Karmen Franinovic

Which robot behavior can motivate children to tidy up their toys?: design and evaluation of "ranger"

We present the design approach and evaluation of our prototype called “Ranger”. Ranger is a robotic toy box that aims to motivate young children to tidy up their room. We evaluated Ranger in 14 families with 31 children (2-10 years) using the Wizard-of-Oz technique. This case study explores two different robot behaviors (proactive vs. reactive) and their impact on children’s interaction with the robot and the tidying behavior. The analysis of the video recorded scenarios shows that the proactive robot tended to encourage more playful and explorative behavior in children, whereas the reactive robot triggered more tidying behavior. Our findings hold implications for the design of interactive robots for children, and may also serve as an example of evaluating an early version of a prototype in a real-world setting. Categories and Subject Descriptors H.4 [Information Systems Applications]: Miscellaneous; I.2.9 [Artificial Intelligence]: Robotics— Commercial robots and applications

Sonic interaction design: sound, information and experience

Sonic Interaction Design (SID) is an emerging field that is positioned at the intersection of auditory display, ubiquitous computing, interaction design, and interactive arts. SID can be used to describe practice and inquiry into any of various roles that sound may play in the interaction loop between users and artifacts, services, or environments, in applications that range from the critical functionality of an alarm, to the artistic significance of a musical creation. This field is devoted to the privileged role the auditory channel can assume in exploiting the convergence of computing, communication, and interactive technologies. An over-emphasis on visual displays has constrained the development of interactive systems that are capable of making more appropriate use of the auditory modality. Today the ubiquity of computing and communication resources allows us to think about sounds in a proactive way. This workshop puts a spotlight on such issues in the context of the emerging domain of SID.

A Vibrotactile Device for Display of Virtual Ground Materials in Walking

We present a floor tile designed to provide the impression of walking on different ground materials, such as gravel, carpet, or stone. The device uses affordable and commercially available vibrotactile actuators and force sensors, and as such might one day be cost-effectively used in everyday environments. The control software is based on a lumped model of physical interactions between the foot and the ground surface. We have prototyped a measurement scheme for calibrating the device to match real-world ground materials.

New musical interfaces in context: sonic interaction design in the urban setting

The distinctive features of interactive sound installations in public space are considered, with special attention to the rich, if undoubtedly difficult, environments in which they exist. It is argued that such environments, and the social contexts that they imply, are among the most valuable features of these works for the approach that we have adopted to creation as research practice. The discussion is articulated through case studies drawn from two of our installations, Recycled Soundscapes (2004) and Skyhooks (2006). Implications for the broader design of new musical instruments are presented.

Ranger, An Example of Integration of Robotics into the Home Ecosystem

This paper presents the concept and a case study of a robject, a robotic entity embedded in an everyday object. Robjects use the affordance of the original object to ensure an efficient interaction and a high acceptance. The example of the ranger robot shows how this approach can be applied to a domestic environment. We explore the integration of a robot (robject) into a family household, by regarding the home as a ecosystem , which consists of people, things, activities, and interactions. Our evaluation study of the ranger robot in families validates this holistic approach and shows the impact of this type of design in respect to the complexity of the robotic system.

Recycled soundscapes

An interactive system collects noise from a public place and transforms it into content for a public orchestration: the noise is split in specific sounds which are recomposed through sonic interface in a new soundscape. The SoundCam is the most visible part of the Recycling Soundscapes system. It rotates scanning a public space and gives the possibility to spy and to record audio details and voices in the space, even at the big distance. Paradoxically the people in the context involuntary become the center of auditory attention, while the importance of spy fades as the voices start coming out from Sonic Bowls. The Sonic Bowls are instruments that invite passers-by to play with sounds coming from their environment: birds, footsteps, voices. These are collaboratively composed into a new soundscape through SonicBowl interface. The voices are played back randomly as surprise voice messages and build the sound memory of the place. http://www.interaction-ivrea.it/theses/2003-04/architectureofsubtraction/ReSound.htm

Architecting play

From the grotesque pavilions hidden in sixteenth century Italian gardens to the temporary structures in public space in the 70s and recent digitally augmented environments, architectures of play have long been designed to engage explorative experiences. The uncertainty of play allows us to probe new behaviors, to poke into the boundaries of subjectivity and to interact with people, things and systems in unexpected and unfamiliar ways. In this essay, we explore how an interactive system, situated in public space, may foster explorative activities and enable the transformative power of play. Through the analysis of several computer-augmented architectures, we examine what interactive qualities might enhance the transformative power of play. Beginning with the Fun Palace, an early attempt to use cybernetics in order to encourage visitors to experiment with their habits, we move to contemporary projects including some of the author’s own work. The latter takes the advantage of existing public locations in order to insert exploratory play into everyday life. Through analysis of these projects, we discuss whether such environments raise our responsibility toward others within our surroundings; whether they enable us to transform our own established behaviors; and whether they empower us to reclaim public space.

Sonic Playgrounds: Exploring Principles and Tools for Outdoor Sonic Interaction

Physical contexts, artifacts and materials have a big influence on the way children are enabled and encouraged in their play activities, especially in playgrounds. Designers and educators focus on formal and visual qualities of the playground, neglecting the potential of sound. Although sonic activities are common everyday phenomena in playgrounds and take an important role in childrens development, there is a lack of knowledge on ways in which sound can be brought playgrounds. With the interdisciplinary project Sonic Playgrounds, we address this problem by developing methods, tools and guidelines which emphasize the role of sonic interactions on playgrounds. In this paper, we present two Sonic Playground studies: a workshop with interaction design students and a field study on a semi-public playground.

Amplified Movements: An Enactive Approach to Sound in Interaction Design

Sensorimotor knowledge is acquired through physical interaction with our surroundings. Activities such as drinking or biking must be learned through the body. Once this knowledge is acquired, such activities appear as intuitive, natural and automatic (Bargh 1999). Swiss philosopher and psychologist jean Piaget argued that sensorimotor learning is important for the early stages of child development (0–24 months) (Piaget 1954). In contrast to Piaget, Jerome Bruner argued that the acquisition of different types of knowledge (enactive, iconic and symbolic) is age-independent (Bruner 1966). He coined the term enactive learning in order to underline the importance of experience and environment in cognitive development. Thus, enactive learning happens largely in the early stages of human development when a child learns to walk or to drink, but also later in life. Without such knowledge, we would not be able to engage in new bodily experiences such as dancing, skiing or dough-making.