Exploring SCI as Means of Interaction through the Design Case of Vacuum Cleaning Lasse Legaard 201205397@post.au.dk Josephine Raun Thomsen 201205384@post.au.dk Christian Hannesbo Lorentzen 20117411@post.au.dk Jonas Peter Techen 201205399@post.au.dk Abstract This paper explores the opportunities for incorporating shape changing properties into everyday home appliances. Throughout a design research approach the vacuum cleaner is used as a design case with the overall aim of enhancing the user experience by transforming the appliance into a sensing object. Three fully functional prototypes were developed in order to illustrate how shape change can fit into the context of our homes. The shape changing functionalities are: 1) a digital power button that supports dynamic affordances, 2) an analog handle that mediates the amount of dust particles through haptic feedback and 3) a body that behaves in a lifelike manner dependent on the user treatment. We report the development and implementation of the functional prototypes as well as technical limitations and initial user reactions on the prototypes. Permission to make digital or hard copies of all or part of this work for personal or classroom use is granted without fee provided that copies are not made or distributed for profit or commercial advantage and that copies bear this notice and the full citation on the first page. Copyrights for components of this work owned by others than ACM must be honored. Abstracting with credit is permitted. To copy otherwise, or republish, to post on servers or to redistribute to lists, requires prior specific permission and/or a fee. Request permissions from permissions@acm.org. TEI 16, February 14-17, 2016, Eindhoven, Netherlands. Copyright 2016 ACM ISBN/978-1-4503-3582-9/16/02 $15.00. http://dx.doi.org/10.1145/2839462.2856540 Author Keywords Shape Changing Interfaces; Home Appliances; Design Research; Prototyping ACM Classification Keywords H.5.m [Information interfaces and presentation (e.g., HCI)]: Miscellaneous
Introduction Shape-changing interfaces (SCI) have been an emerging field of research over the past years. Developments within materials, electronic components, and fabrication processes have promoted the still rapid growth within the field [4]. As a result of this, many different types of shape change have been illustrated by recent research taking the experience of using a physical interface to a completely new level. But due to many efforts being made without the progress being questioned, other researchers have found the need to compare and contrast the work within the SCI community. Rasmussen et al. [7] contribute with an outline of the field and further raises important research questions. Because, even though much progress has been made, the work seems to "forget" to articulate the design aim of the work, i.e. why SCI should be pursued over other types of interfaces. With the intent of making a useful and usable shape-changing interface we investigate the design space of existing home appliances, namely vacuum cleaners, which are already ubiquitous in our society. The domestic canister model has been part of our daily lives since the early 20th century, and redesign up till now has mainly been focused on improving suction power and filtration [1]. Taking other perspectives on improving efficiency could therefore lead to a different utilization of the vacuum cleaner and reveal new and exciting design possibilities. Related work Reviewing earlier work illustrating novel use of SCI properties, Rasmussen et al. [7] present a vocabulary for defining and characterizing the experience using SCI. Throughout this paper, the vocabulary provided by Rasmussen et al. will be used in order to evaluate different aspects of our prototypes. These characteristics will therefore serve as the premise for defining our work as shape changing. Rasmussen et al. define different types of purposes SCI can be designed with. Primary functional purposes can be to communicate information in a more efficient and expressive manner, use dynamic affordances to communicate possible actions, and provide haptic feedback to give a sense of tactility [7, p. 740]. Recent work has explored how dynamic affordances can be used to give intuitive clues of how to use the product. For example, Harrison and Hudson have explored how smart memory materials can be used to provide dynamic tactile features to physical buttons and thereby change the nature of touch interfaces [6, p. 299]. In their research, the use of shape change to provide haptic feedback as a means to augment tactility, was also investigated. Focus of designing SCI can also be on non-instrumental goals such as aesthetics or emotions [7, p. 741]. An example of a hedonic aim that portrays emotions is the Thrifty Faucet [8], which seeks reflective dialogue with the user by moving in a lifelike manner. However, the aim of the Thrifty Faucet is not completely aesthetic, as the emotional response the faucet engenders are used as a way to induce user reflections about water consumption. This illustrates that the outcome of expressing emotions through SCI can be used to create awareness in the user s everyday life. Based on the notions of SCI, we explore how novel relations between purpose and input/output configurations can establish a foundation for enhanced user experiences of actively engaging household tasks such as vacuum cleaning. Research focus The underpinning of this paper is to explore the promise for researchers and designers to work within the field of SCI through a design research-oriented approach. In this regard the paper serves as an illustrative example of how properties of shape change can be integrated into home appli-
