Demo Hour

DEMO HOUR: Domestic Widgets

With the aim of co-creating the future Internet of Things with families, we are developing open, data-enabled physical visualizations called Domestic Widgets. Starting with a do-it-together cardboard kit, families can assemble and are encouraged to decorate and complete the unfinished designs using everyday materials they have lying around. Through speech-based interaction, the Widgets aim to lower the "programming threshold" for family members of all ages and with any level of technical proficiency. This approach also leverages the discoverability and transparency of speech interaction, further motivating collaborative creation and reuse of the data-enabled artifacts.

www.domesticwidgets.com

David Verweij, David Kirk, Kay Rogage, and Abigail Durrant, Northumbria University
[email protected]

The pre-programmed microcontrollers allow nearly screenless setup and control using the Google Home (Mini), focusing on hands-free, quick, and easy alteration of a Widget's functionality.

The design aims to engage users in making, crafting, and customizing on a continuous basis with everyday materials. Using cardboard as material further aims to motivate (de)construction and replacement of any given part.