Irene Mavrommati

An editing tool that manages device associations in an in-home environment

The forthcoming home environment will comprise numerous computationally enhanced artifacts that are autonomous, but interconnected via an invisible web of network-based services. The approach presented in this paper is to enable end users to make their own applications by linking such artifacts, which are treated as reusable “components.” A key requirement to achieve this is the availability of editing tools that meet the needs of different classes of users. A tool of this kind designed for end users is presented in this paper, together with the outcome of user evaluation sessions.

Extrovert gadgets

Configuring and reconfiguring ubiquitous applications composed of communicating artifacts.

Implementing multiplayer pervasive installations based on mobile sensing devices: Field experience and user evaluation from a public showcase

In this work we discuss Fun in Numbers, a software platform for implementing multiplayer games and interactive installations, that are based on the use of ad hoc mobile sensing devices. We utilize a detailed log of a three-day long public showcase as a basis to discuss the implementation issues related to a set of games and installations, which are examples of this unique category of applications, utilizing a blend of technologies. We discuss their fundamental concepts and features, also arguing that they have many aspects and potential uses. The architecture of the platform and implementation details are highlighted in this work, along with detailed descriptions of the protocols used. Our experiments shed light on a number of key issues, such as network scaling and real-time performance, and we provide experiments regarding cross-layer software issues. We additionally provide data showing that such games and installations can be efficiently supported by our platform, with as many as 50 concurrent players in the same physical space. These results are backed up by a user evaluation study from a large sample of 136 visitors, which shows that such applications can be seriously fun.

eComP: an architecture that supports P2P networking among ubiquitous computing devices

In the new paradigm of computer use, the computer ceases to exist as an integrated multi-task device, but disintegrates into a task-oriented collection of networked devices. These devices do not resemble computers yet they have computational abilities. None of these concepts will be realised without appropriate support from communication technologies-P2P networking being the primary candidate. This paper describes part of the research being conducted in the Extrovert Gadgets project geared towards applying P2P computing solutions to the context of networked everyday objects.

Towards ubiquitous computing applications composed from functionally autonomous hybrid artifacts

People are an intrinsic part of a Disappearing Computer environment; it is their actions and behavior, their wishes and needs that shape the environment. People have always been building “ecologies” in their living spaces, by selecting objects and then arranging them in ways that best serve their activities and their self-expression. According to the Ambient Intelligence (AmI) vision (ISTAG 2006) people will be able to build more advanced “ecologies”, also known as UbiComp applications, by configuring and using “augmented” objects; these objects may be totally new ones or updated versions of existing ones. An important new aspect of AmI environments is the merging of physical and digital spaces, i.e. tangible objects and physical environments are acquiring digital representations. The traditional computer disappears in the environment, as the everyday objects in it become augmented with Information and Communication Technology (ICT) components (i.e. sensors, actuators, processor, memory, communication modules, etc.) and can receive, store, process and transmit information, thus becoming AmI objects.

End-User Configuration of Ambient Intelligence Environments: Feasibility from a User Perspective

We report research into concepts and technology for enabling end-users to configure Ambient Intelligent environments. In this paper we focus on the feasibility and acceptability of this endeavor from an end-user perspective. We describe a conceptual model and an experimental enabling technology that illustrates the viability of these concepts and a multi-faceted evaluation of these concepts from an end-user perspective. Our work suggests the need for a flexible approach in letting users choose how much should be observable of system structure and function or of the processes of system learning and adaptation. Directions for future research in this field are described in the form of some provisional principles for shaping the interaction with end-user configurable Ambient Intelligence environments.

The evolution of objects into hyper-objects: will it be mostly harmless?

AbstractObjects may in the future become enhanced with new digital properties and information-communication capabilities, thus turning them into Hyper-Objects. This paper describes an approach towards defining Hyper-Objects, and examines to what extent their advance affects our existing lifestyle patterns.

End user tools for ambient intelligence environments: an overview

New elements that are introduced by the nature of living and interacting within an Ambient Intelligence (AmI) environment lead to new HCI paradigms. While AmI User Interfaces are moving off the desktop and the GUI paradigm, and become augmented and diffused within the ubiquitous environments, a new generation of User Interface Design Tools to facilitate the design and realization of AmI applications, is emerging. Issues and specific shifts related to Human Computer Interaction in AmI environments, which affect the design of these tools, is outlined in this paper. The high level characteristics of End User Tools that facilitate users to reason as well as manipulate the behavior of the AmI environment are outlined.

Mobile Phone Casual Games Design with Appeal to Children

In this paper, we will present the design decisions, evaluation and conclusions stemming from the process of making a set of three casual games, characterized by a common design style and simple scenario..

Mapping Interactions in a Pervasive Home Environment

This work focuses on the visualisation of interactions in a pervasive home environment. Home as a space and as an activity container is traditionally linked to the habitual acts of the inhabitants. However, the infiltration of wireless connectivity, throughout the home and external to it, suggests that, in contrast to the traditional notion of hominess, we as inhabitants do not have the means to perceive significant data connections that take place throughout our home. These connections may range from simple data transfer to sensing and decision making, all taking place around our home and unseen. To this end we have tried to find the means to represent these connections in a visual way, in order to provide a tool that will help to reveal the structure, form and perplexity of digital connections to the inhabitants of a pervasive home environment. The study concludes that in order to visualise all this data, maps have to be formed that include both the material and immaterial infrastructure of home, as well as the connection between them and the rest of the world. These maps are bound to have the characteristics of centralised, distributed and decentralised networks, rendering them as hybrid maps, depending on the type of information they deal with.