Title: User study of the Hunaja system at Aula, Helsinki
1User study of the Hunaja system at Aula, Helsinki
- Jyri Engeström Ulla-Maaria Mutanen
- August 2002
2PART 1 Overview of the Hunaja system
- Overview of the Hunaja system
- Using RFID tags
- Using the reader devices
- The motives of use
- Privacy and trust
- Summary and open questions
3Using SMS to see who is logged in at Aula
4Background about Hunaja and this study
- Hunaja is an RFID access control system that
enables users to remotely check who is logged in
at a physical location by using the Web or a
mobile phone - Hunaja was developed in 2001-2002 at the Aula
cooperative, which is a non-profit organization
based in Helsinki - For three months (May-July 2002), Aula issued a
trial set of 50 RFID tags to its members - 9 members were selected for this user study. All
of the participants were in the 20-35 age group - The participants use of the system was followed
and recorded for two weeks during the month of
July
5Logging in with RFID
6Features of the Hunaja system
- In addition to controlling the doors of the Aula
space, Hunaja has three unique features - Linkage to Aulas weblog, enabling online members
to remotely see who is logged in at Aulas
physical space - SMS access, enabling members to check whos there
with their mobile phone - A speech synthesizer at the door, enabling online
members to send greeting messages. The messages
are announced by a computer voice when the
recipient logs in at Aulas door
7PART 2 Using RFID tags
- Overview of the Hunaja system
- Using RFID tags
- Using the reader devices
- The motives of use
- Privacy and trust
- Summary and open questions
8Swiping the reader using a mobile phone
9Three types of RFID tags
- The 9 participants were divided into three groups
of three people, according to the type of RFID
tag used
Group 1 Keychain users Keychain danglers
enclosing the RFID tag were designed and
hand-made by a local fashion student.
Group 2 Public transport card users The Helsinki
City Transport is switching to RFID ticket cards.
The cards also worked with the readers at Aula.
Group 3 Mobile phone users A tag was taped on
the back cover of each users mobile phone,
turning the phone itself into an RFID tag.
10Which form of tag is preferred?
- The purpose of the experiment was to embed RFID
tags in each of the three most common items in
peoples pockets, analyze their everyday usage
situations, and discover user preferences
2. The wallet with credit cards
1. The keys
?
?
?
3. The mobile phone
11The key chain tag a unique fashion item
- Benefits
- Token of community membership
- If the use of the RFID tag is connected to
opening doors, it is convenient to have with
other keys - Small and attachable, easy to carry on
- Unique design attracts attention, works as a
conversation item - No electric power current, simple and safe
- Cheap, does not attract pickpockets
- Shock-proof and water-proof
- Easy to turn off by leaving it home
- Drawbacks
- If not attached to key chain, gets lost easily
- Lack of name on tag cause mix-ups
I have to throw my key chain from the 3rd floor
where I live for dinner guests to enter through
the front door - this is another great feature of
the Hunaja key Ive thrown it already about 100
times but its not annoyed at all and works just
fine. Maarit (31, Journalist)
12The public transport card a mundane commodity
- Benefits
- Larger tag surface area provides longer reading
distance Girls liked it especially because they
only needed to show their handbag to the reader - The ability to add new functionalities to the
card was exciting - Ive noticed that people are nowadays showing off
with all kinds of power cards. So it would be
nice if I could add some fun personal services to
it.(Lisa, 26, Content Manager at an e-learning
company) - Drawbacks
- Not considered interesting or a conversation
item - Im into fashion but not into cards theyre nice
and compact but I dont like them, theyre too
conformist.(Göran, 22, Musician)
13The mobile phone an object of personal affection
- Benefits
- The RFID functionality of the phone was a social
jaw-dropper - When I let in some international music reportes
to a gig at Aula, they saw me use the phone to
open the door Wow, did your phone just do
that? They thought it was so cool.(Niko, 27,
Radio DJ) - Drawbacks
- It was more no longer possible to borrow the tag
to friends or leave it in an envelope at a hotel - Tag could no longer be dropped out the window to
friends waiting on the street - Users were worried about compromising the ease
use if RFID tags are embedded in phones - The problem with mobile phones is when they run
out of battery, or software has a bug(Göran, 22,
Musician) - The functions should be put on the surface of the
phone, not hidden behind complex menus(Lisa, 26,
Content Manager at an e-learning company)
14Cordless Hands-Free may become the key enabler of
proximity-related multitasking
- Without Hands-Free, multitasking was not possible
- RFID use disturbed ongoing phone calls
- I was on the phone with my friend and stopped at
the door, looking for the keys in my pocket. Then
I realized that it was the phone! So I told my
friend Wait a second, I have to open this door
and swiped the phone and then had to do the same
thing upstairs.(Tomi 27, Photographer)
- With Hands-Free, spatial range was limited by the
cable - RFID use while talking with a traditional
Hands-Free was possible but required moving
unnaturally close to the door and stretching the
cable. - Its like using the yo-yo at the ski lift(Niko,
27, Radio DJ) - On longer term, wireless Hands-Free was
considered a must
15Proximity multitasking additional peripherals?