ances. By exploring the specific design case of the vacuum cleaner, the overall purpose is to investigate how the vacuum cleaner can be experienced as a sensing object by the user, communicating information about the usage and its internal state. The three developed shape changing functionalities explore both functional and hedonic purposes, as well as digital and analog types of output. Overall, each prototype has a specific aim: 1) Provide information to the user when needed, 2) improve the usability and 3) make the user reflect upon usage. Through our design research, these aims have led to an exploration of how dynamic affordances, haptic feedback, and the role of the relationship between the user and the technology, can be used to accomplish a more beneficial usage situation. keeping some of the tactile properties that reside in a physical interface. We want to provide what Coelho et al. call "just-in-time affordance" [3] by changing the layout of the interface to reflect possible (inter)actions. The button appears when needed, and is otherwise hidden from the user. The visibility of the button is therefore incorporated into the workflow, i.e. the button appears when the cord is pulled out and disappears when it is rolled in. Design process Figure 1: Visual overview of design process divided into main phases For an overview of the iterative design process see Figure 1. Initially, we explored the design space through mood boards reflecting various shapes, materials, and forms, in order to establish an initial understanding of the shape changing opportunities. Our ideation process was mediated by experience prototypes that helped us gain first-hand appreciation of different types of shape change [2]. In continuation of the ideation process we explored transitions through rapid mockups. Investigations of how the desired shape change could be implemented were achieved by illustrating how mechanisms and hardware components could be integrated as an overall architecture. Furthermore, various materials were tested in order to find the ones best suited for the intended shape change transitions. A video showing all three prototypes can be found at: https://youtu.be/y9gobojl8qe Button-prototype supporting dynamic affordances The digital button-prototype endeavours to embody the qualities of flexible interfaces, such as a touchscreen, while Figure 2: Power button-prototype supporting dynamic affordances The exterior of the prototype consists of a laser cut wood container with a sheet of latex stretched over the top, in order to create a flexible surface (see Figure 2). Inside the container is: an Arduino Leonardo microcontroller, a 100mm linear actuator, a foam hemisphere button with a momentary switch, attached strips of NeoPixels, and a microswitch that is used to control the linear actuator when the cord is pulled. The foam button is attached on top of the linear actuator and pushed up into the flexible surface illustrating a form change. The linear actuator was chosen as it can actuate up into the latex surface and be pressed without unintentionally retracting. Handle-prototype mediating intake of dust particles The aim of the handle-prototype is to enhance the sensation of vacuum cleaning by mediating the intake of dust particles. Using texture change [7], the prototype strives to
communicate this information by translating the satisfactory auditive feedback of hoovering particles into physical movements, thus making a sensory translation. Through rotary movements the handle gently strokes the palm of the user s hand when dust particles are consumed. The frequency between each rotation is directly coupled to the amount of dust particles consumed. The user can thereby directly map the rotation speed to his/her action and thus use the handle as guidance for optimizing his/hers hoovering. In order to find an appropriate transition between each rotation several transitional patterns as well as different shapes of cams were designed (see Figure 1). Body-prototype reacting to poor user treatment Contrary to the button and handle prototypes, the focus of the the body-prototype was on more aesthetic aims, as we with this prototype seek to raise awareness of the everyday use of the electronic appliance in the spirit of Dunne and Raby s critical design approach [5]. Thus, elements of critique and provocation were intentionally incorporated. If the user exposes the body of the vacuum cleaner to impacts, e.g. by tossing it around, the body will make a silent protest by retracting its wheels, thereby transforming its overall form from a sphere-like shape into a hemisphere. Furthermore, this transformation will loosen the "skin" of the body with the intention of giving a sloppy and lazy appearance as a response to unfair and poor treatment. Inspired by the Thrifty Faucet [8], human kinetics serves as catalyst for entering a dialogue and a potential negotiation with the user. Thus, with a lifelike movement we seek to ascribe personality traits with the overall purpose of awakening empathy as an emotion [7]. To make up for the poor treatment the user can gently stroke the body as a sign of regret, making the prototype transform back into its initial form. Figure 3: Handle-prototype mediating the intake of dust particles The prototype consists of several 3D printed parts, a continuous rotation servo, and an Arduino Leonardo microcontroller (see Figure 3). The main part is a cylinder with rectangular shaped holes, which resembles the handle of the vacuum cleaner. Inside the handle is an octagon-shaped bar mounted, going all the way across with eight cams attached at 45 degrees offset. The continuous rotation servo is fastened at the end of the handle and connected to the bar. Rotating the bar causes the cams to "pop out" and stroke the palm of the user s hand in a spiral-like pattern giving the sense of being able to feel the vortex inside the hose of the vacuum cleaner. Figure 4: Body-prototype inspired by Critical Design The prototype is constructed of two 3D printed shells able to slide into each other with a smooth fit creating an organic shape (see Figure 4). Inside is an accelerometer and a
