Antti Virolainen

Cool interaction with calm technologies: experimenting with ice as a multitouch surface

In this paper we describe our interactive ice-wall installation, which is a multi-touch surface built from ice. Our demo seeks to stretch the boundaries of current ubiquitous computing systems by trying out a new material, which embeds itself to the environment -- here, outdoors in a snowy winter. In addition to the function of the interactive installation, where we show that ice as a material can be used for such purposes, we seek to offer an inspirational aspect to the design of ubiquitous computing systems. We also present the feedback collected from 33 surveyed and 10 interviewed users who interacted with the system.

Sketching with strangers: in the wild study of ad hoc social communication by drawing

We describe an in-the-wild experiment with non-verbal ad-hoc communication between strangers. We connected two night clubs via two interactive tables that allowed people at each end interact via shared drawings, pre-made symbols and actions. We interviewed 50 and observed approximately 200 participants. In local interaction, collaboration was the preferred mode of use, whereas with remote interaction, communication prevailed. This study demonstrated that people have such a strong desire to communicate that they are willing to forgive many imperfections in the channel. It was also evident that people resorted to stereotypical information to ease the rapid flow of conversation, when they had only limited knowledge of the other party (just the place). This paper describes our system design, the user study, and discusses implications on designing for ad hoc communication and context sharing in urban everyday environment.

Designing Interactions with Multilevel Auditory Displays in Mobile Audio-Augmented Reality

Auditory interfaces offer a solution to the problem of effective eyes-free mobile interactions. In this article, we investigate the use of multilevel auditory displays to enable eyes-free mobile interaction with indoor location-based information in non-guided audio-augmented environments. A top-level exocentric sonification layer advertises information in a gallery-like space. A secondary interactive layer is used to evaluate three different conditions that varied in the presentation (sequential versus simultaneous) and spatialisation (non-spatialised versus egocentric/exocentric spatialisation) of multiple auditory sources. Our findings show that (1) participants spent significantly more time interacting with spatialised displays; (2) using the same design for primary and interactive secondary display (simultaneous exocentric) showed a negative impact on the user experience, an increase in workload and substantially increased participant movement; and (3) the other spatial interactive secondary display designs (simultaneous egocentric, sequential egocentric, and sequential exocentric) showed an increase in time spent stationary but no negative impact on the user experience, suggesting a more exploratory experience. A follow-up qualitative and quantitative analysis of user behaviour support these conclusions. These results provide practical guidelines for designing effective eyes-free interactions for far richer auditory soundscapes.

Burn-to-share: content sharing with mobile projectors

Projector-enabled mobile devices and handheld projectors will provide new possibilities for ubiquitous and mobile multimedia by creating novel interaction methods and use cases. In this paper, we introduce our Burn-to-Share concept, which is a novel system for sharing pictorial content on public surfaces with mobile projectors. Contrary to earlier methods in visual content sharing between mobile devices and public displays, our concept uses optical capture, making software installations, pairing and data connectivity unnecessary. Furthermore, with our approach the interaction is immediate and intuitive.

Multilevel auditory displays for mobile eyes-free location-based interaction

This paper explores the use of multilevel auditory displays to enable eyes-free mobile interaction with location-based information in a conceptual art exhibition space. Multilevel auditory displays enable user interaction with concentrated areas of information. However, it is necessary to consider how to present the auditory streams without overloading the user. We present an initial study in which a top-level exocentric sonification layer was used to advertise information present in a gallery-like space. Then, in a secondary interactive layer, three different conditions were evaluated that varied in the presentation (sequential versus simultaneous) and spatialisation (non-spatialised versus egocentric spatialisation) of multiple auditory sources. Results show that 1) participants spent significantly more time interacting with spatialised displays, 2) there was no evidence that a switch from an exocentric to an egocentric display increased workload or lowered satisfaction, and 3) there was no evidence that simultaneous presentation of spatialised Earcons in the secondary display increased workload.