The Project		Technologies		Press Room		Misc			Search \| Sitemap

The Project > Short Overview

[English] [Français] [Greek] [Deutsch]

line

	Project acronym	ShopLab
	Project full title	The ShopLab Network for Test and Design of Hybrid Shop Environments based on Multimodal Interface Technologies
	Proposal/Contract no.	IST - 2000 - 28143
	Project Coordinator	Prof. Dr. Karim Khakzar
	Project duration	36 months - November 2001 to October 2004 Effective Duration of the Projekt
	Project budget	approx. 3 Mio Euro

	Short description	ShopLab's objective is to develop and test hybrid shop environments based on multimodal interfaces (and interspaces) that combine the virtues of real world shops with the additional benefits of digital technologies and services. The alienation felt by many people towards new technologies will be reduced through systematic consideration of their needs and experiences in the design process. In order to achieve this, publicly accessible test-beds will be installed in both a model shop and in real shops, thereby ensuring active user participation. This will allow both social and practical user acceptance to be tested in realistic environments. The tremendous cultural value of traditional retail shops in different European regions will be central to the participatory design of ShopLab's hybrid shop modules, as will differences in mentality across the continent.

	Descritption of the work	The ShopLab project consists of the following elements: - hardware interface design, - software interface design, - shop construction and design, - multimedia application design, - usability and user acceptance test design - intercultural communication design for the development of hybrid shop enviroments The hybrid shop environments created by ShopLab will contain modules such as an Interactive Window, Interactive Shelf, Interactive Mirror, and Interactive Entrance-Space. These modules will consist of both hardware and software interface components that make use of multiple interaction modalities and include shop specific multimedia applications and services. Design work is distributed between a design lab in Basel city-centre (the location of the 'model shop'), a VR-lab in Athens, and two real world shops, each within different cultural and business contexts, in Germany and France. The ShopLab test beds will act as 'transparent' research labs. Users will be encouraged to participate actively in the design process. This user-centered approach will lead to solutions with a high degree of social and practical user acceptance. The project will network actively with scientific and industrial partners (both technological and content provider specialists). In addition, it will take advantage of the unique opportunities provided by its test-beds for effective appraisals of new interface technologies in realistic contexts.


		The ShopLab Project is part funded by the European Commission, Information Society Technologies Programme (IST) as part of the 5th Framework.

line