From technology prototypes to ethnographic studies: a look to the Ubicomp research directions

ABSTRACT

In this paper, the accepted submissions published on Handheld and Ubiquitous computing (HUC) and Ubicomp conferences between 1999 and 2007 are reviewed. We classify 244 papers into six distinct categories and analyze the change in the distribution of the papers in these categories over the period under review. The strongest change trends identified in the analysis are the decrease of number of application and interaction related papers and the increase of number of user studies. Furthermore, we recognized three major issues that we think are missing in the reviewed research: Internet-related research, research on technology adaptation and acceptance among end users, as well as reports on the large-scale deployment of ubiquitous systems. We describe the state of the art in ubiquitous computing in the sense of design space as defined by Stankiewitz. In this regard the field has evolved from technological prototyping oriented art towards end user-driven approaches where real world constraints are taken more seriously. A need for future work on user acceptance, interoperability and privacy issues is suggested.

REFERENCES

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INDEX TERMS

Primary Classification:
  H. Information Systems
  H.m MISCELLANEOUS

Additional Classification:
  H. Information Systems
  H.5 INFORMATION INTERFACES AND PRESENTATION (I.7)
      H.5.m Miscellaneous

General Terms:
Design, Experimentation, Human Factors, Security

Keywords:
innovation, pervasive computing, review, survey, ubicomp, ubiquitous computing