Distributing%20Cognition%20in%20the%20design%20of%20ubiquitous%20computers

1
Distributing Cognition in the design of
ubiquitous computers

• Chris Baber
• Pervasive Computing Group
• The University of Birmingham

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The Design Challenge

• UbiComp assumes highly interconnected network of
  disparate systems but there is no architecture
• UbiComp assumes invisible interfaces to users but
  users cant manage want they cant see
• UbiComp assumes adaptation to context, but it is
  not obvious which features are appropriate

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System Layers
Convention
Socio-technical interaction
Activity Culture
Cognition Perception
Human/computer Interaction
Information knowledge
Application Programming
Assembly Language
Operating Systems
Machine Language
Digital Logic
Feedback
Posture Movement
Physical
Physical Inputs
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A Tangent

• Distributed Cognition addresses the interactions
  between people and everyday objects to explore
  the relationships between the actions people
  perform and the environment in which they live
  and work

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Distributed Cognition

• Exploring the ways in which objects in the world
  support human actions HUTCHINS
• Resources for Action SUCHMAN
• Objects in the Environment
• Procedures and sequences of action

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What is being distributed?

• System-level view of cognitive Processes PERRY
• Input
• Sensing relevant factors
• Processing
• Interpreting current context
• Output
• Determining appropriate response
• Provision of information
• Action of person

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From theory to (design) practice

• Resources for Action WRIGHT ET AL.
• Objects-in-the-World
• Represent
• Abstract Information Structures
• Action on Objects changes their states

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Context Resources

• Goal
• Plan
• Action
• History
• State
• Outcome

• Posture Movement
• Location
• Object / People
• Time

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Simple Mappings

• GOAL indicated by
• Location
• Adjacent Objects
• Time (relative to schedule / diary)
• Available information

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Information and Movement
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Annotation through action

• Capture image
• Rectify image
• Mark image
• Drawing
• Data from sensors

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Collaboration through activity

• Search of site
• detected and passed to Control where it is
• displayed on screen
• and directions sent back

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Conclusions

• Wearable Computers provide a channel through
  which humans can act upon the world and the
  objects it contains in order to interact with
  real and virtual information
• In this way, cognition can be distributed across
  people and the (increasingly) smart environments
  in which they work and play