In: Proceedings of MANSE (the First International Workshop on Managing Interactions in Smart Environments). Dublin Ireland, December 13-14. Paper.

Designing for Local Interaction

Johan Redström, Per Dahlberg*, Peter Ljungstrand and Lars Erik Holmquist
PLAY: Applied research on art and technology and *Mobile Informatics Research Groups
The Viktoria Institute, Box 620, SE-405 30 Gothenburg, Sweden
{johan,dahlberg,peter,leh}@viktoria.informatics.gu.se
http://www.viktoria.informatics.gu.se/

Abstract. Much development of information technology has been about reducing the importance of distances and user location. Still, many important activities and events are of local nature, for instance serendipitous face-to-face communication. In order to support such communication, as well as other examples of local interaction, we have developed three prototypes all based on wireless short-range communication. The prototypes are functionally self-contained mobile devices that do not rely on any further infrastructure, making the system inexpensive and flexible. In these prototypes, the limited communication range is not conceived as a problem, but rather as a property that can be explored. We discuss the implications of this approach for human-computer interaction design, for instance of proximity as a measure of information relevance, and the advantages of using functionally self-contained mobile devices communicating directly with each other to enable users to create and manipulate their own smart environments.

©1999

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