We describe the i-LAND environment which constitutes an example of our vision of the workspaces of the future, in this case supporting cooperative work of dynamic teams with changing needs. i-LAND requires and provides new forms of human-computer interaction and new forms of computer-supported cooperative work. Its design is based on an integration of information and architectural spaces, implications of new work practices and an empirical requirements study informing our design. i-LAND consists of several ‘roomware ’ components, i.e. computer-augmented objects integrating room elements with information technology. We present the current realization of i-LAND in terms of an interactive electronic wall, an interactive table, two computer-enhanced chairs, and two “bridges” for the Passage-mechanism. This is complemented by the description of the creativity support application and the technological infrastructure. The paper is accompanied by a video figure in the CHI’99 video program.

Abstract. Coordinating the interactions of applications running on the diversity of devices that will be common in ubiquitous computing environments is still a difficult and not completely solved problem. We look at one such environment, an interactive workspace, where groups come together to collaborate on solving problems. Such a space will contain a heterogeneous collection of both new and legacy applications and devices. We propose that a tuplespace model with several extensions is ideal for coordination in this environment. We present a prototype implementation of such a model called the Event Heap. Finally, we show that the system has performed well in actual use over the last year and a half in our prototype interactive workspace, the iRoom. 1

This dissertation analyzes the usefulness of existing "conventional" collaboration-transparency systems, which permit the shared use of legacy, single-user applications. I find that conventional collaboration-transparency systems do not use network resources efficiently, and they impose an inflexible, tightly coupled style of collaboration because they do not adequately support important groupware principles: concurrent work, relaxed WYSIWIS, group awareness, and inherently collaborative tasks. This dissertation proposes and explores solutions to those deficiencies. The primary goal of this work is to maintain the benefits of collaboration transparency while relieving some of its disadvantages. To that end, I present an alternate implementation approach that provides many features previously seen only in applications specifically designed to support cooperative work, called collaboration-aware applications. The new approach uses a replicated architecture, in which a copy of the application resides on each user's machine, and the users' input events are broadcast to each copy. I discuss solutions to certain key problems in replicated architectures, such as maintaining consistency, unanticipated sharing, supporting late-joiners, and replicating system resources (e.g., files, sockets, and random number generators). To enhance the collaborative usability of a legacy application, the new approach transparently replaces selected single-user interface objects with multi-user versions at runtime. There are four requirements of an application platform needed to implement this approach: process migration, run-time object replacement, dynamic binding, and the ability to intercept and introduce low-level user input events. As an instance of this approach, I describe its incorpor...

We present the ConnecTable, a new mobile, networked and context-aware information appliance that provides affordances for pen-based individual and cooperative work as well as for the seamless transition between the two. In order to dynamically enlarge an interaction area for the purpose of shared use, a flexible coupling of displays has been realized that overcomes the restrictions of display sizes and borders. Two ConnecTable displays dynamically form a homogeneous display area when moved close to each other. The appropriate triggering signal comes from built-in sensors allowing users to temporally combine their individual displays to a larger shared one by a simple physical movement in space. Connected ConnecTables allow their users to work in parallel on an ad-hoc created shared workspace as well as exchanging information by simply shuffling objects from one display to the other. We discuss the user interface and related issues as well as the software architecture. We also present the physical realization of the ConnecTables.

In the past, a central mainframe computer provided terminals for many users. In the current age of the personal desktop computer, there is one computer for one person. Observation of early adopters and predictions about the future point to an era where each person will have multiple devices and computational power will be ubiquitous. Against this background, we present a vision for the workspaces of the future and a user-centered approach for an integrated design of virtual information spaces and real architectural spaces. The resulting environments are called cooperative buildings. The design approach is based on the roomware concept. By roomware, we mean computer-augmented objects resulting from the integration of room elements, e.g., walls, doors, furniture (tables, chairs, etc.) with computer-based information devices. They are part of the vision that the world around us will be the interface to information -- where the computer as a device will disappear and people's interaction w...

In this paper, we introduce the concepts of "cooperative buildings" and "roomware" and place them in the context of the integrated design of real, physical, resp. architectural spaces and virtual, resp. digital information spaces. By "roomware" we mean computer-augmented things in rooms, like doors, walls, furniture, and others. The general approach is detailed via examples from the i-LAND project where we develop several "roomware" components in order to realize an interactive information and cooperation landscape, e.g. an innovative work environment for creativity teams. We describe the current realization of i-LAND which includes an interactive electronic wall, an interactive table, computer-augmented chairs, and a mechanism for assigning physical objects as representatives of information objects in the virtual world.

In ubiquitous computing environments, multiple users work with a wide range of different devices. In many cases, users interact and collaborate using multiple heterogeneous devices at the same time. The configuration of the devices should be able to change frequently due to a highly dynamic, flexible and mobile nature of new work practices. This produces new requirements for the architecture of an appropriate software infrastructure. In this paper, an architecture designed to meet these requirements is proposed. To test its applicability, this architecture was used as the basis for the implementation of BEACH, the software infrastructure of i-LAND (the ubiquitous computing environment at GMD-IPSI). It provides the functionality for synchronous cooperation and interaction with roomware components, i.e. room elements with integrated information technology. In conclusion, our experiences with the current implementation are presented.

Awareness widgets facilitate coordination for both synchronous and asynchronous groupware systems. Unfortunately, they cannot be used for multi-synchronous groupware systems. With a group of architects, we have designed a new awareness widget for multisynchronous groupware system called “State Treemap”. We have developed and integrated this widget in a platform for hosting virtual teams of architects. In this paper, we describe the motivations, the design and the realization of this original widget

Developing software engineering tools is a difficult task, and the environments in which these tools are deployed continually evolve as software developers' processes, tools and tool sets evolve. To more effectively develop such evolvable environments, we have been using component-based approaches to build and integrate a range of software development tools, including CASE and workflow tools, file servers and versioning systems, and a variety of reusable software agents. We describe the rationale for a component-based approach to developing such tools, the architecture and support tools we have used, some resultant tools and tool facilities we have developed, and summarise possible future research directions in this area. Keywords: component-based software architectures, multiple views, consistency management, tool integration, task automation 1. Introduction Software engineering tools are usually complex applications. Many require multiple view support with appropriate consistency ...

This paper presents a platform for developing, testing and executing synchronous collaborative shared applications in a distributed, heterogeneous environment. Even though several environments exist nowadays, specific problems are not treated satisfactorily. Especially in "real" network environments, problems like unstable network connections and low bandwidths have to be considered. The DreamTeam platform addresses the special needs of environments with nonoptimal characteristics which can be found for example in distance education scenarios. DreamTeam comprises a development environment, a simulation environment and a runtime environment; it is based upon the concept of a fully decentralised architecture and encourages rapid prototyping. In addition to several demonstration applications, two serious applications have been developed so far: a collaborative Web browser and a diagram design tool.