6,531 research outputs found
Using Computational Agents to Design Participatory Social Simulations
In social science, the role of stakeholders is increasing in the development and use of simulation models. Their participation in the design of agent-based models (ABMs) has widely been considered as an efficient solution to the validation of this particular type of model. Traditionally, "agents" (as basic model elements) have not been concerned with stakeholders directly but via designers or role-playing games (RPGs). In this paper, we intend to bridge this gap by introducing computational or software agents, implemented from an initial ABM, into a new kind of RPG, mediated by computers, so that these agents can interact with stakeholders. This interaction can help not only to elicit stakeholders' informal knowledge or unpredicted behaviours, but also to control stakeholders' focus during the games. We therefore formalize a general participatory design method using software agents, and illustrate it by describing our experience in a project aimed at developing agent-based social simulations in the field of air traffic management.Participatory Social Simulations, Agent-Based Social Simulations, Computational Agents, Role-Playing Games, Artificial Maieutics, User-Centered Design
Transfer Scenarios: Grounding Innovation with Marginal Practices
Transfer scenarios is a method developed to support the
design of innovative interactive technology. Such a method
should help the designer to come up with inventive ideas,
and at the same time provide grounding in real human
needs. In transfer scenarios, we use marginal practices to
encourage a changed mindset throughout the design
process. A marginal practice consists of individuals who
share an activity that they find meaningful. We regard these
individuals not as end-users, but as valuable input in the
design process. We applied this method when designing
novel applications for autonomous embodied agents, e.g.
robots. Owners of unusual pets, such as snakes and spiders,
were interviewed - not with the intention to design robot
pets, but to determine underlying needs and interests of
their practice. The results were then used to design a set of
applications for more general users, including a dynamic
living-room wall and a set of communicating hobby robots
Physical sketching tools and techniques for customized sensate surfaces
Sensate surfaces are a promising avenue for enhancing human interaction with digital systems due to their inherent intuitiveness and natural user interface. Recent technological advancements have enabled sensate surfaces to surpass the constraints of conventional touchscreens by integrating them into everyday objects, creating interactive interfaces that can detect various inputs such as touch, pressure, and gestures. This allows for more natural and intuitive control of digital systems. However, prototyping interactive surfaces that are customized to users' requirements using conventional techniques remains technically challenging due to limitations in accommodating complex geometric shapes and varying sizes. Furthermore, it is crucial to consider the context in which customized surfaces are utilized, as relocating them to fabrication labs may lead to the loss of their original design context. Additionally, prototyping high-resolution sensate surfaces presents challenges due to the complex signal processing requirements involved. This thesis investigates the design and fabrication of customized sensate surfaces that meet the diverse requirements of different users and contexts. The research aims to develop novel tools and techniques that overcome the technical limitations of current methods and enable the creation of sensate surfaces that enhance human interaction with digital systems.Sensorische Oberflächen sind aufgrund ihrer inhärenten Intuitivität und natürlichen Benutzeroberfläche ein vielversprechender Ansatz, um die menschliche Interaktionmit digitalen Systemen zu verbessern. Die jüngsten technologischen Fortschritte haben es ermöglicht, dass sensorische Oberflächen die Beschränkungen herkömmlicher Touchscreens überwinden, indem sie in Alltagsgegenstände integriert werden und interaktive Schnittstellen schaffen, die diverse Eingaben wie Berührung, Druck, oder Gesten erkennen können. Dies ermöglicht eine natürlichere und intuitivere Steuerung von digitalen Systemen. Das Prototyping interaktiver Oberflächen, die mit herkömmlichen Techniken an die Bedürfnisse der Nutzer angepasst werden, bleibt jedoch eine technische Herausforderung, da komplexe geometrische Formen und variierende Größen nur begrenzt berücksichtigt werden können. Darüber hinaus ist es von entscheidender Bedeutung, den Kontext, in dem diese individuell angepassten Oberflächen verwendet werden, zu berücksichtigen, da eine Verlagerung in Fabrikations-Laboratorien zum Verlust ihres ursprünglichen Designkontextes führen kann. Zudem stellt das Prototyping hochauflösender sensorischer Oberflächen aufgrund der komplexen Anforderungen an die Signalverarbeitung eine Herausforderung dar. Diese Arbeit erforscht dasDesign und die Fabrikation individuell angepasster sensorischer Oberflächen, die den diversen Anforderungen unterschiedlicher Nutzer und Kontexte gerecht werden. Die Forschung zielt darauf ab, neuartigeWerkzeuge und Techniken zu entwickeln, die die technischen Beschränkungen derzeitigerMethoden überwinden und die Erstellung von sensorischen Oberflächen ermöglichen, die die menschliche Interaktion mit digitalen Systemen verbessern
Very Good Benches
As cities strive to become more sustainable and highly optimized, they have begun to embrace the current trend of “smartness” in ubiquitous computing. This is seen in the implementation of “smart” infrastructure throughout neighborhoods. Objects which typically do not sense or respond to users, like benches, can now offer Wi-Fi, charging outlets and weather reports. “Very Good Benches” explores alternative networking strategies and interactions, using Research through Design, Speculative Design, and Prototyping methodologies, to create a series of smart benches that re-imagine smart infrastructure through the lens of social interaction and the optimization of public engagement.
