Carl Magnus Olsson

Biography

My research is positioned in the design and use of contextual applications. These are characterized by adapting their behavior to relevant changes in the environment they are in, as well as to the people who use them. This means that my research is largely focused on application, that is, someone's life will actually be enriched in a profound and meaningful way by the developed technology. I'm particularly interested in understanding this so-called mediating role that contextual applications can have for our lives - professional as well as private. How does our perception of and experience in the world change through the introduction of contextual technology?  I research this through exploratory action research, ie a research method developed by myself during my dissertation, which originated in exploratory design and iterative development. Thus, innovative technology can be developed and evaluated in close collaboration with industry and end users in a way that is informed of the latest work practices in agile methods, such as Lean software development and Scrum.  For end consumers today, the primary applications include mediating technical (and contextual) innovations, such as the automotive industry and the gaming industry. Today, a modern car is largely defined by a network of sensors, electronics and digital systems that today actively assist in car driving (safety as well as convenience) while providing road users with contextually relevant information and entertainment services. In recent years, the gaming industry has shifted from target-oriented loneliness to increasingly social games where physical interaction with sensor-based controls is at the center of innovation, such as special dance classes,  We can also see a sharply increasing trend of technology support to achieve improved results during exercise (eg RunKeeper, MapMyRide, and pulse watches with auto-matching training programs) as well as for general life-enjoyment through social services such as Foursquare, Foodspotting and Untappd, focusing on share geographically relevant information to others. Finally, the smart houses that have long been argued as the future, which today, thanks to the technological development that led to cheaper as well as better sensors and networks, have a greater opportunity to become a reality on a broad front. This can provide new services for convenience as well as for a more energy- and environment-conscious lifestyle.

Research Interest

Design-oriented research  Action research  Software  development Context awareness  Experience-based technology  Game design and development