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

A (S)hero's Journey: Paths to Re-writing Myths in the Star Wars Franchise

The Star Wars franchise shares a common storytelling thread with ancient myths, which have consistently centered on individuals experiencing life-changing journeys that influence their—and others’—world forever. How did Star Wars, now owned by the media conglomerate Disney, contribute to the process of making myths persistent throughout history? The key to this persistence seems to have been media adaptations: the franchise has re-written and re-interpreted tropes from previous mythologies and cultural products using the intertextual practices of contemporary visual media forms (film, TV series and animation). By using theories of intertextuality and adaptation, my dissertation analyzes how Star Wars re-writes and adapts two dominant mythologies in American culture—the Campbellian monomyth and the American Western mythos—in the new movies of the saga and in the series The Mandalorian and Forces of Destiny to explain the process of mythical re-writing in contemporary media. The aim is to advance the field of cultural studies by investigating how and why mythical representation has survived in Star Wars through the commodifying cultural mechanisms involved with re-distributing myths in contemporary media. I will also analyze the larger issues that mythical portrayals in Star Wars represent about American culture, especially their ability to depict American identity. My dissertation sheds light on how mythical storytelling in the new Star Wars movies, The Mandalorian and Forces of Destiny helps disrupt old dominant American ideologies of male- and white-centred heroic models to offer diverse representations of gender and ethnicity. My analysis shows that despite contradictions the new Star Wars hints at positive changes in the representation of American identity. This change signifies that the adaptable polysemic nature of myths—their ability to incorporate new meanings—is key to this process of ideological shifting. Also, my analysis provides evidence that this process of mythical revival becomes possible by adopting, as in Disney’s case, cultural production mechanisms that center around media technologies and commercialized products. Disney’s commodification results in turning myths into materialistic possessions for contemporary audiences to interact with, as my analysis of the Star Wars “Princesses” dolls and the “Baby Yoda” puppet suggests

Microprocessor based media : a briefing on the technologies, applications, and diffusion of videotex, teletext, personal computers, speech synthesis and speech recognition, communicating word processors, and satellite earth terminals

Identifies and describes the different communication technologies, products, commercial services, and field trials presently or soon available in North America. Delineates their main applications in the home and office, their costs, the major industrial players, and the penetration of services and products

Otter Realm, December 13, 2012

Burning the Midnight Oil: SQE Sits-In to Extend Library Hours -- Looking Back Reaching Forward -- New Year, New Law: What is on the Horizon for those 2012 Primary Election Propositions -- Youth Protest in Mexico: Students Take Stand Against PRI -- Veteran Finds Home -- Possible Housing Solution: Luxury Apartments to Arrive 2014 -- Inter-Garrison to Open at Reservation Road: East Campus Entrance a Reality -- When the Lights Go Out: Power Outage in Seaside and Marina -- Google Puts CSUMB on the Map: Google Maps Project Makes Campus Locations More Accurate -- Women Raise Flag of Victory: While Men Retreat from School and the Workplace -- Discussing the Future of Higher Education: President Speaker Series Starts with Innovation -- Students Get HIV Test, Promote Awareness: CSUMB Extends AIDS Day to AIDS Week Campaign -- Paying It Forward: Just One Block Hopes to Reduce Pacific Ocean Garbage Patch -- Trimming for Treatment: CSUMB Students Donate Hair to Further Cancer Research -- 10 Reasons I Shaved My Head: And Why You Should Too -- 2012 in REVIEW -- V.O.I.C.E.S. Create Discussion: Students Gather to Engage in Dialogue about Campus Life -- Kids Make University Promise: Hundreds of Local Sixth Graders Take Oath to Attend College -- Students Share Salinas Stories: Prof. Benmayor\u27s HCOM Students Present At National Steinbeck Center -- Homecoming Festivities 2012: As 2012 Comes To a Close There Is Much To Look Forward to in Year Ahead -- Women\u27s Hoops Strong Again: Otter Women Showcase Versatility in 5-1 Start to 2012-2013 Campaign -- Otter Soccer Earns Academic Award: CSUMB is Only School in CCAA To Earn NSCAA Award For Both Men and Women -- The Trail Ends at the Rio Theatre: Exclusive Otter Realm Interview with BMX Rider Darren Berrecloth -- A Corny, Inspiring, Hopeful Word about Graduation: Benefits of Life After College -- It\u27s The End of the World As We Know It: As the End of the Semester Approaches for Students, an Ancient Mayan Prophecy Looms Near -- Have a \u27Real\u27 Christmas: Real vs. Fake Christmas Trees -- Christian Holidays with Pagan Roots: Origins of the Easter Bunny and Santa Claus -- \u27Tis the Season to Buy: Holiday Season Becoming Materialistic -- Community Happenings -- Otter Oops -- Sexual Healing Ins and Outs of Sex -- Opportunity Knocks on Santa\u27s Door -- Can You Tell? -- Magic -- What\u27s your New Year\u27s Resolution?https://digitalcommons.csumb.edu/otterrealm/1254/thumbnail.jp

Evaluation of product sound design within the context of emotion design and emotional branding

