Finding Lost Objects: Informing the Design of Ubiquitous Computing Services for the Home

Abstract

Factors that influence the finding of objects can be numerous and complex. Ubiquitous computing solutions for this problem begin with underlying technologies (location-sensing and capture) as building blocks for real applications. This paper investigates the real-world nature of what losing an object means and the strategies used to find those objects. A comprehensive survey on the nature of finding lost objects provides insights for the design of human-centered, object-finding services. A systematic analysis of the responses showed the importance of identifying object types, timescale of use, supporting situational factors (reasons for loss and strategies of recovery), and targeting an age-defined user population (user desire and degree of support) when building these services. These criteria motivate a checklist for systematically evaluating both existing and proposed lost object finding services.