- Because RFID is used by making physical gestures
with the device, its implementation may increase
pressures to distribute the functions of the
handset among two or even three lightweight
personal appliances - With multiple appliances, attachability and
wearability become necessary - If the size of the appliances is reduced, risk of
losing them increases - Graceful physical gestures to swipe the tag may
be better accomplished with ring or wristband
devices
- Reducing clutter vs. distributing risk
- Reduction of clutter and small things to
remember was considered highly desirable - I use my tag at the studio and at Aula. Its
great to have the same tag work in many
places.(Tomi, 27, Photographer) - However, users also expressed the need to
distribute risk across many carry-on items and,
in some situations, physically detach a certain
functionality - Distributing the keys is my form of damage
prevention limiting the risk of losing
everything. Its a question of security.(Stephani
e, 29, Student of social science)
16Notes for designers
- Proximity functions are powerful social status
symbols - The RFID tag should be embedded but removable
(like the SIM card) - The system should be able to cope with the fact
that sometimes people need to lend their tag to
others - Maarit notices that Hannu is logged in at Aula.
She decides to call him in order to ask if he
would join her for lunch. It turns out that Hannu
is not even near Aula. He has just let in some of
his friends who do not have a key. - Tags should be visibly identifiable and
personifiable on the outside - On her way out form Aula, Stephanie accidentally
pockets someone elses tag. Afterwards she
notices her mistake and realizes she could have
used it for weeks without knowing that she logs
in with a different personality. - The operator should be able to turn off the
RFID tag in case the phone is stolen
17PART 3 Using the reader devices
- Overview of the Hunaja system
- Using RFID tags
- Using the reader devices
- The motives of use
- Privacy and trust
- Summary and open questions
18Simplified flowchart of the feedback sequence
19Technical exception handling common instances
- Tag is not recognized
- System stays idle
- Tag is recognized but not registered for any user
- LED turns green then red, lock stays closed,
speech alert - Tag is registered for a user but has been marked
as lost or stolen - LED turns green then red, lock stays closed,
speech alert - Connection to the server is down
- Use local backup of database for 12 hours, Hunaja
message receiving disabled - Connection to the door lock is down
- Lock does not open
- Connection to the speech synthesizer is down
- No speech feedback
20Social exception handling common instances
- A. Door is opened by another person
- Person inside wants to open the door as courtesy
to another person who has her hands full - Slipping in through the door behind somebody is
routine
- B. Somebody is blocking access to the reader
- Having a conversation in the doorway is common as
people linger there before leaving
21Its all about minding others
- Face-to-face interaction overrides the attention
paid to the reader device
- Failure to log out
- Logging out is not a priority when saying
face-to-face goodbyes - When stepping out, people are not used to
performing other routine gestures - Knowledge of the automatic 8-hour kill period
reduced the incentive to log out - Coming in, you do it for yourself. Going out, you
do it for other people, out of courtesy.(Niko,
27, Radio DJ)
- Being in the space and being outside the
space are fuzzy concepts - When you know youre coming right back, you dont
want other people to think you left
already.(Niko, 27, Radio DJ)
22Alternative cognitive models
- A. Substituting person for RFID tag
- Older man (without RFID tag) asks a younger woman
at the door Does the system recognize me the
next time I enter?
- B. One tag ? one system
- One public transport card user (Stephanie, 29,
French graduate student) mistakenly thought other
Aula members could track her in the public
transport system with Hunaja
23Notes for designers
- Combining a voluntary login gesture with
automatic identification in the immediate
surrounding area may be the most robust solution - There should be a logical undo action for each
RFID operation - The identification gesture has to be quick and
kung-fu smooth, not causing disturbance in
other simultaneous operations - Tactile feedback is crucial in routine,
low-attention gestures, especially when people
are simultaneously engaged in face-to-face or
phone conversations - One tag with multiple uses may create confusion
when users struggle to form a cognitive model of
more than one system
24PART 4 The motives of use
- Overview of the Hunaja system
- Using RFID tags
- Using the reader devices
- The motives of use
- Privacy and trust
- Summary and open questions
25Profile of an observer Maarit
Maarit (31, Journalist)
Maarit
Maarit and her husband lead an active social life
in a large downtown apartment. She writes daily
postings on the Aula weblog and follows
intensively the activities at Aula.
