Objects and memory: academic research

My research until now has mainly been led by general understanding of cognitive psychology and my own conclusions about how memories and objects are connected. Further investigation into existing research needs to be conducted to help validate my findings and to be able to compare them. To help situate this project within an academic context, some research has been conducted into how memory and the physical form is related.

The first article that I looked at is a paper about research that has been conducted by the University of Bristol into how people  remember faces and names and it is available here at Science Daily. Supposedly, research has shown that 'we can recognise faces much better if we have extra clues as to where or indeed when we encountered them in the first place'. There is a concept of an 'internal library' and we connect faces to the environmental factors and memory of where they were encountered. The memory of the physical form seems to be affected by the strength of the association is with where it was encountered.

Of specific interest were two types of recognition memory: ''object-in-place recognition memory'' (remembering where we put our keys), and ''temporal order recognition memory'' (when we last had them).

There is lots of research into object recognition memory and this is explored in this paper. When an object is taken out of context, it can be said that we remember it by trying to remember the associations with it, and this applies to my project and research into memory and objects. I have suggested that objects represent a 'link' to memory or memories that may or may not be implied by their form and may be different for different people. I have said that they provide a 'vessel' for memories. Supposedly this also works the other way round: whilst we are trying to remember where an object is from we attempt to remember the context to remember the significance of said object.

My project has taken this concept  a step further and tried to create a flexible object that can be a 'vessel' for many different memories and that the memories don't have to be 'static'. The significance of said object can be different for different people, and it can form a part of different experiences for different individuals. Memories only exist momentarily and are not stored in the object which emphasises the objects significance as a 'vessel rather than a 'container' for memories, unlike many other digital artefacts i.e. computers and phones that store many type of textual communications for later reference.

Objects are used in group gaming over the internet through game consoles and TV’s or computers. These are experience ‘vessels' AND containers: they allow transient memory: gaming, but also store information about how well a player doing i.e. wins vs. losses or other things. 

I must remember this factor in my project: if there is anything can be 'adjusted' during communication, it may need to be 'reset' at the end of communication otherwise it would be possible to retrieve this information from a device after the fact. i.e. if there is a button which can be manipulated and it is left manipulated, you will be able to see is state even after interaction. This means that a memory is 'stored'. However, the memory would be overwritten at the next interaction, so it is debatable whether this is acceptable or not and whether it may indeed form transient memory and be of value to users.

Another article that was looked at was at scienceblogs.com and is available here and it suggests that the orientation of the viewer to an object affects their memories of it. Also, the physical aspects of the space affect how we remember other objects within them. 'The orientation of the viewer and the surrounding area can impact our memory for object locations'. 

 So, when we're confronted with such a massive landmark, do we use it to organize the surrounding area as well? Several studies have shown that we do pay attention to the surroundings of objects in order to remember their location.

Objects and memory has long been researched within psychology and applied to technology and design. The field of HCI (Human-Computer Interaction) is influenced by human psychology and how people interact with digital artefacts and finding what they like and don’t like based on the way their minds work and the experiences that they've had.

This is a face memory test by the BBC. The test is in three parts. In part one you are shown 12 photos, part 2 is another 12 photos and in part three you are shown 48 photos and have to decide whether you have seen the photos before and if yes, then if they were in part 1 or 2. I rushed this test slightly so only took 2 minute breaks which probably affected the result as i did badly on 'temporal memory': when i remembered it at 65 % compared to 68% average, although well on 'recognition memory': if i had seen it before at 95% versus 92%.

'Sleep scientists say that:

·          Recognition memory for faces is unaffected by sleep loss. A person who has not slept for as much as 35 hours can perform as well as someone who is not sleep deprived.

·          The area of the brain that controls temporal memory can be affected by prolonged sleep loss and/or ageing. So a healthy 65 year old who sleeps normally would be able to perform this test similarly to a 20 year old who has gone without sleep for 36 hours.'

It interested me to see if I could apply some of the theories from earlier research to this test: if I moved between rooms between tests to see if the physical aspects of the space affected my performance. It did. I improved my performance by 30% simply by associating the memory of the faces with different rooms.

