Semantic Structures & Subtle Signals Professor Ruth Conroy Dalton & Jakub Krukar

Why is an (real, not software!!) architect talking about information & language?

Matthew Chalmers in his chapter on "Informatics, Architecture and Language" (Social Navigation of Information Space, Munro et al., 1999) states that,

"While architecture has already affected informatics in a number of areas, for example, in the pattern languages of Alexander... we [can] use architecture as a stepping stone between linguistics and informatics."

Space Syntax •  Configurations are the set of

relationships between more than two spatial objects

•  Characteristic of a configuration is that if the relationship between any two objects change, the whole system changes: local changes can have global effects!

•  The spatial structure captured in a configuration is meaningful: hierarchy and inequalities between spaces are sources of information

•  This information is retrievable and meaningful: we use it in our everyday life

Space syntax spatial primitives

A.  People move linearly B.  Interact in convex spaces C.  People see changing visual fields as they move around

A B C

3 Examples of Why this is Useful

•  Mobile Ad-hoc NETwork (MANET): taking advantage of the structuring of space in a smart way [~1 minute]

•  Noticeability: depends on object salience plus configurational attributes of spatial location [~1 minute]

•  Subtle cues that 'nudge' you in the right direction and exaggerate the semantic cues of spatial structure [~1 minute]

Mobile Ad-hoc NETworks (MANET)

MANET •  Mobile Ad-hoc NETwork (MANET) is a

collection of mobile nodes which communicate over radio and do not need any pre installed communication infrastructure.

•  Be smart about the routing algorithm: use knowledge of configurational spatial structure.

•  Dalton, Nick Sheep, and Ruth Conroy Dalton. "The theory of natural movement and its application to the simulation of mobile ad hoc networks (MANET)." Communication Networks and Services Research, 2007. CNSR'07. Fifth Annual Conference on. IEEE, 2007.

'Dumb' routing algorithm •  Message carrier passes on data

packet as soon as another carrier is proximal

•  Indiscriminate routing

•  Doesn't take into account spatial structure

•  Algorithm monitors 'saturation level' and measure time until 80% of carriers have been 'infected'

'Smart' routing algorithm •  Underlying spatial structure is available

to routing algorithm

•  Pre-calculated street integration values in form of look-up table

•  When potential carrier is proximal, the 'donor' carrier checks the integration value of the 'recipient' carrier's location

•  Routing algorithm is weighted to choose, whenever possible, 'recipient' carriers on more integrated locations

•  Algorithm monitors 'saturation level' and measures time until 80% of carriers have been 'infected. This algorithm was significantly faster that the indiscriminate version

Noticeability

Jakub Krukar's experiments on attention, memory and layout in a gallery [jakub.krukar@northumbria.ac.uk]

Jakub's Results •  After factoring in few basic

demographics (age+gender) and 'total time spent inside the gallery', by using visibility measures we find an r-squared of ~0.8 for some Visual Attention measures.

•  Characteristics of the spatial location (integration value, visibility measures) have a direct effect on dwell time, number of dwells, memory, speed of recall and accuracy of remembered location.

Relationship between spatial structure and salience objects

•  It's clearly important to consider where to put information such as signage in the environment

•  The spatial structure of, or location in, the environment can enhance signage, data or landmark placement

•  Important to work with spatial context, not against it

Spatially integrated location

Spatially segregated

location

Strongly salient object

Best Average

Weakly or non- salient

object Average Worst

Spatial Hints (for aiding wayfinding pedestrians)

Spatial Hints

•  Ideas of "Calm Computing": M. Weiser and J. S. Brown, 1997

•  Ideas of "nudges" or subtle interactions. How to influence people's actions without infringing on their freedom of choice

•  Ideas of HINTeractions: G. Garcia-Perate et al, 2009

Spatial Hints •  We know that spatial structure

influences where people look: long lines of sight and concluding edges attract attention (information rich locations)

•  Ideas of accentuating the positive! Why 'interrupt' people if they're doing the right thing? Only nudge them when they start to make wrong choices

•  Accentuate the positive: exaggerate spatial cues, place data in spatial-structurally meaningful locations

•  Combine hints and use different senses in combination (multimodal interaction)

Visual Attention at Decision Points(Wiener, Hölscher, Büchner & Konieczny, 2009, 2012)

Usability of Spatial Environments Lab, Northumbria University

Aural Hints: SimCity "The terrain is completely empty and I immediately start filling it with stuff... A tinkering melody comes through the speakers...

I watch as tiny cars zoom in and unstuff themselves with people, and another melody threads through the soundtrack suggesting bustling life and growth.

But without warning a fire breaks out on the other side of town, and people are complaining about unemployment rates. I realize I'm losing money... A tense undertone crops up in the music, and it heightens my anxiety...

Oops."

By Alexa Ray Corriea on Oct 25, 2012

—Ruth Dalton!https://www.northumbria.ac.uk/about-us/our-staff/d/ruth-conroy-dalton/!

!—Jakub Krukar!

www.UsableSpaces.net!http://www.uni-muenster.de/Geoinformatics/en/WayTO/!

“Thank you for listening”