A middleware for implicit interaction

Abstract

Achieving intuitive and seamless interaction with computational artifacts remains a cherished objective for HCI professionals. Many have a vested interest in the achievement of this objective as usability remains a formidable barrier to the acceptance of technology in many domains and by various groups within the general population. Indeed, the potential of computing in its diverse manifestations will not be realized fully until such time as communication between humans and computational objects can occur transparently and instinctively in all instances. One step towards achieving this is to harness the various cues that people normally use when communicating as such cues augment and enrich the communication act. Implicit interaction offers a model by which this may be understood and realized; however, implementing a solution that effectively harnesses implicit interaction is problematic. This chapter presents an intelligent middleware framework as a means for harnessing the disparate data sources necessary for capturing and interpreting implicit interaction events. © 2011 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.