Embracing calibration in body sensing

Abstract

Calibration is a necessary step in many sensor-based ubicomp applications to prepare a system for operation. Particularly when dealing with sensors for movement-based interaction calibration is required to individualize the system to the person's body. However, calibration is often viewed as a tedious necessity of a purely technical nature. In this paper we argue that calibration can be used as a valuable and informative step for users molding a technology for their own use. We explain this through two case studies that use body sensing technologies to teach physical skills. Our studies show that calibration can be used by teachers and pupils to set goals. We argue that demystifying calibration and designing to expose the intentions of the technology and its functioning can be beneficial for users, allowing them to shape technology to be in tune with their bodies rather than changing their body to fit the technology.