Smart space automation has, for decades, proposed a vision for enhancing the quality of human life. The Internet of Things (IoT) is one of the technologies addressing challenges and automating tasks that were once solely dependent on human intervention. However, what happens if an IoT system goes into a fault state? How can field-service technicians and even moderately tech-literate end-users without prior system knowledge diagnose and fix problems? In this paper, we investigate how different interface paradigms support diagnostic tasks in such scenarios, by presenting an Augmented Reality-based diagnostic tool and comparing it against a traditional 2D diagnostic desktop interface in a controlled user evaluation (n=25). We find that participants using the situated and embodied AR system complete tasks faster, task accuracy remains similar across interfaces and that the AR-based system is associated with higher physical demand. We interpret these findings as reflecting trade-offs between situated and embodied AR interfaces and symbolic 2D interfaces, and discuss implications for the design of diagnostic tools in smart space environments.

Mobile input methods (IMEs) for text entry in interactive applications, are typically evaluated in lab settings, using phrase transcription tasks as the de-facto procedural element in the validation stage of their development. Transcription tasks offer strong internal validity but weak ecological and external validity, due to the composition constraints imposed on participants. Free composition tasks using image stimuli have been proposed as an alternative, but they lack standardized control to regulate elicited text volume and quality, therefore limiting evaluation internal validity. In this paper, we propose a methodology for rigorous, computational sampling of image stimuli from large image datasets, with an aim to control lexical and semantic similarity in user-generated text during IME evaluations. We further deploy diffusion generative AI models to methodically derive stylistic variations from the sampled images, allowing us to examine the effects of original images, abstractive styles and distractor elements on user input. Our findings from an online image description study with crowdsourced participants ( N = 100) and 3,000 captured input samples, demonstrate that stimulus sampling and restyling can be used a methodological control apparatus for evaluating input methods in lab settings, allowing researchers to systematically control participants’ input density and diversity, mitigating the internal validity challenges of image task evaluations. We present evidence-based guidelines for selecting image stimuli and release our datasets, experiment application, analysis code, and participant descriptions.

Typing on mobile soft keyboards is an acquired skill that users learn through experience. Previous research has modelled learning of keyboard layouts via statistical approximation of the probability of correct recall of a target’s (key) location from long and short-term memory, however, there are no insights as to how the mental model of the keyboard may be formed inside the brain. We construct a theory that could explain this process sufficiently, highlighting the importance of mental landmarks for efficient storage and recall of spatial information. The theory is explored and validated through simulation of a cognitive architecture and comparison with extant empirical data, generating insights that could inform the design of new layouts and facilitate the learning process for novice users.

peer reviewed

Figure 1: Generated phrases across the Valence-Arousal space, from left to right 𝑉 + 𝐴 +

The manufacturing environment undergoes a disruptive evolution due to the Fourth Industrial Revolution driven by the Industrial Internet of Things and Cyber Physical Systems technologies. This evolution is applicable to further sectors comprising similar requirements, involving large numbers of devices that need to interoperate, exchange their data and be controlled. Integration at the manufacturing environment remains a challenge taking into account the diversity of equipment / devices, the existence of legacy systems, and the need to integrate IoT devices participating in the production paradigm. This paper presents an AutomationML based approach for this integration, modeling the industrial manufacturing environment, and enabling its emulation through a 3D Virtual Environment.

Mobile text entry for sighted and blind persons has received much research attention. However, much less is known about meeting the text entry needs of persons with low vision, whose ability to use the visual channel alongside audio, speech and haptic modalities, may open unexplored opportunities for efficient and privacy-preserving mobile text entry. We present findings from a qualitative study with 9 low vision users, revealing current text entry challenges for this user group, and providing future directions for text entry research.

