Rapid prototyping of ubiquitous computing environments

Tese de doutoramento em InformáticaUbiquitous computing raises new usability challenges that cut across design and development. We are particularly interested in environments enhanced with sensors, public displays and personal devices. How can prototypes be used to explore the users' mobility and interaction, both explicitly and implicitly, to access services within these environments? Because of the potential cost of development and design failure, these systems must be explored using early assessment techniques and versions of the systems that could disrupt if deployed in the target environment. These techniques are required to evaluate alternative solutions before making the decision to deploy the system on location. This is crucial for a successful development, that anticipates potential user problems, and reduces the cost of redesign. This thesis reports on the development of a framework for the rapid prototyping and analysis of ubiquitous computing environments that facilitates the evaluation of design alternatives. It describes APEX, a framework that brings together an existing 3D Application Server with a modelling tool. APEX-based prototypes enable users to navigate a virtual world simulation of the envisaged ubiquitous environment. By this means users can experience many of the features of the proposed design. Prototypes and their simulations are generated in the framework to help the developer understand how the user might experience the system. These are supported through three different layers: a simulation layer (using a 3D Application Server); a modelling layer (using a modelling tool) and a physical layer (using external devices and real users). APEX allows the developer to move between these layers to evaluate different features. It supports exploration of user experience through observation of how users might behave with the system as well as enabling exhaustive analysis based on models. The models support checking of properties based on patterns. These patterns are based on ones that have been used successfully in interactive system analysis in other contexts. They help the analyst to generate and verify relevant properties. Where these properties fail then scenarios suggested by the failure provide an important aid to redesign.A computação ubíqua levanta novos desafios de usabilidade transversais ao seu desenvolvimento e design. Estamos particularmente interessados em ambientes enriquecidos com sensores, ecrãs públicos e dispositivos pessoais e em saber como podem ser utilizados protótipos na exploração da mobilidade e interação, implícita e explicita, dos utilizadores de forma a acederem a serviços desses ambientes. Devido às potenciais falhas do design proposto e aos elevados custos associados ao seu desenvolvimento, as características destes sistemas devem ser exploradas utilizando versões preliminares dos mesmos dado que estes podem vir a falhar quando implementados no destino, tornando a sua utilização inaceitável. Essas técnicas são necessárias por forma a avaliar soluções alternativas antes de decidir implementar o sistema fisicamente. Isto é crucial para um desenvolvimento com sucesso que antecipe potencias problemas do utilizador e reduza os custos de redesign. Esta tese descreve o desenvolvimento de uma ferramenta para a prototipagem rápida e análise de ambientes de computação ubíqua como suporte à avaliação de designs alternativos. É apresentado a APEX, uma plataforma que junta um servidor de aplicações 3D com uma ferramenta de modelação. Os protótipos baseados na APEX permitem aos seus utilizadores finais navegarem numa simulação 3D do ambiente ubíquo projetado. Desta forma muitas das características do design proposto podem ser experienciadas pelos utilizadores. Os protótipos e respetivas simulações são gerados na plataforma para ajudar os designers/developers a entender como é que os utilizadores podem experienciar o sistema. Os protótipos são suportadas através de três camadas: a camada de simulação (utilizando um servidor de aplicações 3D); a camada de modelação (utilizando uma ferramenta de modelação) e uma camada física (utilizando dispositivos externos e utilizadores reais). A plataforma possibilita aos designers/ developers moverem-se entre estas camadas de forma a avaliar diferentes características do sistema, desde a experiencia do utilizador até ao seu comportamento através de uma analise exaustiva do sistema ubíquo baseada em modelos. Os modelos suportam a verificação de propriedades baseadas em padrões. Estes padrões são baseados em padrões existentes e já utilizados com sucesso, noutros contextos, na análise de sistemas interativos. Eles auxiliam a geração e verificação de propriedades relevantes. O local onde estas propriedade falham sugere um cenário de falha que fornece uma ajuda importante no redesign do sistema.ERDF through the Programme COMPETE and by the Portuguese Government through FCT - Foundation for Science and Technology, project PTDC/EIA-EIA/116069/2009 and by FCT, under the grant SFRH/BD/41179/2007

Porque comemos o que comemos?: determinantes psicossociais da selecção alimentar

Este artigo apresenta uma breve análise sobre os determinantes psicossociais do comportamento alimentar. É essencial compreendermos os factores subjacentes às escolhas alimentares dos indivíduos, isto é, compreendermos porque é que comemos os alimentos que comemos e porque comemos a quantidade de alimentos que comemos, se pretendemos intervir neste domínio, seja ao nível da promoção da saúde, seja ao nível da prevenção ou tratamento da doença. No presente trabalho, apresenta-se uma análise sobre alguns dos determinantes psicológicos e sociais da regulação do comportamento alimentar, bem como uma síntese de alguns dos modelos explicativos da selecção alimentar (Modelo Desenvolvimental e Modelo Cognitivo). Procedemos, ainda, a uma reflexão sobre a relação entre alimentos, emoções, cognições e comportamentos, assim como a uma reflexão sobre a relação entre o stress e o comportamento alimentar. ------ ABSTRACT ------ This paper presents a brief analysis of the psychosocial determinants of eating behaviour. It is essential to understand the factors underlying food selection, that is to say, the factors that contribute to the individual eating, what he/she eats and how much he/she eats. In this paper, we present an analysis of some of the psychological and social factors which regulate eating behaviour, as well as some of the theoretical models that try to explain eating behaviour regulation (namely the Developmental Model and the Cognitive Model). We also discuss some issues concerning the relation between food, emotion, cognition and behaviour, and the relation between stress and eating behaviour