Social TV and Transient Memory

During the design fiction exploration through cartoons, i noticed some similarities between one of the scenarios i.e. the 'Share Chair' and Social TV. Social TV is an emerging technology which is based on the principal of being able to communicate with friends and family whilst watching TV to create a social experience. BT, Britain's largest telecommunications company, is currently investing in and researching this concept which i came across whilst reading their innovation news. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has identified it as one of the top 10 technologies that 'will change life as we know it today'. Social TV links into my concept of transient memory as it involves communication centred around a short-term experience. There is the creation of a sense of presence and a shared experience.

Social TV is enabled via advances in technology and it aims to merge TV alongside existing communication systems. It aims to emulate a social experience within a more isolated context i.e. emulate the feeling of watching a game at the pub with friends at home.




There is some focus on making the experience better than if they were simply on Facebook chat whilst watching the same TV programme as someone else.

There is also the aspect of separation by distance: the idea is meant to bring people together who can't physically be together.

There are similarities between the 'Share Chair' and social TV in the communication aspect and the idea of being able to share memories as they occur. However, communication is between many people and there is a sense of 'community' rather than a secret connection between two individuals.

Social TV here on an MIT course website is described as a constantly evolving medium, whose natural progression is likely to take it to the social context.

Social TV is a related concept which is currently under development and it goes some way to hep situate the 'place' of transient memory within design.

Week 20 Log:

Week beginning 20/02/2012

This week involved mainly conceptual and contextual development. There was exploration of research and development techniques utilised within design and their potential applications within the project.

Scenarios and relationships were developed as per the guidance from the last tutorial, and following the most recent one these were developed into cartoon as a type of ‘design fiction’. ‘Design fiction’ was researched. The ‘counter-factual’ and ‘fictionalising’ technique’s mentioned by Matt Webb and will be incorporated into the project. Matt Ward’s drawing evolution techniques could be useful, and a new modelling technique idea sparked from this research will be tested on users as an alternative to drawing.

Conceptually, the importance of interaction being a memorable experience as much as the memories that are shared themselves was stressed. The project does fill in a space that doesn’t exist, but within a world that is arguably becoming more ‘social’, it does have a place. As people are separated by distance, new ways to connect in particular to friends and loved ones are emerging. This could be one of them.

The ‘conversation’ expressed by this concept can be one-to-one or many-to-many, but at any one point in time only two people may communicate directly. Memories can be created by interacting with the device as an experience in its own right.  Also completed this week was research into the ways in which sound could be incorporated into the project.

Further work for next week: Wish lists, adverts and bringing the concept to more users. Mock up prototype.

Cartoon strips starring the object

The creation of cartoon strips was suggested in the tutorial as a type of design fiction that could be presented to users to spark discussion and ideas. The first type is simply a comic strip which sums up a scenario. I used a cartoon strip creation tool from toondoo.com for the comics. It is a quick ideation tool and is more expressive than the hand drawn scenarios from last week.

TITLE: PillowTalk
FUNCTIONALITY: Presence indicator only
KEY: Built into a piece of jewelry i.e. a ring so that the device is only set off by Sally, but she doesnt have to worry about carrying around a key.
DESCRIPTION: Sally has gone off to university, and Amy is her mum. Sally is in at strange hours and Amy often cant get through to her on the phone. She has bought a version of the 'uniSense' called 'PillowTalk'. This can sense when Amy is in her room, and notifies her mum. It utilises 'passive sensing', so Amy doesn't have to do anything to set of the device.
USE: It can be used to let Sally's mum know that she is home safely, or even when the right time is to call.

TITLE: The Clock

LOCATION: Indoors-not separated by a large distance. 

Idea was sparked by user through interaction with paper prototype. It has been taken to a speciality concept: what if what seems to be a short distance to fully mobile people (bedroom-kitchen) is  large distance for less mobile people.

KEY: There is no key

DESCRIPTION: Peter is unable to walk and he has lost his voice so finds it hard to communicate with his mum who is downstairs. This short distance would not have been much when peter was well. His mum has a portable device that lets him know when she is available to communicate with (it only works when she is at home). Note: It may be possible for it to know her location in the house so that peter knows where she is so he feels 'connected to her' and less lonely. Peter is able to tell her if he's hungry.