Predicting the footfall in a new brick-and-mortar shop (and thus, its prosperity), is a problem of strategic importance in business. Few previous attempts have been made to address this problem in the context of big data analytics in smart cities. These works propose the use of social network check-ins as a proxy for business popularity, concentrating however only on singular business types. Adding to the existing literature, we mine a large dataset of high temporal granularity check-in data for two medium-sized cities in Southern and Northern Europe, with the aim to predict the evolution of check-ins of new businesses of any type, from the moment that they appear in a social network. We propose and analyze the performance of three algorithms for the dynamic identification of suitable neighbouring businesses, whose data can be used to predict the evolution of a new business. Our SmartGrid algorithm reaches a performance of being able to accurately predict the evolution of 86% of new businesses.

Smartphone notifications are a major source of interaction with mobile devices. In this paper we address a gap in literature by establishing a foundation that explains the role of modalities with which a notification is delivered on a mobile device. Though previous studies have attempted to address this question, we find that they suffer from significant internal validity problems. As such we conducted an ecologically valid and carefully designed experiment in a controlled environment that simulates a smart home environment. Our work extends into smart environments, by examining a new modality, implemented by pairing the smartphone to a connected lighting system and replicating mobile notifications to smart light bulbs in the user's field of vision. We derive a set of guidelines for choosing notification modalities and set future research directions.

Location based services are a common application scenario in mobile and ubiquitous computing use. A typical issue with cartographic applications in this domain is the limited size of the displayed map, which makes interaction and visualization a difficult problem to solve. With the increasing popularity of head mounted displays for VR and AR systems, an opportunity is presented for map-based applications to overcome the limitation of the small display size, as the user's information visualization space can extend to his entire surroundings. In this paper we present a preliminary investigation into how interaction with such very large display maps can take place, using a virtual reality headset as the sole input and interaction method.

The need for text entry on smartphones and other touch-screen devices is key for many tasks and also a key factor in the usability of these devices. Physical and cognitive issues associated with age can aggravate the task of text entry for older adults. Technological exclusion due to low usability can present a significant problem both for social and ongoing business-related tasks with older adults. This paper investigates a new touch-screen keyboard design for older adults that combines the familiar QWERTY keyboard layout with physical gesture. User studies with older adults showed our keyboard reduced miss-taps, but was slower to use, and raised issues for further research.

Many countries have an increasingly aging population. In recent years, mobile technologies have had a massive impact on social and working lives. As the size of the older user population rises, many people will want to continue professional, social and lifestyle usage of mobiles into 70s and beyond. Mobile technologies can lead to increased community involvement and personal independence. While mobile technologies can provide many opportunities, the aging process can interfere with their use. This workshop brings together researchers who are re-imagining common mobile interfaces so that they are more suited to use by older adults.

Location sharing services can be seen as "social sensors" that provide data revealing real world interactions. In this paper, we examine the case of foursquare check-ins at airports and we show that these data can be indicative of the passengers’ traffic, while their number is hundreds of times lowe

As typical turn by turn systems fail in several aspects to provide an engaging experience to pedestrians in urban environments, we investigate the potential of alternative interaction methods for navigation. We present a two-phase experiment, involving both audio and tactile navigation and discuss the collected evaluation data. Our findings show a positive reception of implicit navigation from our users.

We describe our analysis of three months worth of collected human-physical environment interactions (foursquare check-in) data for two European cities: a medium-sized city in the Mediterranean and a larger city in North West Europe. Our analysis shows that though the data generated by the citizens is scarce (i.e. on average less than 15 users checked in at any time during the day), nevertheless they can closely reflect a city's dynamics. The paper also discusses the strong suggestion of emergent cultural traits from the data and its use to power new pervasive applications based on human-physical interaction.

Our work discusses a mobile contact retrieval interface which attempts to contextually predict the contacts a user is likely to need access to, in order to facilitate the retrieval process. We compare our prototype implementation with retrieval from traditional applications (contact list and call log) in a preliminary lab experiment and discuss our findings from user behaviour. We conclude with suggestions on how to improve this interface in order to further enhance the retrieval process.

