Ubiquitous Computing CPSC 581 - Fall 2015
The Computer for the 21st Century Mark Weiser, 1991
“The most profound technologies are those that disappear. They weave themselves into at the fabric of everyday life until they are indistinguishable from it. ”
“Specialized elements of hardware and software, connected by wires, radio waves and infrared, will be so ubiquitous that no one will notice their presence. ”
M. Weiser, Scientific American, 1991
Two Crucial Issues Location: ubiquitous computers must know where they are, so that they can adapt their behaviour Scale: ubiquitous computers will come in different sizes, each suited to a particular task
Tabs, Pads, Boards
“This leads to our goal for initially deploying the hardware of embodied virtuality: hundreds of computers per room. ”
Tabs Expand on the usefulness of existing inch-scale computers pocket calculator organizer etc…
Pads Intended to be “scrap computers” analogous to scrap paper “antidote to windows”
Boards Yard-sized displays that serve a number of purposes video screens bulletin boards bookcase etc…
“The real power of the concept comes not from any one of these devices — it emerges from the interaction of all of them. ”
Soooo…. are we there yet?
“…even marketing firms could make unpleasant use of the same information that makes invisible computers so convenient. ”
Information overload?
“Machines that fit the human environment instead of forcing humans to enter theirs will make using a computer as refreshing as taking a walk in the woods. ”
Proxemics A brief introduction
“When you walk up to your computer, does the screen saver stop and the work- ing windows reveal themselves? Does it even know if you are there? How hard would it be to change this?” –Bill Buxton, 1997
Theory of Proxemics Edward T. Hall, “The Hidden Dimension”, 1966
and explicit interaction techniques. 4) Personal Interaction 3) Subtle Interaction 2) Implicit Interaction 1) Ambient Display Figure 2. Four interaction phases, facilitating transitions from D. Vogel & R. Balakrishnan, ACM UIST 2004
coVer STory digital surfaces Portable personal devices Information People appliances Figure 1: A proxemic ecology, including a mix of people, digital surfaces, portable personal devices, and information appliances.
“While most devices are networked, actually interconnecting these devices is painful without extensive knowledge. ”
“These devices are also blind to the non-computational aspects of the room — the people, other non-digital objects, the room’ s semi-fixed and fixed features — all of which may affect their intended use. ”
coVer STory Figure 2; The five dimensions of prox- emics for ubicomp. Orientation Movement Identity Location Distance Five dimensions of proxemics for ubiquitous computing S. Greenberg et al., ACM Interactions 2011 operationalizing Proximity for ubicomp Januar y + Februar y 2011 interactions 44
Distance We normally think of as a continuous measure, but can be discrete Specific zones along with implications for meaning
Orientation Captures nuances not provided by distance alone e.g. facing toward, somewhat toward, or away from the other object Makes sense only if an entity has a “front face”
Identity Can be a detailed measure e.g. exact identity and attributes Or less detailed e.g. entity’ s type
Movement Captures distance and orientation of an entity over time speed, turning, etc.
Location Describes the physical context in which the entity resides e.g. particular room and its characteristics Meaning applied to the four other measures depends on contextual location
Examples
coVer STory coVer STory lonely greeting eye contact Figure 5: The information and Controls in Hand: Proxemic Face as Proxemic Presenter a social entity. (a) The lonely proxemic face. (b) It sees Rob come in and greets him. (c) It looks at Rob when Rob looks at him (d) but is saddened when Rob looks saddened annoyed uncomfortable Figure 5: The information and Controls in Hand: away. (e) Initially Proxemic Face as fascinated by the Proxemic Presenter a social entity. (a) flashlight beam, it is The lonely proxemic annoyed when Rob face. (b) It sees pokes it in the eye. Rob come in and (f) Rob is a bit too The Social Surface: The greets him. (c) It close for comfort. Proxemic Face looks at Rob when Rob looks at him (d) but is saddened when Rob looks away. (e) Initially fascinated by the flashlight beam, it is annoyed when Rob pokes it in the eye. (f) Rob is a bit too The Social Surface: The close for comfort. Proxemic Face Prototyping Proxemic Interactions: distance, orientation, identity, and movement information as a series of easy-to-program events. Additional information The Proximity Toolkit processed from this data is also returned as events, such as the intersection ray of one object facing toward another There are many ways to capture proximity data. Methods object, or whether one object has “collided” with another include sensors, vision and scene analysis, motion capture object by crossing a distance threshold. Programming with via tags, time-of-flight measures, instrumented rooms, depth these events is straight-forward. We found that computer Januar y + Februar y 2011 sensors, and others. No method is yet perfect, as there is a science students, after just an hour of training, could trade-off between important factors such as data accuracy, construct simple but quite interesting proximity-aware Prototyping Proxemic Interactions: distance, orientation, identity, and movement information as the type of information returned, equipment costs, difficulty applications in a very short amount of time (a day or two). a series of easy-to-program events. Additional information The Proximity Toolkit of configuration, and amount of custom coding required to processed from this data is also returned as events, such exploit the returned information effectively. Figure 13 illustrates one of the controls in this toolkit, where as the intersection ray of one object facing toward another it is displaying the current state of the living room ecology There are many ways to capture proximity data. Methods object, or whether one object has “collided” with another Because we wanted to concentrate on the design of described in previous systems. The figure shows the fixed include sensors, vision and scene analysis, motion capture object by crossing a distance threshold. Programming with proxemic interactions instead of the underlying plumbing, and semi-fixed features of the room (the room boundaries, via tags, time-of-flight measures, instrumented rooms, depth these events is straight-forward. We found that computer Januar y + Februar y 2011 interactions we built the Proxemity Toolkit. Currently based on the the coach, side table, bookcase, and displays). It also sensors, and others. No method is yet perfect, as there is a science students, after just an hour of training, could expensive Vicon Motion Capture system, it tracks particular dynamically shows the several moving entities in the room trade-off between important factors such as data accuracy, construct simple but quite interesting proximity-aware objects (via markers) and their proximity relationships and their orientation (a wand and the person by his hat), and the type of information returned, equipment costs, difficulty applications in a very short amount of time (a day or two). with each other. From that, we generate highly accurate that the person is touching the display. Programmatically, it of configuration, and amount of custom coding required to exploit the returned information effectively. Figure 13 illustrates one of the controls in this toolkit, where 46 it is displaying the current state of the living room ecology Because we wanted to concentrate on the design of described in previous systems. The figure shows the fixed proxemic interactions instead of the underlying plumbing, and semi-fixed features of the room (the room boundaries, interactions we built the Proxemity Toolkit. Currently based on the the coach, side table, bookcase, and displays). It also expensive Vicon Motion Capture system, it tracks particular dynamically shows the several moving entities in the room objects (via markers) and their proximity relationships and their orientation (a wand and the person by his hat), and with each other. From that, we generate highly accurate that the person is touching the display. Programmatically, it 46
Challenges Assumes that a set of rules of behaviour exists to dictate what that entity should do There will always be many cases where applying the rule in a particular instance will be the wrong thing to do!
Project 3: Designing with Proxemics!
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