Pervasive Displays: Understanding the Future of Digital Signage

Pervasive displays are increasingly employing web-based applications served by the cloud to show dynamic content and provide services to end users. In several important use cases, the content shown by one display needs to be replicated at multiple locations, for instance, to increase coverage in large spaces or to allow remote monitoring and management. Screen content can be cloned from one display to other hosts through a virtual (remote) desktop connection or video streaming. However, these solutions are not efficient, as they only consider the visual content of the display without leveraging higher-level information about the actual application. This article investigates several methods to efficiently replicate the content of a web-based pervasive display. We consider different classes of applications for both digital signage and interactive displays. We characterize the performance of the proposed solutions and their suitability for diverse scenarios through an experimental evaluation. We conclude by providing insightful considerations from the perspective of a pervasive display application developer.

Public displays and digital signs are becoming increasingly widely deployed as many spaces move towards becoming highly interactive and augmented environments. Market trends suggest further significant increases in the number of digital signs and both researchers and commercial entities are working on designing and developing novel uses for this technology. Given the level of investment, it is increasingly important to be able to understand the effectiveness of public displays. Current state-of-the-art analytics technology is limited in the extent to which it addresses the challenges that arise from display deployments becoming open (increasing numbers of stakeholders), networked (viewer engagement across devices and locations) and pervasive (high density of displays and sensing technology leading to potential privacy threats for viewers). In this thesis, we provide the first exploration into achieving next generation display analytics in the context of open pervasive display networks. In particular, we investigated three areas of challenge: analytics data capture, reporting and automated use of analytics data. Drawing on the increasing number of stakeholders, we conducted an extensive review of related work to identify data that can be captured by individual stakeholders of a display network, and highlighted the opportunities for gaining insights by combining datasets owned by different stakeholders. Additionally, we identified the importance of viewer-centric analytics that use traditional display-oriented analytics data combined with viewer mobility patterns to produce entirely new sets of analytics reports. We explored a range of approaches to generating viewer-centric analytics including the use of mobility models as a way to create 'synthetic analytics' - an approach that provides highly detailed analytics whilst preserving viewer privacy. We created a collection of novel viewer-centric analytics reports providing insights into how viewers experience a large network of pervasive displays including reports regarding the effectiveness of displays, the visibility of content across the display network, and the visibility of content to viewers. We further identified additional reports specific to those display networks that support the delivery of personalised content to viewers. Additionally, we highlighted the similarities between digital signage and Web analytics and introduced novel forms of digital signage analytics reports created by leveraging existing Web analytics engines. Whilst the majority of analytics systems focus solely on the capture and reporting of analytics insights, we additionally explored the automated use of analytics data. One of the challenges in open pervasive display networks is accommodating potentially competing content scheduling constraints and requirements that originate from the large number of stakeholders - in addition to contextual changes that may originate from analytics insights. To address these challenges, we designed and developed the first lottery scheduling approach for digital signage providing a means to accommodate potentially conflicting scheduling constraints, and supporting context- and event-based scheduling based on analytics data fed back into the digital sign. In order to evaluate the set of systems and approaches presented in this thesis, we conducted large-scale, long-term trials allowing us to show both the technical feasibility of the systems developed and provide insights into the accuracy and performance of different analytics capture technologies. Our work provides a set of tools and techniques for next generation digital signage analytics and lays the foundation for more general people-centric analytics that go beyond the domain of digital signs and enable unique analytical insights and understanding into how users interact across the physical and digital world.

Article presented a research about the "Charge Gratis" service that included digital signage, along with free charging device as the crowd attractors in the public space. The main focus of this research was about media display embedded in the uniform of a sales promotion person who displays ads from the advertiser using the qualitative method, through the interview with some expert sources many fields. Article described several possibilities that can be worked in the use of digital signage so that it can be used as a reference in maximizing digital signage in public spaces. It finds that Digital signage is not just functioned as like any other media, but also the awaken interaction and also enhance shopping experiences. The expert sources divide this media display functions into three categories, which is a media information, media entertainment, and media education.

