HapWheel: in-car infotainment system feedback using haptic and hovering techniques

Abstract—In-car devices are growing both in complexity and capacity, integrating functionalities that used to be divided among other controls in the vehicles. These systems appear increasingly in the form of touchscreens as a cost-saving measure. Screens lack the physicality of traditional buttons or switches, requiring drivers to look away from the road to operate them. This paper presents the design, implementation, and two studies that evaluated HapWheel, a system that provides the driver with haptic feedback in the steering wheel while interacting with an Infotainment System. Results show that the proposed system reduced both the duration of and the number of times a driver looked away from the road. HapWheel was also successful at reducing the number of mistakes during the interaction.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The acceptance of energy monitoring technologies: the case of local prosumers

With transformations happening in the electricity sector, we need to ensure consumers have access to updated and correct information to accompany such changes. Consumers need to understand technologies available to them but also, learn how to use them to optimize their personal investment in such types of equipment. In this paper, we explore how a group of local pro sumers has adopted energy monitoring technologies, their day to-day strategies, and expectations when handling such systems. We studied 11 prosumers and the technologies they have used for three years, evaluated their satisfaction with the feedback provided and analyzed how a more modern visualization of their energy practices was introduced and adopted into their daily lives. We conducted interviews and questionnaires to evaluate their engagement with these tools. This initial work suggests this particular group of users have already a high level of knowledge about their systems, and as a result have integrated these into their routines. However, more support would be needed from other local actors to help them reach more benefits and as such, more satisfaction as consumers. We conclude by reflecting on barriers that need to be addressed to increase user satisfaction with these systems.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Understanding goal setting behavior in the context of energy consumption reduction

Home energy use represents a significant proportion of total con sumption. A growing research area is considering how to help everyday users consume less. However, simply determining how to best reduce consumption remains a challenging task for many users. Based on goal setting theory, this paper presents two lab studies (based on the presentation of detailed scenarios and the solicitation of goal selections for the individuals depicted) in order to better understand how users make such decisions. It reveals a preference for goals that are perceived to be easy and specific, rather than those known to be effective (e.g. those that reduce energy consumption) or generic. Goal setting theory suggests that easy goals lead to low levels of commitment and motiva tion, suggesting such choices may be doubly ineffective. Ultimately, this paper contributes to a better understanding of users’ goal selections and argues this is a prerequisite to effectively supporting users in reducing resource consumption.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Inexpensive solution for real-time video and image stitching

Image stitching is the process of joining several images to obtain a bigger view of a scene. It is used, for example, in tourism to transmit to the viewer the sensation of being in another place. I am presenting an inexpensive solution for automatic real time video and image stitching with two web cameras as the video/image sources. The proposed solution relies on the usage of several markers in the scene as reference points for the stitching algorithm. The implemented algorithm is divided in four main steps, the marker detection, camera pose determination (in reference to the markers), video/image size and 3d transformation, and image translation. Wii remote controllers are used to support several steps in the process. The built‐in IR camera provides clean marker detection, which facilitates the camera pose determination. The only restriction in the algorithm is that markers have to be in the field of view when capturing the scene. Several tests where made to evaluate the final algorithm. The algorithm is able to perform video stitching with a frame rate between 8 and 13 fps. The joining of the two videos/images is good with minor misalignments in objects at the same depth of the marker,misalignments in the background and foreground are bigger. The capture process is simple enough so anyone can perform a stitching with a very short explanation. Although real‐time video stitching can be achieved by this affordable approach, there are few shortcomings in current version. For example, contrast inconsistency along the stitching line could be reduced by applying a color correction algorithm to every source videos. In addition, the misalignments in stitched images due to camera lens distortion could be eased by optical correction algorithm. The work was developed in Apple’s Quartz Composer, a visual programming environment. A library of extended functions was developed using Xcode tools also from Apple.Orientador: Mon‐Chu Che