50mm linear actuator mounted, both connected to an Arduino Leonardo microcontroller. The prototype is covered with blue fabric resembling the intended viscosity of the surface. The linear actuator was chosen because of the strong lifting capabilities as it must be able to lift the upper part of the shell. The shells were 3D printed due to durability concerns as the prototype must be able to withstand rough handling. 3D printing also ensures relatively lightweight parts which is essential for the shape change transition to occur properly. However, it had to be printed in a 1:3 ratio due to capacity limitations of the 3D printer. Reflection on prototypes Early iterations of the prototypes raised important question of how to build something that is in fact shape changing with relatively simple mechanical components. We discovered that the material of the surface is paramount in order to create an experience that is perceived as shape change and not simply a mechanical robotic movement. The handle prototype serves as a good example of compromises that result from this design challenge, as we initially covered the handle in fabric, and later, latex, in order to avoid a mechanical experience. However, adding "skin" meant that so much friction was added that the servo stopped rotating when the handle was grabbed. This is naturally a technical limitation that could possibly be overcome with other components. On the other side, it is also a possibility to increase the granularity of the cams creating the experience of a transforming surface, without the need to cover it up. Regarding the body-prototype, compromises were made that undoubtedly affected the user experience. Due to the shape of the actuator and the size/shape of our 3D printed model, this prototype embody an unintended cuteness and fragility. Thus, it does not express the rigidity of the body of a vacuum cleaner, making it difficult to treat as such. Initial user evaluation All three prototypes were demonstrated as a part of an expo for 15 users (2 female, 13 male). The spontaneous emotions displayed by the users were observed and reported. Testing the button-prototype, all users pulled the cord before expecting any other action. When the button appeared the user s attention was immediately caught, and several users tried it over and over again, indicating that revealing and hiding the button gave some sort of visual stimulation and can guide the users workflow. With the handleprototype almost all users immediately wrapped their hands around it, displaying spontaneous emotions like giggling, and encouraging others to try it because "it felt funny". All users were able to distinguish between the fast and slow rotations, in the different patterns, indicating that haptic feedback could complement the auditive feedback and thereby strengthen usability. Regarding the body-prototype, users began to stroke it even before it showed any shape change. When encouraged to push it, some users showed transcendent feelings explaining that it was too little and cute, indicating affection for the prototype. This underlines our initial goal of making the user treat the vacuum cleaner with respect. Discussion and conclusion Overall, all three prototypes received positive feedback from the users and we saw no sign of irritation when evaluating the prototypes. Instead all prototypes were approached with curiosity in an investigative manner. Especially, initial user reactions revealed potential for integrating tactility to provide haptic information as a novel type of interaction with actively engaging home appliances such as the vacuum cleaner. However, at current stage all three prototypes exist separately, and the prototypes will therefore need to be integrated in one overall prototype in order to let users experience the interaction of the functionalities holistically. This
will enable us to evaluate the more functional purposes, such as providing dynamic affordances during the workflow, in a more sufficient way. Future work should therefore explore integration of several shape changing functionalities in one product. A long term evaluation will also take the context of the home and the everyday practice into account, which will help us investigate how a shape changing vacuum cleaner can be integrated into the actual home context and whether intimate relationships can be formed between the user and the appliance. During our process we encountered several technical limitations, which had big impacts on the overall experience of the functionalities. These limitations were especially profound when working with narrow spaces such as the handle of the vacuum cleaner, the materials of the shape changing surface and the size of the shape changing object. Overall, three working prototypes were designed and developed by combining parameters such as purpose, shape, input/output configurations, and transitions of transformation. The prototypes serve as illustrations of how shape change can become a part of people s everyday lives serving both functional and hedonic purposes. Even though this pragmatic approach resulted in, to some degree, unintended experiences as technical compromises were made, we would recommend this approach for exploring and evaluating SCI in a more contextual way focusing on delivering actual value through shape change. REFERENCES 1. 2015. Vacuum Cleaner Wikipedia. (2015). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/vacuum_cleaner. 2. Marion Buchenau and Jane Fulton Suri. 2000. Experience prototyping. In Proceedings of the 3rd conference on Designing interactive systems: processes, practices, methods, and techniques. ACM, 424 433. 3. Marcelo Coelho, Hiroshi Ishii, and Pattie Maes. 2008. Surflex: a programmable surface for the design of tangible interfaces. In CHI 08 extended abstracts on Human factors in computing systems. ACM, 3429 3434. 4. Marcelo Coelho and Jamie Zigelbaum. 2011. Shape-changing interfaces. Personal and Ubiquitous Computing 15, 2 (2011), 161 173. 5. Anthony Dunne. 2008. Hertzian tales: Electronic products, aesthetic experience, and critical design. The MIT Press. 6. Chris Harrison and Scott E Hudson. 2009. Providing dynamically changeable physical buttons on a visual display. In Proceedings of the SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems. ACM, 299 308. 7. Majken K Rasmussen, Esben W Pedersen, Marianne G Petersen, and Kasper Hornbæk. 2012. Shape-changing interfaces: a review of the design space and open research questions. In Proceedings of the SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems. ACM, 735 744. 8. Jonas Togler, Fabian Hemmert, and Reto Wettach. 2009. Living interfaces: the thrifty faucet. In Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference on Tangible and Embedded Interaction. ACM, 43 44.