Knowledge Base

NoldusHub - Introduction and Architecture

NoldusHub 1.8 is a data integration platform by Noldus.

NoldusHub Basic Concepts

Test Station

A test station is a space or room in which a participant's physiology and behavior are measured. Each test station consists of one Participant PC.

Device

A device is an instrument that registers physiological data signals like the heart rate.

Raw Signal

A signal is the physiological data signal delivered by a device. Examples of signals are:

• Electrodermal conductance (EDA conductance)
• Photoplethysmography light absorption intensity (PPG)

A single device can produce multiple signals. For example, a Shimmer GSR+ device provides an EDA and a PPG signal.

Derived Signal

A derived signal is a signal calculated on the basis of one or more raw signals using a validated algorithm of some kind. For instance, Electrodermal conductance is a raw signal consisting of conductance values measured over time. The frequency of transient EDA peak patterns present in those EDA conductances calculated by some algorithm would be a derived signal. Derived signals can depend on one raw signal (e.g. EDA peak rate) or on multiple raw signals (e.g. cognitive load, which is calculated using pupil size and ambient light intensity).

Session

A session records a research observation with the accompanying data from a test station.

Project

A project is an overall container for your research observations. Projects contain test stations with devices/signals and recorded sessions.

NoldusHub continuously monitors system connectivity and data quality during sessions. After recording a session, you can visualize and analyze your results with NoldusHub.

NoldusHub Basic Workflow

The basic flow for recording an observation with NoldusHub consists of the following steps:

1. Add a new project or open an existing project.
2. Select devices.
3. Optionally: create markers.
4. Calibrate eye tracker.
5. Record a session.
6. Review sessions.
7. Export session data.

How to Get Started with NoldusHub

Progressive learning is an excellent way to master NoldusHub:

1. Start with the Quickstart which covers the essentials you need to record a session, so you get up and running quickly.
2. In the bottom right, click the help button for help and to leave your suggestions.

Quickstart (v1.6–1.7)

Aim

To master the basic steps for carrying out an observation with NoldusHub. After completing this tutorial, you will know how to:

1. Log in to NoldusHub.
2. Create a test station and add devices.
3. Create a new project.
4. Optional: Define markers.
5. Calibrate eye tracker.
6. Record a session.
7. Replay a session.
8. Optional: Score markers.

Before You Begin

For this tutorial, you must have:

• A NoldusHub account.
• A test leader PC; this can be your workstation with Google Chrome installed.
• A Participant PC which shares its screen and webcam. The setup of these systems is part of the NoldusHub system installation process by the Noldus services department in collaboration with your system administrator.

Furthermore, you should be familiar with the concepts of test stations, devices, projects, and sessions as described in the overview.

Note: If you have Administrator rights, you have the ability to add test stations and devices. Persons with Researcher rights may create and invite others to projects, but cannot add test stations or devices; therefore, skip step 2 below.

What You Will Do

You will carry out an observation in which webcam images of a participant are recorded. It is up to you whether to involve an actual participant or act as a participant yourself.

Procedure

Step 1: Log In to NoldusHub

You can only use NoldusHub after you are authorized. A system administrator can prepare an account for you. With the username and password provided by the system administrator, log in on your workstation (which acts as the test leader PC):

1. Open Google Chrome and navigate to your NoldusHub domain, for example, https://noldushub.mydomain.com. NoldusHub opens with the Login page.
2. Enter your Username and Password.
3. Click Log in.

If you are a researcher, proceed to step 3. Step 2 only applies to administrators.

Step 2: Create a Test Station and Add Devices

Add a test station from which to record sessions:

1. Click Create test station.
2. Enter the name you want to give your test station in the Full name field, for example, Test room B.
3. Enter an abbreviated name for your test station in the Nickname field, for example, TRB.
4. Click Save.
5. To activate your test station, switch the toggle in front of your test station to the right by clicking on it. Be aware, as long as a test station is inactive, it is not available for researchers. The toggle turns green when activated.

Next, add devices to your test station:

1. Expand the test station settings by clicking the expand icon.
2. Click Add devices.
3. Select the devices you want to add using the checkboxes in the Add devices list. Hover over items to see tooltips with the corresponding computer names.
4. Click Add device.

For more information about this page, see Test stations and devices.

