The GUIDE System (and what the tourists thought) Keith Cheverst Distributed Multimedia Research Group Lancaster University

Lancaster University - DMRG Background… What ‘useful’ interactive system could we build using… Mobile Computing / Wireless connectivity Access to dynamic information Remote services Context-Awareness Personal Environment Device

Lancaster University - DMRG The GUIDE Project… Investigate issues re. the development of mobile context-aware systems Developed to overcome limitations of traditional information/navigation tools Group-based guides Inherently inflexible, fixed start-times durations etc Satisfy interests of the majority rather than the specific interests of individuals Guide books Can contain out of date information etc

Lancaster University - DMRG GUIDE Requirements… Requirements Capture (Lancaster TIC) Observing information needs of visitors Semi-structured one-to-one interviews with TIC staff Four main requirements Flexibility Present Tailored Information Support for dynamic information Support for interactive services

Lancaster University - DMRG Comms/Location Infrastructure

Lancaster University - DMRG Infrastructure Continued…

Lancaster University - DMRG Welcome to GUIDE…

Lancaster University - DMRG Accessing Information…

Lancaster University - DMRG Position Dependent Info…

Lancaster University - DMRG Viewing Nearby Attractions…

Lancaster University - DMRG Viewing a Local Map…

Lancaster University - DMRG Interactive Services…

Lancaster University - DMRG Messaging…

Lancaster University - DMRG Picking a Tour…

Lancaster University - DMRG Following a Tour (1)…

Lancaster University - DMRG Following a Tour (2)…

Lancaster University - DMRG The Information Model… Represents various information types Geographic, hypertext and active components

Lancaster University - DMRG GUIDE (the movie)…

Lancaster University - DMRG Implications of Disconnection… GUIDE units can loose network connectivity Certain functionality becomes unavailable Location Information, Messaging Service etc Trust/reliability of information is an issue No reception of dynamic information No access to those parts of the information model that are not currently cached e.g. remote web pages Information can become out-of-date

Lancaster University - DMRG Mobile Awareness… Encourage an understanding for the role of connectivity Reduce apparent anomalies in behaviour that could affect a visitor’s trust Utilises understanding of the mobile phone Bars of connectivity metaphor Awareness rather than intrusive What about visitor’s location…

Lancaster University - DMRG Solving Location Problems: A GUIDE and Visitor Partnership

Lancaster University - DMRG Finding the Visitor…

Lancaster University - DMRG Selecting from List…

Lancaster University - DMRG Selecting from Thumbnails…

Lancaster University - DMRG Found Again…

Lancaster University - DMRG Evaluation Expert walkthrough 1 st pass at usability Resolved a number of User Interface issues Highlighted need to avoid over-determining the user Field Trial What the public actually think Ascertain quality of visitor’s experience Determine the implications of our approach Would users trust the system? Granularity of location information? What about the role connectivity?

Lancaster University - DMRG Field Trial… Sixty visitors over 5 weeks Usage period between 10 minutes and 1 hour Concern not to impinge on visitor’s holiday! Age Profile NumberGenderWeb Experience MaleFemale

Lancaster University - DMRG Key Findings …. In general, visitors enjoyed using the system… Visitors appreciated location-awareness Found location-aware navigation reassuring Information Retrieval (when not over constrained) Visitors trust of the system was dynamic Level increased when shown detailed and accurate descriptions e.g. ‘watch the step when leaving the path’ Level decreased when information could not be retrieved or appeared inaccurate/incorrect

Lancaster University - DMRG Key Findings Continued… Majority of visitors appreciated system’s flexibility However, some were of the opinion ‘Less is More’ 45/60 accepted the portable end-system Interactive Services… Less enthusiastic than expected 48/60 visitors wanted conformation of bookings Visitors in age group… Revelled in the technology Explored twice as many links per minute as other groups Visitor’s awareness… Appreciated role of connectivity Accepted the mobile phone analogy

Lancaster University - DMRG The Role of Context… Maximising the limited User Interface bandwidth between the device and the user Enabling the simplification/reduction of the user’s task specification What locations are nearby? Creating a suitable/tailored tour Need to be careful of not overly constraining the information available to the visitor The trade-off between prescription and freedom

Lancaster University - DMRG The Role of Context Continued… Tailoring/Adapting Presented Information Ordering of lists, e.g. nearby attractions Constraining content, e.g. based on proximity Tailoring descriptions Information(1) Lancaster Priory built in 1434 A.D. and the architect was Donald Samson. Information(2) Lancaster Priory built in 1434 A.D. and the architect was Donald Samson. This architect also designed the extension to York Cathedral which you visited on 12 th January Issues of predictability

Lancaster University - DMRG Future for GUIDE (1) Supplement communications infrastructure with micro-cellular system, e.g. bluetooth Communication within buildings Finer granularity of positioning info Reduced power consumption Integration of GPS Could obtain location based on… Based on querying user Based on reception of location updates Based on (D)GPS

Lancaster University - DMRG Future for GUIDE (2) Extend the range of context-sensitive interactive services for city residents Automatically ordering a taxi Requesting the location of nearest cash point Support for ad hoc meetings Utilise personal end-systems, Users personal WAP phone or PDA Persistence of user’s profile Constant learning/building of user’s profile

Lancaster University - DMRG Concluding Remarks… Is context (e.g. position) used to good effect in GUIDE ? Context used to reduce the complexity of a user’s task specification Context also increased the the quality/relevance of information presented to the user The users interaction is affected by… UI, context and infrastructure Designers need to carefully consider Appropriate styles of interaction (metaphors, feedback, etc.) How to avoid over-determining the user based on context

Lancaster University - DMRG Contact Information… Recent GUIDE Papers: Developing a Context-aware Electronic Tourist Guide: Some Issues and Experiences (CHI2000) The Role of Connectivity in Supporting Context-Sensitive Applications (HUC’99) The Design of an Object Model for a Context-Sensitive Tourist Guide (Computers & Graphics Journal Vol 23. No 6. Dec 1999)