Attention and Memory in Wearable Interfaces

January 13, 2003 (Monday)
MIT Media Laboratory E15-054
Cambridge, MA USA

Who

Researchers working in wearable HCI and cognitive science. Professor Daniel Schacter, chair of Harvard psychology department, will be giving the keynote talk on the "Seven Sins of Memory".

What

A workshop focusing on attention and memory in wearable interfaces.

When

Monday, 13 January 2003.

Where

MIT Media Laboratory E15-054
Cambridge, MA USA

Lab: MIT Media Lab
Building: E15
Room: 054

Why

As interfaces become more intimate and less constrained by setting or task, the cognitive factors of human computer interaction become increasingly important. Attention and memory are two of the most important and interesting cognitive factors in wearable computing interface design.

Deadlines

Please RSVP by December 13, 2002.

Organizers

Thad Starner <thad@cc.gatech.edu> and Rich DeVaul <rich@media.mit.edu>

Sponsors

DARPA, Georgia Tech , and MIT

Media Lab Directions

Official Media Lab Directions

Hotel Links

Cambridge Marriott
2 Cambridge Center
Broadway and Third Street
Cambridge, MA 02142
(617) 494 6600
(617) 494 0036 fax

The Kendall Hotel
350 Main St.
Cambridge, MA 02142
(617) 577 1300
(617) 577 1377 fax

MIT University Park Hotel
20 Sidney Street
Cambridge, MA 02139
617 577 0200
617 494 8366 fax

Best Western Homestead Inn
(less expensive; short walk and 30 minute subway ride from site)
220 Alewife Brook Parkway
Cambridge, MA 02138
(617) 491 8000
(617) 491 4932 fax

Cambridge Gateway Inn (formerly Suisse Chalet Inn)
(cheapest; short walk and 30 minute subway ride from site)
211 Concord Turnpike (Rt 2)
Cambridge, MA 02138
(617) 661 7800

Overview

ATTENTION: Wearable computer interfaces have tremendous potential to enhance memory, communication, and provide cognitive support for a wide range of tasks. Unlike desktop interfaces, wearable computer interfaces are often used while the wearer is performing some other, more primary, task in the physical world. The inherent "dual task" nature of wearable use is reminiscent of classic and modern cognitive science experiments in divided attention. What can wearable interface designers learn from cognitive science to guide the design of low-distraction wearable interfaces for high cognitive load situations? How can we present information and choices to the user while minimizing the distraction and maximizing utility? Is there a theoretical lower bound on the cognitive load of an interaction? Is it possible or desirable to spread cognitive load over time to minimize instantaneous distraction?

MEMORY: Several wearable computer designs have been proposed to augment memory, both during the encoding and the retrieval process. However, could such interfaces accidentally inhibit memory mechanisms by requiring additional cognitive load? Can we exploit more esoteric phenomena, such as unconscious perception, to leverage the intimate nature of wearable interfaces to a beneficial effect? What are the most profitable research paths to explore?

COGNITIVE SCIENCE: While the field of wearable computing has much to learn from cognitive psychology, might researchers in human cognition exploit wearable computers to aid in their experimentation? In the past, the constraints of data capture restricted most experimentation to the laboratory. Wearable computers, which now achieve the speeds of the early supercomputers, and modern sensors may lift this restriction and allow long-term experimentation in natural, mobile environments. Similarly, wearable devices hold particular promise for those researching prosthetics for the cognitively disabled.

This small workshop will bring together experts in cognitive psychology and wearable computing to establish a dialog between the fields. Daniel Schacter, chair of the Harvard psychology department, will help begin the discussion with a talk based on his popular book "The Seven Sins of Memory." Thad Starner and Rich DeVaul will introduce wearable computing issues relevant to the topic. Much of the day will be devoted to discussion as to how the fields may assist each other in the near future. Attendees are encouraged to bring their latest results and projects to share, collaborate, and team-build. Expected attendees include Dylan Schmorrow (DARPA), Alex Pentland (MIT Media Lab), Mary Potter (MIT Brain and Cognitive Science), Brad Rhodes (Ricoh Innovations), and researchers from prominent academic, industrial, and government laboratories from around the world.

The workshop will be held at the MIT Media Laboratory on Monday, January 13, 2003 and will be limited to approximately 30 attendees.

While we do not have funding to support travel in general, we may be able to assist students whose research is particularly relevant to the topics addressed on a case by case basis. Local hotels are listed below. More information will be provided on a web site and mailing list designed for the workshop. We hope you will be able to attend.

Please RSVP to thad@cc.gatech.edu and rich@media.mit.edu by Dec. 13th.

The closest hotels to the workshop site are the Cambridge Marriott and the new Kendall Hotel (in a refurbished firehouse)

Schedule

The workshop is an all day event, beginning the morning of January 13th and lasting into the evening. The schedule is shown below:

Workshop Schedule
Time EventLocation
08:30 Continental BreakfastAtrium
09:00 Welcome and Overview
Thad Starner, Rich DeVaul
054
09:30 Introductions and Informal Discussion
Formation of Working Groups
054
11:00 "Seven Sins of Memory"
Daniel Schacter
Bartos Theater
12:00 Working Lunch 054
13:30 Report on Issues054
14:00 Demo Session 054
15:00 DARPA's Interest
Colby Raley
054
15:30 Mapping Issues onto Research054
16:15 Final Report of Working Groups054
17:00 Closing Remarks 054
17:15 Break before dinner 
18:00 Dinner at The Blue Room1 Kendall Square

All events, including breakfast and lunch, will be held in Building E15 on the bottom floor (see map below). We are arranging a sit-down dinner (paid for by the workshop) at The Blue Room, a highly regarded Boston restaurant within easy walking distance of the Media Lab.

Workshop Map

Map of E15, basement