Connecting unmet
needs with emerging
technologies
2400 Market Street, Suite 1-2
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103
International
Houseware Show
11.March.2012
Mathieu Turpault Director of Design
mturpault@bresslergroup.com
Rob Tannen Director of Research
rtannen@bresslergroup.com
Victor Bruzeau Designer
Vedang Kulkarni Designer
Augmented reality meets sketchup by Bruce Branit
Presenter’s Background
Rob Tannen PhD/ Director of research & interaction design / 16 years in
product + interface research for brands including Bosch and Thermador /
Certified Professional Ergonomist
Mathieu Turpault/ Partner and Director of Design / 15 years of product
development experience including Black&Decker and Hamilton Beach /
Industrial Design background / Focused on User Interface and Industrial Design
integration by process and Multi Sensory Brand Language (MSBL)
Contents
Houseware Show
Presentation
Connecting User Needs
and emerging technologies
11.March.2012
① Introductions
② Bresslergroup & our experience with housewares
③ User need research methodologies overview
④ Emerging technologies
⑤ Defining our users
⑥ Unmet user needs around the house
⑦ Wrap up & next steps
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Who We Are
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40 years of research driven product development experience
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Industrial Design, User Interface and Engineering services
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Consumer / Commercial / Medical markets
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International and multi-cultural staff
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Over 150 international patents and design awards
© Copyright 2012
Houseware Show
Presentation
Connecting User Needs
and emerging technologies
11.March.2012
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Houseware Expertise
Houseware Show
Presentation
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Long lasting relationships with globally trusted housewares brands
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Expertise in kitchen and cleaning appliances
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From small to large appliances
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Extensive user research in this market
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Connecting User Needs
and emerging technologies
11.March.2012
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Houseware Expertise
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Houseware Show
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Connecting User Needs
and emerging technologies
11.March.2012
Applica, SpaceMaker product line
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Houseware Expertise
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Houseware Show
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Connecting User Needs
and emerging technologies
11.March.2012
CleanCut, Automatic paper towel dispenser
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What We Do
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User Research
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Design
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Engineering
technical
innovation
Identify
unmet user
needs
Technical innovation
Track emerging technologies
Innovative products
Connecting Indoor and Outdoor IHHS 2010
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Project Goals
– Connecting associated indoor and outdoor activities
– Provide sustainable, energy efficient solutions
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Outcomes
– Presented trends at Housewares Show (2010)
– Conceptualized new ideas in appliance design focusing on sustainability and human factors
Kitchen 2.0 Research & Ideation IHHS 2011
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Project Goals
– Define emerging social trends and opportunities in kitchen and cooking-related behaviors
– Develop near-term concepts synthesizing user experience, sustainability, ergonomic and social trends
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Outcomes
– Conceptualized “MySpice” resource-sharing app
– Conceptualized new ideas in appliance design focusing on sustainability and human factors
User
Research
Methodologies
Research Methodologies
Ergonomic Assessment
Quantitative
Statistical/Conjoint Analysis
Surveys
Task Analysis
Generative
Market Research
Usability Testing
User Interviews
User-Generated Design
Ethnography
Evaluative
Attribute mappings
Qualitative
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Triangulated – pulling information from multiple research methods to identify gaps, opportunities & conflicts
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Sequenced – utilizing qual then quant research methods to first define the how , then the how much
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Actionable – translating researching findings into specific design challenges with measurable outcomes
Ethnographic Research
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Contextual field observation to learn how products are used in real-world tasks and environments
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Identifies gap between designers intent and consumers actual use
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Encompasses multiple dimensional including ergonomics, workflow, aesthetics and brand perception
Remote Ethnographic Research
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Remote version of contextual research; participants self-record activities prescribed by researcher
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Ideal for longitudinal studies and activities that take place over broader time/space periods
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Provides time/cost savings and improved geographical access
Concept Evaluation
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Above and beyond the traditional focus group - participatory design processes
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Hybrid methodology combines individual feedback or home-based research with follow-on group collaborations
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Covers multiple dimensional including ergonomics, workflow, aesthetics and brand perception
Emerging
Technologies
Emerging Technologies
Haptics
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Vibro-tactile feedback
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Multi-sensorial touch
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Computer and medical
Sophisticated user interface technologies
developed for smart phones and tablets as
well as complex medical equipment will find
its way into more mainstream products,
offering great opportunities for richer user
experiences.
