2. Nitin Sawhney and Chris Schmandt Nomadic Radio: Scaleable and Contextual Notification for Wearable Audio Messaging

3. Presentation Overview Interruptions in the Workplace? Problems with Messaging Devices today Nomadic Radio: wearable audio messaging Usage scenario : [ video ] Scaleable Auditory Presentation Contextual Notification Model Preliminary Evaluations Conclusions and Future Work

4. Messaging in the Workplace Pitney Bowes ‘98 Messaging Stress Study* –Messaging at the core of most business processes –Average workers send/receive 190 messages/day –Shift to “time-delayed” communication, increased messaging –72% work asynchronously and 60% overwhelmed –Difficulty discriminating urgent messages * Pitney Bowes: Stamford CT, May 18, 1998

5. Messaging in the Workplace Pitney Bowes ‘98 Messaging Strategies? –Block out calendar time for messaging –Turn off tools temporarily –Leverage support people and systems –Ask Recipients how they prefer to receive information* * Stefan Marti, Active Messenger, MIT Media Lab

6. Interruptions in the Workplace HP Labs ‘95 observational study* –Analysis of “Timespace” and Interruptions –Extracted 125 interruptions from 29 hours of video data –Subjects interrupted over 4 times/hr (10 mins spent/hr) –Face-to-face + telephone calls (20 %) –Some benefit to Recipient - 64% of interruptions (both 43%) –41% interruptions: recipients didn't resume prior work * Conaill & Frohlich, CHI ’95

7. Interruptions in the Workplace HP Labs ‘95 Study Suggestions –Turning off / ignoring messaging minimizes benefits –Most communication technologies increase interruptions –Complexity rather than duration makes it more disruptive –Need very light-weight filtering mechanisms –Move interruptions to asynchronous communication media

8. Problems with Messaging Devices Today Lack of Differentiation in Notification Cues Minimal Awareness of User & Environment No Learning from Prior Interactions Lack of Coordinated Notifications

9. Messaging in Nomadic Devices Temporal Connectivity Transaction Overhead Richness of Modality Situational Awareness Active Use Peripheral Awareness Text Audio Video Haptic Async Sync Active Sensing

10. Active Use Peripheral Awareness Text Audio Video Haptic Async Sync Active Sensing Messaging in Nomadic Radio Temporal Connectivity Transaction Overhead Richness of Modality Situational Awareness * Related Work: Beth Mynatt, Audio Aura, CHI’98

11. Nomadic Radio: wearable audio messaging Audio Cues for Notification Voice Recognition for Navigation and Control Spatial Audio for Simultaneous Listening "New short personal message from Chris about Lets have Lunch …” Synthetic Speech for Feedback Ambient Sound for Awareness Nortel Soundbeam Neckset * Related Work: Lisa Stifelman, VoiceNotes, CHI’93

12. Scaleable presentation "Hi mom, its Kathy." "new voice msg from Kathy." "Hi mom, its Kathy. Can you pick me up early from school today?" Silence Ambient Audio CuesPreviewFull BodyForegroundSummary "Hi mom, its Kathy. Can you pick me up early from school today?" Progressive Scaling of Incoming Messages

13. Auditory awareness and feedback Audio Cues for Notification Message Priority " Weekly Meeting..." Group Email Voice message Personal Email Event reminder "New message from Hiroshi Ishii..." "This is ABC News, I'm TimO'Donald..." "Hi this is Pattie" VoiceCue 0.5secs. Background Ambient Audio Stream Ambient Stream flowing faster during downloads News Summary Group Email 1 sec. 3 secs.10-15 secs. PriorityFeedbackAwarenessIdentification * Related Work: Gaver (CHI’91), Cohen ‘94, Hudson (CHI’96), Mynatt (CHI’98)

14. BBC Video + Usage Scenario

15. Nomadic Radio: wearable audio messaging Audio Cues for Notification Voice Recognition for Navigation and Control Spatial Audio for Simultaneous Listening "New short personal message from Chris about Lets have Lunch …” Synthetic Speech for Feedback Ambient Sound for Awareness Nortel Soundbeam Neckset

16. Contextual Notification Active Use Group Timely Usage Level Auditory Awareness Sleep Message Priority Ambient Noise User Speaking

17. Contextual Notification Active Use Group Timely Usage Level Sleep Message Priority Ambient Noise User Speaking Auditory Awareness

18. Message Priority CLUES* Filter Incoming Message Priority Level Calendar Rolodex Recent Emails Static Filtering Rules Dynamic Rules { Timely, Important, Personal, Group … } * CLUES: Matt Marx, CHI’96

19. Contextual Notification Active Use Group Timely Usage Level Sleep Message Priority Ambient Noise User Speaking Auditory Awareness

20. Contextual Notification Active Use Group Timely Usage Level Sleep Message Priority Ambient Noise User Speaking Auditory* Awareness * Collaborative work with Brian Clarkson, PUI’98

21. Contextual Notification Active Use Group Timely Usage Level Sleep Ambient Noise User Speaking Audio Cue Message Priority Auditory Awareness Notification Scale

22. Contextual Notification Active Use Group Timely “Hello Nitin …” Notification Scale Usage Level Auditory Awareness Sleep Message Priority Ambient Noise User Speaking

23. Notification Scenario

24. Dynamic Adaptation Jane sips coffee Jane deactivates email message Jane activates voice message Group Very Important Timely Personal "group msg..." "hi mom" Group No Action Weights unchanged NegativePositive Adaptation of notification weights based on Jane’s actions while listening to messages

25. Preliminary Evaluation Two users (2-3 weeks) - experience /w pagers & cell-phones Listening while attending to other tasks in parallel Reduced concentration if message spoken while in conversation Disruption to others vs. Social cues Needed adaptive volume gain in changing environments

26. Preliminary Evaluation Unfolding presentation provided time to switch attention Required familiarization with auditory cues Preference for gradual notifications rather than auditory tones Ambient audio provided reassurance and expressive channel Overall auditory scheme complex, must learn or simplify Needed ability to interrupt message easily –Added Anticipatory Voice Window during incoming message

27. Conclusions & Future Work Key Design Issue: Handling Interruptions Gracefully in Nomadic Environments A Scaleable and Contextual Model is Feasible Application of such a model on everyday devices –PDA’s, Pagers, Cell-phones, Driving Future Research: –Machine Learning Techniques for Notification Model –Interaction Techniques for Synchronous Communication* * Thunderwire: Debby Hindus, coming up next!

28. Nitin Sawhney and Chris Schmandt http://www.media.mit.edu/~nitin/NomadicRadio/ Nomadic Radio: Scaleable and Contextual Notification for Wearable Audio Messaging