Publications
Below is a searchable list of publications by the projects of the Priority Program.
1.
Chamunorwa, Michael; Müller, Heiko; Boll, Susanne
The Hidden Potential: Reimagining Household Items as Smart Home Interfaces Proceedings Article
In: Proceedings of the International Conference on Mobile and Ubiquitous Multimedia, pp. 519–522, Association for Computing Machinery, New York, NY, USA, 2024, ISBN: 9798400712838.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: everyday objects, home assistant, rich interaction, smart home, speculative design, tangible interaction
@inproceedings{10.1145/3701571.3703371,
title = {The Hidden Potential: Reimagining Household Items as Smart Home Interfaces},
author = {Michael Chamunorwa and Heiko Müller and Susanne Boll},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1145/3701571.3703371},
doi = {10.1145/3701571.3703371},
isbn = {9798400712838},
year = {2024},
date = {2024-01-01},
booktitle = {Proceedings of the International Conference on Mobile and Ubiquitous Multimedia},
pages = {519–522},
publisher = {Association for Computing Machinery},
address = {New York, NY, USA},
series = {MUM '24},
abstract = {Modern smart home user interfaces have been functional and enduring but have limitations. These limitations include the inability to gracefully merge with end users’ preferred aesthetics and the lack of more expressive controls beyond buttons and screens. As a result, there is an opportunity to explore alternative interface designs to address these issues. One potential solution is embedding user interfaces into everyday objects to broaden aesthetic options and allow more expressive interactions. However, it is essential to carefully design these embedded interfaces, as they may otherwise be unusable or interfere with the primary functions of the chosen objects. Designs should consider the object’s physical form and employ sensible metaphors to create usable interfaces that do not obscure the traditional use of the objects but rather coexist with them as secondary affordances. Our demo showcases four everyday objects equipped with sensors to enable smart home control through their secondary affordances. The objects maintain their primary functions and execute secondary uses as smart home controls with few signs of gadgetry in the form of buttons, screens, and lights.},
keywords = {everyday objects, home assistant, rich interaction, smart home, speculative design, tangible interaction},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {inproceedings}
}
Modern smart home user interfaces have been functional and enduring but have limitations. These limitations include the inability to gracefully merge with end users’ preferred aesthetics and the lack of more expressive controls beyond buttons and screens. As a result, there is an opportunity to explore alternative interface designs to address these issues. One potential solution is embedding user interfaces into everyday objects to broaden aesthetic options and allow more expressive interactions. However, it is essential to carefully design these embedded interfaces, as they may otherwise be unusable or interfere with the primary functions of the chosen objects. Designs should consider the object’s physical form and employ sensible metaphors to create usable interfaces that do not obscure the traditional use of the objects but rather coexist with them as secondary affordances. Our demo showcases four everyday objects equipped with sensors to enable smart home control through their secondary affordances. The objects maintain their primary functions and execute secondary uses as smart home controls with few signs of gadgetry in the form of buttons, screens, and lights.
2.
Chamunorwa, Michael; Wozniak, Mikolaj P.; Krämer, Susanna; Müller, Heiko; Boll, Susanne
An Empirical Comparison of Moderated and Unmoderated Gesture Elicitation Studies on Soft Surfaces and Objects for Smart Home Control Journal Article
In: Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction, vol. 7, no. MHCI, pp. 198:1–198:24, 2023.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: between-subjects study, deformable interfaces, gesture elicitation, smart home, surface interaction
@article{chamunorwa_empirical_2023,
title = {An Empirical Comparison of Moderated and Unmoderated Gesture Elicitation Studies on Soft Surfaces and Objects for Smart Home Control},
author = {Michael Chamunorwa and Mikolaj P. Wozniak and Susanna Krämer and Heiko Müller and Susanne Boll},
url = {https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3604245},
doi = {10.1145/3604245},
year = {2023},
date = {2023-09-01},
urldate = {2023-10-11},
journal = {Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction},
volume = {7},
number = {MHCI},
pages = {198:1–198:24},
abstract = {Conducting gesture elicitation studies (GES) in personal spaces such as smart homes is crucial to achieving high ecological validity of elicited gestures. However, supervising such studies is considered intrusive and negatively affects the results' quality. The alternative is to conduct unsupervised GES under similar conditions, but more side-by-side comparisons documenting the similarities and differences between both approaches are necessary. Consequently, we need more data describing the preferred approach and whether the differences or similarities in the results are so significant to cause concern. This research distributed a DIY observation kit, which 30 participants assembled and used to propose gestures for controlling elements in a smart living room using a pillow's surface, with and without supervision. Our results show that gestures from supervised and unsupervised studies differ in quantity and max-consensus but not in gesture Agreement Scores. Our results also show that participants preferred conducting unsupervised studies but proposed fewer gesture sets in this condition.},
keywords = {between-subjects study, deformable interfaces, gesture elicitation, smart home, surface interaction},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Conducting gesture elicitation studies (GES) in personal spaces such as smart homes is crucial to achieving high ecological validity of elicited gestures. However, supervising such studies is considered intrusive and negatively affects the results’ quality. The alternative is to conduct unsupervised GES under similar conditions, but more side-by-side comparisons documenting the similarities and differences between both approaches are necessary. Consequently, we need more data describing the preferred approach and whether the differences or similarities in the results are so significant to cause concern. This research distributed a DIY observation kit, which 30 participants assembled and used to propose gestures for controlling elements in a smart living room using a pillow’s surface, with and without supervision. Our results show that gestures from supervised and unsupervised studies differ in quantity and max-consensus but not in gesture Agreement Scores. Our results also show that participants preferred conducting unsupervised studies but proposed fewer gesture sets in this condition.
