Publication

Using a live-in laboratory for ubiquitous computing research

Copyright

Intille et al

Fig. 3. A data visualization tool for the PlaceLab

S. S. Intille, K. Larson, E. Munguia Tapia, J. Beaudin, P. Kaushik, J. Nawyn, and R. Rockinson, "Using a live-in laboratory for ubiquitous computing research," in Proceedings of PERVASIVE 2006, vol. LNCS 3968, K. P. Fishkin, B. Schiele, P. Nixon, and A. Quigley, Eds. Berlin Heidelberg: Springer-Verlag, 2006, pp. 349-365.

Abstract

Ubiquitous computing researchers are increasingly turning to sensor-enabled "living laboratories" for the study of people and technologies in settings more natural than a typical laboratory. We describe the design and operation of the PlaceLab, a new live-in laboratory for the study of ubiquitous technologies in home settings. Volunteer research participants individually live in the PlaceLab for days or weeks at a time, treating it as a temporary home. Meanwhile, sensing devices integrated into the fabric of the architecture record a detailed description of their activities. The facility generates sensor and observational datasets that can be used for research in ubiquitous computing and other fields where domestic con-texts impact behavior. We describe some of our experiences constructing and operating the living laboratory, and we detail a recently generated sample dataset, available online to researchers.

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