welcome to our old site
as of march, 2005, we have moved to the all new
www.empirisoft.com
rip, our beloved, circa 1998
version, for eternity here at
old.empirisoft.com
if you ended up here via mistake or crazy link,
please let us know. in the meantime, feel free to stroll our
gardens and take in all the refreshing empirisoft days of yore
namaste
We recognize that many researchers have
access to powerful PC's but limited resources for creating experiments to run on those
PC's. Unfortunately, this means experiments often end up designed as a paper and
pencil task and the computers gather dust. In those cases where the researcher can
find someone to program the experiment, it is either prohibitively expensive or
time-consuming (we know how common it is for months to go by before getting the desired
result).
These were among the reasons for creating
MediaLab and DirectRT and for providing custom programming for PC based experiments. By
specializing in experimental software for the PC, we have amassed a huge array of routines
for performing many standard experimental tasks. This means we can provide fast
turn-around time for almost any PC-based experiment (typical turnaround time
is 1 week). This also means a low-cost
alternative to hiring professional programmers who do not specialize in
experimental software. Since we can create most experiments by borrowing routines
from previous experiments we've created, it simply takes us less time, which means less
cost for you. We also offer significant discounts to academic and other non-profit
research organizations. Most custom applications for academic purposes
range between $500 and $1500.
MediaLab
or DirectRT software only. This is
the most cost effective way to create your
own experiments for the PC. Most of the functions in any experiment can be
accomplished through MediaLab and/or DirectRT alone without the need for any programming at all.
MediaLab or DirectRT Experiment.
Some people find learning any new program intimidating at first, which is why you may want
us to create your first MediaLab or DirectRT experiment for you. Typically you would provide us with
the experimental design, the stimuli, and the dependent measures. We will put the
experiment together using MediaLab or DirectRT just the way you would if you were to do it yourself.
This is a great way to start learning the software because you will see how we
do it when we use these programs. You will then be able to make modifications to your experiment
as you desire.
Custom MediaLab or
DirectRT Plug-ins.
We would really be overstating the power of MediaLab and DirectRT if we said
they could do
everything. Since they are general purpose programs, there are often very specific
needs that can not be met. In such cases, we can write a custom program, or
'plug-in' to handle the custom need (i.e., an .exe file). For example,
you can tell MediaLab at
any point in your experiment to go off and run the plug-in. MediaLab stores the
current subject and condition information in a text file that the plug-in can read and act
on. The benefit of this is that MediaLab can easily take care of the rest--cutting
down programming time substantially.
MediaLab Experiment with Custom
Plug-in. Of course, if you want us to create a MediaLab experiment for you
that includes a custom plug-in, we can do that too.
Customizations to MediaLab
or DirectRT. This is the most commonly used
service we offer. If you like MediaLab or DirectRT, but you need it to act a little differently in some respect, let us
know. We can add the feature(s) you need.
Custom Programming without MediaLab
or DirectRT.
Sometimes you may want a program that does not use MediaLab or DirectRT at all (although in our humble
opinion, we can't imagine why). If so, we can provide custom programs that are fully
independent. We can also help you by writing task-specific routines for a
program you are writing yourself (e.g., randomization, stimulus presentation, or data
writing routines).
Contact us at support@...com for a quote or consultation.
Back to Top
