SyncDecor: communication appliances for virtual cohabitation

Despite the fact that various means of communication such as mobile phones, instant messenger and e-mail are now widespread; many romantic couples separated by long distances worry about the health of their relationships. Likewise, these couples have a greater desire to feel a sense of connection and synchronicity with their partners than traditional inter-family bonds. In many prior research projects, unique devices were developed that required a level of interpretation which did not directly affect one's daily routine - and therefore were more casual in nature. However, this paper concentrates on the use of common, day-to-day items and modifying them to communicate everyday actions while maintaining a sustained and natural usage pattern for strongly paired romantic couples. For this purpose, we propose the "SyncDecor" system, which pairs traditional appliances and allow them to remotely synchronize and provide awareness or cognizance about their partners - thereby cre...

• Type: Conference
• Year: 2008
• Where: AVI
• Authors: Hitomi Tsujita, Koji Tsukada, Itiro Siio
• Keywords: AVI 2008, Romantic Couples, Software Engineering, Traditional Appliances, Usage Patterns