Interaction Aspects of Wearable Computing for Huma

DOCTORALTHESISLuleåUniversityofTechnologyDepartmentofComputerScienceandElectricalEngineeringMediaTechnologyResearchGroup2006:60|:02-5|:---06⁄60--2006:60InteractionAspectsofWearableComputingforHumanCommunicationMikaelDruggeInteractionAspectsofWearableComputingforHumanCommunicationMikaelDruggeMediaTechnologyResearchGroupDepartmentofComputerScienceandElectricalEngineeringLuleåUniversityofTechnologySE–97187LuleåSwedenDecember2006SupervisorPh.D.PeterParnes,LuleåUniversityofTechnologyiiAbstractThisthesispresentstheuseofwearablecomputersforaidinghumancommunicationoveradistance,focusingoninteractionaspectsthatneedtoberesolvedinordertorealizethisgoal.Aswearablecomputersbydefinitionarehighlymobile,alwayson,andalwaysaccessible,theabilitytocommunicatebecomesindependentofplace,timeandsituation.Thisalsoimposesnewrequirementsontheuserinterfaceofthewearablecomputer,callingfornaturalandunobtrusiveinteractionwiththeuser.Oneofthekeychallengesinwearablecomputingtodayistostreamlinetheuser’sinter-action,sothatitistailoredforthesituationathand.Auserinterfacethattakestoomuchefforttouse,interruptsorrequiresmorethanaminimumofattention,willinevitablyham-pertheuser’sabilitytoperformtasksinreallife.Atthesametime,humancommunicationinvolvesbotheffort,interruptionsandpayingattention,sothekeyistofindabalancewherewearablecomputerscanaidhumancommunicationwithoutbeingintrusive.Todesignuserinterfacessupportingthis,weneedtoknowwhatrolesdifferentaspectsofinteractionhaveinthefieldofwearablecomputing.Inthisthesis,theuseofwearablecomputingforaidinghumancommunicationisexploredaroundthreeaspectsofinteraction.Thefirstaspectdealswithhowinformationcanbeconveyedbythewearablecomputeruser,allowingausertoretrieveadviceandguidancefromexperts,andremotepersonstoshareexperiencesoveradistance.Thethesispresentsfindingsofusingwearablecomputingforsharingknowledgeandexperience,bothforinformalexchangeamongworkcolleagues,aswellasenablingmoreefficientcommunicationamonghealth-carepersonnel.Thesecondaspectisbasedonfindingsfromthesetrialsandconcernshowthewearablecomputerinter-actswiththeuser.Astheuserperformstasksintherealworld,itisimportanttodeterminehowdifferentmethodsofnotifyingtheuseraffectsherattentionandperformance,inordertodesigninterfacesthatareefficientyetpleasanttouse.Thethesispresentsuserstudiesexamin-ingtheimpactofdifferentmethodsofinterruption,andprovidesguidelinesforhowtomakenotificationslessintrusive.Thethirdandfinalaspectconsidershowtheuser’sphysicalinter-actionwiththewearablecomputercanbeimproved.Thethesispresentsrapidprototypingofsystemsemployingusercentricdesign.Furthermore,aframeworkforubiquitousmultimediacommunicationispresented,enablingwearablecomputerstobedynamicallyconfigurableandutilizeresourcesintheenvironmenttosupplementtheuser’sequipment.Allinall,thethesispresentshowwearablecommunicationssystemscanbedevelopedanddeployed,howtheirhuman-computerinteractionshouldbedesignedforunobtrusiveoperation,andhowtheycancometopracticaluseinrealworldsituations.iiiivContentsAbstractiiiPrefacexiPublicationsxiiiAcknowledgmentsxv1ThesisIntroduction11.1Introduction...................................31.2ThesisOrganization...............................31.3BackgroundandMotivation..........................41.3.1WearableComputing..........................41.3.2UbiquitousandPervasiveComputing.................61.3.3VideoConferencingandE-meetings..................71.3.4MobileE-meetings...........................81.3.5MotivationofThesis..........................111.4ResearchQuestions...............................111.5ScopeandDelimitationoftheThesis......................141.6ResearchMethodology.............................141.7SummaryofIncludedPublications.......................161.8WearableComputingforHumanCommunication...............181.8.1MobileE-MeetingsthroughWearableComputing...........191.8.2ManagingInterruptionsandNotifications...............221.8.3PrototypingandDeployingMobileE-MeetingSystems........241.9Discussion....................................281.9.1FutureResearchDirections.......................31vviContents1.9.2Conclusions...............................311.10PersonalContribution..............................322SharingExperienceandKnowledgewithWearableComputers352.1Introduction...................................372.1.1EnvironmentforTesting........................382.2RelatedWork..................................382.3TheMobileUser................................382.3.1HardwareEquipment..........................392.3.2SoftwareSolution............................402.4BeyondCommunication............................412.4.1BecomingaKnowledgeableUser...................412.4.2InvolvingExternalPeopleinMeetings.................422.4.3WhenWearableComputerUsersMeet.................432.5Evaluation....................................442.5.1TheImportanceofText.........................442.5.2CameraandVideo...........................462.5.3MicrophoneandAudio.........................462.5.4TransmissionofKnowledge......................462.6Conclusions.....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