360° Awareness
Sentient devices provide awareness all around the user beyond the field of view
Example: Photo gallery
Sam took a photo last year and is looking for it. He remembers there were fireworks all around, although they might not have been captured in the photo itself. So he asks the voice assistant to display the photos where the context includes fireworks.
Example: Cooking along
Voice assistant notices that Sam opens the fridge and proposes a recipe based on the ingredients available. Then, when cooking, the assistant can monitor everything happening around Sam even if it is outside his field of vision.
Prioritise the right apps at the right time
Context-aware devices can automatically prioritise the most useful services for any context
Example: App shortcuts
Sam wears his AR eyewear at sports events and concerts. His device automatically creates shortcuts for this context, such as filming a video and post it on social media, live streaming, party flashing, etc.
Example: Crowdedness maps
Sam walks around the city and his AR headset notifies him about which shops and bars are crowded and which are not, thanks to the context-aware devices present in such places.
Automatic focus shields
Context-aware devices can present notifications at the appropriate time, protecting users’ flows and concentration
Example: Detection of urgent events
When Sam is in the Metaverse, he can relax without worrying about events such as alarms, his dog barking, people knocking on the door. etc. as these are automatically notified to him inside the Metaverse.
Example: Mindful notifications
When Sam is talking to someone, devices are automatically muted until the conversation ends. Appliances also wait for the appropriate time before starting their scheduled routines. E.g. When he is working at his desk, only work notifications are passed through.
Sharing personal status to others
Context-aware devices can provide useful information about user’s families and close friends based on the context
Example: Friends’ availability
Karen is in the Metaverse and wants to know whether Sam is available to join her there. Sam’s availability status is displayed in her list of contacts.
Example: Dinner is ready
Sam starts cooking dinner. His voice assistant asks: “Do you want me to notify Karen?” “Yes please, tell her dinner will be ready in 20 minutes”.
Example: Privacy-friendly monitoring
The kids are doing their homework while Sam is working. Without listening or recording any audio, Sam can know how long the kids have been working for as well as any absence of activity in the room. Context-aware devices provide context monitoring without being invasive.
Appropriate notification modality
Adapting the way devices communicate to users based on context
Example: Automatic sound/vibration switch
When user is in a loud space, notifications are delivered via visual or haptic media. When in a cinema, switch devices to silence mode automatically while the movie is playing.
