Consumer Usage of a Digital Memory Device Prototype

We report qualitative consumer field trials of a prototype digital memory device known as SenseCam. We presented SenseCam to 25 consumers in the US (N=9), Japan (N=8), and South Korea (N=8) to determine initial interest and expected use cases. This was followed by respondents using an actual prototype camera for approximately one week and reporting on their experience. Actual use cases differed substantially from those initially expected by respondents. The results suggest that successful usage may emphasize stationary capture relatively more than moving scenes, and may emphasize recording of full scenes rather than recording outwardly from the body of what one has seen. We discuss implications for concepts of digital memory and suggest that general consumer interest in such a device may be related to construction of interesting narratives rather than the capture and review of factual data. We suggest future directions for device design and related interaction research.