Using Personal Traces in Context Space: Towards Context Trace Technology

Wearables are often described with a focus on providing the user with wearable information access and communication means. The contextual information retrieval aspect is, however, an essential feature of such systems, as in, for example, the Remembrance Agent [1] where manually entered search-terms are used for presenting relevant situational information, or as in different location-based systems [2]. In this position paper we outline a general framework of contextually aware wearable systems, and suggest how such mechanisms, collecting massive traces of the user context, may lead to several other interesting uses in what we will call context trace technology.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Smart CAPs for Smart Its</Emphasis> – Context Detection for Mobile Users

Context detection for mobile users plays a major role for enabling novel, human-centric interfaces. For this, we introduce a context detection scheme applicable in a self-organized sensor network, which is formed of disseminated, computer empowered sensors, referred to as Smart-Its [1]. Context-detection takes place without requiring any central point of control, and supports push as well as pull modes. Our solution is based on an in-network composition approach relying on so-called smart Context-Aware Packets (sCAPs). These packets act as a uniform interchange format, and allow single sensors to share sensed data and to cooperate to build up a meaningful context model from manifold inputs. sCAPs travel through the sensor network governed by an enclosed retrieving plan, specifying which sensors to visit in order to gain a specific piece of context information. For enhanced flexibility, the retrieving plan itself may be dynamically altered in accordance with past sensor readings.     

Context Awareness and Mobile Phones

This paper investigates some aspects of how context-awareness can support users of mobile phones, in particular the calling party. The use of mobile and stationary phones is discussed in relation to situational properties of a phone conversation, especially with regards to who might benefit from context-awareness in this context. An initial hypothesis is that mobile phone users communicate context information to each other (verbally) to a much higher degree than do stationary phone users. Mobile phone users could benefit much from context awareness technology, in particular when about to make a call, if they can receive context information regarding the person they are trying to reach prior to establishing the call. We argue that such technology should require low amounts of explicit user interaction, and could lead to less disrupting calls in inappropriate moments, as well as less frustration for the calling party when a call is not answered.     

Beyond Position Awareness

Location models are merely based on positional information. Using wireless sensor networks, however, allows us to extract information which can be related to different levels of semantic proximity of different devices. Based on this observation, the paper proposes a semantic proximity hierarchy based on a wireless sensor network. In this paper, we argue that the proposed proximity hierarchy adds a new and complementary dimension to pure positional location information. The paper discusses the proposed hierarchy, gives application examples and some preliminary experimental results. Correspondence to: Mr S Antifakos, Perceptual Computing and Computer Vision Group, ETH Zentrum, CH08092 Zurich, Switzerland. Email: antifakos@inf.ethz.ch     

Understanding and Using Context

Context is a poorly used source of information in our computing environments. As a result, we have an impoverished understanding of what context is and how it can be used. In this paper, we provide an operational definition of context and discuss the different ways in which context can be used by context-aware applications. We also present the Context Toolkit, an architecture that supports the building of these context-aware applications. We discuss the features and abstractions in the toolkit that make the task of building applications easier. Finally, we introduce a new abstraction, a situation which we believe will provide additional support to application designers.     

Building Distributed Context-Aware Applications

Context-aware applications gather information from sensors about their users and operating environment. Sensor handling is a complicated issue that makes it hard and time-consuming to develop context-aware applications. This paper shows how dynamic discovery protocols can be employed to deal with the physical distribution of sensors and the need to share sensors between many applications. We report on our experiences from building a position-aware application using the dynamic discovery protocol that is part of the Jini software infrastructure for distributed systems.     

Extending color vision methods to bands beyond the visible

There is a rapid growth in sensor technology in regions of the electromagnetic spectrum beyond the visible. Also, the parallel growth of powerful, inexpensive computers and digital electronics has made many new imaging applications possible. Although there are many approaches to sensor fusion, this paper provides a discussion of relevant infrared phenomenology and attempts to apply known methods of human color vision to achieve image fusion. Two specific topics of importance are color contrast enhancement and color constancy.     

Modelling and Adapting to Context

One of the hardest points in context-aware applications is deciding what reactions a system has to a certain context. In this paper, we introduce an architecture used in two context-aware museum guides. We discuss how the context is modelled and we briefly present a rule-based mechanism to trigger system actions. A rule-based system offers the flexibility required to be context-sensitive in the broadest sense since many context features can be considered and evaluated at the same time. This architecture is very flexible and easily supports a fast prototyping approach.     

