Jason Pascoe

Adding generic contextual capabilities to wearable computers

Context-awareness has an increasingly important role to play in the development of wearable computing systems. In order to better define this role we have identified four generic contextual capabilities: sensing, adaptation, resource discovery, and augmentation. A prototype application has been constructed to explore how some of these capabilities could be deployed in a wearable system designed to aid an ecologists observations of giraffe in a Kenyan game reserve. However, despite the benefits of context-awareness demonstrated in this prototype, widespread innovation of these capabilities is currently stifled by the difficulty in obtaining the contextual data. To remedy this situation the Contextual Information Service (CIS) is introduced. Installed on the users wearable computer, the CIS provides a common point of access for clients to obtain, manipulate and model contextual information independently of the underlying plethora of data formats and sensor interface mechanisms.

Using while moving: HCI issues in fieldwork environments

“Using while moving” is the basic ability fieldwork users require of a mobile computer system. These users come from a wide range of backgrounds but have in common an extremely mobile and dynamic workplace. We identify four specific characteristics of this class of users: dynamic user configuration, limited attention capacity, high-speed interaction, and context dependency. A prototype is then presented that was designed to assist fieldworkers in data collection tasks and to explore the HCI design issues involved. The prototype was used in an extensive field trial by a group of ecologists observing giraffe behavior in Kenya. Following this trial, improvements were made to the prototype interface which in turn was tested in a subsequent field trial with another group of ecologists. From this experience, we have formulated our resulting ideas about interface design for fieldworkers into two general principles: Minimal Attention User Interfaces (MAUIs) and context awareness. The MAUI seeks to minimize the attention, though not necessarily the number of interactions, required from the user in operating a device. Context awareness enables the mobile device to provide assistance based on a knowledge of its environment.

The stick-e note architecture: extending the interface beyond the user

This paper proposes a redefinition of the human-computer interface, extending its boundaries to encompass interaction with the users physical environment. This extension to the interface enables computers to become aware of their context of use and intelligently adapt their activities and interface to suit their current circumstances. Context-awareness promises to greatly enhance user interfaces, but the complexity of capturing, representing and processing contextual data, presents a major obstacle to its further development. The Stick-e Note Architecture is proposed as a solution to this problem, offering a universal means of providing context-awareness through an easily understood metaphor based on the Post-It note.

Issues in Developing Context-Aware Computing

Two differing context-aware projects are described in this paper as a basis for exploring and better understanding the nature of context and context-aware applications. The investigation reveals that although indeed a useful concept, better supporting infrastructure is required before it can become a feasible mainstream technology. In particular, we propose the concept of a context information service to address this need, and define the general characteristics that such a service should exhibit.

Developing Personal Technology for the Field

This paper is concerned with developing personal computing aids for the mobile fieldworker. A description of mobile computing and context-aware technology is given, suggesting how hand-held computing devices that are aware of various factors of their userís environment (such as location) could be helpful. In particular, the concept of a stick-e note is introduced as a general-purpose context-aware technology that we have developed. The needs of fieldworkers and the suitability of stick-e note technology to their tasks is addressed, and a number of areas where stick-e note technology could help are identified. The design of a prototypical sticke-e note system that attempts to meet these needs is introduced and an account given of an extensive trial of this prototype in assisting in a behavioural study of giraffe in Kenya.