Designing User Friendly Augmented Work Environments - From Meeting Rooms to Digital Collaborative Spaces (Computer Supported Cooperative Work)

What are Augmented Environments? Augmented Environments (AE) are the final application, as seen from the user, of devices and systems developed in the fields of 'Ubiquitous Computing', 'Computer Supported Collective Works', Pervasive Computing', Haptics', Context-Aware Computing' and more generally Information and Communication Technology (ICT). As we all know, the present trend is to make these ICTs ubiquitous, and many individual applications are already developed. Each of these applications presents HCI issues. These applications appear to come as a bundle, and will be integrated in the physical environment, in doors, walls, cars, toys, etc. This brings a series of issues in integration which are not trivial and not solved. Addressing these issues is a multidisciplinary challenge. The authors of this book have a deep experience in developing, running, evaluating, and promoting such environments because they have built and used actual AE, mostly workspaces. They are members of the rufae network, which connects some of the most advanced Augmented Environments 'living laboratories'. This book formalises and shares the experiences of the authors in this field.