2nd Round of Activities

The following activities are network activities open to all members of all DC projects:

  • Second DC Jamboree (arranged jointly with UbiComp 2002)
    (29/09/2002-02/10/2002, Goteborg)
    Abstract: The UbiComp conference is the main forum for presentation of research results in ubiquitous computing. Through a special arrangement with Ubicomp 2002, Jamboree attendants will get ull access to the program of the conference, and conversely, conference visitors will get access to the Jamboree exhibition. This is a great opportunity to expose DC projects to a wider audience and to mix the two research communities!
    The main paper program of UbiComp is fully refereed and strives to represent the highest quality research in ubiquitous computing. Paper submissions from DC projects are most welcome, as are submissions in all other categories including tech notes, posters, videos and workshops. Please note that the deadline for full paper submissions is APRIL 12! More detailed information on the schedule of the DC Jamboree will follow. See you in Goteborg!

A second call of of proposals for DC inter-project collaboration activities was launched in 01/11/2001. 10 proposals were submitted under the headings of Disappearing Days, Troubadour Grants, and Research Ateliers, all of which were accepted for funding. 12 of the 17 existing projects in the Disappearing Computer Initiatives were/are involved in these activities. The detailed list follows (note: tentative dates are enclosed between double asterisks)

  • DD05: "The video analysis working group"
    (4/02/2002--25/03/2002, Nottingham--London)
    Abstract: A number of projects within the Disappearing Computer (DC) initiative share a concern with the use of video data as a resource for the analysis of human conduct. Video can be used to record and inspect interaction within domains of interest to many DC projects, including museums, public spaces, educational settings, domestic environments, construction sites and office workplaces. At a time when several projects are entering a stage of focused development work within these domains, an understanding of peoples' interaction becomes paramount before, during and after the deployment of technologies. The DC programme has a rich level of expertise in video analysis of social interaction and human behaviour. However, this expertise is distributed across a number of different projects. This Working Group would aim to identify common analytic themes and develop analytic synergies amongst DC video studies. Moreover, comparing and contrasting data issues from a variety of domains has the potential to provide a stronger foundation for innovative design.
    Associated projects: ACCORD, GLOSS, MIME, PAPER++, SHAPE, and WORKSPACE;

  • DD06: "Mobile minds: augmenting learning, comprehension, and imagination through digital technologies"
    (10-11/01/2002, London)
    Abstract:WORKSPACE, SHAPE, PAPER++ and several other projects within the DC programme share a concern with the exploitation of location and context information to support a range of work and leisure activities. One particular strand of innovations focuses on people's practices of making sense of things within their environment and the space itself. Cognitive processes, especially imagination, often seem footloose - not only conceptually but also geographically. Ideas might surface anywhere. Yet, at the same time, an understanding of objects, processes and environments, and visions of new or different forms of material culture can be deeply dependent on a sense of place and context. PAPER++, SHAPE and WORKSPACE examine the practical achievement of learning, appreciation, play, evaluation, and imagination and its relationship to specific spaces, spatial and material qualities or affordances in three different application domains (education, interaction in museums and public spaces, architectural design). People already combine traditional technologies (e.g. books, plans, maps, images and graphs) with mobile technologies (GPS, audio-guides) to contextualise and emplace objects, processes, and spaces. However, there is much scope for innovation to create more functional, practical, enjoyable and exciting mobile technologies and all three projects pursue particular design ideas informed by their studies. We would like to bring together an interdisciplinary team of social scientists, practitioners, system designers and architects to pool and compare experiences, insights, design approaches and prototypes, and to explore our analysis of observations across domains. We seek funding for one workshop consisting of two 'disappearing days' with three objectives. We wish to (1) develop our theoretical perspectives on understanding crucial features of particular spaces and people's practices of emplacing their learning, appreciation, play, evaluation, and imagination; (2) improve our understanding of space and mobile technologies as a locus for collaboration (in learning, creating new ideas, enjoying artefacts); (3) discuss and
    develop plans for future activities.
    Associated projects: SHAPE, WORKSPACE, and PAPER++;

