Designing TramMateña context-aware mobile system supporting use of public transportation

Abstract

We describe the design of a mobile information service that provides users with a route-planning tool for the tram-based public transport system of Melbourne, Australia. The design sketches for TramMate represent early iterations of an ongoing design process based on data from field studies on the use of transportation by business employees who, during a typical workday, have to attend appointments at different physical locations. TramMate supports this activity by keeping track of contextual factors such as the userís physical location, upcoming appointments, and real-time travel information. The design is integrated with an electronic calendar and alerts the user when it is necessary to commence the journey.

The moderating role of prior experience in technological acceptance models for ubiquitous computing services in urban environments

“…However, this information can also be distributed to citizens using smart phones and vehicular systems to provide new value added services. In fact, some urban computing services are available today, like GPS, pedestrian navigation systems [89] or public transport information [90].…”

A framework for incremental construction of real global smart space applications

“…Such global smart environments will be heterogeneous as they likely will comprise a multitude of sensors, networks, and ultimately systems. They will provide access to information and services ranging from pervasive access to personal and professional information, to city-wide information systems [2,3], to context-aware traveller assistance [4,5], to optimised urban traffic control [6]. Users moving in such sensoraugmented spaces may use handheld devices, such as mobile phones and Personal Digital -2 -Assistants (PDAs), or integrated devices, such as (vehicular) on-board computers, to interact with these spaces and to use the services that they provide.…”

Designing and evaluating Buster

“…Extending on our previous research into mobile computing supporting the use of public transportation in city contexts [6] "Buster" supports people's use of the public city bus system of a large regional city in Denmark by means of a context-aware mobile travel planner application embedded into the calendar application of a PDA. Using multiple techniques for contextual enquiry and design, we explored current travel practices and possible future practices of city inhabitants as they travelled by means of public transportation between their homes and places of work and study in a large regional city of Denmark.…”

“…We enquired into current practice through contextual interviews with people in transit on board busses, and we explored potential future practice through acting-out sessions with participants in situ. Informed by these activities, we elaborated further on previous design ideas for the "TramMate" system [6] through iterative paper prototyping, and implemented a new functional prototype application called Buster. Finally, this prototype was evaluated it in the field.…”