In this paper we present HotCity, a service that demonstrates how collecting and mining the interactions that users make with the urban environment through social networks, can help tourists better plan activities, through sharing the collectively generated social context of a smart, connected city, as a background layer to mapped POI. The data for our service stems from the collection and analysis of 1-month worth of collected human-physical environment interactions (i.e., Foursquare check-ins) data for Oulu, a medium-sized city in Finland, where our service is deployed in ubiquitous public displays. Our analysis demonstrates that a good model of the city's dynamics can be built despite the low popularity of Foursquare amongst locals. Our findings from the field-based trial of the HotCity service yield several useful insights and important contributions. We found that the method of using a heatmap as an intermediate layer of environmental context does not negatively affect the experience of users at the cognitive level, compared with a more traditional map and POI type of interface, where temporal aspects of context are not present. In the concluding sections, we discuss how this cloud-based service can also be used in a variety of ubiquitous computing platforms.

We describe the design and evaluation of an audio-based mixed reality navigation system that uses the concept of audio scents for the implicit guidance of tourists and visitors of urban areas, as an alternative to turn-by-turn guidance systems. A field trial of our prototype uncovers great potential for this type of implicit navigation and is received positively by our participants. We discuss the technical implementation of our prototype, detailed findings from quantitative and subjective evaluation data gathered during the field trial and highlight possible strands for further research and development.

Contact lists are one of the most frequently used applications on mobile devices. Users are reluctant to delete or remove contacts from their repositories and as modern smartphones provide an unlimited contact list storage space, these become increasingly large, sometimes measuring several hundred entries. In this paper we present our findings from two experiments with user-subjective and quantitative data concerning the use of mobile contact lists. We examine the role that frequency and recency of usage plays in the determination of a contact's importance, with a view to aid the speed and efficacy of the information seeking and retrieval process during the use of the contact list application.

We propose the application of a dimensionality reduction algorithm that could provide a breakthrough in the efforts to retrieve and present mobile personal information to the user in context.

The aim of this workshop is to provide a focal point for research and technology dedicated to persuasion and influence on mobile platforms. We aspire to establish a scientific network and community dedicated to emerging technologies for persuasion using mobile devices. This workshop would be a unique opportunity for interaction designers and researchers in this area to share their latest research and technologies on 'nudge' methods with the scientific communities. Patterns of consumption such as drinking and smoking are shaped by the taken-for-granted practices of everyday life. However, these practices are not fixed and 'immensely malleable'. Consequently, it is important to understand how the habits of everyday life change and evolve. Our decisions are inevitably influenced by how the choices are presented. Therefore, it is legitimate to deliberately 'nudge' people's behaviour in order to improve their lives. Mobile devices can play a significant role in shaping normal practices in three distinct ways: (1) they facilitate the capture of information at the right time and place; (2) they provide non-invasive and cost effective methods for communicating personalised data that compare individual performance with relevant social group performance; and (3) social network sites running on the device facilitate communication of personalised data that relate to the participant's self-defined community. Among the issues the workshop will take on are:(a) What opportunities do mobile interventions provide? (b) How far the intervention should go? (c) Is persuasion ethical? and (d) How can we extend the scale of intervention in a society using mobile devices? Participants will contribute to the workshop with examples of nudge and persuasive technologies, and we will work together to create novel ideas, interactive applications on the phone, and discuss future opportunities.

This paper discusses the concept of using head and facial feature tracking as an input mechanism for mobile devices. We present our concept and ideas, along with preliminary findings from two prototype implementations. Suggestions for further work and implications are presented in the final sections of the paper.

Contact lists are one of the most frequently used applications on mobile devices. They are used not only as contact detail repositories, but also as temporary information storage for unrelated items, such as PINs or passwords. Users are reluctant to delete or remove contacts from their repositories. As such, these become increasingly large, sometimes measuring several hundred entries. In this paper we present our findings from early investigations into the use of mobile Contact Lists. We also propose a context oriented design framework to aid the speed and efficacy of the information seeking and retrieval process during the use of the Contact List application.