Testing the Usability of the SEEU System

Seth Holloway, PhD CandidateChristine Julien, PhD

The University of Texas at AustinIRB#2010-02-0052

Materials Present

• In front of you, you should see several items:– Cover letter– Consent form– A laptop computer– Six Sun SPOT devices

Consent Form

• Please read and sign the consent form now.• If you do not wish to participate, you may

withdraw now.

This Study

• We are learning how people use a prototype aware home system, SEEU

• SEEU - Sensor Enablement for End-Users• You will be creating “policies” to govern the

actions of devices in smart homes.• As you proceed through these tasks, it may be

helpful to imagine that you are interacting with your own smart home.

A Brief Introduction

• Computing began with mainframes, then personal computing

• We are now in the third age of computing, pervasive computing– Characterized by many computers per person– Can be seen in practice with laptop and tablet

computers, cellular phones, etc – More sensors and actuators will be available soon– Currently, there is no standard for creating pervasive

computing applications

Smart Homes

• Smart homes are a very promising pervasive computing application

• Computers embedded in the environment can automate common tasks to provide improved convenience, comfort, energy efficiency and security

• Home automation for the elderly/disabled can provide increased quality of life for persons who otherwise require caregivers

Sensors

Sensor – a device that takes a readingExamples:– Thermometer (temperature sensor)– Light sensor– Clock (time sensor)– Tiltometer (3D orientation sensor)– Motion detector

Actuators

Actuator – a device that performs a commandExamples:– Thermostat– Lights– Fan– Blinds– Alarm

Rules

Rule – a mapping between sensor readings and actuator commands

Example:– If it is dark, turn on the lights– If the light sensor reading is low, change light

command to on

Disclaimer

If you have questions, ask. This is not a test of your abilities. Your participation is greatly appreciated!

NOTE: Web page values will not update automatically—you will need to refresh the page (command+r or icon on the address bar)

Available Devices

In these examples, imagine you are controlling devices in your home.You have data from a• temperature sensor,• light sensor, and• tiltometer (think of it as the

angle of your front door)

You can control the • fan, • alarm, and• air conditioner

Smart Home System

You will be exercising the functionality of a smart home with three basic actions

• Edit• Delete• CreatePerformed on sensors, sensor readings,

actuators, actuator commands, and rules.

Task 1a

• Edit an existing sensor • For example, change the name or description

Task 1b

• Edit an existing actuator• For example, change the name or description

Task 2a

• Create a new sensor• For example, a sensor that reports presence

(think motion detector)

Task 2b

• Create a new actuator• For example, automated window blinds that

can be remotely raised and lowered

Task 3a

• Create a new sensor reading

Task 3b

• Edit an actuator command

Task 4

• Manipulate sensor inputs to trigger a rule• Or describe why a rule was already triggered

Task 5

• Delete and recreate a rule

Task 6a

• Create a new rule from scratch

Task 6b

• Manipulate sensor inputs to trigger your newly created rule

Tasks complete!

• Please complete the post-test questionnairehttp://localhost:3000/feedback

Thank you

• Have a great day!