  • DD07: "Disappearing computing in the domestic environment"
    (28/29/01/2002 -7-8/03/2002, Cambridge-Stockholm)
    Abstract (Excerpt):There are several projects within the Disappearing Computer (DC) initiative that have focused a substantial part of their work upon ethnographic studies of domestic environments. There are, despite their broadly similar orientation, some important distinctions between the ways these projects have conducted their research. There is therefore considerable potential advantage in these projects coming together to discuss their approaches and learn from one another...The three projects also share a common motivation in seeking to use such studies to inform the design process. Again they have adopted some distinctive approaches to this and stand to gain by mutual understanding and development of these. Cen    trally, however, domestic environments offer a unique challenge to the development of Disappearing Computer technologies. Many of the informing assumptions behind the notion of the Disappearing Computer and ubiquitous computing have grown out of ideas that were oriented to work domains. Studies of these environments will therefore offer insights for members throughout the Disappearing Computer initiative that could not readily be gathered in any other way...
    Associated projects:MIME, ACCORD, and INTERLIVING;
  • TR01: "Envisioning scenarios for multi-modal interaction"
    (19-26/02/2002, Ireland)
    Abstract: We propose a Troubadour Grant by means of which Dr. Patrizia Marti, Research Scientist at the Multimedia Communication Laboratory, University of Siena (Italy) could visit the Interaction Design Centre, University of Limerick (Ireland) as external expert discussing the possible scenarios for collaboration between the Disappearing Computer SHAPE and SOb projects...
    Associated projects: SHAPE and SOB;
  • TR02: "Exploring the DC landscape"
    (July-December 2002, ??)
    Abstract (Excerpt): The goal of this troubadour activity is to explore a significant section of the "Disappearing Computer" landscape, as it will exist in the summer of 2002. In particular, it is planned to take stock of the state of affairs funded by the European
    DC initiative and put it into perspective to other relevant initiatives or programs that exist in Europe and in the US as well as selected activities in industrial research labs and universities labs. The deliverable of this troubadour activity will be a report that presents different approaches and their results, compares them by discussing the respective advantages and disadvantages and concludes with recommendations for future orientations of thematic clusters and potential new initiatives.    ..
    The motivation for proposing this activity has two origins.
    - The applicant coordinates the Ambient Agoras project. From that perspective, this activity will help to establish better motivated and therefore stronger links to thematically related DC
    -projects that can be used to identity a thematic cluster within DC and plan coordinated follow-up cooperation activities in that area, e.g., in terms of in-depth Ateliers, in order to join different approaches and - if possible - to integrate results from the different projects for a potential DC demonstrator.
    - It was also triggered by and is line with comments in the evaluation of the DC activities by Ronan Sleep.
    He pointed out that "The Steering Group would need to identify threads of activity it wished to seed, and for each thread it would invite proposals from suitable individuals to undertake the role of thread initiator."
    This investigation of interaction design for smart artefacts will be done in an interdisciplinary fashion considering approaches in relevant areas of computer science as, e.g., human-computer interaction, CSCW, etc.; cognitive science, social psychology; information, graphics, and product design; and architecture/ building design....
    Associated projects: E-GADGETS, FEEL, GLOSS, SHAPE, SMART-ITS, and WORKSPACE;
  • TR03: "Interactors, tangible sensors as an active input source to local services"
     (13-28/05/2002, Germany/Sweden/UK)
    Abstract: Visiting participants in the smart-its project, encouraging excellence in PhD student research. My work within the FEEL project (www.feelproject.org) deals to a large extent with developing hardware gadgets and artefacts, as well as working with different types of sensors. The work being done in the Smart-its project would give highly valid input to this work.
    Associated projects: FEEL and SMART-ITS;
  • TR04: "Workspace design"
    (September-October 2002, Germany)
    Abstract: I would like to visit the researchers at GMD-IPSI and their project Ambient Agoras. In the Feel project, we are designing and building an interactive, collaborative workspace and it would be inspiring and educational to go there and learn from their experiences with such workspaces. I would be interested in the physical design, technical equipment and furniture, as well as the different interaction styles they have explored and their experiences with that.
    Associated projects: FEEL and AMBIENT AGORAS;
  • AT05: "Privacy Issues in DC"
    (18/01/2002, Paris)
    Abstract:The "Disappearing Computer (DC)" approach raises some fear among users because of the increased possibilities of being observed and of loosing control over private information, due to hidden functionality based on embedded invisible devices.
    This fear is certainly not entirely irrational, and the potential of DC indeed enables invasive capture of private data. On the other hand, as DC is devoted to collaborating with the user and supporting her/him, it needs to know things about the user.
    How can this be achieved without the user being put in embarrassing situations where personal data are disclosed to the wrong     person/system, or used by other persons/systems against his /her will ?
    Associated projects: AMBIENT AGORAS (open to other DC projects);

  • AT06: "Exploring ubiquitous computing entertainment"
     (18-22/02/2002, Sweden)
    Abstract: The focus of the proposed atelier is on the design and technological requirements needed to develop ubiquitous computing entertainment systems. The research atelier will be organized as a "working workshop" where participants with backgrounds ranging from storytellers to hardware developers will design games prototypes. The atelier will explore the potentials and restrictions of new technology, developed primarily within the DC community, as elements in ubiquitous games. We will acknowledge methods that can be used to deploy and study the use and acceptance of ubiquitous computing entertainment. While the main focus will be on new forms of games, other entertainment related technologies, such as interactive music performances or daydreaming support, also fit within the scope of the atelier.
    Rather than merely regarding games as a suitable test bed for new technology, we primarily focus on how to enhance the actual experience of game-play, taking advantage of the possibilities of new technology, as well as to contribute to theory in this field.
    Examples of workshop activities include designing game scenarios and rules, building of novel input and output devices connected to back-end game engines, designing active and responsive physical props, planning of how to use various communication modalities, designing how and when games fit in social environments, and how new technology may change the way we tell and experience stories and narratives.
    The main objectives of the research atelier are to provide an overview of existing systems, methods, techniques and technologies usable for research in ubiquitous computing games, and to create a network of researchers within the DC community. The aim of the network will be to further explore ubiquitous computing entertainment, both within the currently ongoing projects in the DC community and in the form of new research projects.
    Associated projects: ACCORD, INTERLIVING, GLOSS, E-GADGETS, SHAPE, 2WEAR, and SMART-ITS;

  • AT07: "Sonification of hybrid objects"
    (10-21/06/2002, Italy)
    Abstract: A 10 day long Research Atelier as a focused collaboration between the SOb and SHAPE projects is proposed. The atelier will take up and explore the theme of sound in mixed reality environments and will work towards five specific demonstrators which combine the sound models and interaction technologies developed in SOb with the concern for practical demonstration in public settings that is central to SHAPE. These demonstrators concern the synthesis of artificial, yet plausible, environmental soundscapes, and the sonification of interaction device use and gesture, amongst other topics. The atelier is proposed as a major focus for inter-project collaboration on sound in the Disappearing Computer initiative. The atelier will also contain public demonstrations at the host institution (Centro Culturale Candiani, CCC, Mestre - Venezia, Italy). A total of approximately 29,000 Euros is sought to sustain the participation of 14 researchers from 5 institutions (4 member states) and one invited guest. For more information see the Events page at the Sob website.
    Associated projects: SHAPE, SOB, and AMBIENT AGORAS;

The Disappearing Computer Initiative © 2002