Co-Interpreting Sensor Networks

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Co-Interpreting Sensor Networks
How can we design ubiquitous systems to integrate
with our everyday lives and experiences?

• Phoebe Sengers
• Culturally Embedded Computing Group
• Cornell Information Science and
  Science Technology Studies

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1. A vision of ubicomp
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(No Transcript)
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Proactive Computing
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What happens to intuitions, moods, whims,
idiosyncrasies, in a world where computers
sense and act for us?Who is in charge?And how
should we design to get good answers to these
questions?
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2. Inspiration from AI
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Genghis
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Intelligence without representation

1. You don't need to know what's going on to act
   "smart."
2. Focus design on the dynamics of what's going on
   in the real world, not on what the computer
   "knows" or "doesn't know."
3. Design with the human in the loop.

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3. What does this mean for ubicomp?
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Genghis meets ubicomp
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It's not about intelligence
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4. It's about co-interpretation.
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Proactive computing
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Co-interpretation
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Our approach

• Design smart devices to only be smart in the
  presence of a human
• Privacy-preserving sensing (shy sensing proxy
  measures activity inferencing?)
• Fault-tolerant user modeling
• Provoke user interpretation / reflection /
  activity

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5. Home Health

• Phoebe Sengers, Joseph "Jofish" Kaye Cornell
• Bill Gaver, Michael Golembewski Royal College
  of Art

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Goal

• Provide a sense of a home's well-being without
  intrusive sensing
• Develop a concrete alternative to "smart homes"
  as being for task completion/efficiency

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Concept
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Why horoscopes?
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System Structure
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Target users Frus House

• Fru describes herself as Mrs. Average
• She owns a large suburban style house in north
  London.
• She used to own a catering business, but now acts
  mostly as a housewife, except for some business
  deals of an undisclosed nature.

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A Very Full House

• A the moment, Fru shares the home with
• Her husband (Zach)
• An adult son (David)
• A hip-hop producer on the dole (Ricky)
• An aspiring glamour model (Wendy)
• And four Italian exchange students.

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An Extremely Social Environment

• Because of the large numbers of people who live
  and interact in this home, it tends to be an
  extremely social environment.
• Because of the large numbers of people who live
  and hang around at Frus, privacy and solitude
  are at a minimum. Still, Fru insists on at least
  one hour alone with Zach each day in the living
  room.

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Possible Metrics

• Cheerful - How happy is the house?
• Tired - Are people getting enough rest?
• Social - Are people socializing in the house?
• Private - Are people getting enough alone time?
• Busy - Are people doing lots of things at home?
• Ordered - Is Frus house care routine up to par?
• Disordered - Is the house a shambles?
• Productive - Are people getting things done in
  their lives?
• Empty - Is the house less full than usual?
• Transitive - Are there lots of changes taking
  place in the home?

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Sensor Love Seat

• A sensor inside of the love seat in Frus room
  tell swhen it is being used.
• Zach has pleasant conversation with Fru while
  sitting in the love seat some mornings a sign of
  cheerfulness in the home?
• Zach and Fru using the love seat in the afternoon
  could mean that they cant have their alone time
  in the living room - a possible sign of disorder?

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Attic Water Tank

• We monitor the water tank in the attic to look at
  the activity levels of the people in the house
• Is the pattern of water use different than it
  usually is? The house might be a bit chaotic
• Is more than the usual amount of water being
  used? The house might have even more people than
  usual in it
• Are fewer showers than normal being taken? The
  house might be more empty than usual

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Output horoscopes

• Database of 70,000 horoscope sentences
• Classified semi-automatically into emotional
  categories for Fru and Zac's house

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Example "Busy house" horoscope sentences

• Soon, you will push aside those matters that have
  kept you busy lately and there'll be more chance
  to follow your own preferences.
• You can make a residential move however, it will
  be hectic.
• Things will be hectic on the home front.
• Learn to concentrate to keep up with the hectic
  pace.
• Your household will be hectic and unsettled
  today.
• Today keep yourself busy with correspondence
  paperwork and phone calls jump to it.
• You're in a particularly busy phase, and the best
  you can do is to take care of yourself.
• Changes and busy activities in your home will
  cause fatigue.
• Your spiritual life has been sadly empty,
  probably because you've been so busy with mundane
  tasks.
• You're simply brimming with fantastic ideas,
  which makes you a popular figure.
• Life will seem far less hectic when your home is
  in order.

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Plans

• The system is currently fully constructed.
• We plan to deploy in Fru's home in the next 2
  months.
• Next generation
• Multiple households?
• New output "genre" (e.g. Your Household News)?
• True language generation?