The embodied Web: Embodied Web-services interaction with an umbrella for augmented city experiences

This paper introduces the embodied Web, a new design paradigm for mobile devices. The embodied Web aims to provide an interface using real-world embodied interaction to provide a computer-augmented reality that accesses web services. This platform regards embodied interaction at three levels: operational level, activity level and social level; and is implemented with a combination of sensor, actuator and network connectivities. The platform is developed as a complex of hardware, software and network services. The implementation takes an approach of modularization of hardware, software and web services. As a practical prototype of the embodied Web, the Internet Umbrella Pileus was developed and tested. In contrast to the small screens of mobile devices, Pileus has a big screen on the underside of the umbrella, and it is operated by embodied interaction, including motion sensing of the device and location sensing of walking activities. Photo-sharing and 3D map navigation is provided on the umbrella to expand the user's activity area. These services are provided by API hookups with Flickr and Google Earth. Pileus has been iteratively developed from user observations, design observations and intuitions and prototype evaluations. The umbrella was tested in a large urban environment (the city of Tokyo).