An electronic architecture for mediating digital information in a hallway fac̦ade

Ubiquitous computing requires integration of physical space with digital information. This presents the challenges of integrating electronics, physical space, software and the interaction tools which can effectively communicate with the audience. Many research groups have embraced different techniques depending on location, context, space, and availability of necessary skills to make the world around us as an interface to the digital world. Encouraged by early successes and fostered by project undertaken by tangible visualization group. We introduce an architecture of Blades and Tiles for the development and realization of interactive wall surfaces. It provides an inexpensive, open-ended platform for constructing large-scale tangible and embedded interfaces. In this paper, we propose tiles built using inexpensive pegboards and a gateway for each of these tiles to provide access to digital information. The paper describes the architecture using a corridor fa\c{c}ade application. The corridor fa\c{c}ade uses full-spectrum LEDs, physical labels and stencils, and capacitive touch sensors to provide mediated representation, monitoring and querying of physical and digital content. Example contents include the physical and online status of people and the activity and dynamics of online research content repositories. Several complementary devices such as Microsoft PixelSense and smartdevices can support additional user interaction with the system. This enables interested people in synergistic physical environments to observe, explore, understand, and engage in ongoing activities and relationships. This paper describes the hardware architecture and software libraries employed and how they are used in our research center hallway and academic semester projects

Studies on user control in ambient intelligent systems

People have a deeply rooted need to experience control and be effective in interactions with their environments. At present times, we are surrounded by intelligent systems that take decisions and perform actions for us. This should make life easier, but there is a risk that users experience less control and reject the system. The central question in this thesis is whether we can design intelligent systems that have a degree of autonomy, while users maintain a sense of control. We try to achieve this by giving the intelligent system an 'expressive interface’: the part that provides information to the user about the internal state, intentions and actions of the system. We examine this question both in the home and the work environment.We find the notion of a ‘system personality’ useful as a guiding principle for designing interactions with intelligent systems, for domestic robots as well as in building automation. Although the desired system personality varies per application, in both domains a recognizable system personality can be designed through expressive interfaces using motion, light, sound, and social cues. The various studies show that the level of automation and the expressive interface can influence the perceived system personality, the perceived level of control, and user’s satisfaction with the system. This thesis shows the potential of the expressive interface as an instrument to help users understand what is going on inside the system and to experience control, which might be essential for the successful adoption of the intelligent systems of the future.<br/

Effects of resolution of lighting control systems

Advances in lighting technologies have spurred sophisticated lighting control systems (LCSs). To conserve energy and improve occupants’ wellbeing, LCSs have been integrated into sustainable buildings. However, the complexity of LCSs may lead to negative experiences and reduce the frequency of their use. One fundamental issue, which has not been systematically investigated, is the impact of control resolution (the smallest change produced by an LCS). In an ideal LCS, the resolution would be sufficiently fine for users to specify their desired lighting conditions, but the smallest change would be detectable. Thus, the design of optimal control systems requires a thorough understanding of the detectability and acceptability of differences in illuminance, luminance and colour. The control of colour is complicated by the range of interfaces that can be used to facilitate colour mixing. Four psychophysical experiments investigated the effect of LCS resolution. The first two experiments explored the effect of resolution in white light LCSs on usability and energy conservation. The results suggest that, in different applications, LCSs with resolutions between 14.8 % and 17.7 % (of illuminance) or 26.0 % and 32.5 % (of luminance) have the highest usability. The third experiment evaluated the usability of three colour channel control interfaces based on red, green, blue (RGB), hue, saturation, brightness (HSB) and opponent colour mixing systems. Although commonly used, the RGB interface was found to have the lowest usability. The fourth experiment explored the effect of hue resolution, saturation resolution and luminance resolution on the usability. Generally, middle range resolutions, which are approximately between three and five times the magnitude of the just noticeable difference (JND), for both hue and saturation were found to yield the greatest usability. The interaction between these three variables was characterised. Findings from this research provide a deeper understanding of the fundamental attribute of control resolution and can guide the development of useful and efficient lighting control systems

User interaction techniques for future lighting systems

LED-based lighting systems have introduced radically new possibilities in the area of artificial lighting. Being physically small the LED can be positioned or embedded into luminaires, materials and even the very fabric of a building or environment. Together with new functionality and flexibility comes complexity; the simple light switch is not anymore sufficient to control our light. This workshop explores new ways of interacting with light. The goal is to define directions for new forms of user interaction that will be able to support the emerging LED-based lighting systems

User interaction techniques for future lighting systems

LED-based lighting systems have introduced radically new possibilities in the area of artificial lighting. Being physically small the LED can be positioned or embedded into luminaires, materials and even the very fabric of a building or environment. Together with new functionality and flexibility comes complexity; the simple light switch is not anymore sufficient to control our light. This workshop explores new ways of interacting with light. The goal is to define directions for new forms of user interaction that will be able to support the emerging LED-based lighting systems

Results of the 'user interaction techniques for future lighting systems' workshop at INTERACT 2011

\u3cp\u3eTechnological advances in lighting lead towards the development of intelligent LED systems and require reconsidering the way we interact with lighting systems. In this paper, we report on the workshop 'User Interaction Techniques for Future Lighting System' that was held in conjunction with INTERACT 2011 in Lisbon, Portugal. It was organized to initiate a dialogue between HCI researchers in the lighting domain and establish a research community around this emerging topic, as few researchers systematically study this matter. The goal of the workshop was to formulate the key research challenges for user interaction with future lighting systems. This paper summarizes the workshop paper contributions and the results of a creative session held during the workshop. Moreover, we present an initial list of research challenges for this emerging field.\u3c/p\u3

Results of the 'user interaction techniques for future lighting systems' workshop at INTERACT 2011

Technological advances in lighting lead towards the development of intelligent LED systems and require reconsidering the way we interact with lighting systems. In this paper, we report on the workshop 'User Interaction Techniques for Future Lighting System' that was held in conjunction with INTERACT 2011 in Lisbon, Portugal. It was organized to initiate a dialogue between HCI researchers in the lighting domain and establish a research community around this emerging topic, as few researchers systematically study this matter. The goal of the workshop was to formulate the key research challenges for user interaction with future lighting systems. This paper summarizes the workshop paper contributions and the results of a creative session held during the workshop. Moreover, we present an initial list of research challenges for this emerging field