An Integrating Framework for Mixed Systems

International audienceTechnological advances in hardware manufacturing led to an extended range of possibilities for designing physical-digital objects involved in a mixed system. Mixed systems can take various forms and include augmented reality, augmented virtuality, and tangible systems. In this very dynamic context, it is difficult to compare existing mixed systems and to systematically explore the design space. Addressing this design problem, this chapter presents a unified point of view on mixed systems by focusing on mixed objects involved in interaction, i.e. hybrid physical-digital objects straddling physical and digital worlds. Our integrating framework is made of two complementary facets of a mixed object: we define intrinsic characteristics of an object as well as extrinsic characteristics of an object by considering its role in the interaction. Such characteristics of an object are useful for comparing existing mixed systems at a fine-grain level. The taxonomic power of these characteristics is discussed in the context of existing mixed systems from the literature. Their generative power is illustrated by considering a system, Roam, which we designed and developed

An Integrating Framework for Mixed Systems

International audienceTechnological advances in hardware manufacturing led to an extended range of possibilities for designing physical-digital objects involved in a mixed system. Mixed systems can take various forms and include augmented reality, augmented virtuality, and tangible systems. In this very dynamic context, it is difficult to compare existing mixed systems and to systematically explore the design space. Addressing this design problem, this chapter presents a unified point of view on mixed systems by focusing on mixed objects involved in interaction, i.e. hybrid physical-digital objects straddling physical and digital worlds. Our integrating framework is made of two complementary facets of a mixed object: we define intrinsic characteristics of an object as well as extrinsic characteristics of an object by considering its role in the interaction. Such characteristics of an object are useful for comparing existing mixed systems at a fine-grain level. The taxonomic power of these characteristics is discussed in the context of existing mixed systems from the literature. Their generative power is illustrated by considering a system, Roam, which we designed and developed

Embodying Design

Rethinking design through the lens of embodied cognition provides a novel way of understanding human interaction with technology. In this book, Christopher Baber uses embodied cognition as a lens through which to view both how designers engage in creative practices and how people use designed artifacts. This view of cognition as enactive, embedded, situated, or distributed, without recourse to internal representations, provides a theoretical grounding that makes possible a richer account of human interaction with technology. This understanding of everyday interactions with things in the world reveals opportunities for design to intervene. Moreover, Baber argues, design is an embodied activity in which the continual engagement between designers and their materials is at the heart of design practice. Baber proposes that design and creativity should be considered in dynamic, rather than discrete, terms and explores “task ecologies”—the concept of environment as it relates to embodied cognition. He uses a theory of affordance as an essential premise for design practice, arguing that affordances are neither form nor function but arise from the dynamics within the human-artifact-environment system. Baber explores agency and intent of smart devices and implications of tangible user interfaces and activity recognition for human-computer interaction. He proposes a systems view of human-artifact-environment interactions—to focus on any one component or pairing misses the subtleties of these interactions. The boundaries between components remain, but the borders that allow exchange of information and action are permeable, which gives rise to synergies and interactions

Theoretical Approaches to Musical Creativity: The Ubimus Perspective

We tackle the theoretical implications of an emergent field of study, ubiquitous music (ubimus). Striving to place musical research within the wider field of creativity studies, this paper covers theoretical background and critical discussions of three music creativity models - a model proposed by Mannis (2014), the In-group, Out-group model (MDF - Ferraz and Keller 2014) and the ecologically grounded perspective (Keller and Lazzarini 2017). Data and on-site observations of creative activities provide the raw materials to test musical theories. Recent ubiquitous music research features multiple experimental initiatives, involving children (Pereira et al. in press), adolescents (Lima et al. 2012) or the elderly, and targeting trained musicians (Ferreira et al. 2015), novices (Miletto et al. 2011) and cognitively challenged adults. We chose three ubimus studies to exemplify empirical research that brings to light issues that have not been considered by some of the current theoretical approaches to musical creativity. Abordamos as implicações teóricas de um campo de estudos emergente – a música ubíqua (ubimus). Buscando situar a pesquisa musical dentro dos estudos sobre criatividade, este artigo abrange o substrato teórico e as discussões críticas de três modelos de criatividade musical – um modelo proposto por Mannis (2014), o Modelo Dentro-Fora (MDF - Ferraz e Keller 2014) e a perspectiva ecológica (Keller e Lazzarini 2017). Os dados e as observações in loco de atividades criativas forneceram materiais brutos para testarmos teorias musicais. Pesquisas recentes em música ubíqua concentram-se em múltiplas iniciativas experimentais, envolvendo crianças (Pereira et al. no prelo), adolescentes (Lima et al. 2012) ou idosos, e focando em músicos profissionais (Ferreira et al. 2015), iniciantes (Miletto et al. 2011) e adultos com deficiências cognitivas. Escolhemos três estudos em música ubíqua para exemplificar as pesquisas empíricas que trazem à luz problemas que ainda não foram tratados desde as perspectivas teóricas da criatividade musical

