Smart City Interface - Case Study Example

Hi, I have removed the bit that was confusing. However, figure 1 is basically about the initial stages of designing the prototype interface.Figure2 shows the combination of the design that allows users to choose in terms of choice what they want to purchase in terms of items and the cost. Remember it revolves around cloud based dashboard system. Smart City Interface (Swansea) Smart city is a concept where the streets are embedded with sensors, buildings plugged into internet and all monitoring done by cameras and drones. Moreover, the urban systems recalibrated by real-time data on energy, water, climate, transportation, waste and crime, thus, having cities transformed into efficient machines. However, what really is the point of engagement-how people interface with, and experience the smart city’s operating system? Typically the urban interface is like a screen with displays embedded in buildings, and furnishings; delivering supercharged interactions that combines speech and gestural inputs with immersive, high-definition graphics boiling down complex streams of data to one or two simple indicators. Behind the screens is a flood of data that smart cities manage their informational riches in centralized “Clearing houses” where analysts consolidate and compare data from different sources. A real time city model can enable feedback loops from people themselves, also enable an interface onto the city, forming a kind of interface for the organization, thus personalized streams of city data are rendered into actionable information making our cities more legible, efficient and livable. City governments, technology companies and design firms working together to construct these highly-networked future cities have come up various prototypes of interfaces through which citizens can engage with smart city. But these prototypes embody only institutional values not always aligned with the values of citizens living in the city. Judging from the promotional materials released by Cisco, Siemens, IBM, Microsoft and other corporate smart-city makers, one would think that the chief preoccupation of smart city was on reflecting its own data consumption and hyper-efficient activity back to itself. At its heart is a control center filled with screens serving in part to visualize, and celebrate the city’s supposedly hyper-rational operation.IBM designed Rio’s Ops Center that integrated data from 30 city agencies; layered screens featuring transit video feeds, weather information and maps of crime statistics and power failures and others. The city is thus partitioned into atomized projects, services and flows, each competing for technician’s attention. The design of Swansea urban interfaces allows citizens to engage with the operating systems as more than mere reporters. In addition, considerations of how these interfaces structure their inputs and outputs, how they illuminate and obfuscate various dimensions of the city, how they frame interactions, what are the reflections of these interactions in terms of informing the relationship between citizens and cities, and in what manner these interfaces transforms or shapes people’s identities as urban subjects. There will be need to challenge the common equation of interface with screen and the consequences of reducing urban complexities into a two-dimensional visualization. Designers have envisioned interfaces honoring multidimensionality and collectivity of the city, the different styles of intelligences it contains, and the various ways that people can express themselves as urban subjects. According to Stephen Johnson, the interface is software that shapes the interaction between user and computer. The interface serves as a kind of translator, mediating between two parties, making one sensible to other. This therefore makes it more semantic than technological (Steven, 1997:5). Branden Hook way agrees that the interface does its work “not as a technology in itself but as the zone or threshold that must be worked through in order (for the user) to be able to relate to technology”. Thus the interface structures the user’s urgency and identity and constructs him or her as a subject, in that the subject’s identity shifts in response to contextual variations and is informed by historical, cultural and political forces. Therefore, future-city technologies can be thought of as urban stacks with zoom-able maps and apps that translate urban data into useful things. The widespread availability of open data through Smartphone apps as witnessed globally via text message is a source of inspiration to many urban residents to explore deeply through the stack, in order to understand the working of local systems behind the scenes, for instance how the water arrives at their homes (Hookway, 2011:6). The urban stack. Promotional image for Living PlanIT’s Urban Operating System. However, a lot of things happening behind or beneath the user interface remain inaccessible and unintelligible. A highly sophisticated and administrative networks, integrating urban services and infrastructure such as water, power, police and fire services . These operating systems extracts, aggregates, analyses and manages sensor data in urban environments, thus harvesting useful intelligence and likewise enabling the management, control and efficiency for many city services. Importantly, control and efficiency are the values and the results of intelligence built into the system. Citizens don’t come into contact with operating