unicast, outcast and groupcast: three steps toward ubiquitous peripheral displays (ubicomp2001)
DESCRIPTION
Artifacts and surfaces that can display digital content are proliferating at a steady rate. Many of these displays will be peripheral, i.e., used for content that is not directly related to one's primary activities. However, what kinds of content would people want to see on such peripheral displays? We have begun to investigate the use of peripheral displays in three workplace contexts: within an individual office (UniCast), outside an individual office (OutCast) and in a common area (GroupCast). This presentation was given at UbiComp 2001. The paper associated with this presentation can be found here: http://interrelativity.com/joe/publications/UbiquitousPeripheralDisplays-UbiComp2001-abstract.htmlTRANSCRIPT
Joe McCarthy, Tony Costa, Edy Liongosari
UniCast, OutCast, GroupCast:Three Steps Toward
Ubiquitous Peripheral Displays
Motivation(s)
• We often talk/hear about a world filled with displays– “Walls in our offices & homes will be reactive displays”
• Andries Van Dam, CACM, March 2001 (The Next 1000 Years)“User Interfaces: Disappearing, Dissolving, and Evolving”
– Everywhere Displays• Claudio Pinhanez, UbiComp 2001
• What will such a world be like?– What kind of content would be put on such displays?– How will the content be affected by (react to) context?
• UniCast, GroupCast & OutCast– Three steps toward ubiquitous peripheral displays
• All UbiComp applications are approximations…
Peripheral Displays in 3 Contexts
• UniCast– Inside one’s office
• Interesting, non-urgent content for yourself
• OutCast– Outside one’s office
• Content for visitors
• GroupCast– In a public space
• Conversation starters
UniCast in Context
UniCast
UniCast: Profile
UniCast in Action
UniCast Modules• Headlines: 273 channels 16 categories (www.moreover.com)• Stocks: Ticker symbols (finance.yahoo.com)• Weather: US zip codes (www.earthlink.com)• Traffic: Chicagoland Expressway Congestion map • Horoscopes: 12 signs of the zodiac (astrology.yahoo.com)• Web pages: Any URL specified by the UniCast user• InfoShare: URLs shared by other group members• Announcements: Title, body and expiration date• Reminders: Visual and aural reminders of regularly scheduled events• WebCams: 11 Axis 2100 Network Cameras throughout CSTaR• In/Out List: Based on infrared badges (ActiveMap)• Factoids: 363, organized into 8 categories (e.g., History, Science) • Flashcards: Short questions and answers (e.g., US State Capitols)• Artwork: 1000 images, organized into 10 categories• Pictures: Digital images uploaded to a shared directory
UniCast Operation
• Instances of modules– Different priority, days, times
– Any number of instances of the same type
• Semi-random content selection– 5 priority levels
• User interaction– Pause, back, resume
• Varying “peripheralness”
OutCast in Context
OutCast in Context
OutCast modules
• Biography: Information about the owner from his or her personal web page.
• Calendar: Any entries in the owner’s Microsoft Outlook Calendar that are not marked private.
• Location Information: Based on the owner’s infrared badge. • Project Information: Brief descriptions of each of the owner’s
projects.• Demonstrations: Online demonstrations of projects (where
applicable).• Favorites: A list of URLs to be shared with passersby.• Text Message: The ability to leave the owner a message
using a touch-screen virtual keypad.
OutCast: About Me
OutCast: Where Am I?
OutCast: Calendar
OutCast: Demos
GroupCast in Context
GroupCast
• A system for the public display of content that is of mutual interest to passersby– Provide opportunities for conversation
• Especially for conversationally-challenged (nerds)
– Increase sense of “community”• Location matters -- what can we do for
physically collocated workers?– Faceless names, nameless faces
• Dynamic, project-oriented teams
– Lay the groundwork for collaboration• More likely to collaborate with people I know
GroupCast Components
• Awareness system (IR badges & sensors)• Profile of inhabitant interests (UniCast)• Group Preference Arbitration algorithm• Input / Output (sense / respond)
Status
• UniCast– ~10 installations (users)
• Demand > supply• Variety of hardware configurations
• OutCast– 1 installation
• Recently integrated with UniCast/GroupCast
• GroupCast– 2 installations
• Arbitration: cycle through profiles of “locals”
Some recent developments
• Community Knowledge & Awareness– Summer 2001 intern project
• Elaine Huang & Joe Tullio (Georgia Tech)
– User study
– New modules• Awareness
• Calendar
– “Defragmenting the Organization: Disseminating Community Knowledge Through Peripheral Displays”
• ECSCW 2001 Workshop on Community Knowledge• http://ecscw2001.gmd.de/W5.html
Announcement example
Awareness example
Awareness example
http://www.acm.org/cscw2002/
Some Open Issues
• Profile integration– Sharing profile information among 3 contexts
• What distinctions are useful?
• Privacy issues
• Profile maintenance– Easier integration with browsing
• Explicit: “Add to Favorites”
• Implicit: browsing history
Some Open Issues
• GroupCast: Content selection– Intersecting / complementary interests?
• Anonymous / Random content?
– “Freshness”
• OutCast: Context awareness– Who wants to know?
• Customizing content based on visitors’ ID [badge]
• Evaluation
AcknowledgementsTony Costa Edy Liongosari Mitu Singh
Jeremy Goecks Elaine Huang Joe Tullio
For more information
• Joe McCarthy– [email protected]– http://www.accenture.com/cstar/xd/xd.asp?it=enWeb&xd=services\cstar\people\Joseph_F_McCarthy.xml
• Ubiquitous Peripheral Displays– http://www.accenture.com/cstar/xd/xd.asp?it=enWeb&xd=services\cstar\projects\UbiquitousPeripheralDisplays.xml
• Accenture Technology Labs - Research– http://www.accenture.com/cstar