Exploring pervasive displays for cemeteries and memorial sites

Abstract

This paper addresses graveyards as a context for designing interactive technology, especially pervasive displays and the presentation of information related to graves and the dead. We present our research containing three user studies: a focus group-based study on perceptions of different display technologies in the cemetery context, evaluation of a gravestone display prototype, and a user study with a graveyard navigator prototype. Whereas, HCI research surrounding death has so far largely focused on an individual's digital remains, our focus is on the physical graveyard setting. We contribute to understanding the potential impacts and opportunities of interactive technology in this design context. Our salient findings highlight the cultural sensitivity and importance of dignity related to the context, unobtrusiveness of the technology, and concerns for privacy and social acceptability. Concepts taking into account these design aspects were of interest for those researching family histories, and visitors seeking improved navigation for the graveyard.

Special issue on pervasive displays

“…Häkkilä et al [10] investigate the use of pervasive displays in graveyards. Their work includes three user studies.…”

“…This special issue revealed that there are yet some challenges that need to be addressed for pervasive displays and proposed solutions. This includes technical challenges, such as content scheduling [13], as well as human-centered design challenges, such as attracting attention [2], social acceptability [10], workload [8], and designing for different user groups [4,6]. Authors of articles in this special issue have shown that these areas require further research, and have also highlighted multiple opportunities which we divide in terms of use cases and methodologies: Novel use cases: There is a myriad of use cases for which pervasive displays can be particularly promising.…”

Discussing human values in digital immortality: towards a value-oriented perspective

“…The current COVID-19 pandemic has also highlighted the need for more platforms to properly pay homage to our dead in a more active manner, such as digital graveyards [18,19], or to better prepare our legacy for the next generation with the aid of end-of-life decisions support systems [20].…”