Designing Supple Systems
- Reference number
- RIT08-0031
- Start and end dates
- 090101-111230
- Amount granted
- 13 000 000 SEK
- Administrative organization
- RISE SICS
- Research area
- Information, Communication and Systems Technology
Summary
Supple systems—software-intensive, hardware-dependent and interaction-defined systems such as Apples iPhone, and Nintendos WII—are emerging, but are currently notoriously difficult to design. In this project, we develop a process for rapid, integrated, development of supple systems. We focus our efforts on building so-called life-style applications, mobile systems that are tightly integrated into our every-day lives, because their extreme use of technology highlights the challenges for all future applications of supple systems – be it in factories, vehicles or work applications on our mobile phones. Our demonstrators will explore new materials, such as fabric or paper, integrated with sensors and wireless technologies. Our sub goals are: • To enable interaction designers and other non-expert programmers to handle rapid prototyping of embedded software for high-quality interaction • To let end users guide the design process towards good user experiences by involving them in an early design stage in the hardware-software design process. • To provide technical platforms that speed up the design process by extending existing software platforms such as Ericsson’s IMS and EMP to deal with a tighter integration with new materials and sensors • To define and formulate the use qualities we strive for, so that future interdisciplinary design teams can set up joint design goals.
Popular science description
Supple systems—software-intensive, hardware-dependent and interaction-defined systems such as Apples iPhone, and Nintendos WII—are emerging, but are currently notoriously difficult to design. In this project, we develop a method for designing supple systems, based on the project team’s extensive experience in the fields of software, hardware, and interaction. With major players such as Sony Ericsson and Ericsson, Swedish industry is currently at the forefront of supple systems design, and the goal of our project is to ensure that we keep this advantage. We see a large potential for wide-spread adoption, both in industry and in scientific research.