The goal of each bench is to become a “very good bench” by attracting as many user interactions as possible from the public in order to develop an internal dataset that determines how and when the bench attracts users. Each bench senses occupancy and vacancy through the use of e-textile sensors and attracts interactions through audio and visual outputs by combining solenoids and LED lights. Wheels are incorporated in the design so users are able to arrange the set of benches in ways that best suit them. Through these interactions, a dataset is developed and used to create a ranking system amongst the networked benches which drives each one to compete to be the bench with the most frequent interactions.
By putting more emphasis on the benches and occupants themselves and less attention on larger ideas of optimization, more playful interactions are able to be developed through the object’s perceived personalities. These benches are then able to imagine new possibilities for smart technologies in the public realm as a result of reinterpreting the optimization and efficiency of urban infrastructure through this specific case study
Towards Prototyping Driverless Vehicle Behaviors, City Design, and Policies Simultaneously
Autonomous Vehicles (AVs) can potentially improve urban living by reducing
accidents, increasing transportation accessibility and equity, and decreasing
emissions. Realizing these promises requires the innovations of AV driving
behaviors, city plans and infrastructure, and traffic and transportation
policies to join forces. However, the complex interdependencies among AV, city,
and policy design issues can hinder their innovation. We argue the path towards
better AV cities is not a process of matching city designs and policies with
AVs' technological innovations, but a process of iterative prototyping of all
three simultaneously: Innovations can happen step-wise as the knot of AV, city,
and policy design loosens and tightens, unwinds and reties. In this paper, we
ask: How can innovators innovate AVs, city environments, and policies
simultaneously and productively toward better AV cities? The paper has two
parts. First, we map out the interconnections among the many AV, city, and
policy design decisions, based on a literature review spanning HCI/HRI,
transportation science, urban studies, law and policy, operations research,
economy, and philosophy. This map can help innovators identify design
constraints and opportunities across the traditional AV/city/policy design
disciplinary bounds. Second, we review the respective methods for AV, city, and
policy design, and identify key barriers in combining them: (1) Organizational
barriers to AV-city-policy design collaboration, (2) computational barriers to
multi-granularity AV-city-policy simulation, and (3) different assumptions and
goals in joint AV-city-policy optimization. We discuss two broad approaches
that can potentially address these challenges, namely, "low-fidelity
integrative City-AV-Policy Simulation (iCAPS)" and "participatory design
optimization".Comment: Published to the CHI '23 Workshop: Designing Technology and Policy
Simultaneousl
Low-fi skin vision: A case study in rapid prototyping a sensory substitution system
We describe the design process we have used to develop a minimal, twenty vibration motor Tactile Vision Sensory Substitution (TVSS) system which enables blind-folded subjects to successfully track and bat a rolling ball and thereby experience 'skin vision'. We have employed a low-fi rapid prototyping approach to build this system and argue that this methodology is particularly effective for building embedded interactive systems. We support this argument in two ways. First, by drawing on theoretical insights from robotics, a discipline that also has to deal with the challenge of building complex embedded systems that interact with their environments; second, by using the development of our TVSS as a case study: describing the series of prototypes that led to our successful design and highlighting what we learnt at each stage
Should Robots Blush?
Social interaction is the most complex challenge in daily life. Inevitably, social robots will encounter interactions that are outside their competence. This raises a basic design question: how can robots fail gracefully in social interaction? The characteristic human response to social failure is embarrassment. Usefully, embarrassment signals both recognition of a problem and typically enlists sympathy and assistance to resolve it. This could enhance robot acceptability and provides an opportunity for interactive learning. Using a speculative design approach we explore how, when and why robots might communicate embarrassment. A series of specially developed cultural probes, scenario development and low-fidelity prototyping exercises suggest that: embarrassment is relevant for managing a diverse range of social scenarios, impacts on both humanoid and non-humanoid robot design, and highlights the critical importance of understanding interactional context. We conclude that embarrassment is fundamental to competent social functioning and provides a potentially fertile area for interaction design
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