Matthias Betz

Sustainable energy practices at work: understanding the role of workers in energy conservation

Energy conservation has become a very relevant social issue. There is a growing body of knowledge in the literature focused on supporting consumers in reducing their personal carbon footprint in their domestic context. In the workplace, however, most of the research focuses on optimizing formalized production processes and investing in energy efficient equipment. This leaves the question open of the role of workers in energy conservation. To explore this question, and overcome this bias, we conducted a series of participatory action research studies in which we introduced new smart metering technologies in a large organization and observed their contribution in supporting sustainable energy practices at work. In the paper we discuss the opportunity and risks posed by using this technology to make energy practices more transparent.

Landmarke: an ad hoc deployable ubicomp infrastructure to support indoor navigation of firefighters

Indoor navigation plays a central role for the safety of firefighters. The circumstances in which a firefighting intervention occurs represent a rather complex challenge for the design of supporting technology. In this paper, we present the results of our work designing an ad hoc ubicomp infrastructure to support navigation of firefighters working in structure fires inside the zone of danger. We take a wider approach, complementing the technical questions with the development of effective navigation practices based on technology available today. We provide an overview of the complete design process, from the theoretical and empirical underpinnings to the construction and evaluation of three iterations of the platform. We report the results of our evaluation and the implications and tensions uncovered in this process, and we discuss the challenges and implications of it for the design of ubicomp for firefighters.

Grounded Design – a praxeological IS research perspective

In this paper, we propose Grounded Design – a particular design research (DR) approach rooted in a practice-theoretical tradition. It assesses the quality of information technology (IT) design through evaluation of emerging changes in social practices, which result from the appropriation and use of IT artifacts. The paper starts with a systematic analysis of the reasons for persistent limitations of traditional information systems DR, specifically in coping with problems of contingency and self-referentiality. Following this critique, the principles of Grounded Design are presented. Grounded Design is applied in case studies where we reconstruct the social practices observed before and during the design and appropriation of innovative IT artifacts. We call these context-specific research endeavors ‘design case studies.’ In conducting these case studies, Grounded Design builds upon well-established research methods such as ethnographical field studies, participatory design and action research. To support the transferability of its situated findings, Grounded Design suggests documenting increasing numbers of design case studies to create an extended, comparative knowledge base. Comparing cases allows for the emergence of bottom-up concepts dealing with the design and appropriation of innovative IT artifacts in social practice.

EmergencyMessenger: a text based communication concept for indoor firefighting

Finding and rescuing missing or injured people or fighting fire inside burning buildings is a central challenge for fire brigades. To ensure the safety of indoor work, monitoring the operations of firefighting units is crucial. As in most countries, firefighters in Germany utilize radio sets to establish voice communication between indoor operating units and the supervisory structure outside. Based on findings from a long term ethnographic study in cooperation with different German fire brigades over a time span of more than 5 years we analyzed the advantages and disadvantages of the current voice over radio communication tactics and techniques. We designed and evaluated a complementary text based communication device the EMERGENCY-MESSENGER to support the time critical work of indoor units working under harsh conditions, wearing Self-Contained-Breathing-Apparatus (SCBA). We conducted 13 full scale training missions including extensive debriefings to design and evaluate the communication concept and the corresponding device.

An architecture for adaptive and adaptable mobile applications for physically handicapped people

Context-awareness is an important capability needed in devices in a ubiquitous computing environment. Ubiquitous computing devices use different types of sensors along with the users interaction history in order to collect and store data. This data is then used to adapt the users behavior to suit the current environment. In addition to the explicit modifications by user control, the behavior of these computing devices along with the interaction amongst one another depends on the continuously changing environment conditions. These characteristics require the development of systems that have both, adaptive and an adaptable nature. Context-awareness is particularly important for physically handicapped people. This is due to the fact that context-aware ubiquitous devices are able to help them detect changes in the surrounding, which handicapped people can not do for themselves. In this research paper we suggest a general architecture of Context-Aware Adaptable System (CAAS). We exemplify this architecture with an Ambient Service prototype that we have developed.

