Esteves, A. & Oakley I. 2010. Mementos: A Tangible Interface Supporting Travel. In Proceedings of the 6th Nordic Conference on Human-Computer interaction (NordiCHI 2010), Reykjavik, Iceland, October 16 – 20, 2010, pp. 643-646. [download] [more info]
Thesis
The thesis was presented on the 23rd of July of 2010, to a jury composed of Professor Ian Oakley, Professor Jos van Leeuwen, and Professor Leonel Nóbrega. It was classified with an 18 out of 20, and was the winner of the Fraunhofer Portugal Challenge 2010.
Abstract
Tangibles User Interfaces (TUIs) have matured to a point where they can be considered as an established area of Human-Computer Interaction research. Despite this, most TUIs are built to address very particular tasks found normally in research labs, kindergartens, or specific work environments. This dissertation contributes with the design and implementation of two Tangible Interfaces that tackle common problems of typical users – Mementos, a TUI for tourists and travelers, and Eco Planner, a TUI that focuses on sustainability. Finally, this dissertation also reviews the theories on Embodied Cognition, opening the discussion on the possibility of using them as core to new frameworks or guidelines to aid TUI developers in creating systems that feel more like real world tools.