Rapid prototyping of ubiquitous computing environments

Ubiquitous computing raises new usability challenges that cut across design and development. We are particularly interested in environments enhanced with sensors, public displays and personal devices. How can prototypes be used to explore the users' mobility and interaction, both explicitly and implicitly, to access services within these environments? Because of the potential cost of development and design failure, these systems must be explored using early assessment techniques and versions of the systems that could disrupt if deployed in the target environment. These techniques are required to evaluate alternative solutions before making the decision to deploy the system on location. This is crucial for a successful development, that anticipates potential user problems, and reduces the cost of redesign. This thesis reports on the development of a framework for the rapid prototyping and analysis of ubiquitous computing environments that facilitates the evaluation of design alternatives. It describes APEX, a framework that brings together an existing 3D Application Server with a modelling tool. APEX-based prototypes enable users to navigate a virtual world simulation of the envisaged ubiquitous environment. By this means users can experience many of the features of the proposed design. Prototypes and their simulations are generated in the framework to help the developer understand how the user might experience the system. These are supported through three different layers: a simulation layer (using a 3D Application Server); a modelling layer (using a modelling tool) and a physical layer (using external devices and real users). APEX allows the developer to move between these layers to evaluate different features. It supports exploration of user experience through observation of how users might behave with the system as well as enabling exhaustive analysis based on models. The models support checking of properties based on patterns. These patterns are based on ones that have been used successfully in interactive system analysis in other contexts. They help the analyst to generate and verify relevant properties. Where these properties fail then scenarios suggested by the failure provide an important aid to redesign.Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologi

An infrastructure for experience centered agile prototyping of ambient intelligence

Ubiquitous computing poses new usability challenges that cut across design and development. We are particularly interested in "spaces" enhanced with sensors, public displays and personal devices. How can prototypes be used to explore the user's mobility and interaction, both explicitly and implicitly, to access services within these environments? Because of the potential cost of development and design failure, the characteristics of such systems must be explored using early versions of the system that could disrupt if used in the target environment. Being able to evaluate these systems early in the process is crucial to their successful development. This paper reports on an effort to develop a framework for the rapid prototyping and analysis of ambient intelligence systems

Formal analysis of ubiquitous computing environments through the APEX framework

Ubiquitous computing (ubicomp) systems involve complex interactions between multiple devices and users. This com-plexity makes it difficult to establish whether: (1) observa-tions made about use are truly representative of all possible interactions; (2) desirable characteristics of the system are true in all possible scenarios. To address these issues, tech-niques are needed that support an exhaustive analysis of a system’s design. This paper demonstrates one such exhaus-tive analysis technique that supports the early evaluation of alternative designs for ubiquitous computing environments. The technique combines models of behavior within the environment with a virtual world that allows its simulation. The models support checking of properties based on pat-terns. These patterns help the analyst to generate and verify relevant properties. Where these properties fail then scenar-ios suggested by the failure provide an important aid to redesign. The proposed technique uses APEX, a framework for rapid prototyping of ubiquitous environments based on Petri nets. The approach is illustrated through a smart li-brary example. Its benefits and limitations are discussed.(undefined

Design and evaluation of a smart library using the APEX framework

User experience is a key point for successful ubiquitous computing (ubicomp) environments. The envisaged design should be explored as soon as possible to anticipate potential user problems, thus reducing re-design costs. The development of ubicomp environments' prototypes might help, providing feedback on the users' reaction to the environments. This paper describes the design and evaluation of ubicomp environments using APEX, a rapid prototyping framework providing user experience via a 3D application server and connected physical devices. APEX prototypes allow users to explore and experience many characteristics of a proposed design, in a virtual world. The paper focus in particular the design and evaluation of a smart library in the APEX framework.(undefined

Model-based user interface testing with Spec Explorer and ConcurTaskTrees

Analytic usability analysis methods have been proposed as an alternative to user testing in early phases of development due to the cost of the latter approach. By working with models of the systems, analytic models are not capable of identifying implementation related problems that might have an impact on usability. Model-based testing enables the testing of an implemented software artefact against a model of what it should be (the oracle). In the case of model-based user interface testing, the models should be expressed at an adequate level of abstraction, adequately modelling the interaction process. This paper describes an effort to develop tool support enabling the use of task models as oracles for model-based testing of user interfaces.FCT -Fuel Cell Technologies Program(POSC/EIA/56646/2004