Understanding the limitations of eco-feedback: a one-year long-term study

For the last couple of decades the world has been witnessing a change in habits of energy consumption in domestic environments, with elec tricity emerging as the main source of energy consumed. The effects of these changes in our eco-system are hard to assess, therefore encouraging researchers from different fields to conduct studies with the goal of understanding and im proving perceptions and behaviors regarding household energy consumption. While several of these studies report success in increasing awareness, most of them are limited to short periods of time, thus resulting in a reduced knowledge of how householders will behave in the long-term. In this paper we attempt to reduce this gap presenting a long-term study on household electricity consump tion. We deployed a real-time non-intrusive energy monitoring and eco feedback system in 12 families during 52 weeks. Results show an increased awareness regarding electricity consumption despite a significant decrease in interactions with the eco-feedback system over time. We conclude that after one year of deployment of eco-feedback it was not possible to see any significant increase or decrease in the household consumption. Our results also confirm that consumption is tightly coupled with independent variables like the house hold size and the income-level of the families.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

SINAIS from Fanal: design and evaluation of an art-inspired eco-feedback system

In this paper we present the challenges exposed during the designing, implementing and assessment of a novel eco feedback system resulting from the intersection of human computer interaction (HCI), and Digital Art. We explore how a digital art mode of inquiry can contribute to expose existing challenges in eco-feedback technology. Our new art inspired eco-feedback visualization, maps electricity consumption to effects on natural elements of the local natural landscape. The feedback was piloted with eight local families for four weeks. Reactions of the users were assessed through interviews and quantitative measures. Our findings showed that users found the mapping of the eco feedback to artistic representations of elements of the natural environment somehow compelling, despite lacking of clear quantitative information. In conclusion, the conducted study provide useful findings and insights into future deployment of eco-feedback using artistic visualizations, information visualization and motivating behavior change.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

What-a-Watt: exploring electricity production literacy through a long term eco-feedback study

This paper presents the design, implementation and evaluation of an eco-feedback system capable of providing detailed household consumption information and also real-time production breakdown per energy source. We build on recent studies reporting an increased awareness generated by eco feedback systems that also integrate micro-production information, taking advantage of a closed grid production network on an island with a high concentration of renewables, we deployed the What-a-Watt system in a building with 9 households for a period of 34 consecutive weeks. Results show that all the participating families have shown increased awareness of the production and distribution of electricity, thus becoming more familiarized with concepts such as the different sources of energy and how their availability relates to external variables such as weather conditions and time of day. Furthermore, our results also show, that the families using our system have managed to reduce their overall consumption. This research is a first attempt to provide more effective eco-feedback systems to consumers by integrating complex Smartgrid information in the feedback.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Watt-I-See: A Tangible Visualization of Energy

This paper describes a tangible visualization that explores the link between the impact of energy feedback on household consumers and the resource demand impact on energy production. Specifically, it positions a novel perspective attempting to move beyond the known limitations of current eco-feedback systems and contributes to enhance our understanding of how consumers comprehend energy production. The work is informed by a comprehensive study of an installation that displays the ratio of current power generation sources and the percentage of grid renewables. The paper provides design insights for creating novel eco-feedback visualizations that leverage the balance between user lifestyles and the desire to influence consumption behaviors and practices. Evaluation results show an increase in energy literacy and awareness as well as identifies high consumer preferences towards simple, representative interfaces and ubiquitous immediate feedback. Our study shows potential in terms of future scenarios for eco-feedback in distributed energy micro-generation and other inevitable disruptive changes for the energy utility.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Towards Egocentric Fuel Efficiency Feedback

Motivated by anecdotal evidence, we hypothesize that an egocentric approach is more appropriate and relevant to providing fuel efficiency feedback than a systemic approach. In this paper we describe a proposed study to test this hypothesis, and present the design of a fuel efficiency feedback system for public transit bus drivers

HomeTree: an art inspired mobile eco-feedback visualization

This paper presents HomeTree a prototype of an art-inspired mobile eco feedback system. The system is implemented on a tablet PC and relies on a non intrusive energy-monitoring infrastructure to access consumption and power event information. Our prototype addresses an important problem in eco feedback, which is the fact that users loose interest about their energy consump tion after a period of several weeks. To accomplish this HomeTree implements a dual visualization strategy. Initially HomeTree presents users with a screensa ver that shows energy consumption mapped in a dynamic illustration of the lo cal forest. Through this strategy we leverage the emotional connection between the short-term energy consumption and the long-term effects on nature through the local depicted landscape. In a second mode of operation users can interact with HomeTree directly by checking the historical records of their consumption data, and check which days or weeks they have reduced or increased consump tion. Furthermore a comparison with a more objective baseline, such as the city of Funchal energy consumption is provided, in order to give users a sense of the level of their consumption in a wider context.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio