The proliferation of computing into the physical world promises more than the ubiquitous availability of computing infrastructure; it suggest new paradigms of interaction inspired by constant access to information and computational capabilities. For the past decade, application-driven research on abiquitous computing (ubicomp) has pushed three interaction themes:natural interfaces, context-aware applications,andautomated capture and access. To chart a course for future research in ubiquitous computing, we review the accomplishments of these efforts and point to remaining research challenges. Research in ubiquitious computing implicitly requires addressing some notion of scale, whether in the number and type of devices, the physical space of distributed computing, or the number of people using a system. We posit a new area of applications research, everyday computing, focussed on scaling interaction with respect to time. Just as pushing the availiability of computing away from the traditional desktop fundamentally changes the relationship between humans and computers, providing continuous interaction moves computing from a localized tool to a constant companion. Designing for continous interaction requires addressing interruption and reumption of intreaction, representing passages of time and providing associative storage models. Inherent in all of these interaction themes are difficult issues in the social implications of ubiquitous computing and the challenges of evaluating> ubiquitious computing research. Although cumulative experience points to lessons in privacy, security, visibility, and control, there are no simple guidelines for steering research efforts. Akin to any efforts involving new technologies, evaluation strategies form a spectrum from technology feasibility efforts to long-term use studies—but a user-centric perspective is always possible and necessary

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Charting past, present, and future research in ubiquitous computing

https://www.econstor.eu/bitstream/10419/82415/1/wp_179.pdf

Bayesian Estimation of an Open Economy DSGE Model with Incomplete Pass-Through

Manga (Japanese comics) are popular worldwide. However, current e-manga archives offer very limited search support, i.e., keyword-based search by title or author. To make the manga search experience more intuitive, efficient, and enjoyable, we propose a manga-specific image retrieval system. The proposed system consists of efficient margin labeling, edge orientation histogram feature description with screen tone removal, and approximate nearest-neighbor search using product quantization. For querying, the system provides a sketch-based interface. Based on the interface, two interactive reranking schemes are presented: relevance feedback and query retouch. For evaluation, we built a novel dataset of manga images, Manga109, which consists of 109 comic books of 21,142 pages drawn by professional manga artists. To the best of our knowledge, Manga109 is currently the biggest dataset of manga images available for research. Experimental results showed that the proposed framework is efficient and scalable (70 ms from 21,142 pages using a single computer with 204 MB RAM).

/pdf/sketch-based-manga-retrieval-using-manga109-dataset-53duvwtxnh.pdf

Sketch-based manga retrieval using manga109 dataset

Researchers at University of California, Berkeley and Carnegie Mellon University have designed, implemented, and evaluated SILK (Sketching Interfaces Like Krazy), an informal sketching tool that combines many of the benefits of paper-based sketching with the merits of current electronic tools. With SILK, designers can quickly sketch an interface using an electronic pad and stylus, and SILK recognizes widgets and other interface elements as the designer draws them. Unlike paper-based sketching, however, designers can exercise these elements in their sketchy state. For example, a sketched scroll-bar is likely to contain an elevator or thumbnail, the small rectangle a user drags with a mouse. In a paper sketch, the elevator would just sit there, but in a SILK sketch, designers can drag it up and down, which lets them test component or widget behavior. SILK also supports the creation of storyboards-the arrangement of sketches to show how design elements behave, such as how a dialog box appears when the user activates a button. Storyboards are important because they give designers a way to show colleagues, customers, or end users early on how an interface will behave.

Sketching interfaces: toward more human interface design

A gesture recognition method includes detecting multiple pointers in close proximity to a touch surface to determine if the multiple pointers are being used to perform a known gesture. When the multiple pointers are being used to perform a known gesture, executing a command associated with the gesture. A touch system incorporating the gesture recognition method is also provided.

