Lifelong user models, memory and learning

There is a huge and rapidly growing amount of digital information about people. It is distributed across personal data stores, private corporate and government stores as well as on the very public web. If we can harness this personal information effectively, it has to potential to augment our cognition, providing the means to make use of life-long digital memories and support life-long learning.

This talk describes the work of CHAI, the Computer Human Adaptive Interaction group which is tackling this problem from the perspective of life-long user modelling. Key to the approach is that we create user models and personalised systems that enable the user to scrutinize and control the whole personalisation process. This is particularly important in pervasive computing where devices and services recede into the environment, becoming invisible. It is key to effective management of privacy and security in pervasive and personalised environments. CHAI has created a layered set of theories and tools for personalisation. These tools support knowledge representation and reasoning, data mining, machine learning and user interfaces. This talk will present the PersonisAM modelling of people in pervasive computing environments and activity-mirrors to support small groups.

Another dimension of this CHAI research is in novel pervasive computing interfaces such as tabletop interaction and pervasive appliances that are embedded in the environment to serve very specific functions. This talk will focus on the Keep-in-Touch appliance and the Cruiser framework for building tabletop surface applications.