Illuminac: simultaneous naming and configuration for workspace lighting control

We explore natural and calm interfaces for configuring ubiquitous computing environments. A natural interface should enable the user to name a desired configuration and have the system enact that configuration. Users should be able to use familiar names for configurations without learning, which implies the mapping from names to configurations is many-to-one. Instead of users learning the environment's command language, the system simultaneously learns common configurations and infers the keywords that are most salient to them. We call this the SNAC problem (Simultaneous Naming and Configuration). As a case study, we design a speech interface for workspace lighting control on a large array of individually-controllable lights. We present an approach to the SNAC problem and demonstrate its applicability through an evaluation of our system, Illuminac.