Abstract
This paper explores the use of prototypes in the design process of smart home systems, specifically focusing on a case study of a system called ModulAR. ModulAR is a system that uses Augmented Reality and the Internet of Things, to intuitively control aftermarket appliances that are designed to retrofit existing home devices. The goal of the system is to provide a sustainable and affordable way for people to improve their living spaces by giving them the ability to design and customize their home interfaces, rather than relying on pre-set options from proprietary providers. This allows for a greater degree of personalization. While smart home technology has the potential to greatly benefit consumers in terms of energy management, security and comfort, there are still several technical barriers and usability issues that need to be addressed in order for it to become more widely adopted. These barriers include interoperability, reliability, and security, as well as issues related to the configuration and “domestication” of the new interfaces. By using virtual and physical prototyping, it is possible to create new devices for modernizing older appliances and evaluate these ideas in a tangible and realistic way. By using prototypes to simulate real-world conditions, it is possible to gather valuable feedback on issues such as functionality, usability, and user experience. This feedback can then be used to make adjustments to the design in an iterative process, and to gather data on how users interact with the prototype and how changes to the design affect usability, User eXperience, and other factors.
Keywords
Virtual and Physical Prototyping; Smart Home; User eXperience; Augmented Reality; Digital Twins
DOI
https://doi.org/10.21606/eksig2023.119
Citation
Spadoni, E., Carulli, M., Barone, C.,and Bordegoni, M.(2023) Designing Sustainable and Affordable Smart Home Solutions: The Role of Prototyping, in Silvia Ferraris, Valentina Rognoli, Nithikul Nimkulrat (eds.), EKSIG 2023: From Abstractness to Concreteness – experiential knowledge and the role of prototypes in design research, 19–20 June 2023, Milan, Italy. https://doi.org/10.21606/eksig2023.119
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Designing Sustainable and Affordable Smart Home Solutions: The Role of Prototyping
This paper explores the use of prototypes in the design process of smart home systems, specifically focusing on a case study of a system called ModulAR. ModulAR is a system that uses Augmented Reality and the Internet of Things, to intuitively control aftermarket appliances that are designed to retrofit existing home devices. The goal of the system is to provide a sustainable and affordable way for people to improve their living spaces by giving them the ability to design and customize their home interfaces, rather than relying on pre-set options from proprietary providers. This allows for a greater degree of personalization. While smart home technology has the potential to greatly benefit consumers in terms of energy management, security and comfort, there are still several technical barriers and usability issues that need to be addressed in order for it to become more widely adopted. These barriers include interoperability, reliability, and security, as well as issues related to the configuration and “domestication” of the new interfaces. By using virtual and physical prototyping, it is possible to create new devices for modernizing older appliances and evaluate these ideas in a tangible and realistic way. By using prototypes to simulate real-world conditions, it is possible to gather valuable feedback on issues such as functionality, usability, and user experience. This feedback can then be used to make adjustments to the design in an iterative process, and to gather data on how users interact with the prototype and how changes to the design affect usability, User eXperience, and other factors.