Workshop "HCI in Mobile Guides"

Udine, 8 Sept 2003

Preface

Papers
Preface

Welcome to the 2nd workshop on ‘HCI in Mobile Guides’. This year we have received a range of submissions that illustrate both the growing number of mobile guide systems that have been developed within our research community (as surveyed by Kray and Baus) and the range of themes that warrant consideration and investigation.

One key theme to arise in this year’s workshop is the need for designers to adopt suitable interaction metaphors in order to empower users to make use of functionality supported by a given mobile guide. A number of this year’s papers explore the potential of the map metaphor. For example, Laakso et al explore the use of a 3D map metaphor while Nivala and Sarjakoski consider ways of enriching the traditional map metaphor with context-awareness, e.g. the ability to support automatic orientation. However, despite the potential of this traditional metaphor it is clear that the provision of maps on small screen displays continues to raise numerous design challenges. An entirely different approach for supporting interaction is explored by Cowell et al who advocate an interaction metaphor based on the use of embodied conversational agents.

Further investigations into suitable interaction techniques are still, of course, necessary as many questions over which are the most appropriate interaction metaphors to use for a given target user group and application domain still remain. For this reason, it is important that we, as designers of mobile guides, adopt or maintain a user-centred design philosophy to ensure that our designs match the needs of our users. In the proceedings, Melchior gives an introduction into methods and support available from VNET5, and reports on several European projects that develop mobile services by a user-oriented approach.

Exploring or wandering through a city is often a social activity and yet this is a theme that is often overlooked in the design of mobile guides. Hunolstein and Zipf, as well as Kolari and Virtanen consider the design of mobile guides that help the user become more aware of their social surroundings.

When considering the HCI aspects of mobile guides, one crucial theme that demands consideration is the challenge of actually evaluating mobile guide systems. For example, Bornträger and Cheverst discuss some of the technical challenges that arose when evaluating the push-based version of the guide system and Schmidt-Belz and Poslad describe the methods and results of the field-trial evaluation of the CRUMPET system. Several other of this year’s papers also refer to user validation as part of a user-oriented development process.

It is perhaps a sign of the maturing nature of mobile guides that this year we have several papers that consider specific target user groups or special issues as opposed to the (now) familiar mobile city guide for the generic city tourist. In more detail, Laakso et al target the domain of leisure boat tourism while Goodman and Grey consider the specific needs of older users. Another interesting theme to have arisen concerns the representation problem; Rocchi et al. consider possible approaches for representing and structuring multimedia information for mobile guides. The special issue of trust in mobile guides is discussed by Schmidt-Belz and a need for more empirical research is stated.

With this selection of views on mobile guides, the proceedings reflect the scope of related HCI issues and the current state of research. On behalf of the organisers and the program committee we hope you enjoy this year’s Workshop “HCI in mobile Guides”.

Keith Cheverst, University of Lancaster
Barbara Schmidt-Belz, Fraunhofer FIT

"Social and Technical Pitfalls Designing a Tourist Guide System"
Bornträger, Ch., Cheverst, K.		 PDF
"Using Anthropomorphic Embodied Conversational Agents in Mobile Guides and Information Appliances"
Cowell, A. J., Tanasse, T. E., Stanney, K. M.		 PDF
"A Design Space for Location-Sensitive Aids for Older Users"
Goodman, J., Grey, Ph.		 PDF
"In the Zone: Views through a context-aware mobile portal"
Kolari, J., Virtanen, T.		 PDF
"A survey of mobile guides"
Kray, Ch., Baus, J.		 PDF
"Tourist information and navigation support by using 3D maps displayed on mobile devices"
Laakso, K., Gjesdal, O. , Sulebak, J.		 PDF
"User-Centred Creation of Mobile Guides"
Melchior, E.		 PDF
"An Approach to Intelligent Maps: Context Awareness"
Nivala, A., Sarjakoski, L.		 PDF
"Semantic-based Multimedia Representations for the Museum Experience"
Rocchi, C., Stock, O., Zancanaro, M.		 PDF
"Aspects of user trust in mobile guides"
Schmidt-Belz, B.		 PDF
"User Validation of a mobile Tourism Service"
Schmidt-Belz, B., Poslad, S.		 PDF

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