offering tools that can enhance creative expression and open unprecedented avenues for innovation. However, alongside its remarkable capabilities, the inevit...

Recent studies demonstrated that the user interfaces of many physical products lack accessibility to individuals with disabilities, with specific regard to individuals who are blind or suffer from cognitive conditions. Nevertheless, in the last decades, the introduction of User Interface Description languages (UIDLs) in the software industry has pr...

Gaze tracking has become an established technology that enables using an individual’s gaze as an input signal to support a variety of applications in the context of Human-Computer Interaction. Gaze tracking primarily relies on sensing devices such as infrared (IR) cameras. Nevertheless, in the recent years, several attempts have been realized at de...

Eye-tracking technology enables acquiring the user’s gaze and using it as an input for a variety of tasks. Primarily, this is realized with external devices (i.e., eye trackers) that incorporate infrared sensors. However, requiring users to have dedicated eye-tracking equipment limits the potential applications of this technology. Therefore, in the...

Recent advances in machine learning, including the development of more effective natural language processing (NLP) models, have enabled the use of text classification and generation algorithms, sentiment and emotion detection models, and intelligent conversational agents, in different domains, from business to healthcare. Specifically, intelligent...

In addition to health consequences, impactful life changes, and losses, the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a worldwide economic emergency. Particularly, small businesses in key sectors, such as the hospitality and food industries, have incurred significant losses due to mobility restrictions, distancing requirements, and reduced service. Simulta...

The COVID-19 pandemic required the adoption of several health-safety practices that have been demonstrated to be crucial for limiting the spread of the virus, including the use of personal protection equipment (PPE). Particularly, face masks have become a ubiquitous component of our daily lives. However, despite their effectiveness, they have sever...

The unprecedented emergency determined by the COVID-19 pandemic required national governments to enact countermeasures to contain the spread of the Coronavirus disease. Nevertheless, several research studies highlighted the acceptance issues and short- and long-term consequences of restrictions such as lockdown orders, social distancing, contact tr...

Deepfake algorithms are one of the most recent albeit controversial developments in Artificial Intelligence, because they use Machine Learning to generate fake yet realistic content (e.g., images, videos, audio, and text) based on an input dataset. For instance, they can accurately superimpose the face of an individual over the body an actor in a d...

As cybersecurity (CS) threats become more sophisticated and diversified, organizations are urged to constantly adopt and update measures for contrasting different types of attacks. Particularly, as novel techniques (e.g., social engineering and phishing) are aimed at leveraging individual users’ vulnerabilities to attack and breach a larger system...

Given the growing success and user base of Social Media websites and, specifically, Social Networks, over the last decade, businesses have transitioned from traditional advertising to digital platforms. Specifically, their audience targeting features make it very easy to promote products and services to defined groups of individuals with specific c...

The value and effectiveness of office hours held by faculty and other staff members involved in student mentoring (e.g., advisors and tutors) has been investigated by several studies that have demonstrated that One-On-One (1:1) interaction, whether in person or via remote communication tools, has significant impact on academic success. Despite teac...

In this paper, we introduce a novel type of navigation bar especially designed to provide users with additional information as they navigate long web pages that consist of several different sections and a large amount of content. In addition to facilitating scrolling, the proposed navigation bar enables users to quickly traverse the page without ne...

Nowadays, the Internet has reached a level of maturity that enables categorizing the main types of websites, the most common actions that the end-user can engage in, and the recurring patterns that characterize interactions. As users have become more accustomed to the shared features of websites and web applications (e.g., sign in, access cart, dow...

Nowadays, the Internet has reached a level of maturity that enables categorizing the main types of websites, the most common actions that the end-user can engage in, and the recurring patterns that characterize interactions. As users have become more accustomed to the shared features of websites and web applications (e.g., sign in, access cart, dow...

Administration of high-risk medications and transfusion of blood components are routinary medical procedures that can be potentially harmful to patients due to a set of multifaceted factors, such as, conservation of the medical product, poor asset tracking, and human errors. Although they represent a very small percentage of adverse events, errors...

Although the growing market of wearable devices primarily consists of smartwatches, fitness bands, and connected gadgets, its long tail includes a variety of diverse technologies based on novel types of input and interaction paradigms, such as gaze, brain signals, and gestures. As the offer of innovative wearable devices will increase, users will b...

