Interactions in Smart Environments and the Importance of Modelling
ABSTRACT
One challenge in software engineering is the development of
smart environments that help users to intuitively accomplish
their tasks. The ideal smart environment dynamically manages a
diverse collection of devices, is accessible by multiple users
and effectively supports the users’ tasks. The design of smart
environments relies on detailed models of devices, users and
their tasks.
In this talk, we present our modelling language “CTML”
specifically developed for smart environments. We demonstrate
how the language was designed and how it was used for
usability evaluations in a virtual smart environment. We then
discuss the importance of “task migrateability” – a usability
principle often neglected by contemporary smart environments.
We argue that the proper implementation of this usability
criterion can improve the usability of smart environments.
Finally we investigate how tangible user interfaces are
related to smart environments and how this interaction
technique can be used to support task migrateability.
Dr. Peter Forbrig
Dr. Peter Forbrig is a full professor of software engineering at the University of Rostock (Germany) and is currently serving as chair of the computer science department. Dr. Forbrig is a member of IFIP TC 13 (Human-Computer Interaction), chair of IFIP TC 13.2 (Human-Centered Systems Design) and was visiting professor at the University of Cottbus (Germany, 1993), University of Linz (Austria, 1997), University of Potchefstroom (South Africa, 2000) and Concordia University, Montreal (Canada, 2003). Together with Dr. Prasun Dewan from the University of North Carolina, Dr. Forbrig is organizing the fifth ACM SIGCHI symposium EICS 2013 (Engineering Interactive Computing Systems) located at the City University in London in June 2013.
Dr. Forbrig’s research aims at finding unifying theories that combine well-established software engineering methods with models and techniques stemming from human-computer interaction. In particular he is interested in combining task-based development methods with object-oriented paradigms.
Dr Peter Forbrig
University of Rostock
Chair of Software Engineering
Albert-Einstein-Strasse 21
D-18051 Rostock, Germany
http://wwwswt.informatik.uni-rostock.de