PROBLEMS: Technically achievable through other means i.e. text messaging, but presence indicator is not.

USE: Communication between mother and child separated by distance.

TITLE: 'Teddy Share'

LOCATION: Portable & Domestic.

KEY: No key

DESCRIPTION: Parent can connect with child at their bedtime, and have the object tell stories/play music etc.

PROBLEMS: Difficulties transmitting sound over xBee. Would have to use pre-recorded sound data which could be equally valuable as they could just use a telephone if they wanted to.

USE: Feeling of connection between parent and child. Could also implement a night-light

TITLE: ShareChair

LOCATION: Domestic i.e. front room

DESCRIPTION: Two users can have watch TV together and share reactions via a reaction dial or similar device. There would be the sense of presence.

CONTEXT: Could be used between siblings if one is studying abroad to watch their favourite TV show together

PROBLEMS: Needs to be very intuitive and not feel clunky

TITLE: Collaboration

LOCATION: Corporate

FUNCTION: Allowing professionals with time differences to be aware of when their business partners are at work, and therefore when they are available for communication and collaboration

PROBLEMS: How to communicate in a valuable way

Transient Memory and RAM

Transient memory has been defined as 'Memories which have a short-term existence within an electronic device'. It has many implications, but this is the core definition.


RAM which is used in computing, is also known as 'random access memory'. This memory is also not permanent, and is an area of space to perform tasks whilst the computer is on. There is an amount of storage utilised by programs to temporarily store an retrieve data related to running a specific program or programs. You can read and write, but once the computer is turned off, everything stored in that memory space is deleted. 


There are some similarities between transient memory and RAM, which will be explored further.

Tutorial Session 21/2/2012

Above: Tutorial notes

Feedback from the tutorial:

Go back to basics, do visual and media-based exploration. It is necessary to understand what this is fully, by getting a working title and paragraph description. This could help other people to understand the idea quickly.

The method of creating a 'design fiction' is a possible research technique. This is the creation of something that doesn't exist as if it does already exist. This can be brought to users to make the concept as real as possible and spark ideas from it.

Definitions of design fiction on the web:

'Design Fiction is making things that tell stories. It’s like science-fiction in that the stories bring into focus certain matters-of-concern, such as how life is lived, questioning how technology is used and its implications, speculating bout the course of events; all of the unique abilities of science-fiction to incite imagination-filling conversations about alternative futures.' - Near Future Lab

Fig 1. Star trek communicator circuitry & schematics/part list.

'Design fiction is an approach to design that speculates about new ideas through prototyping and storytelling. The goal is to move away from the routine of lifeless scenarios-based thinking. We will share design fiction projects and discuss related techniques for design thinking, communication and exploration of near future concepts.' -Julian Bleecker

Below is an example of a design fiction which has been filmed and set up as if it already exists. It quickly provides the viewer with a way of understanding the concept, and thinking about it as if it already exists and seeing its placement within the real world has made it easy for me to visualise different ways that it could function.

Below is an non-functional object which has been filmed in a way to give it the appearance of functionality. The concept is fascinating; the non-electronic appearance vs electronics functionality.



Both of these videos use a dummy prototype system to help explain the concept. They are both from http://postscapes.com/best-design-fiction-2011 However, the underlying 'driving concept'; which is a word i've used to describe the concept which turns into an outcome, isn't there.

For example my driving concept is that of 'transient memory': memories that only exist within an object for a short space of time.

It is a subversion of the way that they digital world works now (capacity for mass storage of everything) and came about through research into the way that human memory works and how we remember/recall things i.e. cognitive psychology. There was exploration of how objects can store/spark memories based on the understanding of cognitive psychology and how memories associated with/stored in objects can degrade over time.

