TY - GEN
T1 - Nurturing natural sensors
AU - Kuznetsov, Stacey
AU - Odom, William
AU - Pierce, James
AU - Paulos, Eric
PY - 2011
Y1 - 2011
N2 - Sensing has played a significant role in the evolution of ubiquitous computing systems, enabling many of today's compelling interactive and ubiquitous experiences. In this paper, we argue for expanding the current landscape of sensing to include living organisms such as plants and animals, along with traditional tools and digital devices. We present a field study of ten individuals who routinely work with living organisms such as plants, fish, reptiles and bees, and rely on these organisms as well as analog instruments and digital sensors to infer environmental conditions and inform future actions. Our findings offer a new perspective on everyday biomarkers, and we use the lens of organic and non-digital sensing to reflect on current sensing paradigms in ubiquitous computing. We conclude with three opportunity areas to help frame future work in ubiquitous sensing: (1) incorporating traditional technologies and living systems into ubiquitous sensing applications, (2) developing information technologies that teach new ways of 'seeing', and (3) supporting richer forms of metadata to unite stakeholders through their actions, interests and concerns.
AB - Sensing has played a significant role in the evolution of ubiquitous computing systems, enabling many of today's compelling interactive and ubiquitous experiences. In this paper, we argue for expanding the current landscape of sensing to include living organisms such as plants and animals, along with traditional tools and digital devices. We present a field study of ten individuals who routinely work with living organisms such as plants, fish, reptiles and bees, and rely on these organisms as well as analog instruments and digital sensors to infer environmental conditions and inform future actions. Our findings offer a new perspective on everyday biomarkers, and we use the lens of organic and non-digital sensing to reflect on current sensing paradigms in ubiquitous computing. We conclude with three opportunity areas to help frame future work in ubiquitous sensing: (1) incorporating traditional technologies and living systems into ubiquitous sensing applications, (2) developing information technologies that teach new ways of 'seeing', and (3) supporting richer forms of metadata to unite stakeholders through their actions, interests and concerns.
KW - biomarkers
KW - sensors
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=80054058324&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=80054058324&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1145/2030112.2030144
DO - 10.1145/2030112.2030144
M3 - Conference contribution
AN - SCOPUS:80054058324
SN - 9781450309103
T3 - UbiComp'11 - Proceedings of the 2011 ACM Conference on Ubiquitous Computing
SP - 227
EP - 236
BT - UbiComp'11 - Proceedings of the 2011 ACM Conference on Ubiquitous Computing
T2 - 13th International Conference on Ubiquitous Computing, UbiComp'11 and the Co-located Workshops
Y2 - 17 September 2011 through 21 September 2011
ER -