A Context/Communication Information Agent

We are developing a Context/Communication Information Agent (CIA), an autonomous software agent that proactively searches for the right information at the right time. Our goal is to design and evaluate a system that leverages what people naturally do, using this knowledge to retrieve information, and presenting it with a minimal cost of disruption to the users. In this paper, we describe the results a low-fidelity prototype performed in a meeting situation, the design space for such an application, and our plans for continued investigation.     

Magic Touch: A Simple Object Location Tracking System Enabling the Development of Physical-Virtual Artefacts in Office Environments

A novel method for tracking physical activities is presented. The method is based on the assumption that all changes to the physical environment are done by users themselves, and that these actions can be tracked using wearable computer technology placed on human hands. Various limitations of the proposed method are discussed. Acknowledging these limitations, a range of possible applications are presented, e.g. a set of Physical-Virtual Artefacts intended to decrease the gap between the physical and virtual environments within offices. Also, some aspects of the modelling of user actions in office environments are discussed.     

Automatic detection of vehicle occupants: the imaging problemand its solution

The automatic detection and counting of vehicle occupants is a challenging research problem that was given little attention until recently. An automated vehicle-occupant-counting system would greatly facilitate the operation of freeway lanes reserved for car pools (high occupancy vehicle lanes or HOV lanes). There are three major aspects of this problem: (a) the imaging aspect (sensor phenomenology), (b) the pattern recognition aspect, and (c) the system architecture aspect. In this paper, we present a solution to the imaging aspect of the problem. We propose a novel system based on fusion of near-infrared imaging signals and we demonstrate its adequacy with theoretical and experimental arguments. We also compare our solution to other possible solutions across the electromagnetic spectrum, particularly in the thermal infrared and visible regions.     

SenToy in FantasyA: Designing an Affective Sympathetic Interface to a Computer Game

We describe the design process of an affective control toy, named SenToy, used to control a synthetic character in a computer game. SenToy allows players to influence the emotions of a synthetic character placed in FantasyA, a 3D virtual game. By expressing gestures associated with anger, fear, surprise, sadness and joy through SenToy, players influence the emotions of the character they control in the game. When designing SenToy we hypothesized that players would manipulate the toy to express emotions using a particular set of gestures. Those gestures were drawn from literature on how we express emotions through bodily movements and from emotion theories. To evaluate our idea we performed a Wizard Of Oz study [1]. The results of the study show that there are behaviours that players easily pick up for expressing emotions through the gestures with the toy, though not necessarily the ones extracted from literature. The study also provided some indication on what type of toy we should build, in particular, its ‘look and feel’. Correspondence to: Ms A. Paiva, IST & Instituto de Engenharia de Sistemas e Computadores, Rua Alves Redol 9, 1000 Lisboa, Portugal. Email: Ana.Paiva@inesc.pt     

Design and evaluation of an adaptive virtual guide for Web applications

Most applications accessible through the Web suffer from a noticeable lack of support for adapting to the different information needs that different users may have regarding a certain topic. However, completely automatic adaptive support can still be confusing for users who may not understand the reasons for the dynamic change in the behaviour of an application. In this paper, we present a possible solution to provide adaptive support that does not disorient the user. The solution integrates a virtual January 18, assistant that is able to provide adaptive support in an adaptable application. We discuss an example of the application of this approach involving the support of Web visits to virtual museums. We then present the results of an empirical usability test of such an application. Published online: 29 January 2002     

The Human Communication Space: Towards I-centric Communications

In the last few years, a variety of concepts for service integration and corresponding systems have been developed. On the one hand, they aim for the interworking and integration of classical telecommunications and data communications services. On the other, they are focusing on universal service access from a variety of end-user systems. Many of the technical problems, resulting from the service integration, and service personalisation have been solved during the last years. However, all these systems are driven by the concept of providing several technologies to users by keeping the peculiarity of each service.  Looking at humans’ communication behaviour and their communication space, it is obvious that human beings interact habitually in a set of contexts with their environment. The individual information preferences and needs, persons to interact with, and the set of devices controlled by each individual define their personal communication space. Following this view, a new approach is to build communication systems not on the basis of specific technologies, but on the analysis of the individual communication spaces. The result is a communication system adapted to the demands of each individual (I-centric). The communication system will act on behalf of users’ demands, reflecting recent actions to enable profiling and self-adaptation to contexts and situations.  In this paper, we introduce I-centric Communications, an approach to design communication systems that adapt themselves to the individual communication space and individual environment and situation. In this context “I” means I, or individual, “Centric” means adaptable to I requirements and a certain user environment.     

