Elena Nazzi

Retrieval of context-aware applications on mobile devices: how to evaluate?

This paper discusses the issue of evaluation of context-aware retrieval applications. We begin by describing MoBe, a specific architecture that allows automatic download and execution of context-aware applications on mobile devices. In MoBe, the most relevant applications are selected by matching context and application descriptors. Since several alternatives for descriptors implementation exist, it is important to compare their effectiveness. To this aim, we develop a TREC-like benchmark, in which the collection is made up by a set of application descriptors and the topics are made up by context descriptors. We then use the benchmark to evaluate the effectiveness of different descriptors components, and of structured and unstructured (i.e., free text) data, finding results that are somehow useful for future MoBe development. We also discuss the issue of the evaluation methodology for highly interactive and novel applications like context-aware retrieval systems, and MoBe in particular.

Walky for embodied microblogging: sharing mundane activities through augmented everyday objects

In this paper we present our ongoing exploration of a theoretical concept: Embodied Microblogging. Looking for a more situated way to communicate mundane activities in local communities, EM informs the design of digital technology to facilitate senior citizens in making their everyday activities noticeable and create more openings for social interactions in their local communities. We use Walky, a design sketch based on walking and walking objects, to exemplify the design space emerging from EM. Investigating EM and putting on display a concrete design example, we contribute to the interaction design research community looking at social well being in Aging in place suggesting EM as informing theoretical concept for designing digital technology for social interaction.

AI Techniques in a Context-Aware Ubiquitous Environment

Nowadays, the mobile computing paradigm and the widespread diffusion of mobile devices are quickly changing and replacing many common assumptions about software architectures and interaction/communication models. The environment, in particular, or more generally, the so-called user context is claiming a central role in everyday’s use of cellular phones, PDAs, etc. This is due to the huge amount of data “suggested” by the surrounding environment that can be helpful in many common tasks. For instance, the current context can help a search engine to refine the set of results in a useful way, providing the user with a more suitable and exploitable information. Moreover, we can take full advantage of this new data source by “pushing” active contents towards mobile devices, empowering the latter with new features (e.g., applications) that can allow the user to fruitfully interact with the current context. Following this vision, mobile devices become dynamic self-adapting tools, according to the user needs and the possibilities offered by the environment. The present work proposes MoBe: an approach for providing a basic infrastructure for pervasive context-aware applications on mobile devices, in which AI techniques (namely a principled combination of rule-based systems, Bayesian networks and ontologies) are applied to context inference. The aim is to devise a general inferential framework to make easier the development of context-aware applications by integrating the information coming from physical and logical sensors (e.g., position, agenda) and reasoning about this information in order to infer new and more abstract contexts.

Collaborative annotation for context-aware retrieval

We discuss how collaborative annotations can be exploited to simplify and improve the management of context and resources in the context-aware retrieval field. We apply this approach to our Context Aware Browser, a general purpose solution to Web content perusal by means of mobile devices, based on the users context. Instead of relying on a pool of experts and on a rigid categorization, as it is usually done in the context-aware field, our solution allows the crowd of users to model, control and manage the contextual knowledge through collaboration and participation. We propose two models and we outline an example of application.

Facilitating continuity: exploring the role of digital technology in physical rehabilitation

In this paper we report our early experiences on exploring if, and how, digital technology can help facilitate a stronger sense of continuity in the physical rehabilitation process, as experienced by the therapists and the senior citizens. We recognize four aspects of the design space offered by the notion of continuity, and present two design explorations: MagicMirror, exploring the design for self-monitoring and collaborative articulation; and Walky, exploring the design for self-monitoring and the integration of rehab activities with other everyday activities. Taking a research-through-design approach we have used sketching in a co-design setting with senior citizens and therapists, as the main vehicle for our research. With our MagicMirror and Walky design explorations, we aim to contribute on two levels: firstly, by providing two proof-of-concepts of designing digital technology for the physical rehabilitation of senior citizens. Secondly, and more importantly, we provide a pointer towards a new practice of physical rehabilitation: a practice where the role of digital technology is to support, through the facilitation of continuity, the collaboration between therapist and senior citizens across the private home and the rehab clinic. We speculate that, digital technology, in this way, can become a constructive part of the general move towards successful and more efficient rehabilitation processes for the ever-growing number of senior citizens in need of rehab.

Context-Aware Browser

We propose the Context-Aware Browser (CAB), a new approach to context-aware Web content perusal by means of mobile devices. The CAB is a Web browser running on mobile devices, exploiting artificial intelligence techniques and mixing several ingredients. The novelty of the proposed approach is threefold. First, our proposal allows a different perspective in the development of Web contents, which should be conceived in a context-dependent way. Our framework makes it possible to develop information and web applications specifically for a given environment, which will become capable to transmit context information, and ad hoc, context-based applications to whom will enter that context. Second, we exploit several informations provided by the surrounding environment and not only the location in order to carry out a more refined search of web contents and applications. Third, the CAB approach involves an innovative two stage retrieval and a filtering process, that minimizes privacy issues.

Evaluating Mobile Proactive Context-Aware Retrieval: An Incremental Benchmark

We present the evaluation of a novel application for Web content perusal by means of context-aware mobile devices that proactively query an external search engine. To this aim, we develop a TREC-like benchmark and we use it to evaluate different strategies for automatic query construction on the basis of users current context. We discuss both the methodology and the results.

TwitterIDo: What if My Shopping Bag Could Tell My Friends I’m Out Shopping

In this paper, we explore the use of augmented everyday artefacts to make seniors’ everyday activities more visible in local communities to strengthen existing face-to-face social interactions or open new ones. We ground the twitterIDo idea in a three-year research project. We involved seniors as co-designers and we explored twitterIDo in a living lab with a community of senior citizens. Through a set of interactive prototypes of augmented everyday artefacts and dedicated displays, we engaged senior co-designers in in-situ enactments and workshops. Experiencing the possibilities of our idea, the seniors envisioned the use of the interactive prototypes to support their collaboration in shopping activities. We reflect on how promoting social interaction by making everyday activities more visible became instrumental to support collaboration, offering the seniors a clear purpose to make their shopping activities more visible.

Designing for mobile interaction: looking for a pragmatic middleground

The theme of this PhD project is designing for mobile interaction with devices and services, for the accessing, making, and sharing of information, taking into account the dynamic physical and social settings that embrace this interaction. To narrow down this theme, the whole project focuses on the exploitation of social interaction --- in particular among senior citizens --- to enhance and support mobile interaction.