Using home networks to create atmospheres in the home: technology push or (latent) user need?

ABSTRACT

The Atmosphere Controller is an implementation of home networking technology that could make life at home a totally new experience. An atmosphere is created by combining light (intensity and colour), music and wallpaper projection. To find out if is this type of experience fits into everyday life of people, we studied the current experience of creating atmospheres by conducting interviews and probes studies in people's homes [5]. The same people were later invited to test the application in a Lab environment. Although the lab tests showed that the Atmosphere controller offers a positive sensorial experience further research should be conducted in a more realistic setting.

REFERENCES

• 1: Residential Gateway Environment project description. Available at: <u>http://www.rge.brabantbreedband.nl</u> (the project)
• 2: Residential Gateway Environment, Deliverable 6.3: Basic Atmosphere Controller, Enhanciong the living room experience, <u>http://www.rge.brabantbreedband.nl,</u> (deliverables; webpad-based user interface), dec 2003
• 3: Pine, B. J. and Gilmore, J. H. The Experience Economy: Work is Theatre and Every Business a Stage. Harvard Business School Press, Boston, 1999.
• 4: Hull, R., Reid, J., Kidd, A., Experience Design in Ubiquitous Computing. Client and media Systems Laboratory, HP Laborataries Bristol, May 2002.
• 5: Bill Gaver , Tony Dunne , Elena Pacenti, Design: Cultural probes, interactions, v.6 n.1, p.21-29, Jan./Feb. 1999 [doi>10.1145/291224.291235]
• 6: M. Steen, N. de Koning, L. Hoyng, The 'wow' experience -- Conceptual model and tools for creating and measuring the emotional added value of ICT. COST 269 conference, Helsinki, 2003.

INDEX TERMS

Keywords:
cultural probes, experience design, home networking, ubiquitous computing, user context analysis