Sensors (Jul 2012)

Harnessing the Interaction Continuum for Subtle Assisted Living

  • Xavier Alamán,
  • Pablo Haya,
  • Fernando Olivera,
  • Manuel García-Herranz

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/s120709829
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 12, no. 7
pp. 9829 – 9846

Abstract

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People interact with each other in many levels of attention, intention and meaning. This Interaction Continuum is used daily to deal with different contexts, adapting the interaction to communication needs and available resources. Nevertheless, computer-supported interaction has mainly focused on the most direct, explicit and intrusive types of human to human Interaction such as phone calls, emails, or video conferences. This paper presents the results of exploring and exploiting the potentials of undemanding interaction mechanisms, paying special attention to subtle communication and background interaction. As we argue the benefits of this type of interaction for people with special needs, we present a theoretical framework to define it and propose a proof of concept based on Augmented Objects and a color codification mechanism. Finally, we evaluate and analyze the strengths and limitations of such approach with people with cognitive disabilities.

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