A Comparative UI Study for MyPlace

Mobile Navigation in Ubiquitous Environments –

Comparing Affect and Effectiveness of Linguistic and Cartographic Communication

Carolin Plate

University of Osnabrueck Cognitive Science Programme

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Study Background

Cognitive Scienceat University of Osnabrück

• Bachelor’s– (Oct 02 – Nov 05)– Linköpings Universitet– Thesis at DFKI in the field

of Usability Engineering

• Master’s– (Oct 05 - current)– Thesis at University of

Sydney

Philosophy of Cognition

Neuro- informatics

Neurobio- psychology

Theoretical Computer Science

Computational Linguistics

Cognitive Psychology

Artificial Intelligence

Knowledge-based Robotics

1) Image taken from: www.cogsci.uos.de

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Do we Think in Pictures? (sometimes?)

Human information processing– Human memory

• different for auditory and visual signals

– Hemispheres• local (L) + global (R) information

Theories in information representation• Propositional representations (Pylyshyn)

• Visual images (Shephard)

• Mental models (Johnson-Laird) cognitive maps (Oatley)

dual-coding hypothesis (Pavio)

2) Image taken from: http://www.brainwave-entrainment.com/brain-hemispheres.jpg

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Spatial Cognition – are we all different?

• Gender Differences

• Visualizers + Verbalizers

• Do we (all) form cognitive maps?

(C) www.CartoonStock.com

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Research Question

Mobile Navigation in Ubiquitous Environments – Comparing Affect and Effectiveness of Cartographic and Linguistic Communication

• Mobile Navigation– Pedestrians indoor, equipped with PDA

• Ubiquitous Environment– “invisibility problem”

• Affect + Effectiveness– Usable: effective, efficient, fun to use in the special context (ISO 9241-11)

• Communication– HCI

Text is linear and flexible…

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3) Image taken from: http://db.auth.usyd.edu.au/directories/map/building.stm?location=25L

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CHAI- work: PersonisAD

Description of the system in: Assad, M., Carmichael, D., Kay, J., Kummerfeld, B., (to appear). PersonisAD: Distributed, active, scrutable model framework for context-aware services. In: Proceedings of Pervasive 2007. Toronto, Ontario, Canada: Springer.

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CHAI- work: MyPlace

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4) Carmichael, D., Kay, J., Kummerfeld, B., Niu, W. (2006). MyWorkPlace: Personalised information about a ubiquitous computing enabled building. In: Proceedings of ubiPCMM 2006. Orange County, California.

5) Assad, M., Kay J., Kummerfeld, B. (2006). Models of people, places and devices for location-aware services. In: adjuct proceedings of 4th International Pervasive Conference, Late Breaking Results.

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What I gonna add…

• Models– More devices

• Wayfinding: display paths

• Display landmarks + devices– Show / Hide in map

• Show map– Zoom in current location– Zoom out (one level)– View class of objects

Devices

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Interface Design

Text-based UI Graphical UI

View 1: Object- based Overview

Devices

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Scenario and Tasks

You just joined the CHAI group for doing your Honour‘s year. On your first day, you are called to an appointment with Prof. Judy Kay to plan your research.

• Go to…– 1) – …– 4)

• Give Directions to …• Go to…

– 1)– …– 4)

• Give Directions to …

Questionnaire

Text Interface

Map Interface

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Data Collection for HypothesisYou just joined the CHAI group for doing your Honour‘s year. On your first day,

you are called to an appointment with Prof. Judy Kay to plan your research.

• Go to…– 1)– …– 4)

• Give Directions to …• Go to…

– 1)– …– 4)

• Give Directions to …

Questionnaire

Performance: errors, time, clicks

Performance: errors, time, clicks

Text Interface

Map Interface

Type of Directions

Type of Directions

Additional subjective data from Questionnaire

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Appendix

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Interface Design

Text-based UI Graphical UI

View 2: Zoom in for Wayfinding

Devices

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Interface Design

Text-based UI Graphical UI

View 3: Zoom in at Destination

Devices

Devices

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Possibilities for Tasks

Level 1

Level 3

Level 2

Level 4

People

Hidden device

Device

Task-related room

Landmark

M: Hidden fridge and microwave

M: consult rooms

W: Thai Fridge W: printer W: Judy’s office W: Wii and sofas

E: kitchen with coffee E: lecture theatre E: board room (PC) W: hidden showers W: Master’s workstations W: digital projector

E: consult room E: Ugrads officer E: reception, mail E: copier, scanner W: Usability Lab

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Current Tasks

Start: Level 1: Foyer• 1w: 15 min too early. Is there sb around to have a chat?• 3: Meeting with Judy. Go to her office.• 3: Lunch. Find microwave to warm up food.• 2w: future lab: group meeting starts in 5 min, where is it? give directions to the exit you entered the building.

• 1e: meet the group for coffee at 10.00• 1w: You need to give presentation in the Lecture Theatre tomorrow and use

slides for it. Make sure you have all the equipment you need.• 2e: Copy something / consult ugrad officer• 4e: meet Prof. Miller at consult room give directions to Future Lab Go to consult room? to fill in questionnaire + debriefing

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Attributes of Texts and MapsTextual Descriptions Maps

Sequential + linear (Shneiderman 96, Freksa 99)

Multiple 2D-layers (Shneiderman 96, Freksa 99)

allows for mirroring the linear nature of following directions: temporal or logical sequence (Denis)

allows for indexing by location, superseding labeling (LarkinS 87)

more active search, comprehension and inferences required (Cox99)

search along these groupings is facilitated (LarkinS 87)

Unconstrained form of representation Bound to the spatial relations they mirror

Powerful enough to describe arbitrary concrete or abstract relationships (Freksa 99 + KrayELC)

maps facilitate certain abstractions and inferences (LarkinS 87), aids processibility thereby, but are only suitable for a certain class of information (StenningO 92)

we can remain unspecific about details, errors are less likely to occur (Denis)

spatial representations can be derived directly so a mapping to the real world is facilitated (Freksa 99)

Just landmarks on the way are described Provide context by depicting environment

descriptions can be highly personalized and targeted to one specific task (Freska 99)

time for a first orientation in the map is needed before the route to be followed is identified (Freska 99)

as a side effect, distraction by unnecessary information is minimized (Freksa 99)

in the case of getting lost, alternative routes can be found (Nagi 06)

orientation and learning is facilitated (Nagi 06, Freksa 99)