Surprise trips

Abstract

Little treasures in nature often go unnoticed by visitors when roaming about in a national park. Ubiquitous technology with its less intrusive character may be apt to enhance this natural experience of exploration. In this paper, we report on a system that augments this experience. It builds on the theme of surprises as well as utilizing physical icons both as representation of users' interests and as notification tokens to alert users when they are within proximity of a surprise. We developed mock-up prototypes and a video prototype to do brief evaluations with target users. The evaluation shows that the concept is viable and deserves further development. Additionally, our focus on the users' interests and what they may consider to be of value to them is noteworthy and deserves further attention when designing ubiquitous technology for outdoor experiences.