Augmented Reality and the Disappearing Computer

In this paper, I argue for returning to the real world as the starting point for designing future information and collaboration environments and an integration of real and virtual worlds. This is based on the opinion that we have to emphasize again the importance of the rich affordances of the physical, architectural environment. This approach results in augmenting everyday places and objects with information processing capabilities but in a new and unobtrusive way. In the resulting hybrid worlds, the computer as a device will disappear, will be invisible, respectively be in the background, while the functionality will be available in a ubiquitous fashion. I will distinguish between “mental” and “physical” disappearance and discuss a number of resulting design issues and the role of affordances for designing smart artefacts and their user-interfaces. Examples are taken from our work on developing so called “Roomware”components for the i-LAND environment an interactive landscape for creativity and innovation and from a recently launched project “Ambient Agoras: Dynamic Information Clouds in a Hybrid World”.