Utilization of Digital Signage (DS) in the tourism sector should be used as medium to provide information of interest for tourists. In Indonesia, many places of supporting tourism such as shops, restaurants and entertainment using DS as medium of information and communication to their customers. Usually DS using multimedia content such as video, images and text displayed on the screens are repeatedly. In addition, DS can be used as a medium of interaction that effective and attractive for increasing visitor attraction. In this study, we proposed an interactive digital signage system architecture for tourism. We proposed a new signage system terminal and method of presenting content using gamification techniques. To see the effect of proposed architecture to improve user interaction, we validated gamification method on DS system, to attention of users by calculating Pearson's correlation coefficient. The results showed, there was 61% increase in the user's attention to DS screen, before and after using gamifiation. In the future, the system can be integrated with push notification method on user's phone, to invite more visitor come to DS screen for making a crowd.

In the digital era, media space is critical for disseminating information and communication. Accordingly, audience interaction largely depends on media design, which affects users' attention and emotional reactions. The study aims to determine how various components of media space (visual elements, interactive features and content adaptability) affect audience interaction with media and to describe how these features can enhance audience engagement. The type of this study is a scoping review. For this purpose, the PRISMA approach was used to collect relevant data, classify it (screening) and further analyse it. The results indicate that effective design can attract attention and retain the audience, stimulating them to interact actively. The impact of interactive design elements on audience engagement and their interest in participating in content creation is also studied. The study demonstrated that the design of the media space plays a key role in shaping audience engagement, as it allows for the combination of visual hierarchy, intuitive navigation and branding integrity. The integration of adaptive and interactive technologies is important for promoting a dynamic and user-centered experience, which is especially important in today's digital era. The conclusions emphasise the importance of using adaptive and interactive design technologies, which generally increase audience engagement and positively impact the user experience.

Digital displays are a ubiquitous feature of public spaces; London recently deployed a whole network of new displays in its Underground stations, and the screens on One Time Square (New York) allow for presentation of over 16,000 square feet of digital media. However, despite decades of research into pervasive displays, the problem of scheduling content is under-served and there is little forward momentum in addressing the challenges brought with large-scale and open display networks. This paper presents the first comprehensive architectural model for scheduling in current and anticipated pervasive display systems. In contrast to prior work, our three-stage model separates out the process of high level goal setting from content filtering and selection. Our architecture is motivated by an extensive review of the literature and a detailed consideration of requirements. The architecture is realised with an implementation designed to serve the world's largest and longest-running research testbed of pervasive displays. A mixed-methods evaluation confirms the viability of the architecture from three angles: demonstrating capability to meet the articulated requirements, performance that comfortably fits within the demands of typical display deployments, and evidence of its ability to serve as the day-to-day scheduling platform for the previously described research testbed. Based on our evaluation and a reflection on paper as a whole, we identify ten implications that will shape future research and development in pervasive display scheduling.

Nowadays we are continuously surrounded by new digital systems featuring easy to use and engaging interaction modalities, such as multi-touch, gesture, tangible, or voice interaction. The enriched and natural experience provided by this new paradigm - known as Natural User Interface - has promoted its adoption in many ubiquitous contexts due to its effectiveness in dealing with a wide audience of mostly inexperienced users; Pervasive Displays, namely variously-sized displays ecosystems supporting simultaneous interactions with public screens naturally use those new paradigms. Nonetheless, if we want these systems to stay out in public spaces for long periods of time, they must provide users with an easy way of being adapted to their heterogeneous usage contexts. In this paper, we propose an End- User Programming approach to this problem introducing TAPAS, a system that combines a tangible interaction with a puzzle metaphor, allowing users to create workflows on a Pervasive Display to satisfy their needs; we also carried out a preliminary evaluation of our system with second year university students and interaction designers, gathering useful feedback to improve TAPAS and employ it in many other domains.

