Designing for Usability and Safety in RFID-Based Intelligent Commuting Environments

Advanced communication technologies enable sophisticated safety-enhancing systems that exploit numerous computing devices embedded in our commuting environments. However, the complexity inherent in these systems, together with the contingency in their real-life use context, can create usability problems that undermine safety. In this paper, we discuss an integrated, user-centered approach to designing and evaluating RFID-enhanced commuting environments for schoolchildren. Our integrative context sensing and sensemaking infrastructure exploits embedded computing devices not only for enhancing safety but also for understanding user experiences and thereby facilitating iterative usability improvement.