I do spy on people a bit through Hunaja.
26People watching
When Maarit sees that her brother Niko is at
Aula, she calls him up and ends up inviting both
Niko and his friend Timo for picnic and dinner.
I looked at everybodys member cards and found
out whose friends they are! Cheap fun and much
more entertaining than a boring movie for
instance.
27Profile on an observed Timo
Timo
Timo works at the city library. He studies
graphic design and publishes a skateboard
magazine. He follows the weblog but periodically
changes his Hunaja identity to confuse possible
stalkers and stay anoymous.
Timo (25, Student of graphic design)
I like to be by myself and in peace. Ive no need
to communicate to others Hey, look at me, Im
here.
28Hunaja was used as a personal intelligence
service for scouting moves making moves
A. The Observer
B. The Observed
!
?
Web Space SMS
- Scouting the moves
- Entertainment
- Time-saving
- Spying
- Romance
- Avoidance
- Professional interests
- Recruitment
- Making the moves
- Social contact-seeking
- Community-building
- Personal branding
- Career-building
29Two types of strategies for acquiring social
capital were observed
A. Bonding
B. Bridging
- Building social bonds
- Desire to move toward the center of a network
characterized by closure, a close-knit group
where everyone knows each other
- Building social bridges
- Some people who were already established in their
groups concentrated on forging soda straw links
between groups, acting as brokers of information
30PART 5 Privacy and trust
- Overview of the Hunaja system
- Using RFID tags
- Using the reader devices
- The motives of use
- Privacy and trust
- Summary and open questions
31Whos watching?
First the tag was just a new token or accessory
then came the knowledge of the information its
showing. It made me more conscious about the
movement of other people, and concerned about
what its showing about me, and how people might
use that information. Stephanie (29, Graduate
student of political science)
32Users wanted to regulate the access to
information about their identity, activity and
location on the fly
Myself only
Select groups
All users
Big brother
1. Identity
Level 1 Anonymous nickname
- What attributes does user X have?
- Which users have attribute J?
Level 2 Google search with real name
Level 3 Information not on Google (e.g. salary,
people you like, purchasing profile)
2. Activities
Level 1 Available / not available
- What is user X doing now?
- Which users are now doing R?
Level 2 Broad categories (on vacation, at work)
Level 3 Detailed level (in a meeting, at the
movies, looking for company)
3. Location
Level 1 City / country of residence
- Where is user X now?
- Which users are now at location Z?
Level 2 GPS coordinates
Level 3 Names of places (at Aula, at home, in
tram number 4)
33Systems can be developed toward three alternative
scenarios
1. Big Brother
2. Reality TV
3. Neighborhood Watch
- In the scenario, an unknown number of observers
(people who have access to data from the reader)
have unidirectional access to the identity,
activities, and location of a known number of tag
users. This is the classic scare that Orwell
wrote about in his book 1984.
- In this scenario, a known number of tag users can
give reader data access to an unknown number of
observers. A similar phenomena can be witnessed
in the popular reality TV shows, for instance.
- This is the intended model of Hunaja each member
has access to the Aula space with the RFID tag,
and is able to also observe others online and via
SMS. However, because only 50 people out of 500
had tags, usage of Hunaja drifted towards the
celebrity scenario. This was reflected in the
motivation of the users.
34Notes for designers
Notes for designers
- Situation, space and time affect the level of
trust - Users want to be in control. It should be easy to
make changes to access privileges while on the
move - The system should enable white lies
35PART 6 Summary and open questions
- Overview of the Hunaja system
- Using RFID tags
- Using the reader devices
- The motives of use
- Privacy and trust
- Summary and open questions
36Summary User study of the Hunaja system
- Empowering mobile phone users with RFID tags
opens up a new domain not only for traditional
applications, but also for connecting people in
small worlds like Aula - However, a Wall of China the ability for users
to opt in / opt out easily should be maintained
between the practical and social functions of RFID
Wall of China Users control of opt-in /
opt-out on the fly
Social function
37Open questions
- How do user expectations and reactions vary
across different cultures and demographics? - Experience of tags and reader devices
- Social motivations
- Concerns regarding trust and privacy
- What kinds of physical locations are suitable for
the placement of reader devices? - How can multiple services be integrated on one
RFID tag without risking mix-ups in user
conceptions (especially when payments are
involved)? - What is the preferred user interface for managing
groups and regulating levels of privacy?
38Thank you for your attention.
- For further information, visit the Hunaja Web
page at www.aula.cc/hunaja - Contact the authors
- Jyri Engeström jyri_at_aula.cc
- Ulla-Maaria Mutanen ulla_at_aula.cc