Step 3: Create a New Project

Create a project for gathering your recordings:

1. Click Projects in the top bar.
2. Click Create project.
3. Enter the name you want to give your project in the Enter name field.
4. Click Save. The Test stations page opens and shows your test stations and devices. For more information about this page, see Project devices and test stations.

Optional Step 4: Define Markers

It is possible to define markers within your project. Markers allow you to timestamp an event during the replay of your session. In order to be able to score markers later, you first need to define your markers.

1. To open the project's Marker page, click Markers in the Setup section inside your project.
2. To define your first marker, click Add marker.
3. Enter the name of your marker in the Name field.
4. Optional: To define another marker, click Add marker and repeat step 3.
5. Click Save.

Step 5: Calibrate Eye Tracker

Calibrate the eye tracker on the Participant PC to ensure the recording is as accurate as possible. Calibration is an interplay between a test leader PC and the relevant Participant PC and starts from the test leader PC.

1. You: Ask the participant to take a seat in front of the Participant PC and to follow the instructions on the screen.
2. You: Click Record Session — NoldusHub asks whether you want to calibrate the eye tracker or skip the calibration and start recording. If you skip calibration, the last stored calibration will be used. Alternatively, click the calibrate option in the Screen video pane — NoldusHub shows a Welcome screen for starting the calibration on the Participant PC.
3. Participant: Follow the instructions shown on the screen.
4. Participant: Once the calibration is finished, click Close. NoldusHub shows the Calibration results pop-up on the test leader PC.
5. You: If the calibration succeeded, click ACCEPT. If calibration failed, click Recalibrate and repeat from step 3. Tips on how to calibrate your eye tracker successfully can be found in the FAQ section.

Step 6: Record a Session

You are all set for your first recording:

1. Optional: NoldusHub records all available data signals by default, but you can choose to display or hide specific signals.
   1. Select or clear the data checkboxes you want to display or hide.
   2. Click Save.
2. Click Start Recording. NoldusHub asks whether you want to calibrate the eye tracker. Click Start calibration to start calibrating the eye tracker and tell the participant to follow the instructions on their screen. Click Skip and start recording to start recording straight away. If you skip the calibration, NoldusHub will use the last stored calibration.
3. Instruct the participant to perform the requested actions at the recording test station.
4. When the participant has finished the requested actions, click Stop Recording.
5. Enter a name for the recorded session and click Save.

Step 7: Replay a Session

After finishing your recording, you can replay your session to investigate the recorded data signals for your research:

1. Open the project in which you want to replay a session.
2. Select Replay in the left navigation bar. In the header bar, select a session in the drop-down list.
3. Alternatively, open a project, select Sessions in the left navigation bar, and click the name of the session you want to replay.
4. Optional: Click + Add signal... inside the Timeline pane to select additional data signals to display.
   1. Select or clear the signal checkboxes you want to display or hide.
   2. Click the confirm button.
5. Start the replay by clicking the play button inside the Timeline pane.

Optional Step 8: Score Markers

During the replay of your session, it is possible to score markers.

1. Start the replay inside the Timeline pane using the play button.
2. Once you are at the point in time where you want to score, press the corresponding shortcut key or click the corresponding button inside the Score a marker pane.
3. Your scored markers are visible inside the Scored markers pane.
4. If necessary, repeat step 2 for the rest of the recording.

Quickstart (v1.4)

Aim

To master the basic steps for carrying out an observation with NoldusHub. After completing this tutorial, you will know how to:

1. Log in to NoldusHub.
2. Create a test station and add devices.
3. Create a new project.
4. Optional: Define markers.
5. Calibrate eye tracker.
6. Record a session.
7. Replay a session.
8. Optional: Score markers.

Before You Begin

For this tutorial, you must have:

• A NoldusHub account.
• A test leader PC; this can be your workstation with Google Chrome installed.
• A Participant PC which shares its screen and webcam. The setup of these systems is part of the NoldusHub system installation process by the Noldus services department in collaboration with your system administrator.

Furthermore, you should be familiar with the concepts of test stations, devices, projects, and sessions as described in the overview.

Note: If you have Administrator rights, you have the ability to add test stations and devices. Persons with Researcher rights may create and invite others to projects, but cannot add test stations or devices; therefore, skip step 2 below.

What You Will Do

You will carry out an observation in which webcam images of a participant are recorded. It is up to you whether to involve an actual participant or act as a participant yourself.

