With his team, Beat is currently researching information concepts for the representation of open and fluid cross-media information spaces where parts of documents can easily move between different mobile devices and different heterogeneous data sources can be integrated via cross-device user interfaces [9] as illustrated in Fig. 2. Their data-centric approach leads to new possibilities for interactive visualisations [19] and data-driven storytelling [11]. In addition to models and cross-media document formats for the flexible representation of heterogeneous distributed and decentralised media and information, Beat's team is interested in next generation user interfaces [8,14,24] for these cross-media information spaces. Thereby, their focus is on the development of software frameworks and toolkits, such as iGesture, Mudra, the Context Modelling Toolkit (CMT) or MindXpres, that support the Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) community as well as information scientists in the rapid prototyping and investigation of innovative user interfaces, cross-media interactions and applications.
Fig. 2: Fluid cross-media information spaces
More recently, Beat and his team are investigating the potential of post-WIMP user interfaces for improving data exploration and the interaction with large datasets (Big Data) in particular. Thereby, they have an interest in tangible interfaces given that they support the collaborative exploration of datasets as illustrated in ArtVis. While tangible interfaces are nowadays mainly used as input devices, Beat's team is interested in data physicalisation. Therefore, in their Tangible Holograms (TangHo) project they are currently developing a prototype for physically augmented digital objects (Tangible Holograms) based on the Microsoft HoloLens and a custom-built wearable device for tactile feedback (see Fig. 3) to explore Ishii et al.'s vision on radical atoms and programmable matter. In the future, they plan to put a major effort into the investigation of these new forms of collaborative user interfaces for big data exploration and develop a framework for dynamic data physicalisation, where properties of the physical representation, such as the temperature, might provide information about additional dimensions of the underlying digital dataset. They further plan to investigate how the rich underlying cross-media data representation can enable new forms of data exploration and analysis, and empower domain experts to easily explore these data sources.
Fig. 3: Tangible Hologram (TangHo) prototype with different end effectors
In their work on personal cross-media information management, Beat's team further tracks user interactions with digital as well as physical resources and uses the collected metadata to offer new user interfaces for searching and re-finding tasks of knowledge workers [14]. In their more recent work on user-defined implicit human-computer interaction across smart environments, they are addressing a number of research questions in the content of the Internet of Things (IoT) and the Web of Things (WoT). In the Internet of Things, we are currently facing the problem of so-called independent "vertical silos" or isolated IoT solutions. As part of their research Beat is therefore investigating how to offer semantic interoperability of smart behaviour across different IoT platforms and the corresponding environments via a rule-engine based middleware solution.
Beat has been local organiser of the CAiSE 2001 conference, co-organiser of the EGMI 2014 workshop, proceedings editor of the EGMI 2014, CoPADD 2006 and CoPADD 2007 workshops and he is a member of the ACM and IEEE association.
Keywords: cross-media information spaces and architectures (CISA), cross-media technology, interactive paper, personal information management, human-information interaction, data physicalisation and tangible holograms, web information systems, internet of things and web of things, innovative presentation solutions (MindXpres), multimodal and multi-touch interaction, document engineering, ubiquitous and tangible computing.
Fundamental Concepts for Interactive Paper and Cross-Media Information Spaces
Book Description
While there have been dramatic increases in the use of digital technologies for information storage, processing
and delivery over the last twenty years, the affordances of paper have ensured its retention as a key information
medium. In this book we review a wide variety of projects and technological developments for bridging the
paper-digital divide. We present our information-centric approach for a tight integration of paper and digital
information that builds on a general cross-media information platform. Different innovative augmented paper
applications that have been developed based on our interactive paper platform and Anoto Digital Pen and Paper
technology are introduced. For example, these applications include a mobile interactive paper-based tourist
information system (EdFest) and a paper-digital presentation tool (PaperPoint). Challenges and solutions for
new forms of interactive paper and cross-media publishing are discussed. The book is targeted at developers
and researchers in information systems, hypermedia and human computer interaction, professionals from the
printing and publishing industry as well as readers with a general interest in the future of paper.
List Price: €34.90 Hardcover: 276 pages Language: English Date of publication: 04.08.2017 (second edition) ISBN-10: 3837027139 ISBN-13: 978-3-8370-2713-6 Dimensions: 8.7 x 6.1 x 0.9 inches, 22 x 15.5 x 2.2 cm
Honourable Mention Award, MUM 2017, 16th International Conference on Mobile and Ubiquitous Multimedia, Stuttgart, Germany, November
Best Paper Award, CSEDU 2015, 7th International Conference on Computer Supported Education, Lisbon, Portugal, May, 2015
Best Paper Award, ICALT 2014, 14th International Conference on Advanced Learning Technologies, Athens, Greece, July 2014
Best Paper Award, MobiWIS 2011, 8th International Conference on Mobile Web Information Systems, Niagara Falls, Canada, September
Best Paper Award, USAB 2008, 4th Symposium on Usability & HCI for Education and Work, Graz, Austria, November 2008
Background
Beat Signer studied Computer Science at ETH Zurich and did his Diploma Thesis (M.Sc.)
in the Global Information Systems group. In his diploma project, he developed an object-oriented GUI
for the object model multi-user extended file system (GOMES).
Based on XML-RPC, a remote object mechanism was designed and employed in order to communicate in a machine and programming
language independent manner, allowing the Java-based GOMES application to use
the full functionality of the extended file system implemented in Oberon.
For his research on fundamental concepts for interactive paper and cross-media
information spaces under the supervision of Prof. Moira C. Norrie, he received a PhD in Computer Science from ETH Zurich, where he has also been leading the Interactive Paper lab as a senior researcher for four years.
While there have been dramatic increases in the use of digital technologies for information storage, processing
and delivery over the last twenty years, the affordances of paper have ensured its retention as a key information
medium. In this book we review a wide variety of projects and technological developments for bridging the
paper-digital divide. We present our information-centric approach for a tight integration of paper and digital
information that builds on a general cross-media information platform. Different innovative augmented paper
applications that have been developed based on our interactive paper platform and Anoto Digital Pen and Paper
technology are introduced. For example, these applications include a mobile interactive paper-based tourist
information system (EdFest) and a paper-digital presentation tool (PaperPoint). Challenges and solutions for
new forms of interactive paper and cross-media publishing are discussed. The book is targeted at developers
and researchers in information systems, hypermedia and human computer interaction, professionals from the
printing and publishing industry as well as readers with a general interest in the future of paper.