Bernt Meerbeek

Robot Vacuum Cleaner Personality and Behavior

In this paper we report our study on the user experience of robot vacuum cleaner behavior. How do people want to experience this new type of cleaning appliance? Interviews were conducted to elicit a desired robot vacuum cleaner personality. With this knowledge in mind, behavior was designed for a future robot vacuum cleaner. A video prototype was used to evaluate how people experienced the behavior of this robot vacuum cleaner. The results indicate that people recognized the intended personality in the robot behavior. We recommend using a personality model as a tool for developing robot behavior.

Investigating the relationship between the personality of a robotic TV assistant and the level of user control

This paper describes the design and evaluation of a robotic TV assistant that helps users find a TV-programme that fits their interests. Questions that were addressed include: What personality do users prefer for the robotic TV-assistant? What level of control do they prefer? How do personality and the level of control relate to each other? Four prototypes were developed by combining two personalities and two levels of user control. In the high control condition, a speech-based command-and-control interaction style was used, whereas the interaction style in the low control condition consisted of speech-based system-initiative natural language dialogue. The results demonstrated an interaction between the effects of personality and level of control on user preferences. Overall, the most preferred combination was an extravert and friendly personality with low user control. Additionally, it was found that perceived level of control was influenced by the robots personality. This suggests that the robots personality can be used as a means to increase the amount of control that users perceive

Designing interactive lighting

LED-based lighting systems have introduced radically new possibilities in the area of artificial lighting. Being physically small the LED can be positioned or embedded into luminaires, materials and even the very fabric of a building or environment. Hundreds of LEDs can be used in a single luminaire or space, of which each could have different light output properties. The light switch therefore in many situations will need to be enhanced or fully replaced by intelligent controls and smart environments that are sensitive to the context and responsive to the people in the environment. The focus of this workshop is to explore new ways of interacting with light where lighting is no longer simply an on or off system, but a flexible system capable of creating a large range of functional, decorative and ambient light effects.

Beyond the switch: explicit and implicit interaction with light

The commercial introduction of connected lighting that can be integrated with sensors and other devices is opening up new possibilities in creating responsive and intelligent environments. The role of lighting in such systems goes beyond simply functional illumination. In part due to the large and established lighting network, and with the advent of the LED, new types of lighting output are now possible. However, the current approach for controlling such systems is to simply replace the light switch with a somewhat more sophisticated smartphone-based remote control. The focus of this workshop is to explore new ways of interacting with light where lighting can not only be switched on or off, but is an intelligent system embedded in the environment capable of creating a variety of effects. The connectivity between multiple systems and other ecosystems, for example when transitioning from your home, to your car and to your office, will also be explored during this workshop as a part of a connected lifestyle between different contexts.

The role of ambient intelligence in future lighting systems

LED-based lighting systems have introduced radically new possibilities in the area of artificial lighting. Being physically small the LED can be positioned or embedded into luminaires, materials and even the very fabric of a building or environment. The light switch therefore in many situations will need to be enhanced or fully replaced by intelligent controls and smart environments that are sensitive to the context and responsive to the presence of people. Future lighting systems will become a part of the Ambient Intelligence (AmI). This workshop explores how the vision and principles of the AmI paradigm can be applied to future lighting controls, where lighting is not anymore only a functional on/off system, but a flexible system capable of creating a large range of functional/decoration and ambient light effects.

Peripheral Interaction with Light

Light has a profound impact on the human body. Visually, light determines what aspects of our surroundings we can perceive and interpret. Non-visually, light contributes to regulating our physiology and psychology. Light is thus an unusual medium that can work both in and out of our conscious attention, and with new lighting technology this aspect is falling within our control. Computer controllable solid-state lighting has advanced such that they are now a commonplace technology in the world around us. While many of the characteristics of light-emitting diode (LED) lighting must fulfill the same requirements as lighting in the past, the ability to readily integrate LED technology into digital control systems presents exciting new opportunities that were not possible with other artificial light sources; for example, the potential to integrate the small form factor of an LED into the very fabric of a material or control them remotely over the Internet are aspects that set this technology apart from what has gone before. This unprecedented flexibility presents the opportunity for new functionality and novel interactive solutions for and with light. In this chapter, we present three categories of interactive lighting with many concrete examples: interacting with light at the center of our attention, interacting with light outside our attentional field, and interacting with light in the periphery of our attention. We conclude by considering the factors that make lighting a special medium for peripheral interaction and the role peripheral interaction can play in exposing the many new degrees of freedom ubiquitous digital lighting presents.

Interactive city lighting

LED based lighting systems have enabled radically new possibilities in the field of artificial lighting. This is due to in part to the LED being digitally controllable which means this efficient light source can also be integrated with sensors and smart environments. This has opened up a new world of lighting and lighting interaction opportunities that has been applied in new concepts in many of the indoor lighting domains. The outdoor lighting domain however has focused mostly on the LEDs efficiency and low cost of ownership to save energy and money for local governments. The use of the LED as a potential means for providing interactive city lighting for social good or entertainment is as yet a fairly unexplored area. This is therefore the focus of this workshop to bring together a community of researchers, designers and technologists to explore the potential of interactive city lighting and how it could support or enhance the lives of those living in a city.

Towards a design method for expressive robots

Autonomous robots tend to induce the perception of a personality through their behavior and appearance. It has been suggested that the personality of a robot can be used as a design guideline and as a mental model of the robot. We propose a method to design and evaluate personality and expressions for domestic robots.

User interaction techniques for future lighting systems

LED-based lighting systems have introduced radically new possibilities in the area of artificial lighting. Being physically small the LED can be positioned or embedded into luminaires, materials and even the very fabric of a building or environment. Together with new functionality and flexibility comes complexity; the simple light switch is not anymore sufficient to control our light. This workshop explores new ways of interacting with light. The goal is to define directions for new forms of user interaction that will be able to support the emerging LED-based lighting systems.

The Role of Ambient Intelligence in Future Lighting Systems - Summary of the Workshop

LED-based lighting systems have introduced radically new possibilities in the area of artificial lighting. Being physically small the LED can be positioned or embedded into luminaires, materials and even the very fabric of a building or environment. Hundreds of LEDs can be used in a single luminaire or space, of which could also have different light output properties. The light switch therefore in many situations will need to be enhanced or fully replaced by intelligent controls and smart environments that are sensitive to the context and responsive to the people in the environment. Future lighting systems will become a part of the Ambient Intelligence (AmI). In this workshop, we explored how the vision and principles of the AmI paradigm can be applied to future lighting systems that are capable of creating a large range of functional, decorative, and ambient light effects. This paper summarizes the workshop paper contributions and the outcome of our discussion on the key design and research challenges for the field of Interactive Ambient Lighting systems.