Enabling Locative Experiences

The appropriate framework to capture and share location information with mobile applications enable the development of interfaces and interface techniques that empower users to obtain and share information on the go. As such, the work in this thesis makes two major contributions. First is the SeeVT framework, a locative backbone that uses currently-available data and equipment in the Virginia Tech and Blacksburg VA environments (e.g., wireless signal triangulation, GPS signals) to make available to applications the location of the device in use. Applications built on this framework have available knowledge of the region in which the user‘s device is located. Second is a set of four applications built on the SeeVT framework: SeeVT – Alumni Edition (a guide for alumni returning to campus, often after lengthy absences), the Newman Project (a library information system for finding books and other library resources), VTAssist (a information sharing system for disabled users), and SeeVT-Art (a guide for users in our local inn and conference center to learn about the art on display). Key in this contribution is our identification and discussion of three interface techniques that emerged from our development efforts: an images-first presentation of information, a lightweight mobile augmented reality style of interaction, and locative content affordances that provide ways to quickly input focused types of information in mobile situations. Enabling Locative Experiences iii Acknowledgements: First of all I would like to thank my wonderful advisor, Dr. D. Scott McCrickard, for giving me the freedom to attack this work and for having the determination to keep me focused on completing the thesis. Thanks also to my committee, Francis Quek, Steve Harrison, and Manuel Perez. Members of the Notification Systems Research Lab helped provide the environment to make this work possible. My close interactions with Jason Lee were essential in the success of the effort. Shahtab Wahid, Laurian Vega, Saurabh Bhatia, Ben Congleton, and Brian Sciacchitano all played important roles in my work. All of the undergrads and others who worked in the lab added to the wonderful and enabling environment. My paper co-authors deserve particular credit—without them I would have not been able to develop the framework and applications described in this thesis, particularly for the Alumni Tour system, SeeVTART, Newman, and Skelton projects. In the spirit of the Notification Systems Research Lab, the work of VTURCS undergrads Sandeep Nair, Scott Kelly, Brian Sciacchitano (now an M.S. student), Chris Cerwinski, Ivan Brown, Sarav Bhatia, Curtis Dahn—both implementation and writing—were core in the creation of this thesis. Also contributing to the implementation, management, and writing were Ph.D. students Jason Lee and Leigh Lally. The Computer Science Department faculty and students helped create an enriching learning (and fun) environment. Classes and discussions with Drs. McCrickard, Perez, Harrison, Quek, Ramakrishnan, and others helped create the basis for my learning. Talks with Joe Gabbard and Andrea Kavanaugh were helpful for the advancement of my ideas. Last but certainly not least, the administrative help of Ginger Clayton was essential to my success. Finally, I would like to thank the many people in the Virginia Tech community with whom I have interacted during my time here. As always, I will surely forget some names, but here are a few. Discussions with Dr. Jeffrey Reed and Dr. Tom Martin and their students in the ECE Department were particularly enlightening. Industry partners at SkyHook Wireless, Feeva Technology, and Microsoft provided timely inputs and resources for my efforts. And thanks to the many others, especially those behind the scenes, who made all of this possible. Beyond these folks, the driving forces in my life – my parents (Meena & Harish Sampat), and my wonderful girlfriend (Mona), were persistent in their faith in me. Enabling Locative Experiences iv Table of