Ideas
The two ideas that the group pitched at the end of the first workshop were as follows:
Interactive, smart lamp: The idea was to create a smart lamp that can be connected to a pico projector. Furthermore, we were planning to use two guns that shoot fog vortices to create a screen for the projection when the two vortices collided. We wanted to project notifications that the user receives on their mobile phones.
Wearable Technology & Dating: The second idea was more like a dating device which was like a wearable technology version of the popular dating app Tinder. While it would be interesting to look into if a person’s attraction can be measured so easily, this was a humorous and, perhaps even, unfeasible idea.
Our third and unofficial idea was to create a system that can study a user’s body language and/or voice to track their mood. In the case of negative moods, it can automatically change the colour of the lighting and perhaps put on music that can be therapeutic. Another parameter that could be taken into consideration is a user’s pulse using Kinects. However, this idea was not presented to the class as it was considered too mainstream.
Ideas and Papers
After narrowing down the ideas, we looked for 10 research papers or related material to our projects. This is a discussions of the papers we found:
1. Projecting images on fog screen/assistant lamp/pico projector
The interactive Fog Screen [source]
The research: A "fog screen" represents an immaterial screen where projections can be made, and has properties such as air and little humidity. These properties allow for high-quality projections in mid air. One feature which the paper describes is projecting on both sides of the screen, with the possibility of adding different images on both sides. The paper also suggests that various tracking methods can be employed on the fog screen, such as computer vision.
Contextual relevance: The idea of having different ideas on both sides of the screen could be useful if we could use the same fog screen in an office where employees would have direct facing screens and notifications could be projected for both of them using the same screen. Using computer vision for tracking is another useful idea which we can employ in our project.
MisTable: reach-through personal screens for tabletops [ source]
The research: Fog screens have been the subject of research for the last few years. The paper on ‘MisTable’ has created an interactive tabletop system that combines tabletops with personal screens made of fog, which are both see-through as well reach through. This paper dwells on the challenges of building such a reach-through system and discusses further possibilities of this concept.
Contextual relevance: The team was particularly interested in the implementation of such a system as it combines a fog screen with user tracking to make it an interactive display.
Furthermore, user tracking, as discussed as part of our idea, was also used in this research. Here, it was used for two main reasons: firstly, to display 3D contents with motion parallax and perspective depth cues; and, secondly, to track interaction that is being done with the 3D objects on the screen.
360-degree fog projection interactive display - [source]
The research: This paper is about creating a new method to develop a fog display which enables observers to recognise a 3D shape of virtual objects. Like the research done on MisTable, this paper utilises motion parallax.
Contextual relevance:This paper is interesting for our project idea mostly for its implementation of a fog display. We are interested in creating a fog screen that holds form long enough to display certain notifications. The paper also goes on to speak about 360-degree projection on the fog that will probably not be of relevance to our project.
Depth-Fused 3D Imagery on an Immaterial Display [source]
The research: This paper discusses an immaterial display that uses a generalized form of depth-fused 3D (DFD) rendering to create unencumbered 3D visuals. However, in practice, a walk-through display is still currently out of reach because alignment errors and induced turbulence are more obvious when users are close to a screen. This can be possibly mitigated with better tracking and closer screen placement.
Contextual relevance: According to the authors of the paper, an ideal 3D display would allow users to perceive and absorb visual information in an intuitive manner, without the need of user-worn glasses. Since depth focussed 3D (DFD) offers 3D perception by superimposition of 2 images on a transparent screen with varying luminance, an immaterial display using this technique could be a step in the direction of an ideal display.
MirageTable: Freehand Interaction on a Projected Augmented Reality Tabletop [source]
The research: MirageTable is an interactive system designed to merge real and virtual worlds into a single spatially registered experience on top of a table using a single depth camera, a stereoscopic projector, and a curved screen. The depth camera tracks the user’s eyes and performs a real-time capture of both the shape and the appearance of any object placed in front of the camera (including user’s body and hands). In addition, the user can interact with virtual objects through physically-realistic freehand actions without any gloves, trackers, or instruments.
Contextual relevance: The research uses interaction with augmented reality. While our project does not strictly dwell on similar topics, the interaction element of this project can be useful to our project.
2. Wearable technology with respect to dating in the real world
Wearable Intelligent Systems for E-Health [source]
The research: The paper explores the use of assistive technologies for old people, in order to ensure their well-being. Wearable Intelligent Systems for e-Health (WISEs) are used for collection of health information such as blood pressure(BP). Wearable BP monitoring focuses on "continuous and noninvasive measurement without using a cuff". The pulse can be measured from the radial pulse waveform by arterial tonometry. Such devices work along with a digital assistant such as a PDA, a watch or a finger ring."Together with electronic textile (e-textile)-based technologies, the technique can also be used to design a shirt for long-term, hands-free continuous monitoring of BP."
Contextual relevance: Techniques described in this paper are useful in understanding how we might implement our second proposal described in the previous post.
Sociometric badges: wearable technology for measuring human behaviour [source]
The research: This research was found in the form of a multi-chaptered thesis written in MIT. The research carried out measured human behaviour using wearable electronic badges to automatically collect data about the human’s social behaviour.It tracked movement, face-to-face conversations and other human interactions.
Contextual relevance: The research done was particularly interesting due to some of its ideas: firstly, the wearable badges could communicate with other using radio signals; secondly, it could connect with bluetooth-enabled phones and, lastly and most importantly, it could track user behaviour.
While this research entailed to using only accelerometers, microphones and other relevant technologies, it would be a good starting point as we start catering to our project’s needs.
The research: For this paper, textiles were integrated with new technologies to create garments that provide new social interactions and avenues for emotional expression. The aim was to explore new possible interaction scenarios through wearable technologies to study an intangible phenomenon, emotion, as a tangible artefact.
Contextual relevance: The project deals with translating human emotion into data, using technology, which would be the aim of this project as well.
Don’t Mind Me Touching My Wrist: A Case Study of Interacting with On-Body Technology in Public [source]
The research: This paper puts forward the importance of interaction designers taking into consideration the implications of on-body gesture interactions when designing wearable interfaces. In this study, third-party reactions were studied with respect to a user's interactions with wearable technological interfaces. This study dealt with two topics - one, societal perception of the user interaction with the device based on where it was located, and two, the observer's attitude towards the on-body controller placement.
Contextual relevance: Wearable technology puts forward a wide new set of challenges with respect to Human-Computer interaction (HCI). This paper provided insight into the challenges involved when designing such a device - not only does the device have to be liked by the user, but it also needs to be socially acceptable.
The research: The research was based on design of garments for a context specific performance to bring in I/O devices, wireless LAN activated environments combined with audio/video and choreography.
A wearable system called Cinderella AIDD (Artificial Intelligence Dating Device) was developed. AIDD contains an RFID tag with the wearer's personal information and dating preferences, a wireless reader programmed to match-make data from others tags to use AI profiling to scope potential suitable partners. An alert is sent when promising suitors approach. The wearer can leave a smart "slipper card" behind with his or her new acquaintance. The card encrypts a data profile for use in romantic follow-up, including a GPS locator.
Contextual relevance: The gizmo is indicative of ongoing practice-based research into visualising fashion through the medium of scientific technologies. It is interesting to note the level of interest in technology for fashion and personalised human computer interaction at University of Arts, London.