Technology provides Virtual Reality (VR) with increasing levels of realism: high-performance head-mounted displays enable delivering immersive experiences that provide users with higher levels of engagement. Moreover, VR platforms, treadmills, and motion tracking systems add a physical dimension to interaction that aims at increasing realism by ena...

Crowdfunding is an innovative form of fund raising that enables individuals and businesses to leverage a large audience of potential supporters for financing their projects: disseminating the message to many potential contributors compensates for the smaller individual commitment. In the recent years, thanks to web-based platforms, crowdfunding rec...

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is increasingly being introduced in several domains for classification and clustering of different types of existing information (e.g., text, images, audio, and video). Recently, improvements to Machine Learning (ML) and new approaches to the design and use of Neural Networks (NNs) enabled the development of algorithms...

A strong password is considered the most important feature for the security of any account credentials. In the last decades, several organizations focused on improving its strength and produced awareness initiatives and security guidelines on how to create and maintain secure passwords. However, studies found that users perceive security and conven...

Combinations of account identifier (e.g., username) and key phrase (i.e., password) are among the most utilized form of credentials for several types of authentication purposes, such as, user verification, connection to public and private networks, and access to digital resources. Typically, usernames are considered a method of account or user iden...

Electronic vending machines are a wide-spread system for delivering and accessing goods: the possibility of operating in a completely automated fashion and independently from business hours makes them extremely convenient for serving public and private locations. However, they fail their purpose in serving individuals with special needs: their lack...

In the last decade, machine learning has increasingly been utilized for solving various types of problems in different domains, such as, manufacturing finance, and healthcare. However, designing and fine-tuning algorithms require extensive expertise in artificial intelligence. Although many software packages wrap the complexity of machine learning...

Although its history dates to the beginning of the videogame era, in the recent years eSports has rapidly been maturing into a professional scene that has captured a large and growing audience: the 2017 world finals of one of the most successful pro gaming platforms reached a peak of 75.5 million unique viewers, compared to the NBA finals, which av...

Inadequate training and lack of risk awareness are among the main causes of work-related accidents in manufacturing facilities and during hazardous tasks. In the last decade, Virtual Reality was introduced as an effective tool for improving individuals’ skills in their tasks in several different contexts by simulating operating scenarios. Nowadays,...

Recently, scientists started to investigate the potential negative effects of Social Networking sites (SNs). In addition to their positive contribution to our lives, several studies demonstrated correlation between prolonged use of SNs and the occurrence of mental health conditions, such as, anxiety and depression. Their pervasive presence in indiv...

Minecraft is an innovative video game that combines a simplistic, flexible, childlike interface with an open-ended, non-deterministic, playing environment that allows for a wide assortment of tasks and skills building while providing a platform for innovative game play, collaboration, and new formats for interaction and cultural creation. In this p...

Passwords are a wide-spread authentication method used almost unanimously. Though the topic of passwords security may seem old, it is more relevant than ever. This study examines current user-password interactions and classifies them in terms of convenience and security. Findings show that users are aware of what constitutes a secure password but m...

Ransomware is a recent form of malware that encrypts the files on a target computer until a specific amount (ransom) is paid to the attacker. As a result, in addition to aggressively spreading and disrupting victim’s data and operation, differently from most cyberattacks, ransomware implements a revenue model. Specifically, it creates a hostage-lik...

In the recent years, 360° images and video became a popular format for designing, producing, and consuming information. Immersive videos enable users to control the viewing angle at playback, and experience content in a unique fashion. Therefore, understanding how viewers interact with 360° video is crucial for improving their design, production, d...

Training law enforcement officers and emergency responders requires significant investment in terms of time, financial resources, logistics, organization, and personnel reallocation.

The assessment of gait features of subjects affected by Multiple Sclerosis supports physicians in defining customized rehabilitation treatment which, in turn, can lead to better clinical outcome. In the standard assessment protocol, an optoelectronic motion system, surface electromyography sensors, and a set of piezoelectric sensors on a force plat...

The assessment of tremor features of subjects affected by Parkinson’s disease supports physicians in defining customized rehabilitation treatment which, in turn, can lead to better clinical outcome. In the standard assessment protocol patient performed many exercises that are useful to physicians to rate disease. But the rating is subjective since...

Over 1.5 million people in the world who are completely deaf-blind use touch-based alphabets to communicate with others and to interact with the world. However, they rely on an assistant who plays the role of an interpreter in translating the world for them. Unfortunately, despite the research work realized in the last decade, on the market there a...

