Interaction issues in context-aware intelligent environments

Context-aware intelligent environments are computing systems embedded within physical spaces. They are equipped with input and output computing devices for users and sensors to provide contextual information to the system. These environments provide new challenges to interface designers due to a number of differences from typical desktop computing environments, including the lack of a single focal point for the user, a dynamic set of interaction devices, the sensor-rich nature of the environment, the potential of multiple simultaneous users, and the opportunity for diverse interaction modalities. This essay describes these challenges and focuses on issues involving multiple interaction modalities and automatic system behaviors.