An Examination of Team Symbolic Factors That Influence Sport Consumption

Background: The purpose of this research is to present a theoretical framework and scale of an expanded definition of perceived aesthetics previously identified with team symbolism components (i.e., logo, color, mascot, uniform, sport venue, etc.), and how they influence consumptive behavioral intentions of sport consumers. Methods: A structural model was developed based on the literature review and subsequently tested empirically by using an online 27-item questionnaire. A Likert type scale comprised of seven points was employed. The sample was drawn from a large, urban university, in a southern city, with both collegiate and professional sport teams. A total of 922 completed and usable respondent questionnaires were analyzed. Results: Results of two confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) respecified a model for perceived team symbolism and a consequent structural equation modeling (SEM) suggested the sport consumers’ behavioral intentions is affected by perceived aesthetic quality of team symbolism.Health and Human Performance, Department o

Supporting Collaborative Learning in Computer-Enhanced Environments

As computers have expanded into almost every aspect of our lives, the ever-present graphical user interface (GUI) has begun facing its limitations. Demanding its own share of attention, GUIs move some of the users\u27 focus away from the task, particularly when the task is 3D in nature or requires collaboration. Researchers are therefore exploring other means of human-computer interaction. Individually, some of these new techniques show promise, but it is the combination of multiple approaches into larger systems that will allow us to more fully replicate our natural behavior within a computing environment. As computers become more capable of understanding our varied natural behavior (speech, gesture, etc.), the less we need to adjust our behavior to conform to computers\u27 requirements. Such capabilities are particularly useful where children are involved, and make using computers in education all the more appealing. Herein are described two approaches and implementations of educational computer systems that work not by user manipulation of virtual objects, but rather, by user manipulation of physical objects within their environment. These systems demonstrate how new technologies can promote collaborative learning among students, thereby enhancing both the students\u27 knowledge and their ability to work together to achieve even greater learning. With these systems, the horizon of computer-facilitated collaborative learning has been expanded. Included among this expansion is identification of issues for general and special education students, and applications in a variety of domains, which have been suggested

Toolkit to democratize the computational exploration of data

Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, School of Architecture and Planning, Program in Media Arts and Sciences, 2012.Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.Includes bibliographical references (p. 93-95).This thesis explores the space of programming with data, focusing on the data-ecosystem opened up by the Internet and Cloud technologies. The central argument of this thesis is that the act of democratizing programmatic access to online data can further unleash the generative powers of this emerging ecosystem, and enable explorations of a new set of concepts and powerful ideas. To establish the validity of this argument, this thesis introduces a learning framework for the computational exploration of online data, a system that enables children to program with online data, and then finally describes a study of children using the system to explore wide variety of creative possibilities, as well as important computational concepts and powerful ideas around data.by Sayamindu Dasgupta.S.M

Large-scale accessibility of Tangible User Interfaces

Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, School of Architecture and Planning, Program in Media Arts and Sciences, 2009.Includes bibliographical references (p. 95-99).There is a long history of Tangible User Interfaces (TUI) in the community of human-computer interaction, but surprisingly few of these interfaces have made it beyond lab and gallery spaces. This thesis explores how the research community may begin to remedy the disconnect between modern TUIs and the everyday computing experience via the creation and dissemination of Trackmate, an accessible (both ubiquitous and enabling) tabletop tangible user interface that scales to a large number of users with minimal hardware and configuration overhead. Trackmate is entirely open source and designed: to be community- centric; to leverage common objects and infrastructure; to provide a low floor, high ceiling, and wide walls for development; to allow user modifications and improvisation; to be shared easily via the web; and to work alongside a broad range of existing applications and new research interface prototypes.by Adam Kumpf.S.M