3.
Woźniak, Mikołaj P.; Vöge, Sarah; Krüger, Ronja; Müller, Heiko; Koelle, Marion; Boll, Susanne
Inhabiting Interconnected Spaces: How Users Shape and Appropriate Their Smart Home Ecosystems Proceedings Article
In: Proceedings of the 2023 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, Association for Computing Machinery, Hamburg, Germany, 2023, ISBN: 9781450394215.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: interactive spaces, interconnectedness, smart home, smart home ecosystem
@inproceedings{10.1145/3544548.3581497,
title = {Inhabiting Interconnected Spaces: How Users Shape and Appropriate Their Smart Home Ecosystems},
author = {Mikołaj P. Woźniak and Sarah Vöge and Ronja Krüger and Heiko Müller and Marion Koelle and Susanne Boll},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1145/3544548.3581497},
doi = {10.1145/3544548.3581497},
isbn = {9781450394215},
year = {2023},
date = {2023-01-01},
booktitle = {Proceedings of the 2023 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems},
publisher = {Association for Computing Machinery},
address = {Hamburg, Germany},
series = {CHI '23},
abstract = {Over the last decade, smart home technology (SHT) has become an integral part of modern households. As a result, smart home ecosystems blend with daily social life, appropriated and integrated into personalised domestic environments. The lived experience of inhabiting smart home ecosystems, however, is not yet understood, resulting in a mismatch between ecosystem design and inhabitants’ needs. Drawing on contextual inquiry methods, we conducted an explorative interview study (N=20) with SHT users in their homes. Our thematic analysis reveals how users shape their smart home ecosystems (SHEs), considering social relationships at home, perceived ownership of SHTs, and expected key benefits. Notably, our analysis shows that household members consciously choose ‘their’ level of SHT interconnectedness, reflecting social, spatial and functional affinities between systems. Following our findings, we formulate five implications for designing future SHTs. Our work contributes insights on the dynamics and appropriation of smart home ecosystems by their inhabitants.},
keywords = {interactive spaces, interconnectedness, smart home, smart home ecosystem},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {inproceedings}
}
Over the last decade, smart home technology (SHT) has become an integral part of modern households. As a result, smart home ecosystems blend with daily social life, appropriated and integrated into personalised domestic environments. The lived experience of inhabiting smart home ecosystems, however, is not yet understood, resulting in a mismatch between ecosystem design and inhabitants’ needs. Drawing on contextual inquiry methods, we conducted an explorative interview study (N=20) with SHT users in their homes. Our thematic analysis reveals how users shape their smart home ecosystems (SHEs), considering social relationships at home, perceived ownership of SHTs, and expected key benefits. Notably, our analysis shows that household members consciously choose ‘their’ level of SHT interconnectedness, reflecting social, spatial and functional affinities between systems. Following our findings, we formulate five implications for designing future SHTs. Our work contributes insights on the dynamics and appropriation of smart home ecosystems by their inhabitants.
4.
