Footpal

FootPal: Build social rivalries around

maintainable walking habits

Ko-Hsun Huang Abstract

National Chiao Tung University Most young adults in Taiwan depend on motorcycles for

Institute of Applied Art their daily transport, even for short distance trips. To

Hsinchu 300, TAIWAN investigate behavior change, the user study reported

here shows that companionship and the sense of social

Madeira Interactive Technologies Institute

presence encourages users to change their behaviors.

Funchal 9020-105 PORTUGAL

With this focus in mind, we present a system that

kohsun@csie.nctu.edu.tw utilizes interpersonal involvement and exercise to

develop a walking culture. Supporting functionality to

Chen-Hao Wuang detect user walking and motorcycle riding frequency,

National Chiao Tung University FootPal is a novel system for walkers to encourage each

Institute of Applied Art other to walk, to have self awareness of behavior

Hsinchu 300, TAIWAN change, and to receive intimate reminders from others.

funkyfoot.aa96g@nctu.edu.tw

Keywords

Social networking, motorcycle dependency, location-

Hong-Ling Chong

aware, social persuasion, walking

National Chiao Tung University

Institute of Applied Art

ACM Classification Keywords

Hsinchu 300, TAIWAN

H5.m. Information interfaces and presentation (e.g.,

alpchris.aa96g@nctu.edu.tw HCI): Miscellaneous. H.5.2. User Interfaces: User-

centered design. H.3.5 Online Information Services:

Web-based services





Copyright is held by the author/owner(s). Introduction

CHI 2010, April 10–15, 2010, Atlanta, Georgia, USA. The motorcycle is a convenient mode of daily

ACM 978-1-60558-930-5/10/04 transportation in Taiwan, especially for riders aged

around 18-35 years. Based on statistics of the growth

of motorcycles, the popularity of motorcycle usage is influences people to walk more. Our approach is

greater than 70% [1]. Energetic young riders are too showing the consumed energy and physiology status in

dependent on motorcycles, and such a habit is a competitive game.

detrimental to the environment.

A second challenge is overcoming laziness. Riders

Vehicle dependence has previously been discussed in always look for a convenient way to do their daily

depth and a solution of transportation mode choice of activities, avoid walking, and either complain about the

Figure 1. Motorcycle dependence young people is needed (Fig-1). It is challenging to lack of fun when walking alone, or the lack of free time

in Taiwan lower riders’ inherent resistance against the for walking. Companionship and persuasive design is

dependence on motorcycles due to the short nature of needed for users, also to grab their attention by lucid

their daily trips [7]. We intend to create a decision interface on device and web platform. A visual

making strategy to influence their transport behavior; metaphor of foot keychain device helps users to see an

to make it as a turning point to persuade them to have object in another light by use of apt alternative

less enthusiasm for riding automobiles giving up short description [6], as an object reminder to always remind

riding journeys for walking. riders to walk when the moment they use their keys to

start the motorcycle engine.

Taiwan has the second largest Facebook game user

population in Asia [5]. Most users are using it because User Study

of the Facebook games. They care a lot about their To investigate the fundamental and emotional reasons

social identity in these games, and are willing to spend of young rider short-distance riding, multiple user

time and money to decorate their personal identity to experience research methods have been applied to this

stand out among other players. Social presence plays project, which include practical observations and

an important role in social networking games. The qualitative analysis through the use of contextual

equation to create this degree of awareness is social inquiries. To distinguish all the diverse and significant

presence in a communication interaction, developing or reasons of motorcycle riding, we interviewed three

maintaining a degree of personal relationship. This male and three female participants. They were three

could be the essential motivation and encouragement students and three workers between 20 to 30 years old.

to sustain user-walking attitude. The results were reinterpreted and integrated into a

mind map, a set of the various situated issues to

Problem Space present the main factors that affect whether they ride

Previous work has shown that enjoyment is the link or walk in very short distance trips.

between leisure and physical activity [2]. In this

context, a first difficulty here is that not many riders The main reasons for not walking includes:

are willing to walk even in a short daily trip to work. Walking is a boring activity

Given this challenge we decided to use a persuasive Walking is a waste of time

technique [4] to create a new experience that Walking is not considered as a sport

The participants always ride motorcycle to convenience Design Process

stores, supermarkets, MRT stations which are only five Based on gathered information and demographic

to ten minutes away on foot. The streets they drive research about motorcycle riders, we create a persona

through everyday are immutable and unexcitable. They with particular user type, needs and preferences.

