Learning Outcomes

Demonstrate understanding of the concept of pervasive computing and how this differs from, and extends, desktop-based computing.

I feel this learning outcome has been met by my blog, firstly by the different definitions of pervasive computing and its other names as this allowed me to get a clearer understanding of the pervasive concept. Also in the tutorial discussing how User Centered Design (UCD) which is mainly desktop based does not always fit in with the pervasive world, links into this outcome as it shows that design for the desktop does not always fit in with design for pervasive system

I feel in the second term I have met this by researching into smart homes. As these are all pervasive ways of controlling things in your house. These are all types of computing that are very different to the desktop-based computing. I have also discussed in more detail the potential of GPS in my freestyle blog, these were really far away from the desktop computing especially the GPS based sneakers and trolleys.

Discuss issues and challenges in designing for usability in the area of pervasive computing (i.e., designing for ‘pervasive usability’).

This learning outcome is also met in the piece of work on UCD; I think it is also shown in the last piece of work based on the different research method at the Chawton House Project. As this discusses the challenges that can arise when trying to design something unknown to the user.

In course work two I proved this learning outcome by designing interfaces for an mp3 player. Within this coursework discussed the issues and challenges people are faced when designing for pervasive systems.

Appropriately select a usability method whether this be user testing, metrics, ethnography, or other; and effectively carry out usability evaluations

This learning outcome will have been met in my usability key assignment of testing a mobile device. Also on the blog I think it shows I have a range of methods I could effectively link to pervasive computing, as I have linked Usability Goals and Design Principles to my mobile phone a piece of pervasive computing and linked Schneidermans golden rules to an iPod

I feel that this has been proven by showing again in the smart homes tutorial task where I discussed an effective method for testing the control panel.

Critically reflect on approaches and achievements

This learning outcome will have been made in the key assignments where I evaluate the methods I used and what I achieved it the test and through the design process.

Free Style Blog - GPS and Locational Technology in Pervasive Computing

After learning about the Chawton House project in the lectures and the group project module, I have become increasingly interested in the use of GPS (Global Positioning System) as before I knew what it was but didn’t know what it could be used for. I thought that some of the uses of GPS in tourism were very exciting and would really like to have a go and try out this new technology. As would I find taking tours directed by you, a lot more exiting than taking a tour bus, or following a tour guide as it gives it more a sense of adventure and exploration.

The Global Positioning System is a satellite-based navigation system made up of a constellation of at least 24 satellites. GPS was originally intended by the USA for military applications, but in the 1980s, the government made the system available for civilian use. GPS works in any weather conditions, anywhere in the world, 24 hours a day. For receivers to get a signal and find out where you are in the world they must be able to keep in contact with at least three satellites to so that they can get the right number of calculations to find out where you are.

GPS Tourism

One of the GPS Tourism systems that I really found exiting was the Node Explorer on there website they use this to sell it;

“Whether at a tourist site, sporting event or on an educational field trip, the ability to deliver mobile media direct to a user, depending on who they are, where they are and what they are looking at, takes the experience further and deeper than ever before.

Node has created the world's first commercial platform for delivering these experiences in a reliable, efficient and robust manner. We licence this platform to partners who then deliver products to the Tourism, Sport, Education, Heritage, Real Estate, Retail and Industrial sectors”

This device can be used for self directed tourism, I really like this because it tracks where you are using GPS and can be programmed to play audio or video when you when you get to certain areas. This is being used in Belfast for a tour on Belfast and the Titanic for more info watch the advertising video on YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aU3XTMRx0w0 )

As I find GPS and other location based technology interesting and exciting I decided to have a look to see if I could find any other gadgets that use GPS that I wouldn’t expect. So I won’t be looking for simple navigation systems i.e. Satellite Navigation, hiking trackers or route planners.

Intelligent Shopping Trolleys

The first unusual technology that I found rumoured was an intelligent shopping trolley, which will help customers find things around the store, being developed by Microsoft. After doing a bit more research on the Microsoft website I found out that it was a project by some Singapore students that won a competition in 2003. The project was called AUTOSHOP and some of its services are:

• A timesaving GPS-like tracking system that helps shoppers to locate items within a store.
• A personalised shopping list that users can access from anywhere via the Internet. The list is displayed on the trolley touch screen. The screen also displays product information and promotions.
• Customers can use a barcode reader attached to the side of the trolley to learn about product specials and track the value of items in their trolley.
• Shoppers can scan items on the shelf and request home delivery. No need to lug that heavy sack of rice all the way home.
• AUTOSHOP can also locate your friends in the store and alert you when they come or go.

The list above was taken from http://www.microsoft.com/singapore/mssg_docs/1088.aspxosoft.com/singapore/mssg_docs/1088.aspx

Then I found this press release MediaCart, Microsoft and Wakefern Team Up to Deliver Next-Generation Digital Grocery Shopping and Ad Experience.

They now actually have prototypes of this system. Below is a video explaining how it works and shows it in use.