Tactile signing and touch-based alphabets are among the primary communication systems for people who suffer from sensory or multisensory conditions, such as, blindness or deaf-blindness, respectively. In the last decade, several research projects based on sensory substitution focused on developing novel interfaces. However, people who are sensory-i...

Computer Aided Decision (CAD) systems based on Medical Imaging could support radiologists in grading Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) by means of Computed Tomography (CT) images, avoiding that patient undergo any medical invasive procedures such as biopsies. The individuation and characterization of Regions of Interest (ROIs) containing lesions is an...

Blepharospasm is characterized by bilateral, synchronous, and symmetric involuntary orbicularis oculi muscle spasms leading to partial/total eyelid closure. We proposed a comprehensive method for assessing the severity of blepharospasm cases, based on expert observation of fixed-length video recordings and natural feature detection algorithms. The...

Sign Language Recognition opens to a wide research field with the aim of solving problems for the integration of deaf people in society. The goal of this research is to reduce the communication gap between hearing impaired users and other subjects, building an educational system for hearing impaired children. This project uses computer vision and m...

Deaf-blind people have some degree of combined impairments of both the visual and the auditory channels. In the scenario of sensory disabilities, deaf-blindness is among the worst cases. Fortunately, it only affects a small percentage of the population. Being a niche market, in turn, is one of the main reasons why spending in innovation is not cons...

In addition to communication and mobility issues, the blind and the deafblind suffer from poor social inclusion and illiteracy, and extremely low employment rates. This is particularly due to lack of access to dedicated educational resources and to technology for learning. In this paper, we introduce dbGLOVE, an innovative and low-cost wearable int...

Despite the advances in the context of Adaptive and Intelligent Web-Based Educational Systems, currently, almost all software for e-learning usually present contents in exactly the same fashion to all users, without taking into account their different learning styles. As a result, unstructured teaching models might gradually lead users to a chronic...

Transport of critically ill patients has been identified as a risky procedure. Among other factors, it exposes subjects to external forces (not limited to mechanical shocks) that can be detrimental to the physical condition of humans. Intra- or interhospital transfers are associated with a high level of risk, and emergency maneuvers may cause heavy...

Although several personalization features are included in the design of e-learning applications, both the personality and the cognitive requirements of the users are among the last characteristics that are considered. As a result, almost all software usually present contents in exactly the same fashion to all users, without taking into account thei...

Online games between remote opponents playing over computer networks are becoming a common activity of everyday life. However, computer interfaces for board games are usually based on the visual channel. For example, they require players to check their moves on a video display and interact by using pointing devices such as a mouse. Hence, they are...

In the present work, we introduce Fallarm, a pervasive fall prevention solution suitable for hospitals and care facilities, as well as for home settings. We applied a multifaceted intervention strategy based on closed-loop information exchange between proactive and reactive methods: comprehensive assessment protocols determine the individuals' risk...

Computer networks and especially the Internet have significantly influenced the diffusion of online games through remote opponents. However, the usual interfaces for board games are based on the visual channel. For example, they require players to check their moves on a video display and to interact using pointing devices, e.g., a mouse. Hence, the...

Deafblind people have a severe degree of combined visual and auditory impairment resulting in problems with communication, (access to) information and mobility. Moreover, in order to interact with other people, most of them need the constant presence of a caregiver who plays the role of an interpreter with an external world organized for hearing an...

To be correctly mastered, brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) need an uninterrupted flow of feedback to the user. This feedback is usually delivered through the visual channel. Our aim was to explore the benefits of vibrotactile feedback during users' training and control of EEG-based BCI applications. A protocol for delivering vibrotactile feedback,...

Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCIs) need an uninterrupted flow of feedback to the user, which is usually delivered through the visual channel. Our aim is to explore the benefits of vibrotactile feedback during users' training and control of EEG-based BCI applications. An experimental setup for delivery of vibrotactile feedback, including specific hard...

Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCIs) need an uninterrupted flow of feedback to the user, which is usually delivered through the visual channel. Our aim is to explore the benefits of vibrotactile feedback during users� training and control of EEG-based BCI applications. An experimental setup for delivery of vibrotactile feedback, including specific ha...

A Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) allow direct expression of its user�s will by interpreting signals which directly reflect the brain�s activity, thus bypassing the natural efferent channels (nerves and muscles). To be correctly mastered, it is needed that this artificial efferent channel is complemented by an artificial feedback, which continuo...