'Transient memory' lead to the idea that despite the objects storing memories for a short period of time, the 'link' to them exists long after they have actually disappeared, and that this may increase the value of the memories (They are more treasured). This has lead to the idea that this short-term existence of memories creates a sense of presence by both users. Transient memory now also contains an aspect of communication: the idea of having a connection to another person (like a memento) that has been activated so that does not just store on set of memories; new ones can be created and shared. It is noted that 'transient memory' did not always have to be about communication between people: it could have been a reminder system that self-destructs after the date has passed, or an explanation of the way that analogue TV or the way that old radios work i.e. there is not potential to store data. The reason it manifested itself as a communicative device was due to exploration of the idea of the 'memento', and how it could be developed. This is a big concept, and the 'outcome concept' is the way in which the concept has manifested itself. Below is my 'outcome concept'.

Working Title: 'Uni-Sense'

Working description: The 'Uni-Sense' is a private communication system comprised of two devices that connects two users together. Users are made aware of each-others presence whenever they interact with the device, but can only communicate if they are both present. You cannot leave/retrieve messages, and the sense of 'presence' is intended to make the users feel more connected to each other than if they were picking up a message left in the past. Memories only exist momentarily i.e. can only be experienced as and when they occur, but the link to that memory and the person who created it remains after engagement with the device. Engagement with the device is a complete user experience that can be used in multiple contexts and in many different ways.

Julian bleecker who works a nokia design, has done a 20 minute talk on 'design fiction'.



He describes the link between science fiction storytelling and design production, and the ways in which we can visualise non-existing technology and the stories that 'fold into them'.

He has subverted the assumption that technology in the future will be faster in his device titled the 'slow messenger'. The messenger simply communicates slowly, and he imagines a world where where speed isn't the primary concern (as some people may assume) and he has devised a prototype to emulate how it would work. Another project is the measuring instrument, with quantities such as 'speed' and 'people'. Mixing science and storytelling. according to Blekker, enables us to think about things in a different way to that which we would imagine them. One great example was the touch screen system in the film 'Minority report' (at 13:30) which became a reference point when the idea of the 'touch screen' was first introduced. People were quickly able to understand the concept from the design fiction presented in the film.

It was also interesting that engineers from the Apollo space program were brought in to work on the film '2001', and the idea of the GUI (graphical user interface) was first seen here in the cockpit of the spaceship. They also introduced the zero-gravity toilet and the video telephone. Visualising these things on film helps users understand new concepts.


Matt Webb "Scientific fiction" (Lift09 EN) from Lift Conference on Vimeo.

A video by Matt Webb on 'Scientific Fiction'.

Mentions Matt Wards (from Goldsmiths Uni) drawing process for invention: Taking a single object and then drawing it in different contexts as many times as you can. Then you start evolving your drawing. Between each object, you cross-breed or create a hybrid. You take two features from both and see what other objects come up and repeat. You end up evolving away from what you thought your object was about. Drawing is not a storming, random process, it is methodical. What emerges is what about the original object that persists in spite of the violent evolution and by making a thousand drawing you can discover the 'human nature' of the object. Showing prototypes and drawing to people is a research method.

Another research process of 'fictionalising' and creating a different set of possible worlds is called 'counter-factuals' i.e. 'what would happen if JFK was never shot'. The focus is on circumstances that would affect the current state of the world.

An example is 'what would happen if everyone could make their own phone'. They made a prototype of a phone which melts at 47 degrees so anyone can remould their phone whenever they want to. I noticed that this is a form of customisation which exists currently through changing phone cases.

I could utilise this technique by providing users with modelling clay, and non-functioning parts like speakers, touch screens, buttons and asking them to put them together in a way that it would be useful to them and in a place that would be useful to them and then film it being used.


Being added to my Reading list is 'Nonobject' by Branko Lukic, foreword by Bill Moggridge

Word Cloud

The last weeks word were fed into a wordcloud generator at http://www.wordle.net/create

This produced a 'cloud' where the most common words were larger than less common words. 

Observing my notes and thoughts in this way allowed me to reflect and revisit certain key areas that may have been forgotten, or to 'draw' out and make connections between things.

Adding Sound

Sound is a potential element in any interactive system, but incorporating it into the Arduino environment could prove difficult.


