The HoverMesh: a deformable structure based on vacuum cells: new advances in the research of tangible user interfaces

In this paper we propose a novel attempt to develop a spatial tangible user interface (TUI) [1] based on a deformable structure, the so-called HoverMesh. It consists of a stiff cubical, whose upper wall is composed of a deformable mesh of particle filled inflatable cells. This mesh can be deformed by inflating and/or deflating the cubical while consolidating (evacuating) and/or releasing (inflating) the cells. The HoverMesh is both an input and output device and we see its major benefit in the wide interaction area. The haptic feedback modality is thus embedded as well. The first results in our early experiments sustain the concept of a mesh based on inflatable cells

From Centralized interactive tabletops to Distributed surfaces: the Tangiget concept

International audienceAfter having outlined the uses of new technologies such as smartphones, touch-screen tablets, and laptops, this article presents the TangiSense interactive tabletop, equipped with RFID technology tagged on tangible objects, as a new paradigm of interaction for ambient intelligence. Within its framework, this article aims to distribute surfaces (tables) interacting mainly with tangible objects. Leads for interactive surface distribution such as interactive tables are given. The article proposes to describe some tangible objects, which are the interaction supports; these are called Tangigets. They are defined according to an augmented Presentation-Abstraction-Control structure to take the tangibility element into account. Six categories of Tangigets are also proposed, which are tangible objects, and the supports of distributed collaboration. To validate the Tangiget concept and its use on the TangiSense tabletop, illustrations in centralized and distributed configurations are proposed. A first evaluation is also presented. To conclude, the article presents the directions under consideration for our future research

Assistive Human-Machine Interfaces for Smart Homes

Computer systems have shown in the past (Zajicek, 2000) that they can be powerful allies in home-based health care and offer great potential to improve quality of life - but only if they are designed to take into consideration the specific needs of their beneficiaries. Satisfying usability as well as the functional requirements in such a home setting are equally critical. This paper discusses the development of user interfaces, following the “Designfor- all” philosophy, oriented towards a multi-agent system interacting with an intelligent engine. Originally, the system will focus on the control of white goods (large kitchen appliances) but will have scalability properties making it appropriate and extensible for the inclusion of other devices that may be deployed thereafter. The interfaces must be flexible enough to adapt to the targeted public, fit any user’s preferences and/or needs and make the interaction as simple and intuitive as possible. This work is part of the EU FP6 IST e-inclusion ‘EASY LINE+’ project

Exploring the Affective Loop

Research in psychology and neurology shows that both body and mind are involved when experiencing emotions (Damasio 1994, Davidson et al. 2003). People are also very physical when they try to communicate their emotions. Somewhere in between beings consciously and unconsciously aware of it ourselves, we produce both verbal and physical signs to make other people understand how we feel. Simultaneously, this production of signs involves us in a stronger personal experience of the emotions we express. Emotions are also communicated in the digital world, but there is little focus on users' personal as well as physical experience of emotions in the available digital media. In order to explore whether and how we can expand existing media, we have designed, implemented and evaluated /eMoto/, a mobile service for sending affective messages to others. With eMoto, we explicitly aim to address both cognitive and physical experiences of human emotions. Through combining affective gestures for input with affective expressions that make use of colors, shapes and animations for the background of messages, the interaction "pulls" the user into an /affective loop/. In this thesis we define what we mean by affective loop and present a user-centered design approach expressed through four design principles inspired by previous work within Human Computer Interaction (HCI) but adjusted to our purposes; /embodiment/ (Dourish 2001) as a means to address how people communicate emotions in real life, /flow/ (Csikszentmihalyi 1990) to reach a state of involvement that goes further than the current context, /ambiguity/ of the designed expressions (Gaver et al. 2003) to allow for open-ended interpretation by the end-users instead of simplistic, one-emotion one-expression pairs and /natural but designed expressions/ to address people's natural couplings between cognitively and physically experienced emotions. We also present results from an end-user study of eMoto that indicates that subjects got both physically and emotionally involved in the interaction and that the designed "openness" and ambiguity of the expressions, was appreciated and understood by our subjects. Through the user study, we identified four potential design problems that have to be tackled in order to achieve an affective loop effect; the extent to which users' /feel in control/ of the interaction, /harmony and coherence/ between cognitive and physical expressions/,/ /timing/ of expressions and feedback in a communicational setting, and effects of users' /personality/ on their emotional expressions and experiences of the interaction

