Towards Transparency in Pervasive Information Display: Possibilities for Attentionally-Managed Tactile Signals

When combined with realtime knowledge of user context and goals, haptic feedback can contribute to the need for transparent, appropriately salient information display in information-rich pervasive environments. Designed with respect for human perceptual and attentional limits, it can serve as a “background” communication channel by freeing visual resources, and being naturally suitable for low-attention processing. In this paper, we describe opportunities, tools and research results in support of such functionality – including user-centred stimulus design mechanisms minimizing attentional load while optimizing cognitive resources, and emerging indications of approach scalability and best learning practices.