system but reap its benefits so that focus and attention is concentrated on the data of immediate relevance to urban experiences. Below the computer level that humans interact with, there are wireless networks that transport the data to and fro, together with Application programming interfaces (APIs) that enables various entities such as third party companies, and individuals to build apps that enables them tap into our city’s open data. The Swansea proposal envisions screens embedded onto architectural facades, at transit stations, on the sides of trams, and hanging from posts on every block, all sharing information about their own workings. Moreover, the city is tunable, and intelligible. As opposed to cities of 21st century, the smart city services and networks are not seamlessly integrated by removing the interfaces between the deep levels of the urban protocol stack, our interfaces highlight the seams in our infrastructural networks, between the various layers of urban stack and within the social fabric, as a result assisting us to better understand how the city functions and how to better develop the necessary monitoring tools for modification operation. A Paper Prototype showing how Consumers will interact with the Market in Swansea On a Digital Level in Terms of Purchases Paper prototyping is a method of usability testing useful for Web sites, Web applications and conventional software. The way it works involves deciding on the task that you would like the user to accomplish. After that you make shots and/or hand-sketched drafts of the windows, menus, dialog boxes, pages, popup messages, etc. that are needed to perform those tasks. In performing the usability test, you deploy the help of one or two developers to play the role of ‘Computer’ by manipulating the pieces of paper to stimulate how the interface would behave. Users are given realistic tasks to perform by interacting directly with the prototype –they ‘click’ by touching the prototype buttons or links and ‘type’ by writing their data in the prototypes edit fields. A facilitator (someone trained in usability) conducts the session while other members of the development team observe and take notes. The computer does not explain how the interface is supposed to work except merely stimulate what the interface would do. Because the prototype is all on paper, modifications are easy to fix a problem or improve design (paper prototyping.2014). Figure 1.  A paper prototype of the File Setup dialog from Microsoft Word Figure1 illustrates how various GUI widgets can be prototyped. This example shows the file Set-up dialog from Microsoft Word(In a usability test, this component would be placed on top of a prototype of the Word application rather than being shown by itself).Notably, each tab is on a separate piece of paper so it can be moved to the front if the user selects it.. The radio button is stimulated using removable tape. The preview component (indicated in red for illustration purposes) are tacked on with restickable glue so they can be changed in case the user selects landscape Figure 2.  The Shopping Cart Page from an E-Commerce Site Figure 2 shows how removable tape allows users to place any combination of items in the shopping cart. The ‘computer’ can update the shipping cost and the totals accordingly by wiping them off the transparency with a damp paper towel and rewrite them. Screen shots of existing designs can be used if available; however, it is also fine to hand-sketch them, especially when you are in the early stages of design. For instance figure 3 showing that hand-drawn elements are actually more readable than screen shots using dark background colour. Figure 3.  Hand-drawn versions of browser buttons compared to a grayscale screen shot You can also mix and match screen shots and hand-drawn components (paper prototyping.2014). The concept above revolves around an open-source, cloud-based city management dashboard that allows citizens to access their city in terms of various facilities and variable such as purchasing stores etc. Access to the dashboard software is free of charge and the Swansea city government will make the decision about which variables to publish and declare which sections of the dashboard will be available to citizens. Since the dashboard interface is based on windows, it therefore provides the best way for citizens to interact with computers. The dashboard is developed in partnership with City bank. The dashboard will be hosted on Microsoft’s Codeplex SaaS site, in datacenters that run the Windows Azure cloud solutions platform. Once a citizen has accessed the stores database and made a purchase and paid for the order(s) digitally, the items can be dropped off at a place of choice for instance their residential place. The dashboard software takes into account Accessibility issues such that members of the city who are disabled or experience age-related impairments find it easy to perceive, understand, navigate, and effectively interact with websites and tools so that they can participate effectively without hindrance. Task Analysis and Application of Human Factors There are four conceptual frameworks motivating the Swansea Smart city model: 1) Cognitive Work Analysis (CWA) As usual analyses of traditional work focuses on centralized forms of work organization.CWA shifts the focus to more distributed forms of work organization, thereby establishing a better basis for supporting worker adaptation in turbulent and dynamic environments. 