'Adding quality audio to an electronic project is surprisingly difficult. People tend to end up either using low-quality ISD chips (you might get 8Khz sampling rate for 30seconds out of these, if you're lucky!) or mucking around with trying to control a CD or MP3 player. Although it's possible to generate audio direct from a microcontroller using a PWM output, the quality is often low and its hard to fit a lot of music in an EEPROM chip. You can buy an embedded MP3 player board, but they're either expensive or difficult to use!'


I have looked into different ways of incorporating sound if it is necessary and the best way seems to be by using the 'Wave Shield' from Adafruit http://www.ladyada.net/make/waveshield/ which available here: http://proto-pic.co.uk/adafruit-wave-shield-for-arduino-kit-v1-1/

Conceptual exploration

• ‘Why did I choose a chair?’

I chose a chair as a sample outcome to test the concept and demonstrate interactivity. It should be pointed out that the concept can manifest itself as any physical object as long as it fulfils the core principles

1.       Conveys presence

2.       Communication between two people

a.       Can be secret or public: aimed at a single person but ‘visible’ to bystanders.

3.       Communicates memories in real-time

a.       No communication where both members are not present

4.       The device can collect data actively or passively: with or without user intent

• ‘Can you buy it in a packet with instructions?’

Yes, that is a possibility: the concept is an architecture or framework that can have multiple applications depending on the characteristics of the users.

It is important that users know how to interact with the device.

• Expand to more scenarios

• Narrow down to 3 scenarios and sketch them

• Do a dozen relationships: chair - device, object - person etc
• Person as the interactive device-Person
• Wall object-Wall object
• Chair-Chair
• Cuddly toy-Cuddly toy
• Kitchen interface-Kitchen. Why? Cooking together
• Portable device-portable device
• Cushion-Cushion
• Kit object-kit object
• Lamp-Lamp
• Toy-Toy
• Ideas: the release of a smell, sound, object or other hardware like tuning the radio or tv or even opening the curtains etc.
• Pet-Pet
• Table-Table
• Person-Chair
• Cushion-Cuddly toy
• Thinks about where it is and who is there
• The location would depend on the context, user and functionality
• It would be between two people: the idea of an ‘active’ memento. A memento is a reminder of a memory, but this develops new memories.
• Home? Work? Place of leisure i.e. a bar or even a public place i.e. between two isolated people waiting for a bus stop.
• Think about security
• If it is in a corporate environment, security is crucial as it may be used to exploit other security systems. It may also be abused. Referring back to the New Street Square project, considerations might have to be made for censoring content or physical protection
• On the other side of things, if it was used in the home security is probably less important unless memories are being shared that are especially between two members. If multiple people want to use things, should there be different ‘keys’ to unlock the device and notify the end user who is on the chair i.e. by different coloured lights or a different piece of music being played.
• Think about possibly creating adverts for it, film it being used and do documentation
• Media could be more immersive for users and help to visualise the idea
• Would have to be planned & designed thoroughly
• Who is the 'conversation'
• Between who?
• Although pairing is ‘one to one’ at any space in time, it could also be many-many. For example a three person family connecting to another three person family: only two people can communicate at any given time through the ‘pivot point’ which is the device, any of those family members can communicate.

• Filling in a space that doesn’t exist
• 'Walkie talkie'
• This concept doesn’t yet exist: what is its place within academia and design