Given the huge production of information and knowledge in higher education institutions, it is necessary to dynamically adapt the up-to-date, relevance and accessibility of this information. The question may be whether there is a sufficient amount of relevant information and knowledge available within a higher education institution, which is available through different forms of transmission. The website of higher education provides a starting point for access, communication and dissemination of information to both the general public and to all those who make up the higher education system. It can be seen as an explicit academic space for information, hence its role has multiple meanings. As a starting point for all stakeholders in higher education, from students and teachers, through administration and management, to the general public. Diffusion, i.e. dissemination, knowledge and information, as its ultimate goal, to the benefit of users, is to find relevant and usable knowledge. In the context of an academic website, this refers, inter alia, to easy movement to a location, either through content categories or through in-house links, which ensures better user experience, longer retention of visitors and greater certainty in the identification of relevant institutional information. Given the openness of the academic website to a wide range of users, as well as the large amount of information content, the level of data structuring and the abstraction of content affects the quality of such a website. It is by exploring the structuring and abstraction of data on the school’s website whether and in what way diffusion has materialised. The conceptual framework of the Information Space model (Boisot,1995) is based on the assertion that structuring the data facilitates its diffusion, i.e. dissemination in the information space. The model is represented by a three-dimensional cube format where the dimensions of the information range from non-codified to codified; from specific to abstract; from non-diffuse to diffuse. This model is unique in that it has an in-built social learning cycle, which shows the dynamic flow of information in the space. The cycle is divided into six steps of information and knowledge management from searching, identification, codification, abstraction, diffusion, absorption and incorporation (Boisot,1995; Dalkir, 2011). The steps of the social learning cycle are included in this model so that they form a curve within a cube, where each dimension of the cube is linked to a specific cycle. The codification dimension is linked to the categorisation and classification of information. The abstraction dimension is linked to the creation of knowledge through analysis and understanding, in order to achieve generalisation. The diffusion dimension is linked to the dissemination of access to and transmission of previously abstracted information, where information and communication technologies aim to ensure, through access and transmission, the smooth flow of information. The six-step cycle presents in its integrity a way of knowledge and as such can be compared with the concept of information literacy, which, according to Lloyd, consists of a range of activities and skills relating to structured and embodied knowledge, and context-relevant ways of knowledge (Lloyd, 2017). The definition of the mechanism of organisation and dissemination of information, according to the described conceptual framework of the Information Space, offers key components of the quality of knowledge management at the higher education institution. This puts at the heart of the work the identification of the necessary prerequisites for the diffusion of information and knowledge for the needs of higher education institutions, as well as the transmission of the same to the staff of the institution. The aim of the work is to identify the mechanisms for diffusion of explicit and implicit information, by checking the necessary pre-conditions of identification, codification and abstraction. This determines the level of dissemination of information through the organisation depending on the level of abstraction and codification. Two research questions were asked which reveal how to build different information domains, as a pre-requisite for diffusion: 1. Determine the way and form of building information domains through personal and institutional levels, i.e. through formal and informal groupings. 2. Explore the diffusion of explicit and implicit information through the communication channels of formal and informal groups. The Information Space model contains two assumptions, which have not been verified in the context of the academic space so far. The first premiss is that a high level of codification and abstraction of information in the space provides greater diffusion, while the second the higher the target population of diffusion is weaker, i.e. information is less widespread in space. With regard to model assumptions and research questions, two alternative hypotheses have been drawn: 1. A high level of codification and abstraction of information ensures greater diffusion of information in the institution’s academic space. 2. The larger the target population, the weaker the information diffusion is. The theoretical part of the work uses a descriptive method to explain the basic starting points of work, and the elements relevant to the organisation of information and knowledge. The research section, using a double methodology through qualitative and quantitative analysis, asks for an answer to the research questions raised, i.e. whether there are prerequisites for building the information domain and their diffusion. The prerequisites relate to identification, codification and abstraction within four contexts: personal, institutional, formal and informal groups. The sample represents the academic space of public higher education institutions, where public higher education institutions have been selected to offer studies in the field of social and technical sciences in their programme, and there are seven in Croatia. By analysing the public space, the website of selected public universities is looking for answers to the questions of findability and accessibility of information, and how to organise the available content. In doing so, we also explore the quantity and quality of information relevant to employees. On the basis of the quantitative data collected from the public website, a qualitative evaluation of codification and abstraction has been carried out, as the basic prerequisites for diffusion of information. In addition, the diffusion itself, i.e. the distribution of information, was investigated. The data collection tool’s direct insight method investigated the structuring and distribution of content on the website. The data collection tool was a template to explore the structuring of the data and the diffusion of information. It first collected possible indicators from the analysis of previous surveys (Pinto, EtAll, 2007, 2009) and was adapted to the context of this survey. Those who best present the structuring and diffusion of information were selected. The results of the survey identified too many categories on initial foreigners, which lack sufficient abstraction, i.e. do not exclude each other, leading to inconsistencies and ambiguity, and reduce the intensity of diffusion. The codification criterion throughout the sample shall have a minimum achievement of 48.57 %, with the weakest classification characteristics of documents and a large number of subcategories. Each school in the sample has its own division although all of them are public, covering the same fields of science. When asking for information in more than one school, there may be misunderstanding, as the categories have multiple sub-categories, which are not located within the same category, thus also reducing ease of use. Information relating to the same subject matter (they may not be identical) is also found in several themes, leading to a general fragmentation and frustration of users in their desire to find complete information on a particular item. Boisot (1995) points out that the lower the amount of data required for the description of the subject matter, the higher the degree of encoding is, he considers that the codification creates perceptive and conceptual categories by facilitating the classification of phenomena. The abstraction criterion has a maximum intra-sample coverage of 69.14 %, mainly related to the substantive value of texts, comprehensibility as well as the use of consistent terminology. It is precisely the characteristics of the clarity of the text