1. Ubiquitous Computing and Augmented Realities
Material from
Authors of Human Computer Interaction
Alan Dix, et al

2. Overview Breaking the tradition of the computer box
ubiquitous computing
virtual reality
augmented reality
information visualization

3. Introduction Ubiquitous computing (pervasive computing)
single user --> groups and larger organizations
traditional desk top --> computational power in the environment
user search out computer --> interface locates and serves user

4. Three challenges Defining appropriate physical interaction experience
Discovering general application features
Theories for designing and evaluation human experience with ubicomp

5. Challenge 1: Input
Textual input --> pointing devices for variety of data types
Explicit input --> implicit input (natural interactions with environment)
tipping a PDA to move between pages
walking into a space announces one’s presence
Better support for natural human communication (handwriting, gestures, etc.)

6. Challenge 1: Input
Large scale touch interactive surfaces (capacitive coupling)
RFID sensors (security tags)
Infrared range finders
Incorporation into artifacts

7. Challenge 1: Output Concerns must address technology and aesthetics
Size of displays
Multiple displays
Multiple modalities
Ambient forms of communication

8. Challenge 2: Output Size of displays Small (inch)- mobile devices
Medium (foot)- traditional desktop displays
Large (yard)
multiple low-resolution projected displays
display wall
coordinate interaction between them

9. Challenge 1: Output Ambient displays peripheral output
information is medium to low priority
aesthetic appeal
Examples:
Dangling String (detects network traffic)
Audio Aura (auditory cues eg. )
Kandinsky (collage of images from keywords)

10. Challenge 1: Seamless integration
Merge computation artifacts with world of physical artifacts
Augmented reality
Use objects in physical world to manipulate electronic artifacts

11. Challenge 2: Application themes
To make computing disappear, need a combination of a large range of services
Context-aware computing
Capture and record experiences

12. Challenge 2: Context Aware Computing
Location aware appliances
simple context - user location (where and who)
provide services like
automatic cell forwarding
updated maps of user locations
GPS navigation systems
tour guide systems
need more context
When - relative changes of time, vary from routine
What - perceiving and interpreting human activity (Cookies)
Why

13. Challenge 2: Automated capture and access
Augment inefficiency of human record taking
Record multiple streams of activity
Old idea : Vannevar Bush and Memex
to store artifacts we come in contact with in everyday lives and the associations that we create between them
Applications
Meeting capture at
Xerox Parc

14. Understanding interaction
Everyday computing
Continuous interaction
orchestrates daily routines, communicate with others, and manages information
Focus on activities (eg. writing), not tasks
Problems:
no clear start or end
interruptions
concurrent activities

15. Understanding Interaction In Ubiquitous Computing
Integrate numerous devices in one setting
Need knowledge in the world (rather than in the head)
Need models that consider nature of relationship between internal cognitive processes and the outside world
Three main theories serve as guides
Activity Theory
Situated Action
Distributed Cognition

16. Challenge 3: Evaluation Challenges
Develop assessment and evaluation techniques for ubicomp
Predict how novel technologies serve human need
Observe authentic use and co-evolution of human activities and novel technologies

17. Challenge 3: Evaluation Challenges
Little research to date on this topic
understanding is on structuring activities and tasks
not clear when we move away from structured work
ubicomp systems not yet reliable and robust to support continuous activity --> how to evaluate?
Essentially we have living laboratories

18. Virtual and Augmented Reality
VR refers to computer-generated simulation of a world or a subset of it
immersive (cave)
desktop (command and control situations)
augmented reality
where virtuality and reality meet

19. Information and Data Visualization
Scientific and technical data
virtual reality
3D maps
Structured information
Hierarchies and networks
Time and interactivity
Use of color to determine patterns