Flexperiment rooms specialty and best practices | Infohub

Facility summary

Specialization: Usability Studies, Eye-tracking, Sensors, Scent Stimuli, Observation Rooms
Max Capacity: 3 persons per room
Location: Langezijds 2514 (Flexperiment 1-7)
Get Room Key from: Langezijds, LA1501

About Flexperiment

The Flexperiment facility is a set-up of 7 small cubicle lab spaces with workstations. All the rooms are connected to a remote controlled camara observation system that allow for remote monitoring of participants. These Flexperiment rooms are silent, small, enclosed research spaces with a computer, desk and chair and can be used for all sorts of studies, ranging from usability tests to psychometric measurements.

Some of the rooms are set up for specialized areas e.g. usability studies, VR, eye-tracking or scent. And the remainder of the rooms are flexible to be adjusted based on the researchers needs. Please contact the BMS Lab about what you need to adjust the room to your preferences.

Flexperiment opens the possibility for a variety of research. Researchers use the specialized room for smaller-scale experiments with one participant at a time.

Using the Flexperiment lab spaces and their equipment

Remote Monitoring of the Flexperiment Rooms: All the Flexperiment lab spaces offer the ability to perform studies in a controlled small lab space. A researcher being present with the participant can affect the study’s outcomes, thus remote observation is both a need and an ability of the Flexperiment rooms. It does this through the placement of cameras in each mini lab space and a monitoring station in a hall. Read this guide to learn how to observe remotely.

Room Specifications:

For Multi-Purpose Use (Room 1 to 7)

All seven Flexperiment rooms are designed as all-purpose spaces and can be used for a variety of research activities. Please keep in mind that the Flexrooms at Langezijds are more sensitive to sound, and maintaining silence in these areas is essential.

Equipment: Chair, desk, camera observation system, computer, screen, keyboard and mouse.
Facilities: The lighting can be dimmed individually in each room.

For Eye-Tracking (Room 2 to 7)

Thanks to its advanced eye-tracking equipment is perfect for usability studies and stimuli that are outside of the screen. The equipment can follow the gaze of participants more precisely and continue to do so outside of the boundaries of the computer screen.

Specialization: Eye-tracking
Equipment: Advanced static eye-tracker, chair, desk, camera observation system, computer, screen, keyboard and mouse.

Are the Flexperiment rooms suitable for your research?

When should you use the Flexperiment rooms?
When your study requires either the specialized equipment or isolation of your participants from outside influences, the Flexperiment rooms are very useful. They, for example, allow you to create a distraction free environment in which to apply your stimuli, observe your participants unobtrusively or in which measurements can be taken in an environment that is both quiet and respects the participant’s privacy.

When should you not use the Flexperiment rooms?
If your study requires the processing of very large numbers of participants or a very flexible schedule, then the rooms might be less suitable. Do keep in mind that you should try to avoid reserving a specialized room when the specialised equipment is irrelevant or unnecessary for your study. You can always contact the BMS Lab team for more information.

Best practices Flexperiment lab spaces

When using the flexperiment lab spaces, there are some ground rules you must abide by.

Working in the room

Keep the room clean! Eat in the student lounge or down in the mess hall.
Keep silent in the room! This is not only for your own research but also for the other research taking place in the rooms next door.
Don’t move the equipment (unless discussed).
In case of questions or problems, report these to the BMS Lab room LA1501.
Don’t overheat the room during winter.
Close windows and turn off light when finished.
Bring the key back to LA1501 or the key dropbox in front of LA1501
The room keys cannot leave the building. If you want to use the facilities outside office hours, indicate this in – your reservation. Make sure you are informed about the procedures regarding access of the building outside office hours.

Working with participants

When using Informed Consent forms, make sure you guarantee your participants’ anonymity, so do not leave the forms behind.
Participants can be noisy in the hallway waiting area when waiting to participate in an experiment.

Working with our equipment

You can make use of the PC and equipment you reserved. You are not allowed to use equipment you have not reserved.
The PCs are not clean installed after every research, so take care of your data during/after your research.
It is obligatory to copy your data after every day of data gathering onto the T4P data server.
After the research, delete your (sensitive) data from the PC.
Let us know through the equipment reservation forms what hardware you want to use. This way we can make sure all the necessary software is there for you.

Hygiene protocol

The below states the hygiene procedures related to persons. For equipment, follow the disinfection procedure for the instrument.

1 – Persons

1.1 – Postpone the study in case of flu, cold or other infection in the trial conductor or subject (V).

1.2 – Ensure good general body and clothing hygiene during the trial period (V).

1.3 – Always wear disposable gloves during the following physiological procedures:

a – cleaning/abrading the subject’s skin (V).
b – application of electrodes (V).
c – removal of electrodes (V).
d – all actions related to blood, sperm or vaginal fluid (V).
e – working with disinfectants (V).
f – in the case of clearly visible wounds or skin irritation in the subject or experimenter (V).

1.4 – The simplest disinfection procedure is hand washing. This should be done, regardless of the use of gloves:

a – prior to physiological actions (V).
b – after physiological actions (V).
c – after using the toilet (V).
d – after sneezing, coughing or blowing the nose (use paper tissues) (V).
e – after unexpected contact with blood or other body fluids (V).

1.5 – It is preferable not to wear rings during examination (V).

1.6 – Nails should preferably be kept short and clean during the study period (V).

Want to use the Flexperiment lab spaces?

First go through the steps on how to reserve our facilities or go directly through the registration of your request if you haven't do so already. If you have already followed these steps, go directly to our booqable page to make a reservation:

How to reserve lab spaces