Connecting devices for collaborative interactions

While forming a group may sound simple, it is actually a rather complex technical procedure. The devices must first discover the other available devices in proximity, and the users need to indicate which of these devices are intended to join the group. An ad hoc wireless network is then established to enable communication between the devices. As the users cannot see the wireless connections, the process of connecting devices should provide sufficient cues and security to ensure the right devices are connected. Since the intention is to enable spontaneous interactions, it should be possible to connect devices In our article in the March– April 2013 issue of Interactions, we discussed mobile collocated interactions and how groups of users can spontaneously combine their mobile devices to engage in rich shared activities and experiences [1]. Examples of such situations include sharing photographs and videos within a group of friends in a cafe, presenting and collaboratively editing documents in a business meeting, and playing multiplayer games with other family members in the living room. But before collocated users can engage in such interactions, they must first connect their devices into a group.