Terminology

• Define terms properly:
• ‘Transient memory’
• In this project this is currently defined as ‘Memories which have a short-term existence within an electronic device’. The memories however are just electronic data until they are experienced by another person: until then it is just electronic pulses. ‘If a tree falls in the woods does it make a sound?’.
• The aim is to create memories by interaction with the device, as much as it is about being able to share memories. This is very important.
• There are multiple parts to the memories in this project: the memories themselves, and then how they are interpreted by the device and the users.
• Computer memory? Is it both?
• Refer to ‘Computers and Brains’, ‘The cognitive Artefact of Designing’, ‘neural computing’.
• Computer memory is different to human memory: everything can be stored and recalled perfectly but when the space is full, nothing else can be stored at all until something is deleted. Human memory theoretically has no limits, there is no point when no more information can be stored and there is no capability of deletion.
• There is the concept of ‘chunking’ in human psychology first introduced by Miller in 1959 in his book ‘ The magical number seven, plus or minus two: Some limits on our capacity for processing information‘. This is the idea that in recall tasks, people can only really remember between 5 and 9 ‘bits’ of information or 7±2. The amount remembered or forgotten depends on the familiarity of the information.
• The ‘forgetting’ of data can be emulated in computer science where, to save disk space, only 7 ‘spaces’ for data are assigned, and once the limit of 7 is reached, the program rights over the first element then the second etc. This emulates the ‘forgetting’ of old information. An ‘array’ of information can be used to store data in this way, and an algorithm can be used to over-write the oldest elements. In this way transient memory is like computer memory where there is only one ‘space’ for data and it is being constantly written over.
• This is observed in the film ’50 first dates’ in a man called ‘ten second tom’ who can only remember information for 10 seconds, and then it is forgotten. The concept relies on memories only existing in an object momentarily. However, these memories are experienced by users and may become part of their long-term memories.
• In this concept, the memories are short-term computer memories, but long-term human memories
• Everyone needs to understand it
• Don’t just simplify it, however
• A complex system can be explained simply through props or media?
• ‘Is it embedded in props in everyday life?’
• What is a prop??
• Is it everything that is an object??
• Would it be in everyday life or is it for special occasions? Would it only be used when the situation requires?

Communication 

o    Making things talk: book suggestion

o    Tell people what it’s about and remind them

WHY is it always transient memory?

·         It is transient memory wherever the users are not able to retrieve any data from the past, or save data for the future.

Why is the project about transient memory: relevance to the field

• Justify use of concept
• Lack of existence currently
• Subversion of current interaction style: the ‘hoarding’ of information through increased capability of data storage.
• Is it similar to the way you leave a note on a fridge?'
• No, this is not an active memento: you cannot create any new memories
• What if it was an electronic postage note that only activated when both people were present?

Testing the thesis

• When concluding and analysing reflect on examples of transient memory theories, people you have spoken to, published definitions
•  
• Informed analysis of how well you've represented that idea in a defined system or service or event
• Heuristic testing with system in place
• Some level of prototype or system with full or simulated functionality early on and throughout
• Target audience: who for?
• Couple, parent/child
• Make it appropriate

·         There are some things that can be done immediately for example defining terms, and others that can be done in the next few weeks for example user testing with a system in place. I will conduct a user test with a system in place this week, and the feedback this week has helped me make that decision. 

Week 19 Log

Week beginning 13/02/2012

This week primarily involved research into and the development of paper prototypes, xBee to Arduino radio configuration and implementation as well as some conceptual development.  There was also some hardware and user testing with the paper prototypes and exploration of ‘what’ the project could be.

‘Building Wireless Sensor Networks’ was used with the xBee radios and the Arduino development environment. It was an extensive process, but fully documented for future reference. An early problem experienced was the xBee adapter hack: at first this was not working, but it turned out that this was simply because the breakout boards had not been soldered on. The breakout board function is to space out the pins on the xBee which are too close together to fit onto a breadboard. The first soldering attempt was unsuccessful as the wrong method had been used which resulted in the need to replace the breakout board. The correct method was adopted through a youtube tutorial and these were soldered correctly. However, due to the poor quality of the iron the tip degraded almost completely so this had to be replaced. Following this, the xBee radios were  tested and configured according to instructions. Due to a crossed wire in the router module, this didn’t work but once this was corrected the system worked correctly. Note: this is mentioned as being the primary source of errors in an electronics project. Following the successful completion of the ‘doorbell’ project, a wireless version of the early paper chair prototype was created. There were a few coding errors, but this was overcome by looking through the arduino discussion forums.