Emergency Messenger als Kommunikationskonzept für Notfallarbeit/ EmergencyMessenger as a Communication Concept for Emergency Response Work

Zusammenfassung Das Auffinden und Retten von vermissten oder verletzten Personen und die Brandbekämpfung im Innenangriff stellt eine zentrale Herausforderung für Feuerwehreinsatzkräfte dar. Um die Sicherheit der Trupps im Innenangriff zu gewährleisten, ist das Beobachten und Nachhalten der Aktivitäten solcher Trupps durch die übergeordnete Führungsebene von zentraler Bedeutung. Feuerwehrleute in Deutschland nutzen Sprechfunkgeräte, um einen verbalen Kommunikationskanal zu den übergeordneten und verantwortlichen Führungskräften zu etablieren. Basierend auf den Ergebnissen ethnografischer Studien in Kooperation mit verschiedenen deutschen Feuerwehren über einen Zeitraum von fünf Jahren wurden die Vor- und Nachteile der etablierten Kommunikationstaktiken und -techniken eingehend analysiert. Im Zuge der Forschungs- und Entwicklungsarbeiten im Forschungsprojekt „Koordinator“ wurde ein komplementäres textbasiertes Meldesystem konzeptioniert, gestaltet und evaluiert, um die anstrengende, gefährliche und zeitkritische Arbeit von Atemschutztrupps im Innenangriff zu unterstützen. Dazu wurden gemeinsam mit einer Arbeitsgruppe von Feuerwehrleuten in insgesamt 13 Einsatzübungen durchgeführt. Dies umfasst die Vorbereitung, Durchführung und Evaluation der Einsatzerfahrungen in Form gemeinsamer Gruppenarbeit. Summary Finding and rescuing missing or injured people or fighting fire inside burning buildings is a central challenge for fire brigades. To ensure the safety of indoors attacking firefighting units monitoring their operations is crucial. As in most countries firefighters in Germany utilize radio sets to establish voice communication between operating units and the superordinated leading structures. Based on findings from a long term ethnographic study in cooperation with different German fire brigades over a time span of more than 5 years we analyzed the advantages and disadvantages of the established voice over radio communication tactics and techniques. We designed and evaluated a complementary text based communication device the EmergencyMessenger to support the time critical work of indoor attacking troops working under harsh conditions with Self-Contained-Breathing-Apparatus (SCBA). We conducted 13 full scale training missions including extensive debriefings to design and evaluate the communication concept and the corresponding device.

Smart Metering für Büroarbeitsplätze

ZusammenfassungBetriebliche Umweltinformationssysteme (BUIS) der nächsten Generation können durch eine hohe Datenqualität Mitarbeiter an Büroarbeitsplätzen unterstützen, Einsparpotenziale zu erkennen. Die vorgestellte Studie zeigt, dass Einsparpotenziale durch alle Mitarbeiter einer Organisation erschlossen werden können, wenn ihnen feingranulare Smart-Metering-Informationen zur Verfügung gestellt werden und sie damit Feedback über ihr individuelles und kollektives Verbrauchsverhalten bekommen. Es wird gezeigt, dass über die rein technischen Möglichkeiten hinaus die Berücksichtigung der sozialen und kommunikativen Dimensionen signifikant zur Nachhaltigkeit von Energieeffizienzmaßnahmen beitragen kann. Schließlich werden relevante Erkenntnisse im Hinblick auf die Gestaltung und Einführung von BUIS unter einer strategischen, technischen, ökologischen und vor allem sozialen Perspektivefür Unternehmen bewertet.

Mixed-Media-Interaktion in der kooperativen Wissenschaftspraxis

ZusammenfassungKontextadaptive Systeme basieren meistens auf Beschreibungen, denen Objekteigenschaften zugrunde liegen. In der Wissensarbeit unterliegen physisch-reale und digital-virtuelle Artefakten und ihre Beziehungen zueinander ständigen Neuinterpretationen, die in statischen Kontextmodellen nur schwer beschreibbar sind. Wir explorieren in diesem Beitrag die Möglichkeit, über ein integriertes Management beider Artefaktklassen in einem erweiterten Literaturverwaltungssystem eine Kontextualisierung von Objekten durch die Interaktionen, in denen sie in der Praxis eine Rolle spielen, zu unterstützen.