Thesis (Master)--Izmir Institute of Technology, Industrial Design, Izmir, 2005Includes bibliographical references (leaves: 111-122)Text in English; Abstract: Turkish and Englishxi, 127 leavesThe main purpose of this thesis is to set out the relationships between the work of product designers and the perceptions of costumers regarding the acceptability of product sounds. Product design that provides aesthetic appeal, pleasure and satisfaction can greatly influence success of a product. Sound as a cognitive artifact, plays a significant role in the cognition of product interaction and in shaping its identity. This thesis will review emotion theories end their application to sound design and sound quality modeling, the measurement of emotional responses to sound, and the relationship between psycho-acoustical sound descriptions and emotions. In addition to that, affects of sounds to emotionally significant brands will be evaluated so as to examine marketing values. One of the main purposes of chapter 2 is to prove knowledge about psychoacoustics; as product sound quality is a basic understanding of the underlying psychoacoustics phenomena. Perception; particularly sound perception and its elements are described during chapter 2. Starting with the description of sound wave and how our hear works, sound perception and auditory sensation is reviewed in continuation. In chapter 3, product sound quality concept and its evaluation principles are reviewed. Thus, in order to understand the coupling between the acoustic perception and the product design; knowledge of general principles for product sound quality are required. Chapter 4 can be considered as two main sections. .How does emotion act as a delighter in product design?. is examined to better understand customer and user experiences impacting pleasure-ability in first section. In the second section, emotion is evaluated through sound design. A qualitative evaluation is done so as to examine cognition and emotion in sound perception. Chapter 5 leads subject through emotional branding. Sounds that carry the brand.s identity are evaluated within. Sound design is re-evaluated as marketing strategy and examined with several instances. Keywords: Product sound design, psychoacoustics, product sound quality, emotion design, emotional branding

A manifesto for the creative economy

The UK\u27s creative economy is one of its great national strengths, historically deeply rooted and accounting for around one-tenth of the whole economy. It provides jobs for 2.5 million people – more than in financial services, advanced manufacturing or construction – and in recent years, this creative workforce has grown four times faster than the workforce as a whole. But behind this success lies much disruption and business uncertainty, associated with digital technologies. Previously profitable business models have been swept away, young companies from outside the UK have dominated new internet markets, and some UK creative businesses have struggled to compete. UK policymakers too have failed to keep pace with developments in North America and parts of Asia. But it is not too late to refresh tired policies. This manifesto sets out our 10-point plan to bolster one of the UK\u27s fastest growing sectors

Infrastructuring for cultural commons

In this doctoral dissertation, I inquire into the ways in which Participatory Design (PD) and digital design endeavors can contribute to wider public access to, and use of, digital cultural heritage. I advocate for an approach according to which digital cultural heritage is arranged and understood as cultural commons, and for more collaborative modes of social care for and governance of the commons. In addition to the empirically grounded findings and proposals contained in six individual research articles, I develop a theoretical framework that combines scholarship on Information Infrastructures, Commons and PD. Against this framework I interrogate how the information infrastructures and conditions that surround digital cultural heritage can be active in constructing and contributing to cultural commons. While doing this, I draw attention to the gap that exists between on the one hand official institutional digital cultural heritage collections, systems and practices, and on the other hand the digital platforms and practices through which everyday people create, curate and share digital cultural works. In order to understand how to critically and productively bridge this gap, I present insights gained from conducting three design research cases that engage both cultural heritage institutions and everyday media users. Building upon this empirical work, and latching on to scholarship on the notion of infrastructuring, I propose four infrastructuring strategies for cultural commons: probing and building upon the installed base, stimulating and simulating design and use through gateways, producing and pooling shared resources, and, lastly, fostering and shaping a commons culture that supports commoning. In exploring these strategies, I map the territory between commons and infrastructuring, and connect these notions to the PD tradition. I do so to sketch the design principles for a design orientation, commons design. I assert that these principles can be useful for advancing PD, and can inform future initiatives, aid in identifying infrastructural challenges, and in finding and confirming an orientation to participatory design activities. Drawing on my practical design work, I discuss requirements for professional designers operating on commons frameworks and with collective action. By doing this, my dissertation not only breaks new theoretical ground through advancing theoretical considerations relevant to contemporary design research, especially the field of PD, but also contributes practical implications useful for professional digital media design practice, especially for designers working in the fields of digital culture and cultural heritage

Children's cross-platform media preferences: a sense of kindness and a want for learning?

Cross-platform media practices have moved from being something of an under-considered side show, to a strategic necessity. A development vision that attempts to transcend historic platform delineation is becoming the norm in many areas of media production, yet cross-platform media, as an over-arching conceptualisation, is still sparsely mapped. Children’s media in particular can be said to have long spanned platform, yet there is little research that addresses media in this sense, and even less that attempts to bring together the voices of children with those that make media for children. This study sets out to explore children’s cross-platform media within the UK; with children’s media preferences acting as a trigger to dialogue. The study’s original contribution to knowledge is said to sit within its multi-method interdisciplinary design, which as well as foregrounding participant voice, operates in a tactual and reflective fashion. The study looks to explore children’s preferences within media made for them, but also to question the extent to which producers of media for children understand these preferences; with the researcher himself having a background within children’s media practice. To establish the foundations from which to consider these questions, the thesis begins by contextualising and conceptualising cross-platform media, before it moves on to address how children are positioned within media research. Argument is made that media should be seen not as distinct, or platform bound, but as utterances within a cross-platform dialogue, and similarly the study is orientated towards operating across a dialogic phenomenology in which it becomes difficult to locate the unitary, fixed and finalised. It is hoped that through engaging in dialogue on children’s preferences within cross-platform media that this study will impact on practice within the field. Analysis of the research interactions suggests that producers of children’s media share an understanding with children on the ways in which they appear averse to media that they see as unfair, unkind or in which others come to harm. Yet when it comes to the place of learning within children’s media, something child participants appear particularly comfortable with, practitioners seem less in tune with the preferences of children