and the use of the same terms within the categories that contain the highest number of points for this criterion. It is generally accepted that a higher level of abstraction, where coding has its place, involves a deeper understanding and understanding of phenomena, phenomena and things (Boisot, 1995). The diffusion criterion should reflect the functionality of the two previous codification and abstraction criteria, i.e. the higher their values are, as a result, diffusion is better represented. Diffusion, as a result of the fulfilment of the first two criteria, lies around the middle, i.e. at 56 %, which corresponds to a ‘intermediately satisfactory’ rating. The overall codification, abstraction and diffusion result for the whole sample shows that the ratio of codification (48.6 %) and abstraction (69.1 %) has a difference of 20 % in favour of abstraction. We can therefore assume that the abstraction of web-based content according to this sample is about 20 % better achieved than codification. In view of this, the diffusion output is lower and is 55.7 % for the whole sample. We can hereby confirm the first assumption of model I-space: In view of the overall results of the analysis, we can confirm the first assumption set out in the I-space model, within the context of the higher schools covered by this sample, where the intensity of information diffusion in space depends on the intensity of codification and abstraction of information. A survey of academic staff aims to discover how staff find the information they need, whether they are able to identify them quickly and easily, where they find them, and ultimately how they organise knowledge at a personal level. The purpose of the questionnaire is therefore to explore the way in which information is identified and organised, communication channels and groups of information obtained, as well as the comprehensibility or abstractity of the information available to academic staff. Academics mainly search information via menu, which the previous analysis of the website has shown to be one of the potential problems in finding information, due to the high number of menus. Furthermore, most of them consider that the information is understandable and clearly distributed within menus and sub-menus, which may indicate a sufficiently clear categorisation, even though the very content of what appears in the sub-electors does not tie to or notice the name. The internet and the institution’s intranet of the place where information is most accessible, solutions such as cloud technologies are inaccessible to more respondents. The most used information is in the personal domain, including for example news, announcements and events, links to closed teaching content, such as LMS and intranet, and institution-related information. While most respondents consider that there is a need to agree on the categories and timing of information on the public website, which may be the result of some dissatisfaction with the current situation, on the other hand, more than half of respondents express neutrality or satisfaction about how the information is organised. Similarly, the logic of the distribution of information on the website does not correspond to what is organised by the private information themselves, and it would be possible and difficult to reach an agreement on the organisation of the content and information that most suit most. The analysis of the pages indicated too many menus, however, the results within this sample indicate that this number is within the eligibility of half of the surveyed. In the end, the overall presentation of the information on the public site is confirmed by a good and very good information organisation. The questionnaire ultimately reveals which communication channels are effective in a particular context of work, which can be seen as searching for and sharing information, and falls within the concept of diffusion. Indeed, if the information is well channelled by the sender, only searching and identification is part of that process, but also as the ultimate aim of the recipient. Given the characteristics of certain communication channels, it is possible to determine whether it is a narrower or broader population, and to assess whether the diffusion criteria are met. For the verification of the intensity of diffusion through the modalities of communication within the search activity and the sharing of official information, the following conclusions may be drawn for the resulting survey sample: In finding information for teaching activities, the most common form of communication implicitly-informal is to assume that there is a stronger diffusion of information. In finding information for research activities, the most common form of communication is explicit-formal, thus reducing diffusion within the population. In finding information for administrative activities, the most common form of communication is explicit-formal, thus reducing diffusion within the population. In sharing official information within the institution, the most common form of communication is explicit-formal, thus reducing diffusion within the population. We can hereby confirm the second assumption of model I-space: As the communication channels for requesting and sharing information indicate a greater use of explicit-formal forms, which are directed towards a wider population scope, we can confirm another alternative hypothesis indicating a weaker diffusion within this context and the pattern. As a recommendation, for the academic internet site, on the basis of the results and in accordance with the model settings, it is necessary to ensure that information is easily and rapidly retrieved through content categories or embedded search engines, i.e. that different and relevant types of information are available, through the use of quality content organisation. Documents must correspond to the category in which they are contained in their content and metadata, and it is desirable to avoid duplication of content. Better diffusion also enables the amount of information available through different forms and types of content, which are expected to be understandable, timely, accurate, well-formed and in line with users’ expectations. Future research can focus on other forms and stakeholders within the higher education area, such as universities and colleges, as well as stakeholders such as academic leaders, managers, administrators, externals from different agencies and ministries. Given that the communication channel of formal groups has proven to be an explicit and implicit link between different forms of communication, it is possible to further explore the form of formal groups, their incidence, modalities, impact and functionality of the college.. However, it is necessary to state the most common possible shortcomings in this type of analysis, such as inadequate selection of the number of components and insufficient clarity of data, that is subjective aspect regarding many differences in opinion. Through descriptive analysis, it was shown that the responses were scattered due to a scale of 7 responses and an insufficiently large sample. Generalizing on the basis of one sample, regardless of its size, is always problematic, therefore all conclusions are presented in the form of possible application in the context of the given sample. In this research, a purposive sample was used from selected public Croatian polytechnics that had a social and technical field in their curriculuim, therefore, in further research, the sample can include other polytechnics, as well as universities. Given that similar research, which includes all three activities of academics, has not been found outside of Croatia, the disadvantage is that a sufficiently good comparison is not possible with regard to the context of activity. This work confirmed the viability of the Information Space model in the higher education environment, according to which more and better-structured data accelerate the transmission and diffusion of information. To achieve a good data structure, it is necessary to increase codification and abstraction, which requires a better classification of documents and a reduction in the number of categories. On the basis of the results obtained, the online analysis of public space and surveyed teaching staff identified the applicability of the Information Space model in the context of the high school functional environment. A particular contribution to the extension of the current model lies in the identification of factors for the efficient flow of codified information for the purpose of employee efficiency.