Working in a supermarket myself for the past few years, I think that this technology would be a great idea especially the function of allowing shoppers to find things because its so annoying when you are working and some ask you where something is when its right in front of them or they haven’t even tried to look for it. Whether this system would actually work in the real world though, I have my doubts. I reckon this sort of item would score high in usability-in-itself lab based tests but cannot see it doing so well in usability-in-itself as technophobes or the older generation wouldn’t want too use it and the learning curve might too great to overcome.

GPS Embedded Trainers

The next thing that I found was GPS embedded within trainers, an idea that Isaac Daniel has came up with. There newest line also comes with Covert Alarm Locator Apparatus™ with sends out an alarm style signal and when a call is made to a 24-hr monitoring service you can find out where you are. Making this a great technology for parents to buy for there kids as they can find out exactly where they are, when their child forgets to ring home one night. Again I’m not sure how much of a success this has been but is a great idea. The main stumbling block would be the price though as most people wouldn’t want to spend a huge amount on trainers. Also people children especially don’t want to have trainers completely different to there friends due to peer-pressure.

Geotagging Photos

Another system that found interesting was a Geotagging. I came across a couple of systems that would geotag photos that you had taken and interact it with Google Earth or Flickr Mashup. First I should explain that Geotagging is the process of adding GPS or Location metadata to various media. This is usually recorded in the form of latitude and longitude coordinates. However though it can also include altitude, bearing, and place names.

An example of this type of device is the ATP Photo Finder. Which is a pocket sized device on their website, http://photofinder.atpinc.com/, they explain how the system works. First you need to make sure that the time zone on your camera and photo finder are synchronized. Then start taking the photo’s making sure that the Photo Finder is switched on. After finishing taking the photos just pop the memory card into the device and it will add on the GPS data to it. Then you can synchronise it to Google earth and locate where the pictures were taken. I like this is idea because when you look back at old photos you might have forgot where it was taken but now you can always find out

I think all of these are good examples of the possibilities pervasive computing and GPS can provide locational data that can be helpful to us. As long as fresh ideas keep arriving like I’m sure they will, the future looks exiting in the world of pervasive computing.

Block 3, Studio 1 Smart Homes

1. After doing a Google search for ‘smart homes’ I found this website http://www.smartkontrols.co.uk/ on this website the about in the different things that can be controlled remotely in your house, these mainly being the Heating, Air-Conditioning, and Lights.

They also have a section on user interfaces, the interfaces included are:

• Sensors – sensors are used to record the current temperature in rooms of the house
  

• Wallplates – A collection of buttons that user can use to turn the heating or air-conditioning up or down and to turn the heating off in rooms not being used. Turn lights on and off, have preset schemes where certain lights will come on at a press of a button and/or could be used to turn on lights for certain route i.e. living room to the bathroom. Wallplates can also be used to open curtains, blinds. These can also be touch screen devices which can control a larger variety of things in the house.
  
• Remote controls – Wireless devices with buttons on them, These can control lights, curtains, TVs, Radios etc depending on the type of controller and how it is set up.
  
  Mobile phone – New technology allows any standard mobile phone to “text” the house, obviously restricted by the home owner. This type interface will allow the user to turn lights on or off, and set modes for when they holiday mode for an heating ventilation or air condition system they use. The house will text the user back to tell them what action it is going to take.

2. If I was going to evaluate one of these systems for usability. I would test the wallplate or touch screen devices. Then I would probably use Usability Metrics, this is because a system like this that is fully functional is set up for this type of evaluation. As you can set a number of goals that the user needs to complete, and while the users is completing the task you can record metrics like time to complete a task, percent of tasks completed, number of explicit actions. This could be used in as part of usability engineering as the metrics can be used to prove the system has what it takes to get the job done.

I personally wouldn’t go for a heuristic evaluation on a product that is already on sale, because this sort of testing picks up more problems to be sorted early on in the design phase. I’m also not sure if I would use the talk aloud protocol because I think that the metrics would find where the errors are happening and that you would not need the user to tell you what’s going on as well.

3. I would first of all I would establish what it is I was testing for. Then I would set a list of tasks or goals that I would want the user to complete. While creating these goals I would also have a list of metrics I wanted to record on each task to give me my quantitative data. These metrics would include:

Time to complete each task

• Number of button presses (actions)
• Percentage of tasks completed
• Number of tasks uncompleted and which tasks they were
• Number of errors
• Number of times asked for help

I feel that these metrics would give me enough data to find correlations and similarities behind the tests. I would go through the tasks I’ve set myself, or get another expert user to do so. During this stage I would be measuring the metrics that I wanted use, or if I was running through the system I would get some one else to do it for. This will gave me the baseline of what to compare the users to. I would then find 5 users over the age of 30 as I feel that after that age more people will buy these sort of things, or move into a smart home.

Then I would let the users run through the test while video recording them, so I can refer to this video later to get correct timing and counts. I may also set up a small camera on the top of the wallplate to record facial expression as this would allow me took look at users’ satisfaction with the wall plate.

When I have finished the testing with the users I would try and find similarities within the data as these would be the key issues that I would recommend for improvements