Lack
Of
Sleep
Emerging Technologies
Bio-sensing
Brain wave-controlled video
games
Clothing application
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Photometric
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Electrochemical
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Contact Vs. wireless
A lot of wearable medical devices as well
as consumer wearable devices are
leveraging this technology to capture bio
data mostly for audit and prognosis
purposes. The technology is evolving from
contact technology to non-contact
technologies broadening the potential
applications
Cardio watches
Nike+ pressure sensor shoes
Emerging Technologies
Cloud computing
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Light computing (client)
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Servers at remote locations
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Information portability
Decentralization and delocalization of
computing will enable greater portability of
data and applications throughout the home.
Low-tech computing technology could be
added inexpensively to many devices
enhancing their core functionality
exponentially
Emerging Technologies
Touch sensitive surfaces
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Touchscreen
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Capacitive sensors
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Projected
This well established technology for
computer applications is venturing into new
potential applications where any surface
could be turned into a touch sensitive
surface. The maturing of these new
technologies will open up a lot of
opportunities around the house.
Emerging Technologies
Augmented reality
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Advances in computer technology
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3D Computer Aided Design (CAD)
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Becoming usable
Augmented reality has long been seen as
an awkward technology requiring complex
gears and equipment. Advanced in
computer technology and 3D modeling are
making this technology viable from a user
stand point through the use of standard
smart devices
Emerging Technologies
Tele presence
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Work video conferencing
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Working from home
While professional video conferencing
systems are adopted at work such as the
Cisco Tele-presence systems, software
solution such as Skype and Face-Time are
becoming ubiquitous at home. While still
confined to smart phones, tablets and
computers, we are likely to see an
expansion of usage enabled by cloud
computing
Defining
Our users
Meet the Parker family
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Houseware Show
Presentation
Connecting User Needs
and emerging technologies
11.March.2012
Kate and Peter are in their late 40s, early 50s and have 2 children, Jessi 13 and Ben 24.
Ben recently came back from college
Our focus today will be on Kate and Ben
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Houseware Show
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Meet the mom: Kate, 48
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Starved for time at home
Relies on kids to help out around the house
Social networking junkie
Connecting User Needs
and emerging technologies
11.March.2012
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Kate is happily married to Peter. They both have well establish white
collar jobs and work full time. Kate is a marketing manager for a midsize manufacturing company, her job is very demanding and she
tend to work an average of 50 hours a week.
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Time is a precious commodity around the Parker’s house and Kate
does not have much time to deal with life at home. She needs to rely
on Jessi and Ben to help out around the house.
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While Kate is approaching her 50s, she is an avid user of social
networking services such as Facebook and LinkedIn. This is largely a
consequence of her attempt to learn about these social networks for
the purpose of understanding her daughter’s aspirations and
attractions. She is constantly connected and cares very much about
her friends opinions and regularly checks with her girlfriends on trivial
matters.
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Houseware Show
Presentation
Meet the son: Ben, 24
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Is back home, not by choice
College education
Sense of entitlement
Connecting User Needs
and emerging technologies
11.March.2012
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Ben is a Millennial, he recently graduated from college but was force
to come back home as he was unable to find a job to leverage his
knowledge and capabilities. Ben is part of what's called the
boomerang generation, coming back to where they came from.
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Ben is highly educated, has always been very well taken care for. As
a millennial he has a sense that society and by extension his family
owes him back for all of his hard work.
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Returning home and helping out around the house is a difficult concept
for Ben to grasp because of his sense of entitlement
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Houseware Show
Presentation
Unmet Needs Identification
Waking up
Getting ready
Walking the dog
Daily chores
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A day in the life of the Parker family, looking specifically at Kate and Ben
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Unmet needs identified during multiple projects
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Tasks and areas that seemed to have received very little attention
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Connecting User Needs
and emerging technologies
11.March.2012
Dinner time
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Unmet
User needs
Houseware Show
Presentation
Waking up - 7:00
Problems & opportunities
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Difficulty waking up
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Tired during the day
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Low quality sleep
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Not sleeping enough
Connecting User Needs
and emerging technologies
11.March.2012
Haptics
Lack
Of
Sleep
The Bedroom has remained an area
hermetic to technology advances. With the
exception of alarm clocks but advances in
bio sensing and haptic offer a number of
Bio-Sensing
opportunities that could solve a number of
problems.