The Technological Gaze

Recently, digital signage has been getting popular in public and private environments, such as retail stores, museums, corporate buildings and even campuses. Digital signage with large and vivid LCD display is typically used as public information exhibition. In spite of growing popularity of digital signage, the lack of interactive capabilities of conventional digital signage prevents students from further exploring and sharing information on the display for learning purpose. Multi-touch interaction with large display, on the other hand, provides natural and intuitive interfaces that can potentially attract students to engage and play in public space. However, how to design a multi-touch application to engage students in a natural and playful learning environment still remains less unexplored research area because it requires developing a new innovation of hardware and software complexity.In this paper, we present a mixed digital signage and multi-touch interaction environment that can encourage students engaging in a watch-and-play style social learning at a public place. The system was designed and developed by transforming two VIZIO 52-inch LCD displays into a multi-touch social learning space with little extra cost. The two LCD displays are designed to function as a typical digital signage to show interesting news and video to attract students outside our department. Students then can point their fingers on displays and turn the system into a multi-touch Web-based rich multimedia learning environment.To realize the key factors of student engagement and satisfaction with our system, we developed a user study model based on the updated D & M IS Success Model and the Technology Acceptance Model. The integrated model contains six constructs: system quality, information quality, interaction quality, perceived usefulness, perceived ease-of-use, and user satisfaction. Empirical result from 145 participants indicates our proposed system is very promising. However, user study on our research model also validated some system design problems such as system and interaction quality must be solved to make the proposed system as a great learning aid in the foreseeable future. The evaluation model we developed can be used as an evaluation tool to provide useful guidelines for developing more advanced social learning system. The software architecture, implication, and future work were described.KeywordsMulti-touchDigital SignageSocial Learning

