Interaction forms is an area where we propose and study new forms of interacting with computers. Both in the way we know computers today and what the new possibilities are when the computing power moves into the physical world. Interacting with things is a normal activity for everybody. And there is a long experience of designing and reflecting over how we people use artefacts of all kinds.
We have a spectrum of projects, from basic research to reuse of existing technologies in new contexts.

Responsible: Bosse Westerlund, bosse@nada.kth.se

Projects:

DAPHNE
Gestural interfaces
Haptic interfaces
Auditory direct manipulation
Silent Sound Sculpture
InterLiving – EU project
Dysfunctional Things
Other activities
Finished projects 

DAPHNE - DIGITAL AND PHYSICAL INTERACTIVE ENVIRONMENTS

The current convergence of interactive digital systems, networks and mobile devices is transforming the ways that we carry out our everyday life, e.g. how we entertain ourselves, work, shop and converse. In contrast to the existing visions of ubiquitous computing, our vision is to recognise from the outset the variable levels of digital richness available in the world and to construct both design techniques and supporting infrastructures that recognise this variability as a fundamental feature.
The underpinning model we have is of an electronic landscape constructed of inter-connected digital locales often separated by digitally sparse regions.
Participating partner: SICS, Lennart Fahlén et al.
From CID: Yngve Sundblad (co-ordinator), Bo Westerlund, Björn Thuresson, Sinna Lindquist, Anders Hedman, Sören Lenman, Åke Walldius, Olle Sundblad.
Main funding: Swedish Foundation for Strategic Research (SSF).
Time period: Jul 2002-Jun 2005.

AUDITORY INTERFACES FOR BLIND COMPUTER USERS

This work is about investigating new techniques for giving blind users better access to graphical user interfaces using sound. Experience gained from studying auditory direct manipulation in both a single-user and a collaborative setting is developed further to investigate collaboration between blind and sighted users.
Project coordinator: Fredrik Winberg, fredrikw@nada.kth.se
Participating partners: HI, Stig Becker.
From CID: Fredrik Winberg, Sten-Olof Hellström.
Time period: Jan 2002-Dec 2003.
Reports: CID-145, CID-136, CID-132, CID-130, CID-112, CID-74.

SILENT SOUND SCULPTURE

With the project "Silent Sound Sculpture" we want to achieve silent zones in noisy environments. The purpose is artistic, to "visualise" our noisy environment to a wide audience and open the debate on this issue, as well as a practical contribution to the development of a better sonic environment. A condition for realising the silent sound sculpture is broad research and development work including new methods and technical solutions on active sound control.
Projektcoordinator: Ann Rosén, annrosen@nada.kth.se
From CID: Ann Lantz, Ann Rosén, Yngve Sundblad.
Other participants: Dept. for Telecommunication and Signal Processing at Blekinge Institute of Technology, Emotional and Intellectual Interfaces Studio at the Interactive Institute.
Main funding: Pre-study and project initiation funding from Stiftelsen framtidens kultur ("Culture of the Future"), Riksbankens Jubilumsfond, Vinnova, KK-Stiftelsen and Konstnärsnämnden. Sveriges bildkonstnärsfond (Arts Grants Committe).
Time period: Sep 2001-Aug 2003.
Report: CID-219

INTERLIVING - EU PROJECT

This project, Designing Interactive, Intergenerational Interfaces for Living Together, is part of the Disappearing computer initiative within FET (Future Emerging Technologies). Communication over generations is studied in families in Sweden and in France. Possible IT support in the form of communication surfaces will be prototyped and studied together with the families. Research partners are University Paris Sud, INRIA in Paris and (indirectly) University of Maryland.
More information on interLivings website: http://interliving.kth.se
Project coordinator: Yngve Sundblad, yngve@nada.kth.se
From CID: Yngve Sundblad (co-ordinator), Ben Bederson, Allison Druin, Björn Eiderbäck, Sinna Lindquist, Catherine Plaisant, Bo Westerlund, Helena Tobiasson.
Main funding: EU IST-FET-DC-initiative.
Time period: Jan 2001-Dec 2003.
Reports: CID-220, CID-218, CID-217, CID-174, CID-144, CID-140.

HAPTIC INTERFACES (WITH FORCE FEED-BACK)

Two equipments for haptic interaction have recently been acquired and initial applications for cooperation through passing of objects have been developed and studied with users together with IPLab,NADA.
Project coordinator: Yngve Sundblad, yngve@nada.kth.se
Observing partners: Telia; Vattenfall.
From CID: Yngve Sundblad, Björn Eiderbäck.
From IPLab: Eva-Lotta Sallnäs.
Other participants: ReachIn Technologies, Saab, Cecilia Lundin.
Time period: Jan 2001-Jun 2003.

GESTURAL INTERFACES

The project is collaboration between CID and CVAP at NADA, KTH. It studies the
use of hand gestures for interaction. The approach is based on recognition of gestures by computer vision. The main scenario is ubiquitous, everyday computing, with a focus on developing interfaces for people with special needs.
The scope is limited to Multimodal user interfaces. Gestures need not be natural
gestures: they could be developed for the situation, or based on some standard sign language. Conversational interfaces, automatic recognition of natural, human gesture falls outside of the scope of the project. The current focus is on developing command sets for interaction. As a starting point remote control of electronic appliances in a home environment, such as TV sets and DVD players has been chosen.
Participating partners: The Swedish Handicap Institute, Margita Lundman; Telia, Lars Lindblad.
From CID: Sören Lenman, Olle Sundblad, Björn Thuresson.
From CVAP (Computer Vision and Active Perception Laboratory at NADA, KTH ): Lars Bretzner
Time period: Jan 2000–Jan 2003.
Reports: CID-209, CID-172, CID-148,

DYSFUNCTIONAL THINGS

A project on Home, Health and Product Design
The focus of this work is on unhealth issues and the design of IT products in the home. What is the relation between design and health? What are the aesthetical issues in design for Home health care? What is “healthy” and “unhealthy” in the home?
It is particularly important today to understand those issues when stress and sick leaves are increasing and we are facing large demographic problems.
The methods are multiples ranging from surveys, interviews and user studies to
design concepts, developing products and finally to evaluate them. The work attempts to look at and create a basis for understanding design as both a process and an aesthetic practice within the HCI context.
Project coordinator: Sara Ilstedt Hjelm. sarai@nada.kth.se
Time period: Jan 2000–Dec 2003.
Reports: CID-188, CID-175.

Facialities - expressive avatars

Project description ni PDF, 128 kB

Other activities

QuickTime VR — technique and applications

Finished projects

CID'97 (in Swedish)

Virtuella mötesplatser (in Swedish)

Updated 2003-03-27