Prototypes

Swarm Prototype Evolution

The evolution of the Swarm Prototypes are presented below. It had many incarnations that were used in a variety of contexts. Initially the designs embodied different elements of the Swarm until the final version which incorporated all the functionalities in one design.

Pre Swarm: Activity Aware Technology

Context is under user control in this prototype. This Activity Aware feature will inform the development of all future prototypes.

Pre-Swarm was the first prototype to be developed.It demonstrates how Pre-Swarm allows users to program contacts and apply contextual rules that would determine what information is embedded in the multiple avatars incoming callers see. It allowed the user to manage their digital presence in a manner that provided varying degrees of interaction with the actual device. This was embodied by ‘passive’ and ‘active’ scheduling.

Passive Scheduling
Passive scheduling means the user programs an avatar to convey what they are doing by displaying a specific avatar. Friends can then check the status of the avatar and decide if they wish to contact the person or not. For example, it might be inappropriate to call a person if it is Sunday morning and the avatar indicates they are asleep, or, if the avatar indicates they are on a date.

A certain amount of initial effort is required to program the avatars, especially if they are going to reveal different activities to incoming callers; however, once they are in place, the need for unnecessary real time interaction is reduced.

Passive scheduling can involve three degrees of user input:

Low level of involvement: The depiction of a general activity such as ‘work mode’ for weekdays or ‘leisure mode’ for weekends requires minimum effort on behalf of the user. The application of this type of avatar is a simple way for the user to provide a general sense of what they are doing. For example, ‘leisure mode’ would indicate to callers that that the person is free for the day and that they should get in touch if they want.
Medium level of involvement: The depiction of a short-term activity such as ‘at the movies’ requires more input from the users, however, indicating a specific activity can be of great benefit, giving serendipity a nudge for friends who may be in the vicinity and want to catch up.
High level of involvement: A direct message can be tailored for an incoming caller. This requires significantly more effort of behalf of the user; however, there is direct benefit if a person cannot answer their phone but needs to convey a specific message to an incoming caller.

Active Scheduling
The user selects an avatar, embeds it with a text and/or voice message if needed, and sends it to occupy another person’s mobile phone interface. This is active scheduling and is useful when the user wants to notify a person of an activity who might not otherwise call. It also cuts down on real time interaction.

Swarm+ A Buffer Between Connectivity and Contactability

Swarm++ concentrates on the user need for a buffer between connectivity and contactability. To address this problem Swarm+ acts as the first point of contact for visitors to the phone. The user's avatar greets the caller. In this sense the Swarm manages the incoming calls according to user profiles that have been set up by the owner of the phone.

Defining Rules and Creating Avatars
As with Pre-Swarm, a major concern for achieving the goals of Swarm++ was implementing a rule based systems for managing different categories of incoming callers. The use of ‘ripple down rules’ (Srinivasan, et al., 1991) helped to overcome this problem. Swarm++ allowed users to create their own avatars to represent their current activity However, it was noted that the applications should be able to operate across a number of platforms and not exclude users who only communicated through text based phones. Therefore, although Swarm++ was designed with graphical interfaces and audio systems for 3G and beyond devices, it would also work on more primitive phones, allowing the user to convey their activity trough the use of text or audio based systems

Multi-modality had the added advantage of allowing Swarm++ to work as a context specific device. For example, if the user was driving, audio only mode could be activated, if the user was in a theater, image without sound mode could be engaged.

An avatar embedded with icons displays specific information to incoming callers.

Demonstrates how the user sets up the rules by which incoming callers see the appropriate avatar. Also shows how the users can design their own avatars.

Demonstrates Context Appropriate Mode. For example, in this depiction of driving mode there are no graphics or text, only audio.

Summary
Both Pre-Swarm and Swarm++ worked smoothly in terms of providing users with a digital architecture that allowed the construction of a dynamic, shifting, personalized, digital identity. Further work is needed to create the interface that can facilitate the intersection between the user, the Swarm artefact and the construction of identity.

Malleable Swarm

Malleable-Swarm was developed in conjunction with Sony CSL Paris and demonstrated at SIGGRAPH 2005. It is a future convergence device merging Walkman and mobile phone, avatar-driven, mobile music system for ad-hoc shared listening. It allows people to create virtual identities, providing a means of finding friends and community.

A “sensor subsystem” - miniaturized force sensing resistors, accelerometers, and gyroscopes - detects wearers’ gestures while they listen to music. Communication happens not just through voice and text, but via sonic avatars. Friends log into the system to shape a common stream of music together. Social interactions drive digital content, empowering the user with the ‘face’ of their musical identity – creating the ‘social re-mix’.

"Atau Tanaka from Sony CSL Paris and Christine Satchell of Smart Internet Technology demonstrate Malleable Swarm, a community shared and avatar-driven mobile music system for sharing and remixing music among friends." Wired Magazine Digital News (2005).

THE SWARM: Colour Coded Presence Management

Colour coded Swarm Prototypes are augmented with icons for greater personalisation.

Main Screen (bottom icons) shows what my friends doing now.

Clicking on the bottom icons brings up a more detailed overview of what my contacts are doing.

Keeping track of what I am revealing to others.

Augmenting current activity with digital content

Content Enhanced Mobile Presence and Messaging System

This series of prototypes has evolved from the previous colour coded design and allows the user to represent their activity through more dynamic multi media content.

The main avatar represents the user's activity. In this case driving. Keep track of and manage what status and content is revealed to various contact by clicking on the associated tab.

The user cans how different things to different people. Here the user has set a social avatar for four contacts.

While simultaneously projecting work mode to seven colleagues.

The thumbnail jpg indicates that presence has been enhanced with digital content.

The addition of digital content allows for the sharing of experiences with those that cannot physically be there.

Current Swarm

The latest version of the Swarm couples back end functionality with front graphics.The Swarm facilitates the creation of activity based avatars that can be mapped onto ever-changing locations and everyday events. The user can provide their chosen friends with a continual account of their activities. As their contacts' status change they are continually updated via the icons at the bottom of the screen. Ultimately, this gives serendipity a nudge in the form of facilitating interactions with individuals or groups who may be in the same vicinity.

Future Swarm

The next Swarm will be developed by Leslie Nassar who created the first functioning prototype of the Swarm. Updates to follow soon.