Designing Affective Loop Experiences

There is a lack of attention to the emotional and the physical aspects of communication in how we up to now have been approaching communication between people in the field of Human Computer Interaction (HCI). As de-signers of digital communication tools we need to consider altering the un-derlying model for communication that has been prevailing in HCI: the in-formation transfer model. Communication is about so much more than trans-ferring information. It is about getting to know yourself, who you are and what part you play in the communication as it unfolds. It is also about the experience of a communication process, what it feels like, how that feeling changes, when it changes, why and perhaps by whom the process is initiated, altered, or disrupted. The idea of Affective Loop experiences in design aims to create new expressive and experiential media for whole users, embodied with the social and physical world they live in, and where communication not only is about getting the message across but also about living the experi-ence of communication- feeling it. An Affective Loop experience is an emerging, in the moment, emotional experience where the inner emotional experience, the situation at hand and the social and physical context act together, to create for one complete em-bodied experience. The loop perspective comes from how this experience takes place in communication and how there is a rhythmic pattern in com-munication where those involved take turns in both expressing themselves and standing back interpreting the moment. To allow for Affective Loop experiences with or through a computer system, the user needs to be allowed to express herself in rich personal ways involv-ing our many ways of expressing and sensing emotions – muscles tensions, facial expressions and more. For the user to become further engaged in inter-action, the computer system needs the capability to return relevant, either diminishing, enforcing or disruptive feedback to those emotions expressed by the user so that the she wants to continue express herself by either strengthening, changing or keeping her expression. We describe how we used the idea of Affective Loop experiences as a con-ceptual tool to navigate a design space of gestural input combined with rich instant feedback. In our design journey, we created two systems, eMoto and FriendSense

Tangible interaction with anthropomorphic smart objects in instrumented environments

A major technological trend is to augment everyday objects with sensing, computing and actuation power in order to provide new services beyond the objects' traditional purpose, indicating that such smart objects might become an integral part of our daily lives. To be able to interact with smart object systems, users will obviously need appropriate interfaces that regard their distinctive characteristics. Concepts of tangible and anthropomorphic user interfaces are combined in this dissertation to create a novel paradigm for smart object interaction. This work provides an exploration of the design space, introduces design guidelines, and provides a prototyping framework to support the realisation of the proposed interface paradigm. Furthermore, novel methods for expressing personality and emotion by auditory means are introduced and elaborated, constituting essential building blocks for anthropomorphised smart objects. Two experimental user studies are presented, confirming the endeavours to reflect personality attributes through prosody-modelled synthetic speech and to express emotional states through synthesised affect bursts. The dissertation concludes with three example applications, demonstrating the potentials of the concepts and methodologies elaborated in this thesis.Die Integration von Informationstechnologie in Gebrauchsgegenstände ist ein gegenwärtiger technologischer Trend, welcher es Alltagsgegenständen ermöglicht, durch den Einsatz von Sensorik, Aktorik und drahtloser Kommunikation neue Dienste anzubieten, die über den ursprünglichen Zweck des Objekts hinausgehen. Die Nutzung dieser sogenannten Smart Objects erfordert neuartige Benutzerschnittstellen, welche die speziellen Eigenschaften und Anwendungsbereiche solcher Systeme berücksichtigen. Konzepte aus den Bereichen Tangible Interaction und Anthropomorphe Benutzerschnittstellen werden in dieser Dissertation vereint, um ein neues Interaktionsparadigma für Smart Objects zu entwickeln. Die vorliegende Arbeit untersucht dafür die Gestaltungsmöglichkeiten und zeigt relevante Aspekte aus verwandten Disziplinen auf. Darauf aufbauend werden Richtlinien eingeführt, welche den Entwurf von Benutzerschnittstellen nach dem hier vorgestellten Ansatz begleiten und unterstützen sollen. Für eine prototypische Implementierung solcher Benutzerschnittstellen wird eine Architektur vorgestellt, welche die Anforderungen von Smart Object Systemen in instrumentierten Umgebungen berücksichtigt. Ein wichtiger Bestandteil stellt dabei die Sensorverarbeitung dar, welche unter anderem eine Interaktionserkennung am Objekt und damit auch eine physikalische Eingabe ermöglicht. Des Weiteren werden neuartige Methoden für den auditiven Ausdruck von Emotion und Persönlichkeit entwickelt, welche essentielle Bausteine für anthropomorphisierte Smart Objects darstellen und in Benutzerstudien untersucht wurden. Die Dissertation schliesst mit der Beschreibung von drei Applikationen, welche im Rahmen der Arbeit entwickelt wurden und das Potential der hier erarbeiteten Konzepte und Methoden widerspiegeln

Tangible Lighting Controls

'Tangible lighting controls' is used as an umbrella term to describe lighting control systems that are easy to understand and pleasurable to use by end-users. The crucial question posed is, what is the nature of interface designs sought by end-users for maximising interaction with lighting control systems? The manner in which this question is posed implies a fundamental assumption that improved usability and end-user experience are the primary goals. The concept of end-user understanding of lighting control interfaces is proposed as a basis for improving the usability and end-user experience of lighting control interfaces. Usability engineering methods involving survey research, experimental mock-ups and prototyping have been used to enable end-users to design and evaluate lighting control interfaces. The essential difference is to include end-users' point of view about ease of understanding control functions and pleasure of performing control tasks along with a technical point of view about meeting required standards. Manufacturers' claims about the effectiveness of existing lighting control interfaces are challenged, and an entirely different way of thinking about interface design is revealed. Such a change of thinking may be seen as a new framework for improved designs of lighting control interfaces as well as evaluation of their usability and end-user experience