Fausto Javier Sainz de Salces is a lecturer at Universidad Carlos III de Madrid and works on ubiquitous computing and domotica, with a focus on the elderly and computers. His research into "Designing for all in the house" while he was a doctoral candidate at John Moores University, Liverpool was all about facilitating the control of household appliances and the home environment. In receiver, Sainz de Salces talks about how communications technologies can greatly improve people's comfort and safety in the home.

http://www.dei.inf.uc3m.es/members/fausto.html
http://www.cms.livjm.ac.uk/cmsfsain/
Sainz de Salces' sites

Artwork for this article by Andreas Deligeorge & Heidi Jewell

The home environment can greatly benefit from mobile technology that enhances the user's experience through easy interaction with the immediate environment. Designing the home of the future, integrating communication devices, is not an easy task. It is a challenge that includes consideration of home dwellers' opinions, preferences and tastes.

In the well-known scenario, that of the fridge letting me know that the yogurt is about to run out, it may be that I don't want to be interrupted by futile information. So the mechanisms that deliver such information should do it in an appropriate manner, at the right time. Is multimodal interaction a viable option to communicate with small portable devices such as mobile phones, PDAs or new hybrids? In the case of the elderly and disabled, our answer is yes, as sometimes it is the only option available to them. We are planning on using intelligent agents that learn from our behaviour and find a suitable time to communicate with us. Voice, hands or even body movements can be used for multimodal input. The problems to be solved in this context are: can we integrate gesture or object manipulation techniques into the control of home appliances via mobile devices? Is it profitable to introduce complex technologies such as speech recognition into small portable devices when more traditional interaction modes (tactile) are just as useful? Are we departing from traditional and natural interaction modes just for the sake of innovation and change, ignoring users' opinions and preferences? How can we take account of individual differences?

There is the old issue of technology versus humans: we cannot assume that what communication technology can do in the home - and intelligent buildings are a proof of this potential - coincides with what residents want to do. Considerations regarding mobile and ubiquitous communications in relation to the home environment extend, refine and challenge our understanding of privacy, trust and identity issues related to domotics and the home of the future. In the not so distant future, we will be surrounded by unobtrusive, interconnected intelligent devices, some of which we will carry around and most of which will probably be permanently switched on. Communication will not be reduced to interaction among people, devices will also communicate with us and among themselves. As well as being able to control the home through various devices that are portable or even wearable, others that are embedded in the environment will deliver information of a different nature: from the contents of the fridge to the room temperature or the time someone arrives home.

There are several factors that can contribute to the successful introduction of mobile devices into the home environment. First among many comes the inclusive value that devices should allow for everybody's varying interaction modes (design for all) as well as the aesthetic components of objects - both factors that were neglected in the early days of home technology research but are now growing in importance.

In 1991, Mark Weiser expanded on the idea of ideal computers that are so embedded in everyday life that they are "indistinguishable from it". This idea of pushing the computer into the background, not only in an office environment but also in the home, has met with great acceptance, as this ubiquitous computer is no barrier to human communication and interaction, but in many cases facilitates them. The technological and social changes occurring in the late 80s and early 90s were precursors and building blocks for the introduction of modern computer-based technologies in the home. Automated household tasks, smart appliances and smart homes seem to be happening right now.

People are becoming used to and benefit from the speedy development in telecommunications, the demand for products is increasing and the possibilities offered by mobile devices allow for very comfortable ways of living. Home dwellers and especially disabled and elderly people can be provided with services such as remote operating appliances, home entertainment and other communication services that can bring comfort to these previously disadvantaged groups. Technology in the home environment can help people take control of their domestic life by reminding them about meetings, suppliers, tasks, by communicating with distant family members, by enabling them to work from home, helping them with their home management, saving energy, and perhaps in the future even optimizing resources. New portable devices can provide for the needs of a wide variety of users.

Difficulties in operating household appliances as well as in performing other daily chores are part of the effects - both sensory and cognitive - of growing older. Apart from economic factors and motivations, recent efforts in the development of hardware and software solutions to these problems with what is called assistive technology show the importance of improving the quality of life of older people and the disabled. Smart homes, telecare, telehealth and telemedicine are practical applications of technology in the home environment, all oriented to allow people to remain in their homes with a good quality of life. Memory aids and reminiscence exercises are examples of these possibilities. With assistive technology, older people can remain in their own homes longer, thus saving money on expensive state provided care. New technologies can also lessen the risks of accidental physical damage existing in the home environment, provide new answers to old problems and have an impact on a great concern of the elderly: safety.

In developing such technology-based services, the environment in which communication takes place has to be taken into account - if, for example, you have a call on the mobile phone, all other devices could automatically be silenced. Research must also consider how the social and physical context of the user informs the use of mobile devices, and what type of interaction is preferred. This depends not only on the user, but also on his environment and his tasks.

Multimodal interfaces can minimize the effect of any sensory loss experienced, whether it is due to circumstances (while in bed at night), temporal (as a result of accident or illness) or permanent, and help in getting all the information to the subject. They are easily attainable with new portable devices.

People with a sensory impairment learn to obtain information from a different sense, and they can benefit from the diverse output modalities by which their PDA or mobile phone can deliver whatever information is needed. Connectivity to the outside world as well as awareness of the immediate home environment can provide the user with valuable everyday information. The prevention of injuries due to the use of assistive technology and environmental interventions might also help to reduce health care costs.

A house suitable for older people has to meet various requirements, encompassing safety and security, comfort, communication and energy saving. The ultimate goal will be the development of homes that are not specially designed for older or disabled people but ones that accommodate people's needs as time goes by.

For this reason perhaps we are experiencing a growing interest in the aesthetics and the enjoyable aspects of the use of technology, in the office, at home and in public spaces. This is a natural move away from the functional aspects of technology that were formerly the focus of developers, towards an approach that dips into a more holistic view of using devices. The emotional aspects of the user experience should not be ignored. To achieve users' approval it is important to pay attention to the beauty, enjoyment and comfort that such devices can bring into their homes. The aesthetic component of interfaces has become a decisive tool for producers in attracting customers in a fiercely competitive market. Aesthetics not only refers to the perceived attractiveness and beauty of the interface, but also to its non-stigmatising value - ideally, a product designed for a specific clientele should be able to attract the general one as well.

Ubiquitous and pervasive computer systems will be used in tomorrow's home infrastructure to provide services that are aware of users' needs. New technologies can augment bodily functions and enable users to interact with their surroundings in new ways. They can also make disabled users amongst the major beneficiaries of these new advances, providing empowerment and independence. It is important that these new developments are not perceived as marginalising or stigmatizing but rather as "normalizing" tools and to see the social gains of the advances in ubiquitous communication as well as the individual psychological ones.

Older people expect and experience functional decline over time. However, they also hope that the rate of decline can be slowed, with institutional and certain in-home personnel costs reduced by the introduction of assistive technology and environmental interventions. The use of assistive technology will promote a greater functional independence. Ahead of us lies the opportunity to incorporate assistive technology into portable, ubiquitous devices in such a way that they are not perceived as "crutches" but as standard helpful features in newly developed objects inspired by emerging technology.

Are pleasant, personalized, portable devices the way forward in the home? I hope so. Perhaps not just in the home, everywhere.