WS1: Beyond the Switch: Explicit and Implicit Interaction with Light

Dzmitry Aliakseyeu, Philips Research Europe; Andrés Lucero, University of Southern Denmark; Tanir Ozcelebi, Eindhoven University of Technology; Jon Mason, Philips Research Europe; Bernt Meerbeek, Philips Research Europe; Henrika Pihlajaniemi, University of Oulu, Faculty of Architecture
 
26 October 2014, Helsinki, Finland
Workshop website

Workshop in short

The introduction of connected lighting that can be integrated with sensors and other devices is opening up new possibilities in creating responsive and intelligent environments.

The role of lighting in such systems goes beyond functional illumination. Large lighting networks are established in which digitally controllable LED light sources enable endless light output possibilities, such as dynamic and coloured light. Despite this potential, the current approach for controlling such systems is to use traditional light switches and controllers or to replace these with a more sophisticated smartphone-based control.

We however, believe that in many situations the user interaction can become intelligent and sensitive to the context so it is responsive to the people and their needs in the environment. In particular, we are interested in defining a balance between automatic/intelligent lighting control (e.g. light level adapting in the office) and explicit user control (e.g. using a dedicated control device). Aspects such as feedback, feed forward, user understanding of system behavior, physical form of the UI and the role of lighting as a part of smart environments will all need to be considered when designing new spaces.

The focus of this workshop is to bring together a community of researchers, designers and technologists to explore new ways of interacting with light when it becomes contextually aware and part of the environment.

Workshop website