HWG 1

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Embedded Interactive SystemsPrototypes and
Platforms

• Hans-W. Gellersen
• Lancaster University
• Department of Computing
• Chair in Interactive Systems

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• This is not a talk about Embedded Systems that
  are interactive
• Its about Interactive Systems that are embedded
• Human-computer interfaces beyond the desktop
• Physically embedded in everyday environments
  The Environment is the Interface
• Inspired by the Ubiquitous Computing Vision

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Paradigm Shift in Interactive Computing

• Personal Computing Human Integration
• Considering the user as integral part of the
  system
• (previously users were system periphery)
• Ubiquitous Computing Physical Integration
• Considering also what surrounds computer and
  user as integral part of the system
• Physical and social context observable context,
  world knowledge, affordances, social values,
• (whereas Personal Computing is largely isolated
  and isolating from the overall situation)

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Embedded Interactive Systems

• Giving Primacy to the Physical World
• Everyday objects and spaces become the interfaces
  to otherwise invisible computing systems
• Physically embedded interfaces mediate between
  the physical and the digital world
• Interaction away from the desktop and as part of
  human activity in a physical world
• Departure from Standard User Interfaces
• Non-traditional technologies sensors, embedded
  systems, perceptual components,
• New design frameworks tangible interface,
  situated interaction, augmented reality,

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Embedded Interactive Systems

• New architectures for interactive systems
• Canonical set of building blocks What is the
  equivalent of screen-based GUI objects in a
  physical world ?
• Dynamic composition how to support relationships
  in a physical interface spatial, contextual,
  semantic
• Interface management what is the equivalent of a
  windowing system in an interactive environment ?

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Research Approach

• Experimental Prototypes
• construction of working prototypes of the
  necessary infrastructure in sufficient quantity
  to debug the viability of the systems in everyday
  use, using ourselves and a few colleagues as
  guinea pigs(M. Weiser, on Ubicomp Research
  Methods)
• only building something actually allows you to
  explore its full design potential (R. Want)
• Explored within the EU Disappearing Computer
  inititiative

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The Disappearing Computer

• Smart Artefacts and Emerging Applications
• Emphasizing the places and things in peoples
  lives
• Thinking of computing as material for future
  versions
• Allow future artefacts/places to be connected to
  form a platform for new types of application
• In this talk three prototypes and a platform
• Examples of the Disappearing Computer
• Future versions of familiar things
• Beyond prototypes toward platforms
• The Smart-Its project

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• PinPlay
• A Wall that is also a Computer Network

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The PinPlay Network

• The Concept
• The wall as network for the things that become
  attached to it
• Familiar tangible interaction pinning
• Preserve original functionality
• PinPlay Architecture
• Surface with conductive layers
• Pushpin-like physical connector
• Socket-less attachment of objects
• Arbitrary types of object
• PinPlay discovery of objects when they
  become attached

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PinPlay Noticeboards

• Proof of concept, gt1 sqm segments, gt25 nodes/sqm

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Interacting with Walls

• Ethnographic Study at Göteborg Film Festival

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PinPlay Home Automation

• Proof of versatility range of objects and
  applications

• PinPlay Lightswitch
• place it where you like!

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The PinPlay Network

• Key Points
• Communication infrastructure merged with common
  surface
• Piggy-backing everyday interaction style
• Not compromising original use and appearance
• High density of nodes
• No sockets

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• Ambient Display
• Hallway posters that double as output medium

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Hallway Posters

• Visualize web activity in the ambient environment
• Adopt artefacts meaningfully as display substrate
• Web access increases light,decrease over time

project posteraffordance for overlayingproject-
related information
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Hallway Posters

• Not just notification!
• Overview visualize web activity over time
• Comparison light distribution over posters
  provides comparison at a glance

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Hallway Posters
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Hallway Posters
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Hallway Posters

• Experience
• In use since 1999
• Non-intentional use (walking-by)
• Not attention-grabbing
• Subtle awareness of web activity

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• Sensor Table
• A coffee table that can sense and receive input

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Load-Sensing Surfaces

• Concept
• Gravity is ubiquitous
• Surfaces crossroads for human activity
• Pervasive load sensing
• Not just weight
• Position on surface
• Object movement
• Particular events
• Traces