Paper prototyping is a much researched and much used methodology within the field of HCI (Human Computer Interaction), and it has proved valuable within the early stages of the project. ‘Paper prototyping’ by Carolyn Synder was referred to in the development in the first user tests of the project. Paper prototyping is mainly used for screen based interfaces, but the idea of ‘task modelling’ was extracted and applied to a non-screen based interface.  To make a paper prototype, according to the book, the designer selects tasks to be tested, and models how the user would execute these. For this project, tasks were selected and modelled. For example the user was given a paper key to ‘unlock’ the device, and where there was text input this was simulated by writing on the prototype in the correct place. Two user tests were conducted with the paper prototype and it proved invaluable in both the explanation of the concepts and introduction of the abstract paper prototype but in generating ideas.

Some of the problems that were introduced by prototyping both in Google SketchUp and in paper were the issues of security and of proximity sensing. One option was to use a magnetism sensitive ‘hall effect sensor’ and a magnet as a physical key and lock. This was mocked up on a single board. The problem was that although it worked, it was unreliable and this may be due to the size and shape of the magnet and its field. Proximity sensing with light sensor is unreliable due to the effect of environmental factors i.e. day and night.

This week has also involved the discussion of methodologies that would result in the definition of a specific purpose or purposes for an outcome. There was also the appreciation for location flexibility: ‘does it have to be static’? There was the explanation of scenarios and device pairings. The next stage involves exploration of its placement within the world and within user’s environments. The concept being brought to users and discussed is crucial. Bringing more interactive prototypes to users with working elements could be extremely beneficial and participant observation of different contexts will be carried out. 

Does it have to be static?

Earlier on in this project I declared that I wanted the outcome to be situated within one context, and one specific space i.e. the home, workplace etc. This was to enable periodic interaction with the artefact: to be 'present' you also have to be 'absent' sometimes.

However, this doesn't mean that the object itself cannot be moved around the space to be put somewhere more convenient for the user. The artefact could be embedded in a transportable object. I am currently using xBees for prototyping, and this makes them wireless and incredibly portable. It may have a wider range of applications if the object can be moved around the space. For example, a chair in the front room. If it wasn't portable you'd have to sit in the same chair every time. If it was portable you'd be able to sit in any chair or even in a different room in the house!

I am going to do a context of use group brainstorm with users and a solo 'idea-storm', and then take these ideas to the wider world. Earlier on i mentioned the need to actually interact with these spaces, but i want to involve users early on as part of my user-centric development and this could be useful. I could then take users to the spaces and explore what they think of it. Note: I may also want to work with designers as this could become an architecture for designers to work from so they'd need to be involved in the development of this!

I am also learning about interfacing with hardware to extend functionality past the typical Arduino applications.

Serial library for arduino

An easy to use, interrupt-driven coding library called 'NewSoftSerial' could make serial communication tasks easier. It simplifies commands such as GPS data collection.

http://arduiniana.org/libraries/NewSoftSerial/

Communication: Time Zones

There has been some early investigation into a potential application for the project: communication between time Zones as mentioned by previous discussion with potential users (group tutorial).

There are two potential context applications: personal and work.

The first one that i looked at was work, in particular the management of virtual teams. This article  describes the difficulties of managing individuals from different time zones. There are three main issues:

1. Not being aware of the issue and not taking notice of your own time zone
2. Consistency: Switching between time zones without 'signposting' the change
3. Not watching for daylight saving time

There are a number of tools available to deal with this problem: Time Trade and the time zone calculator

Wireless version of the earlier paper prototype

This was done by reviewing the previous single-arduino code and incorporating it into the wireless system. I had to wire up a new sensor and adapt the code on both ends. I had some trouble at the beginning as i couldn't get the other radio to respond to both of the sensors independently: instead it wanted to ignore one of them entirely or have the same response to both.

I referred to 'Building wireless networks' for help, but i couldn't find any suitable code. I looked in the Arduino  reference guide in case it was a syntax error. I noticed that I was reading directly from serial.read rather than storing it in another variable, so declared 'char val;' and used this instead and it the whole system works perfectly.

What I like about the new system is the flashing light: it really does bring attention to the chairs rather than just having a steady light. I had to change the light setting from 300 to 400 as it wasn't quite sensitive enough. I feel like this should be an option that users can change if it was to be implemented into the real thing.

Now that a working system can be implemented some more conceptual and academic research needs to be conducted to explore the value of this concept, why it is needed and what it should be and for whom.