Waking Up Late
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Different Sleeping Habits
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Waking up – Smart Bed
Houseware Show
Presentation
Connecting User Needs
and emerging technologies
11.March.2012
Light therapy brightens the room on a schedule
consistent with the circadian rhythm
Wireless sensors sense
circadian sleep cycles
Heating and cooling can help in the process of
falling asleep or awakening
Vibro-tactile feedback vibrate
the bed for gentle awakening
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Using wireless bio-sensors to sense the circadian sleep cycles and adjust sleep patterns accordingly, leveraging vibrotactile feedback and temperature changes along with light therapy for a gentle awakening
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Waking up – Smart Bed
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Houseware Show
Presentation
Connecting User Needs
and emerging technologies
11.March.2012
Using wireless bio-sensors to sense the circadian sleep cycles and adjust sleep patterns accordingly, leveraging vibrotactile feedback and temperature changes along with light therapy for a gentle awakening
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Houseware Show
Presentation
Getting ready - 8:00 AM
Problems & opportunities
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Dressing up for work
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Dressing up with the weather
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What will others think?
Connecting User Needs
and emerging technologies
11.March.2012
Cloud computing
Getting ready for work can be a difficult
task for a number of people. Keeping track
of business meetings and the limited
number of business outfits available,
dressing in a weather appropriate way or
Augmented reality
making sure that others will vet our design
decisions are all issues that need to be
dealt with.
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Getting ready – Smart mirror
Face recognition software application
automatically adjusts the setting between users
to create personalized experiences
Social network input
Connection through social network site would
enable Kate to get a short selection of trusted
connections to comment and vote on outfit
options
Houseware Show
Presentation
Connecting User Needs
and emerging technologies
11.March.2012
Weather and calendar forecasts
Software applications can connect to daily
planner or weather forecast and generate
computerized predictions (learn as you go)
Virtual dressing 360
Digital wardrobe can be selected to be mapped
to Kate’s body image reflection for digital
dressing
Cloud computing connects all of your date and aggregates
information for a richer user experience
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The smart mirror can prepare prediction and suggestions based on personal preferences, weather conditions and
planned activities for the day facilitating the task of dressing up and expanding the use of the wardrobe
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Getting ready – Smart mirror
Delayed video output
This is not a mirror but a video feed. It detects
when Kate turns around 360 degrees and delays
the video feedback so that she can look at her
back or replay the spin back and forth
Houseware Show
Presentation
Connecting User Needs
and emerging technologies
11.March.2012
Biomorphic data acquisition
Smart applications can track general body
dimensions and make recommendations based
on body type and dimensions
Online shopping
Could develop standards for online clothing
digital format so that Kate can digitally try outfits
from her favorite retaillers
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The smart mirror can prepare prediction and suggestions based on personal preferences, weather conditions and
planned activities for the day facilitating the task of dressing up and expanding the use of the wardrobe
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Getting ready – Smart mirror
Connecting User Needs
and emerging technologies
Houseware Show
Presentation
11.March.2012
Benefits
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Virtual dressing
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Saves time
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Optimizes wardrobe usage
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Enables future online shopping
The smart mirror can prepare prediction and suggestions based on personal preferences, weather conditions and
planned activities for the day facilitating the task of dressing up and expanding the use of the wardrobe
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Walking the Dog - 11:00 AM
Problems & opportunities
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Lack of exercise
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Improper nutrition
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High cost of veterinary care
Houseware Show
Presentation
Connecting User Needs
and emerging technologies
11.March.2012
Bio-Sensing
Finding guidance on how to train, walk or
feed pets is a real issue for a number of pet
owners, one that could be solved by simple
existing technology solutions already
applied for human health tracking.
