Spatial aspects of mobile ad hoc collaboration

Abstract

Traditionally, communication devices are designed to overcome distance in space or time. How can personal mobile tools augment local interaction and promote spontaneous collaboration between users in proximity? Mobile ad hoc collaboration is an emerging framework that attempts to answer this question. This thesis reviews current research in mobile ad hoc collaboration, explores its precedents in art, and examines the enabling wireless communication and location sensing technology. It then proceeds to consider location, proximity and spatial organization as major factors in the development of interfaces and applications within the framework. The importance of seamless transitions between face-to-face communication and mediated communication is emphasized, and the principle of ad hoc communication group formation on the basis of proximity is proposed. The principle is demonstrated in a prototype wearable system for synchronous voice messaging.