Procedure

Step 1: Log In to NoldusHub

You can only use NoldusHub after you are authorized, so first, you need to log in on your workstation (which acts as the test leader PC):

1. Open Google Chrome and navigate to your NoldusHub domain, for example, https://noldushub.mydomain.com. NoldusHub opens with the Login page.
2. Enter your Username and Password.
3. Click Log in.

If you are a researcher, proceed to step 3. Step 2 can only be done by administrators.

Step 2: Create a Test Station and Add Devices

Add a test station from which to record sessions:

1. Click Create test station.
2. Enter the name you want to give your test station in the Full name field, for example, Test room B.
3. Enter an abbreviated name for your test station in the Nickname field, for example, TRB.
4. Click Save.
5. To activate your test station, switch the toggle in front of your test station to the right by clicking on it. The toggle turns green when activated.

Next, add devices to your test station:

1. Expand the test station settings by clicking the expand icon.
2. Click Add devices.
3. Select the devices you want to add using the checkboxes in the Add devices list. Hover over items to see tooltips with the corresponding computer names.
4. Click Add device.

For more information about this page, see Test stations and devices.

Step 3: Create a New Project

Create a project for gathering your recordings:

1. Click Projects in the top bar.
2. Click Create project.
3. Enter the name you want to give your project in the Enter name field.
4. Click Save. The Test stations page opens and shows your test stations and devices. For more information about this page, see Project devices and test stations.

Optional Step 4: Define Markers

It is possible to define markers within your project. Markers allow you to timestamp an event during the replay of your session. In order to be able to score markers later, you first need to define your markers.

1. To open the project's Marker page, click Markers in the Setup section inside your project.
2. To define your first marker, click Add marker.
3. Enter the name of your marker in the Name field.
4. Optional: To define another marker, click Add marker and repeat step 3.
5. Click Save.

Step 5: Calibrate Eye Tracker

Calibrate the eye tracker on the Participant PC to ensure the recording is as accurate as possible. Calibration is an interplay between a test leader PC and the relevant Participant PC and starts from the test leader PC.

1. You: Ask the participant to take a seat in front of the Participant PC and to follow the instructions on the screen.
2. You: Click Record Session — NoldusHub asks whether you want to calibrate the eye tracker or skip the calibration and start recording. If you skip calibration, the last stored calibration will be used. Alternatively, click the calibrate option in the Screen video pane — NoldusHub shows a Welcome screen for starting the calibration on the Participant PC.
3. Participant: Follow the instructions shown on the screen.
4. Participant: Once the calibration is finished, click Close. NoldusHub shows the Calibration results pop-up on the test leader PC.
5. You: If the calibration succeeded, click ACCEPT. If calibration failed, click Recalibrate and repeat from step 3. Tips on how to calibrate your eye tracker successfully can be found in the FAQ section.

Step 6: Record a Session

You are all set for your first recording:

1. Optional: NoldusHub records all available data signals by default, but you can choose to display or hide specific signals.
   1. Select or clear the data checkboxes you want to display or hide.
   2. Click Save.
2. Click Start Recording. NoldusHub asks whether you want to calibrate the eye tracker. Click Start calibration to start calibrating the eye tracker and tell the participant to follow the instructions on their screen. Click Skip and start recording to start recording straight away. If you skip the calibration, NoldusHub will use the last stored calibration.
3. Instruct the participant to perform the requested actions at the recording test station.
4. When the participant has finished the requested actions, click Stop Recording.
5. Enter a name for the recorded session and click Save.

Step 7: Replay a Session

After finishing your recording, you can replay your session to investigate the recorded data signals for your research:

1. Open the project in which you want to replay a session.
2. Select Replay in the left navigation bar. In the header bar, select a session in the drop-down list.
3. Alternatively, open a project, select Sessions in the left navigation bar, and click the name of the session you want to replay.
4. Optional: Click + Add signal... inside the Timeline pane to select additional data signals to display.
   1. Select or clear the signal checkboxes you want to display or hide.
   2. Click the confirm button.
5. Start the replay by clicking the play button inside the Timeline pane.

Optional Step 8: Score Markers

During the replay of your session, it is possible to score markers.

1. Start the replay inside the Timeline pane using the play button.
2. Once you are at the point in time where you want to score, press the corresponding shortcut key or click the corresponding button inside the Score a marker pane.
3. Your scored markers are visible inside the Scored markers pane.
4. If necessary, repeat step 2 for the rest of the recording.

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Source: NoldusHub 1.8 Reference Manual