Sensor-based and context-aware interactions

Ebuba Udoh 0313957

Idris Kargbo 0317960

Linda Mensah 0508699

- a paradigm shift

Users are unaware of interaction with the computer

Interaction is implicit- i.e predicts what is useful to the user. Information is gathered from sensors- In the environment- information world- bodies

About Context-Aware Interaction

Context-aware systems sense or remember information about a person and the emotional or physical situation.

The computer must remember things about a person, the way the computer has worked in the past, and the way a person is trying to engage with the computer in the present.

examples

Lights being turned on when we enter a room( sensor based interaction)

Suggestions made when buying books on-line e.g. Amazon.co.uk (context-aware interaction)

Washbasin and air expeller (sensor based interaction)

Examples

FLEXOR: a device that recognizes contextual communication through arm motion. It uses arm-bending sensor to evaluate motions made by an arm. When the user is moving an arm as, it flashes a varying sequence of lights and sounds. When the user is exercising and moves an arm, Flexor counts the amount of repetitions that have been done.

Examples

AUTOMATIC DOORS: Automatic doors falls under implicit interaction, as sometimes, a user does not intend to perform to interact with the application. However, the application recognizes its meaning and considers as an input. (e.g., automatic doors will open if a person waits near it, but does not intend to enter a room)

It’s support/help HCI in the IT environment

Implicit nature of interaction has made human-computer relationship seamless that users are unaware of interaction

Brought us closer to mark weiser’s vision

“ the most profound technologies are those that disappear” i.e. the environment is empower to sense &understand the context of activities within it.

Sensors, Computing and Actuators to complement HCI in the IT Environment

Sensor is a device that detect and convert physical change in to electrical signal.

A computing device monitors and interpret electrical signals from sensors and transmits commands to actuators. The IT industry uses computer equipment to process information before this processing can take place, the information has to be presented to the computer equipment for and output result.

Sensors, Computing and Actuators to complement HCI in the IT Environment

In the past, before digital computers, information was presented as signal levels. A temperature sensor may have a voltage output. The warmer is gets, and more voltage is develops. Most sensors have analogue outputs and have to be processed by an A/D converter to get a digital value.

Sensors, Computing and Actuators to complement HCI in the IT Environment

By the same token, when an output comes from digital computing equipment, it will be a number. These number are usually have to be converted back into an analogue value before it can be used to operate e.g. Auto pilot in aircraft: This device is a lot more complex and can maintain e.g. speed, direction and height. The principles are the same when the aircraft loses height,

Sensors, Computing and Actuators to complement HCI in the IT Environment

The engine must work harder, but then the speed increases. To reduce the sped, the nose must be raised so that the aeroplane now climb and the speed will reduce as height is gained. When direction need to be adjusted, the ailerons are activated to roll the wings into a bank. To improve turning, balanced, the rudder is now applied as well. When the required direction is achieved,

Sensors, Computing and Actuators to complement HCI in the IT Environment

The controls are reversed and the aeroplane rolls back into a straight and level flight attitude. Sensor used: Attitude sensor, Airspeed sensor, Directional Gyroscopic sensor with magnetic compass link, slip and turn sensor Bank sensor, Pitch sensor etc. Actuators: Aileron servo, Rudder servo, all these are link to a central computer and been interact with by human being.

Examples and how they support/Help Human Computer interaction in the IT environment.

CO2: to control building by means of computerised systems, you have an array of sensors that tells the computing equipment what conditions in the building are. Some of the input may be derived from tables in a program to reflect room booking and shut-down periods. The computing equipment will also have reference tables to tell it what the desirable condition for the building or rooms

Examples and how they support/Help Human Computer interaction in the IT environment.

Are when they are occupied and when not in occupation. Ambient light sensors can reflect light levels and the computing equipment can respond by adjusting these levels by sending commands to light dimmer in that area. Temperature sensors work in the same way. It tell the computer what the room temperature is. The computer then determine from a table in its program

Examples and how they support/Help Human Computer interaction in the IT environment

Weather the room is occupied or not. When in occupation, it may have to adjust the temperature higher that when not occupied. The computer equipment calculates what commands need to go to the devices that adjust the temperature and send s these command to the right places. Since people are not as dependable as machines are in most cases, there are sensor that determine room occupancy by themselvs.

Examples and how they support/Help Human Computer interaction in the IT environment

Generally, these are Co2 sensors they determine the amount of breathing which reflect human presence. If there are large people in the lecture theatre you do not want to blast a lot of fresh air in. Fresh air is usually cold to be heated before fed to the room. To conserve energy, you’d rather just enough fresh air to meet the people’s requirements.

Examples and how they support/Help Human Computer interaction in the IT environment

This fresh air heated mixed with extracted air from the room and then blown back into the room. The occupants will experience warm fresh air and your heating will be a lot less! If on the other hand, there are 200 bodies present, you cannot save on the heating first. When the room is no longer occupied, the CO2 will tell the computer equipment and the response will be to feed no air in as there is

Examples and how they support/Help Human Computer interaction in the IT environment

No such requirement. This means the heating and air circulation will slow down to save energy in the motors blowing the air through!

Examples and how they support/Help Human Computer interaction in the IT environment

BIOMETRIC: This group of sensors detect characteristics of human so as to identify them. The classic example is the fingerprint sensor. As we all know, no two person have the same fingerprint. This feature is unique and used to identify a person. Other e.g. is the retina patterns in the eye which works just the same way as fingerprint. Facial feature era also used to identify individuals.

Examples and how they support/Help Human Computer interaction in the IT environment

- It also help to identify access control in a building. In emergency situation, all staff that are in the building thus swipe their card and that read in a computer. Example, if there is fire in the building, When the fire expert arrive they will know the exact amount that entered the building, and the one that are out and the remaining balance in the building and their location.

Examples how they support/Help Human Computer interaction in the IT environment

INTRUDER ALARM: Is connected with P.I.R (Passive Infra-Red) use to protect a building from intruders or unauthorised people to certain areas. This is link to a central computer that tells the time and the date it was set and if unset as well. It’s a type of sensor that senses infra-red emitted by a body of a living warm-blooded being. It cannot discriminate between a human and a

Examples and how they support/Help Human Computer interaction in the IT environment

Dog or bird.

PROXIMITY/OYSTER CARD: This is another sensor that support/help Human Computer interaction in the environment. Its read all your location, time from one point to the other through a central computer. Proximity readers and cards are often used in low security access systems.

Examples and how they support/Help Human Computer interaction in the IT environment

The benefit is that the card doesn’t have to come into contact with the reader. There is therefore no mechanical wear present, the sensor emits radio energy which is received by the card. The computer equipment senses the number and decides what to do with it.

References

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