Research Directions for Digital Signage Systems in Retail

Digital signage (DS) has become a phraseology for recent technology, is gaining massive acceptance to the technology-dependent world. Though the development of DS includes the essence of advertisement purposes, the fusion strategy makes it promising for communication technology. This paper demonstrates a Symbiotic Digital Signage (SDS) system in which one display of DS can be used to communicate with other displays of DS. Data are transmitted to the displays using the steganography process which encircles the display to display communication using the camera on display during the video broadcasting simultaneously. The data hidden in video images are retrieved by analyzing the temporal sequential frame of the same image. The steganography process combines data in images in which the discrete time cosine transform (DCT) is used rather than wavelet transform (WT) because of its obvious advantages over the WT. The performance analysis has been shown with respect to the structural similarity (SSIM) of image, peak signal to noise ratio (PSNR), mean square error (MSE) of combined RGB color and MSE of the RGB color separately.

This paper proposes an intelligent transformation of digital signage systems by making it more audience interactive. The increase in flexibility and enhancement of digital signage display system can be done by providing optimized information and appearance attractive multimedia content through the signage system. This emphasizes more on the advertisement industry especially in public spaces like hotels, airports. The system has been designed to broadcast the advertisement on the signage display system based on the demographic features like gender of the observer. Real-time computer vision algorithms are applied to provide an observer-specific advertisement broadcast on the display system.

The purpose of this research is to find a good and interesting collection system of the heirlooms at museum as to provide the visitors with an appeal and clarity information about collections in Museum as a public spaces. The background of this research is looking at the condition of Heritage Museum which looks like been abandoned and not neatly arranged, we concern about the suistainablity of collections’s display that are not maintained well. They need to be upgraded for a display system to be more interesting and easily seen. Especially the ancient museums of heirlooms which is keris that are not quite interesting for youngster nowaday due to the proliferation of contemporary museums. Therefor it is our duty to make the museum look more interesting to be visited and show much more information to the visitors. However, there are many aspects that need to be considered in designing good museum display, while many supporting factors such as the grouping of collections, the signage systems, as well as lighting are needed too. This study will examine how the object of research solves the issue above and researchers will provide appropriate and better display system as the solution, hoping that it will increase the interest and attention of visitors to know the museum colletion better. The method used in the research are documentation of the research object, combined with the study of literature. Hopefully this research will give contribution to the design of the museum's display system with ergonomical and clearly information about the collection, also gives happiness to the wider community. For the further development of museums, this research is aimed to contributes a good and friendly display technique and system in the future.

Signage system is applied in interior public spaces with consideration to the basic of typography. The objective of signage system is to provide the user convenience in public spaces in order to reach destination while the user is in the building. The basic requirements for designing signage system are legibility and readability. There are still designers who are not aware about the importance of designing a signage system so that sometimes it is found only as decorative element. It is necessary to make the best use of the purpose of signage design, so an interior design should be more carefully in conducting research related to the application of signage system in public spaces. The applied typography has to be considered by its size, placement, colors, and materials to be used. This research used design thinking goal grid method that is suitable to examine the signage system in order to complete design objectives. Article focuses on how to design the signage system to accommodate information that was useful for the user in public space. At the end, there would be identified signage system’s function in interior public spaces as information, guidance, identification as well as safety regulation.