As computing becomes more ubiquitous in our objects, designers need to be more aware of how to design meaningful interactions into electronically enhanced objects. At the University of Washington, a class of junior Interaction Design majors is exploring this question. These pages chronicle their efforts.

Friday, October 12, 2018

Sensing Ideas

Based on previous discussion we decided to pursue our interactive bar seating idea. On a basic level, we are seeking to create a bar seat that will be able to detect when it is being occupied– even if the user has stepped away.

In order to achieve this we are planning to focus on detecting two things: weight and the presence of a cell phone. Currently, we are keeping the following sensors in mind:

Weight- this will provide the most immediate and obvious information: is the user physically sitting in the chair at that moment? This variable may affect the way the seat behaves (whether it is trying to save the seat or welcome a new customer).

Near field communication (NFC)- Most everyone brings their phone to a bar so this is a reliable signal to detect. However, we don’t want to overcomplicate the naturally simple task of sitting in a chair. NFC will allow users to tap their device on a surface and then carry on with their experience.

Lastly, we are exploring the incorporation of Bluetooth capabilities. Also utilizing the user’s phone, this option could allow us to create a social space. While we want to facilitate the process of a chair detecting and providing information on whether or not it is being occupied we don’t want to eliminate social interaction between customers. Because of this we are exploring possibilities of having optional games or conversation starters to encourage interaction.

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