Gesture recognition method and touch system incorporating the same

NotePals is a lightweight note sharing system that gives group members easy access to each others experiences through their personal notes. The system allows notes taken by group members in any context to be uploaded to a shared repository. Group members view these notes with browsers that allow them to retrieve all notes taken in a given context or to access notes from other related notes or documents. This is possible because NotePals records the context in which each note is created (e.g., its author, subject, and creation time). The system is lightweight because it fits easily into group members regular note- taking practices, and uses informal, ink-based user interfaces that run on portable, inexpensive hardware. In this paper we describe NotePals, show how we have used it to share our notes, and present our evaluations of the system.

http://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1738&context=sis_research

NotePals: lightweight note sharing by the group, for the group

Because most animation tools are complex and time-consuming to learn and use, most animations today are created by experts. To help novices create a wide range of animations quickly, we have developed a general-purpose, informal, 2D animation sketching system called K-Sketch. Field studies investigating the needs of animators and would-be animators helped us collect a library of usage scenarios for our tool. A novel optimization technique enabled us to design an interface that is simultaneously fast, simple, and powerful. The result is a pen-based system that relies on users' intuitive sense of space and time while still supporting a wide range of uses. In a laboratory experiment that compared K-Sketch to a more formal animation tool (PowerPoint), participants worked three times faster, needed half the learning time, and had significantly lower cognitive load with K-Sketch.

https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1737&context=sis_research

K-sketch: a 'kinetic' sketch pad for novice animators

Vignette is an interactive system that facilitates texture creation in pen-and-ink illustrations. Unlike existing systems, Vignette preserves illustrators' workflow and style: users draw a fraction of a texture and use gestures to automatically fill regions with the texture. We currently support both 1D and 2D synthesis with stitching. Our system also has interactive refinement and editing capabilities to provide a higher level texture control, which helps artists achieve their desired vision. A user study with professional artists shows that Vignette makes the process of illustration more enjoyable and that first time users can create rich textures from scratch within minutes.

/pdf/vignette-interactive-texture-design-and-manipulation-with-2bd51mur5z.pdf

Vignette: interactive texture design and manipulation with freeform gestures for pen-and-ink illustration

SketchWizard allows designers to create Wizard of Oz prototypes of pen-based user interfaces in the early stages of design. In the past, designers have been inhibited from participating in the design of pen-based interfaces because of the inadequacy of paper prototypes and the difficulty of developing functional prototypes. In SketchWizard, designers and end users share a drawing canvas between two computers, allowing the designer to simulate the behavior of recognition or other technologies. Special editing features are provided to help designers respond quickly to end-user input. This paper describes the SketchWizard system and presents two evaluations of our approach. The first is an early feasibility study in which Wizard of Oz was used to prototype a pen-based user interface. The second is a laboratory study in which designers used SketchWizard to simulate existing pen-based interfaces. Both showed that end users gave valuable feedback in spite of delays between end-user actions and wizard updates.

/pdf/sketchwizard-wizard-of-oz-prototyping-of-pen-based-user-3zuvfcajco.pdf

SketchWizard: Wizard of Oz prototyping of pen-based user interfaces

As a variety of low-cost note-taking devices becomes pervasive, shared notes can help work groups better communicate ideas and information. To explore this idea further, we carried out three related case studies of how members of a large research group shared meeting notes. The group found value in combining personal notes and presentation slides with a single, unifying document, such as regular meeting minutes. The minutes provided structure when there were too many sources of notes. We used this insight in our design of NotePals, a note-sharing system with a lightweight process, an interface, and hardware that distinguish it from previous systems. We have developed note-taking applications that run on inexpensive personal digital assistants and other ink-based capture devices, such as the paper-based CrossPad™. Experience with using NotePals has shown that shared notes can add value to meeting, conference, and class records.

https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1171&context=sis_research

Richard C. Davis

Papers

NotePals: lightweight note sharing by the group, for the group

K-sketch: a 'kinetic' sketch pad for novice animators

Vignette: interactive texture design and manipulation with freeform gestures for pen-and-ink illustration

SketchWizard: Wizard of Oz prototyping of pen-based user interfaces

Making sharing pervasive: ubiquitous computing for shared note taking