Challenges and Opportunities for Intelligibility and Control in Smart Homes

Several studies have reported on interaction challenges users face when confronted with proactive contextaware technologies that take actions on their behalf. To address these challenges, techniques have been proposed to improve intelligibility (understanding) of and control over context-aware systems for end-users. Proactive context-aware systems have not only been featured in several smart home visions, but are also common in current solutions within the smart home space. In this position paper, we outline a number of challenges and opportunities with respect to intelligibility and control in smart homes that take into account the diversity and evolving needs of inhabitants.