2) Ecological Interface Design (EID).EID is a theoretical framework for designing interfaces for complex work environments. By examining the constraints that the environment imposes on behavior, it therefore takes advantage of the powerful and usually ignored capabilities of perception and action. 3) Trust and Automation: As computers become increasingly sophisticated, automation is likewise becoming a larger component of workplaces. New automated tools are found in diverse fields such as process control, information technology and then military. A proper automated design enables the achievement of safe, healthy and efficient interaction between and automation. 4) Risk Management framework: Rasmussen’s framework for risk management identifies various levels in a socio-technical system that must be vertically aligned to safeguard the public and the environment together with several factors affecting the structure and behavior of these levels in a dynamic society. Overview of Management Interface Routing This traffic management interface controls all BIG-IP switch ports (TMM interfaces) and the underlying Linux operating systems and controls the GIG-IP management interface. The management processes only the administrative traffic. The TMM interfaces process both application traffic and administrative traffic. BIG-IP Configuration utility are supported by versions of browsers such as Microsoft internet explorer 6.x and Mozilla Firefox 1.5x and 2.0x. Description The BIG-IP system can process the following traffic types: TMM processes inbound application traffic that arrives on a switch interface and is destined for a BIG-IP self IP address or a virtual server address. Administrative traffic BIB-IP administrative traffic is defined as: Inbound administrative connections: Inbound connections sent to the IP address arriving on the management interface and processed by the Linux operating system. Inbound connections sent to the BIG-IP self IP addresses that arrive on a TMM interface and are processed by TMM. In case the IP address is configured to allow a connection to the destination service port, TMM hand the connection off to the Linux operating system which then processes the connection request. Outbound administrative connections: Outbound connections sent to the BIG-IP system by administrative apps (SNMP, SMTP, SSH, NTP, etc.) are processed by Linux operating system. These connections can either use the management address or a self IP address as the source address. The BIG-IP system compares the destination address to the routing table to determine the interface through which the BIG-IP system routes the traffic. BIG-IP routing tables The BIG-IP routing tables consist of the following sub-tables: Management routes: These are routes that the BIG-IP system uses to forward traffic through the management interface. Traffic sourced from the management address, the system prefers management routes over TMM routes, using the most specific matching management route. If none is defined or matched, the system uses the most specific matching TMM route. TMM routes: These are routes that the BIG-IP system uses to forward traffic through the TMM switch interfaces instead of through the management interface. Routes in the TMM sub-table are defined with a lower metric than routes in the management sub-table. Traffic sourced from a TMM (self IP) address will always use the most specific matching TMM route. Traffic sourced from this route will never use a management route. When TMM is inactive, all TMM routes are removed. Managing routing parameters The following commands are used to manage routing information: Viewing, deleting, and adding management IP addresses *to view the management IP address, type the following command: tmsh list /sys management-ip *To delete an existing management IP address, the following command syntax is used replacing with the management IP address: tmsh delete /sys management-ip Web Accessibility and Usability Working Together Accessibility and usability in web are closely related in terms of goals, approaches and guidelines. They are mostly addressed together to be effective such as when developing websites. Certain situations demand by importance the distinction between accessibility and usability for example when looking at discrimination against people with disabilities and when defining specific accessibility standards (Slatin, 2002:3).The BIG-UP system is compatible with versions of Windows Microsoft and Mozilla Firefox. Usability Guidelines and Accessibility Accessibility entails an equivalent user experience for people with disability, and people with age-related impairments. Accessibility for the web means that disabled people can perceive, understand, navigate, and effectively interact with websites and tools so that they can contribute without barriers. This is because access to information technology is a basic human right. Accessibility guidelines should improve usability for all, benefiting even older users, people using different devices and people with low literacy or fluency in language, and people with low bandwidth connections. Thus accessibility includes: Requirements that is more specific to people with disabilities: Ensuring that websites work well with assistive technologies for example screen readers that read aloud web pages, screen magnifiers that enlarge the web pages, and voice recognition software that input text. These are technical requirements relating to underlying code and not visual appearance. Requirements that are also