Does research in Intelligent Environments satisfy the expectation of its prospective users? Are the needs and requirements of end users considered in the development of new Ambient Intelligence systems? The paper "User expectations in intelligent environments" by Fulvio Corno, published on the Journal of Reliable Intelligent Environments, explores these questions by comparing the contents of recent literature with the actual techniques and methodologies that prove that users have been involved in the research.
Abstract:
The definition of Intelligent Environments has always been focused around their users, aiming at helping them in a smart and transparent way, and avoiding bothering them or acting against their will. The complexity of IEs, whose technologies range from sensors to machine learning, from distributed architectures to tangible interfaces, from communication protocols to data analysis, challenges researchers from various fields to contribute innovative and effective solutions. In this quest for technical solutions to the myriad requirements of an intelligent environments, user expectations are often left behind, and while researchers tend to focus on niche technical aspects, they risk of losing the big picture of an IE "helping users in their daily life".
This paper analyzes the recent literature of the Intelligent Environments' research community, aiming at highlighting to which extent users are taken into account, or are involved, into the reported research works. Evidence shows that, while most papers refer to users in their description, only a small minority actually involve them in the design, testing or experimentation phases.
More information:
- Link to paper on Springer website
- "SharedIt" link (gives access to the full paper)
- Article page at IRIS repository
- DOI: 10.1007/s40860-018-0068-z