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Walking the Dog – Smart collar
Houseware Show
Presentation
Connecting User Needs
and emerging technologies
11.March.2012
Bio sensing
Heart monitoring and general vital signs tracking
And bluetooth connection to nearby smart
devices
Data logging
Stores information for
recommendations, trend
analysis and veterinarian
download
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App uses dog biometric data to inform the owner about the dog’s health and to motivate the owner to engage in activities
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Walking the Dog – Smart collar
Houseware Show
Presentation
Connecting User Needs
and emerging technologies
11.March.2012
Bio sensing
Heart monitoring and general vital signs tracking
And bluetooth connection to nearby smart
devices
Data logging
Stores information for
recommendations, trend
analysis and veterinarian
download
•
© Copyright 2012
App uses dog biometric data to inform the owner about the dog’s health and to motivate the owner to engage in activities
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Walking the Dog – Smart collar
Houseware Show
Presentation
Connecting User Needs
and emerging technologies
11.March.2012
Bio sensing
Heart monitoring and general vital signs tracking
And bluetooth connection to nearby smart
devices
Data logging
Stores information for
recommendations, trend
analysis and veterinarian
download
•
© Copyright 2012
App uses dog biometric data to inform the owner about the dog’s health and to motivate the owner to engage in activities
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Houseware Show
Presentation
Daily Chores - 5:00 PM
Problems & opportunities
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Lack of cleaning expertise
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Broad range of cleaning products
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No objective evaluation of effectiveness
Connecting User Needs
and emerging technologies
11.March.2012
Augmented reality
Cleaning around the house is perceived by
everyone as a chore, a repetitive task that
requires skills and attention to details. There
is a generational shift where housecleaning
skills are not being taught or transferred from
parents to children as much as it used to
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Daily Chores – Cleaning window
Houseware Show
Presentation
Connecting User Needs
and emerging technologies
11.March.2012
Augmented reality
The App lets Ben scan the room through the
augmented reality window of his smart device
Planning and To-Do lists
A cleaning and house chore schedule has been
created by Ben and Kate and Ben is being
reminded of the cleaning tasks he is to perform
that day
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Uses object identification to provide user with best practices for cleaning and maintenance
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Daily Chores – Cleaning window
Houseware Show
Presentation
Connecting User Needs
and emerging technologies
11.March.2012
Augmented reality
The App lets Ben scan the room through the
augmented reality window of his smart device
Planning and To-Do lists
A cleaning and house chore schedule has been
created by Ben and Kate and Ben is being
reminded of the cleaning tasks he is to perform
that day
•
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Uses object identification to provide user with best practices for cleaning and maintenance
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Daily Chores – Cleaning window
Houseware Show
Presentation
Connecting User Needs
and emerging technologies
11.March.2012
Augmented reality
The App lets Ben scan the room through the
augmented reality window of his smart device
Planning and To-Do lists
A cleaning and house chore schedule has been
created by Ben and Kate and Ben is being
reminded of the cleaning tasks he is to perform
that day
•
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Uses object identification to provide user with best practices for cleaning and maintenance
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Daily Chores – Cleaning window
Connecting User Needs
and emerging technologies
Houseware Show
Presentation
11.March.2012
Benefits
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Tech tool increased compliance
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How-to guides and tutorials
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Knowledge sharing
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Reward system
Uses object identification to provide user with best practices for cleaning and maintenance
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Dinner time - 8:00 PM
Houseware Show
Presentation
Connecting User Needs
and emerging technologies
11.March.2012
Problems & opportunities
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Work/home boundaries
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Over reliance on technology
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Lack of social interaction
As technology becomes more ubiquitous
around the home it becomes increasingly
difficult to maintain clear boundaries
between home and work. Tech devices are
used to keep kids occupied and
disconnecting them from their device can
lead to fights. The social interactions suffer
and family cohesion can be at risk
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Dinner time – Smart table
Houseware Show
Presentation
Connecting User Needs
and emerging technologies
11.March.2012
Wireless jamming
The table disables router wireless functionality
The rest of the house data transfer goes dead, it
is time to get diner together
Selective interactivity
Touch sensitive glass can display any content
but could also display a chosen wood veneer
look and feel for a more traditional dinning
experience
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The smart table is leveraging technology to increase and enhance social interactions
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Dinner time – Smart table
Houseware Show
Presentation
Connecting User Needs
and emerging technologies
11.March.2012
Communication
Content could be shared as talking point for the whole family
to communicate on news related matter
Selective interactivity
Individual content could be enabled but
controlled based on social interaction objectives
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The smart table is leveraging technology to increase and enhance social interactions
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Dinner time – Smart table
Houseware Show
Presentation
Connecting User Needs
and emerging technologies
11.March.2012
Tele-presence
Embedded and integrated technology can turn
this small dining table into a virtual friends and
family dining experience
Tele-presence
Dining with Grandpa or aunts and uncles
becomes easier and can increase social
interactions within larger family circles
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The smart table is leveraging technology to increase and enhance social interactions
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Dinner time – smart table
Connecting User Needs
and emerging technologies
Houseware Show
Presentation
11.March.2012
Benefits
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Technology for social interaction
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Controlled access to data
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Expanding beyond the close family
The smart table is leveraging technology to increase and enhance social interactions
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Next Steps
Watched her get dressed
We slept with Kate
Learned how to clean
Went running with Cricket
Had diner with the whole family
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Internal filtering of concepts based on value, feasibility and intellectual property factors
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Iterative design refinement and prototyping paired with consumer input and testing
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Full product development process through engineering and development
Takeaways
Houseware Show
Presentation
Connecting User Needs
and emerging technologies
11.March.2012
technical innovation
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Thank You.