general usability principals: These are included because they can be significant barriers to disabled people. A website developed to be used without a mouse presents good usability. People who cannot use a mouse due to physical disability can effectively use it. Understanding Usability and User-Centered Design (UCD) Usability is about designing products that are effective, efficient and satisfactory. Usability is part of human computer interaction (HCI) research and design field. For web designers, the key aspect is following a user-centered design (UCD) process for positive user experience. User-centered design the focus is on usability goals, user characteristics, environment, tasks, and workflow in designing a user interface meeting user trequirements.UCD considers user’s hardware, software, computer experience, task knowledge and other characteristics in website design, web application, browser and other web tool. It is an interactive process integrating well defined methods and techniques for analysis, design and evaluation to implementation. Usable Accessibility-Including Usability in Accessibility Research and Practice Makes use of the combination of accessibility and usability to develop positive user experiences for people with disabilities.UCD includes both techniques and guidelines for design and evaluation.UCD helps to make informed decisions about accessible designs thus improving accessibility in websites and web tools. Technical Standards In as much as making accessibility efforts effective and more efficient by including features that allow for the use by disabled people, more still needs to be addressed about diversity of disabilities, adaptive strategies, and assisting strategies. The W3C Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) develops a set of guidelines internationally recognized as the standard for web accessibility. These guidelines take into considerations people with auditory, cognitive, neurological, physical, speech and visual disabilities including people with age-related impairments. They are stable technical standards meeting requirements applying broadly across technologies and situations. Alongside are techniques and supporting resources providing details on how to meet the guidelines (Slatin, 2002:4). Evaluation of Smart City Interface The evaluation of smart city interface incorporates specific components or areas such as smart meters, smart grids, and ICT, to mention but a few. This therefore calls for a systems approach in view of the integrated developments solutions for smart cities and communities. The identified solutions through standardization of smart cities and communities can cut down costs significantly. This process for the development of smart cities and communities should have in place an acceptance of socially developed solutions that ensure: Interoperability of solutions which incorporates adaptability of solutions to new user requirements including technological changes while eliminating entry barriers through interoperable interfaces; Open and consistent data through avenues that make data relevant and widely available even to third parties for application development purposes. At the same time ensuring transparent standards of data collection, that is meaningful and comparable in terms of performance and outcome measures. Urban mobility: Integrated urban mobility that includes shared-use, dynamically priced mobility systems, autonomous control for driverless parking and charging. City home: Mass customized and zero energy urban housing that responds to various, different needs and values of individuals. Developed strategies, separating places of living into four configured layers namely; high performance chassis, integrated, user-designed infill, responsive façade modules and wireless technology. Ubiquitous technologies: Wireless sensing, algorithms and interfaces that understand and respond to human activity including environmental and market conditions. The range of projects encompass fine grained and wireless sensors that recognize activities, persuasive thermostats able to locate occupants using GPS system and context-aware tunable LED lighting for environments such as office. Living lab experiments: Studied conducted to site of an individual, home or city by the testing of designs and solutions in actual living environments (GUO, 2014:112). Bibliography Branden Hookway, The Interface, Dissertation (Princeton University, 2011), 14. NTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON INTELLIGENT ENVIRONMENTS, BOTÍA, J. A., & CHARITOS, D. (2013). Workshop proceedings of the 9th International Conference on Intelligent Environments. Steven Johnson, Interface Culture: How New Technology Transforms the Way We Create and Communicate (New York: Harper Edge, 1997), 14. On my website I offer a more thorough discussion of the various ways of theorizing interfaces http://ebooks.iospress.nl/isbn/978-1-61499-286-8 SLATIN, J. M., & RUSH, S. (2002). Maximum accessibility: making your web site more usable for everyone. Boston, Addison Wesley MISRA, K. (2004). OSS for telecom networks: an introduction to network management. London [u.a.], Springer GUO, B., RIBONI, D., & HU, P. (2014). Creating personal, social, and urban awareness through pervasive computing. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&scope=site&db=nlebk&db=nlabk&A N=650556 paper prototyping. (n.d.). Snyder Consulting. Retrieved May 9, 2014, from http://www.snyderconsulting.net/article_paperprototyping.htm Read More