Mobile Device Interaction in Ubiquitous Computing
Thorsten Mahler, Michael Weber · InTech eBooks · 2008
In a world of constant intertwining of virtuality and reality a consistent way of discovering links between the real and the virtual world is needed. Clearly, the interaction with real world objects offers new possibilities for interfaces to reduce task complexity and to embed virtual tasks into the real world. However, this leads to problems in device use. Readymades in our everyday environment already have a function, expressed in its physical form. To link such objects with additional virtual options leads to the question of how such a linkage can be made comprehensible. The construction of reactive environments and intelligent rooms with huge amounts of sensing equipment is a well witnessed direct result. And within these interface metaphors are developed, that allow for the seamless integration of real and virtual objects. Where these intelligent environments come close to Weisers' vision of transparency, they fall short in behave of ubiquity. In this situation mobile devices can fill in. While our environment is not fully equipped with sensors, mobile devices can extend local installations by taking the computational power and the sensory equipment with the user. Acting as magic lenses, they can provide everyday objects with the interfaces needed for device usage. They can display the functions an object provides; they can help in setting up linkages and even help with reconfiguration. At the same time, the mobile devices, acting as virtual tool glasses, can provide an interface only when needed, reflecting the dynamic role an object can play depending on the context the object is used in. Thus, the mobile device, giving real word objects an interface, can be used as tool to scale virtuality to the extend needed.