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Load-SensingSurfaces

• Weight Lab
• Lab environment with load-sensing floor, tables,
  and shelves
• Common furniture,unobtrusively aug-mented
  (wireless)
• Context Acquistion
• Tracking of people, objects, activities
• In presence of noise(cluttered surfaces)

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Load-Sensing Surface

• Surfaces as Interaction Device

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Summary

• Unobtrusively integrated infrastructure
• Three examples for infrastructure integrated with
  everyday environment input, output and
  networking
• Unobtrusive physical integration
• Building on existing physical affordances
• Added functionality
• New forms of interaction, new applications
• Not compromising existing use and familiarity
• Future versions of things backward-compatible!

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• Smart-Its
• Beyond one-off Prototypes

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Smart-Its

• Technology for Smart Artefacts
• Disappearing Computer Project, 2001-2003
• Lancaster (UK), Karlsruhe (D), ETH Zurich (CH),
  Interactive Institute (S), VTT Electronics (FIN)
• Vision
• Post-hoc augmentation of everyday objects with
  processing, physical I/O and wireless
  communication
• Approach
• Hardware/software construction kit for smart
  artefacts
• Rapid prototyping and exploration of applications

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Smart-Its Architecture

• Smart-Its Devices integrate
• Phyiscal I/O
• Processing environment
• Wireless communication

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Smart-Its Architecture

• Smart-Its System
• Collection of communicating Smart-Its
• Self-contained or con-nected to backend
• Participating devices are customized to their
  physical design context
• phys I/O configuration
• software, behaviour

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Smart-Its Architecture

• Modular Device Architecture
• Separating physical I/O from communication
• Multiple I/O boards maybe connected to one core
  board
• Processing can be centralized on the core board,
  or distributed with additional processors on the
  I/O boards

Core Board
I/O Board
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Platform Implementation

• Smart-Its Hardware
• Family of devices, implementations for different
  target applications
• TecO Smart-Its core and sensor boards optimized
  for small size, low energy, and longer-term
  deployment
• Lancaster Smart-Its very rapid prototyping of
  lab demonstrators, small-scale experiments, and
  teaching
• ETH BTnode an alternative core board integrating
  Bluetooth

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Platform Implementation

• Smart-Its Hardware
• e.g. TecO sensor board, 17X30 mm
• Sensing audio, light, 3D acceleration, humiditry,
  temperature, and pressure
• LED and speaker output

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Platform Implementation

• Smart-Its Hardware
• e.g. Lancaster boards
• Purposefully simple in composition
• Basic core board
• Encouraging design of customized I/O boards
• e.g. multi-sensor board(touch, acceleration etc)
• e.g. actuator control board (power control of up
  to 4 actuators)

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Platform Implementation

• Smart-Its Software
• Providing abstractions at multiple levels
• At the lowest level, drivers that shield
  developers from hardware detail both on component
  (sensors, etc ) and board level (connections)
• Basic communication and system functions, e.g.
  wireless and serial communication, power control
  etc
• At a higher level, libraries and code templates
  that implement common application frameworks
• Developers can access the system at any level

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Physical Prototyping rapid cycles between idea
and tangible evaluation
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Platform Evaluation / Dissemination

• Hackfests
• Hackfest with users from other projects
• 2,5 days for develop-ment of mini-demos from
  scratch
• Results
• Hardware new add-on devices
• e.g. RFID reader
• Software building blocks
• Application demos
• Game control

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Summary

• Application experience
• Adopted by other research groups as platform for
  their work
• Various demonstrators e.g. smart furniture
  assembly
• Conclusion
• Reduced effort for physical prototyping
• Encouraging exploration of physical design
  alternatives
• Future work needs to move fromdevice to system
  focus

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Acknowledgements

• Commission of the European Union, Future and
  Emerging Technologies (project contracts
  Smart-Its, PinPlay and Relate)
• Engineering and Physical Sciences Research
  Council (indirect support through the Equator
  project)
• Project partners at Karlsruhe, ETH, and Viktoria
• Albrecht Schmidt, Martin Strohbach, Kristof Van
  Laerhoven, Gerd Kortuem, Nicolas Villar