Ganjeh, Pantea Sanei; Chamunorwa, Michael Bosomefi; Gopal, Abhinand Parambil; Mutyala, Santosh
Vasi-Light: Using Everyday Decorative Items as Smarthome Interfaces Proceedings Article
In: Proceedings of the 22nd International Conference on Mobile and Ubiquitous Multimedia, pp. 565–567, Association for Computing Machinery, Vienna, Austria, 2023, ISBN: 9798400709210.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: everyday objects, rich interaction, smart home, speculative design, tangible interaction
@inproceedings{10.1145/3626705.3631879,
title = {Vasi-Light: Using Everyday Decorative Items as Smarthome Interfaces},
author = {Pantea Sanei Ganjeh and Michael Bosomefi Chamunorwa and Abhinand Parambil Gopal and Santosh Mutyala},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1145/3626705.3631879},
doi = {10.1145/3626705.3631879},
isbn = {9798400709210},
year = {2023},
date = {2023-01-01},
booktitle = {Proceedings of the 22nd International Conference on Mobile and Ubiquitous Multimedia},
pages = {565–567},
publisher = {Association for Computing Machinery},
address = {Vienna, Austria},
series = {MUM '23},
abstract = {In today’s rapidly evolving technological landscape, the convergence of innovation and tradition has given rise to a fundamental question: Can we embrace the convenience of smart devices without sacrificing the aesthetics and emotional resonance of our cherished everyday objects? We help answer this question through our demo, Vasi-Light, a decorative vase enhanced with concealed sensors and conductive ink to allow end-users to control a smart bulb. Vasi-Light seeks to blend the beauty of familiar household items with the intelligence of modern technology. While a smart bulb and vase are used in the demo, the design process and technologies apply to various everyday object/smart appliance pairings and offer exciting opportunities for research into rich interactions with everyday objects and surfaces for future smart homes.},
keywords = {everyday objects, rich interaction, smart home, speculative design, tangible interaction},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {inproceedings}
}
In today’s rapidly evolving technological landscape, the convergence of innovation and tradition has given rise to a fundamental question: Can we embrace the convenience of smart devices without sacrificing the aesthetics and emotional resonance of our cherished everyday objects? We help answer this question through our demo, Vasi-Light, a decorative vase enhanced with concealed sensors and conductive ink to allow end-users to control a smart bulb. Vasi-Light seeks to blend the beauty of familiar household items with the intelligence of modern technology. While a smart bulb and vase are used in the demo, the design process and technologies apply to various everyday object/smart appliance pairings and offer exciting opportunities for research into rich interactions with everyday objects and surfaces for future smart homes.
5.
Rodriguez, Sarah Delgado; Prange, Sarah; Ossenberg, Christina Vergara; Henkel, Markus; Alt, Florian; Marky, Karola
PriKey – Investigating Tangible Privacy Control for Smart Home Inhabitants and Visitors Proceedings Article
In: Nordic Human-Computer Interaction Conference, Association for Computing Machinery, Aarhus, Denmark, 2022, ISBN: 9781450396998.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: bystander, privacy, privacy assistance, smart home, tangible, tangible privacy
@inproceedings{10.1145/3546155.3546640,
title = {PriKey – Investigating Tangible Privacy Control for Smart Home Inhabitants and Visitors},
author = {Sarah Delgado Rodriguez and Sarah Prange and Christina Vergara Ossenberg and Markus Henkel and Florian Alt and Karola Marky},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1145/3546155.3546640},
doi = {10.1145/3546155.3546640},
isbn = {9781450396998},
year = {2022},
date = {2022-01-01},
booktitle = {Nordic Human-Computer Interaction Conference},
publisher = {Association for Computing Machinery},
address = {Aarhus, Denmark},
series = {NordiCHI '22},
abstract = {The increasing number of smart devices installed in our homes poses privacy risks for inhabitants and visitors. However, individuals face difficulties counteracting privacy intrusions due to missing controls, incorrect mental models, and limitations in their level of expertise. We present PriKey, a concept for device-independent and easy-to-use tangible smart home privacy mechanisms. PriKey is the key to privacy protection: it supports users in taking control over their privacy through meaningful, tangible interactions. Using a Wizard-of-Oz prototype, we explored users’ perceptions regarding PriKey (N = 16). We then compared PriKey to an equivalent smartphone app (N = 32), focusing on visitors. Participants perceived PriKey as engaging, intuitive, and benevolent. Their privacy considerations were based on personal and contextual factors. While most participants preferred the smartphone app, others clearly favored PriKey. Our results indicate that tangible privacy is a noteworthy approach for future smart home privacy mechanisms.},
keywords = {bystander, privacy, privacy assistance, smart home, tangible, tangible privacy},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {inproceedings}
}
The increasing number of smart devices installed in our homes poses privacy risks for inhabitants and visitors. However, individuals face difficulties counteracting privacy intrusions due to missing controls, incorrect mental models, and limitations in their level of expertise. We present PriKey, a concept for device-independent and easy-to-use tangible smart home privacy mechanisms. PriKey is the key to privacy protection: it supports users in taking control over their privacy through meaningful, tangible interactions. Using a Wizard-of-Oz prototype, we explored users’ perceptions regarding PriKey (N = 16). We then compared PriKey to an equivalent smartphone app (N = 32), focusing on visitors. Participants perceived PriKey as engaging, intuitive, and benevolent. Their privacy considerations were based on personal and contextual factors. While most participants preferred the smartphone app, others clearly favored PriKey. Our results indicate that tangible privacy is a noteworthy approach for future smart home privacy mechanisms.