Distributed accessibility control points help deliver a directly accessible Web

This paper describes a set of interfaces and mechanisms to enhance access to the World Wide Web for persons with sensory, cognitive, or motor limitations. Paradoxically, although complex Web architectures are often accused of impeding accessibility, their layers expand the range of points where interventions can be staged to improve it. This paper identifies some of these access control points and evaluates the particular strengths and weaknesses of each. In particular, it describes an approach to enhance access that is distributed across multiple control points and implemented as an aggregation of services. Published online: 6 November 2002     

Online handwriting recognition: the NPen++ recognizer

This paper presents the online handwriting recognition system NPen++ developed at the University of Karlsruhe and Carnegie Mellon University. The NPen++ recognition engine is based on a multi-state time delay neural network and yields recognition rates from 96% for a 5,000 word dictionary to 93.4% on a 20,000 word dictionary and 91.2% for a 50,000 word dictionary. The proposed tree search and pruning technique reduces the search space considerably without losing too much recognition performance compared to an exhaustive search. This enables the NPen++ recognizer to be run in real-time with large dictionaries. Initial recognition rates for whole sentences are promising and show that the MS-TDNN architecture is suited to recognizing handwritten data ranging from single characters to whole sentences. Received September 3, 2000 / Revised October 9, 2000     

Slow Technology – Designing for Reflection

As computers are increasingly woven into the fabric of everyday life, interaction design may have to change – from creating only fast and efficient tools to be used during a limited time in specific situations, to creating technology that surrounds us and therefore is a part of our activities for long periods of time. We present slow technology: a design agenda for technology aimed at reflection and moments of mental rest rather than efficiency in performance. The aim of this paper is to develop a design philosophy for slow technology, to discuss general design principles and to revisit some basic issues in interaction design from a more philosophical point of view. We discuss examples of soniture and informative art as instances of slow technology and as examples of how the design principles can be applied in practice.     

User Environments and Individuals: Experience with Adaptive Interface Agents

The traditional style of working with computers generally revolves around the computer being used as a tool, with individual users directly initiating operations and waiting for the results of them. A more recent paradigm of human-computer interaction, based on the indirect management of computing resources, is agent-based interaction. The idea of delegation plays a key part in this approach to computer-based work, which allows individuals to relinquish the routine, mechanistic parts of their everyday tasks, having them performed automatically instead. Adaptive interfaces combine elements of both these approaches, where the goal is to have the interface adapt to its users rather than the reverse. This paper addresses some of the issues arising from a practical software development process which aimed to support individuals using this style of interaction. This paper documents the development of a set of classes which implement an architecture for adaptive interfaces. These classes are intended to be used as part of larger user interface systems which are to exhibit adaptive behaviour. One approach to the implementation of an adaptive interface is to use a set of software “agents”– simple processes which effectively run “in the background”– to decompose the task of implementing the interface. These agents form part of a larger adaptive interface architecture, which in turn forms a component of the adaptive system.     

Aware Community Portals: Shared Information Appliances for Transitional Spaces

People wish to maintain a level of awareness of timely information, including presence of others in the workplace and other social settings. We believe this provides better exchange, coordination and contact within a community, especially as people work in asynchronous times and distributed locations. The challenge is to develop lightweight techniques for awareness, interaction and communication using shared information appliances. In this paper, we describe the design of an exploratory responsive display projected within a shared workspace at the MIT Media Lab. The system uses visual sensing to provide relevant information and constructs traces of people’s activity over time. Such aware portals may be deployed in casual workplace domains, distributed workgroups, and everyday public spaces.     

A framework for designing and implementing the user interface of a geographic digital library

Geographic data are useful for a large set of applications, such as urban planning and environmental control. These data are, however, very expensive to acquire and maintain. Moreover, their use is often restricted due to a lack of dissemination mechanisms. Digital libraries are a good approach for increasing data availability and therefore reducing costs, since they provide efficient storage and access to large volumes of data. One major drawback to this approach is that it creates the necessity of providing facilities for a large and heterogeneous community of users to search and interact with these geographic libraries. We present a solution to this problem, based on a framework that allows the design and construction of customizable user interfaces for applications based on Geographic Digital Libraries (GDL). This framework relies on two main concepts: a geographic user interface architecture and a geographic digital library model. Received: 15 December 1997 / Revised: June 1999