cannot do or find any interesting or beautiful things Iterative design process of idea formation, prototyping,

during their trips. Sometimes they need to do some and user study was guided by this persona. Our

errands or go to some place as quickly as possible, so persona, Regina, a carefree office lady, goes shopping

they believe that walking is too slow and prefer a with friends, watches performance, visits exhibition,

motorcycle instead. Regardless of whether participants and sometimes plays badminton as her leisure activity.

exercise or not, they all think walking is not a sport and Typical life patterns include buying foods back home,

do not expect to improve their health by walking. Some eating while watching TV, and having plenty of sleep if

of them would rather ride a bicycle or go to gym and there is nothing else to do. She is willing to use

others think they do not have any health problem. Internet to chat with friend. She follows friends’ status

a bit. She refers to stay home but will go for shopping

However, there are some situations in which young and exhibition if friends invite.

generation might be encouraged to walk. All

participants expressed they would take a walk with Workshop

their family, lovers, and friends because they could After investigating the current riding phenomenon, a

chat on the street. The companionship and intimate workshop was held by students from different

Figure 2: User testing with the

social contact with others would make them walk much disciplines, including industrial design, computer

prototype

longer. Besides, when they feel anxious and try to science, interaction design and visual communication

release stress, they also walk around to let themselves design. Based on the mind map and the stories of our

feel better. persona, we tried to develop new concepts to alter our

target users’ current short-distance riding behaviors.

Design Goals

We want to identify a turning point for users to have a Prototyping

milestone for a healthier life by short walking. We tried The design concepts derived from workshop were

to change their excessive dependence upon examined with the previous design issues, and then the

motorcycles and enhance their attitudes of sustainable prototypes were created for the most appropriate

usages. We adopt the strategy of social networking and solution, which includes an application on the Internet

solve this using uncomplicated technology and devices. to provide encouragement for walking and a mobile

For example, adapting existing social networking web device to maintain social contact.

platforms may alleviate the problem of critical mass for Later, several testing scenarios were applied to each

any successful solution. A secondary goal is to maintain prototype following the design procedure, and then

a source of enjoyment and excitement for users. target users evaluated one of these prototypes in-situ

(Fig-2).

Evaluation Social Network

We created a persona to anticipate the type of potential Based on the study, our target users tend to ride

users and plan riding experience in advance. We also motorcycles due to several perceptions about walking,

interviewed respondents and hypothesized rider such as time consuming and the tediousness. Hence we

motivations that will drive their riding moment. We tried to enrich the whole walking experience by

tested our targeted users in a real environment with providing more available social contacts. Besides, social

the device. For healthy youngsters, convenient is a key relationships also have strong influence on a person’s

for them to assess the needs for riding. We understand perception and attitude toward their own behaviors.

our design needs to be playfulness to fulfill his desire

and feel amusing to use it even if it walking is less As show in Fig-3 and Fig-4, our main design concept is

convenient. to apply a person’s existing social relationships to

encourage and to remind one to walk while user

Final Design approaches the motorcycles. Our design also provides

We went through several iterations of prototyping and the sense of companionships when the user decides to

evaluation. Our final design includes a mobile device walk. Through simple social interactions with friends,

and an associated Facebook application. The foot- the whole context and experience of walking will be

shaped mobile device, a visual metaphor for walking, enriched. Besides, the activities of reminder sending

works as a physical artifact for users to interact with and decision making will be aggregated. Showing

Figure 3: Design Concept

others in the virtual world via a Facebook plug-in and historical information also increases the chance of

Google map platform. Through iterative design process, making good decisions at next turning point.

we implement several prototypes for design evaluation.

There are two design strategies we applied in our System Diagram and Structure

design development: FootPal contains a mobile device on the key chain and a

Facebook application. The mobile device sends the

Turning point current mobility status (e.g. walking, riding or going to

In the context of each riding journey, there are several ride) to friends’ mobile devices and as well as the web

important moments with opportunities to affect users’ platform. As the diagram shows (Fig-5), when a user is

decision making. Those turning points include the time approaching the motorcycle, the device will send the

they approach, see and sit on the motorcycles, and the warning message to his/her friends who can then send

time they turn the key to start the motorcycles. Hence, an emoticon, a vibration or a caution message back to

one of the most significant design concepts here is to encourage the user to walk from their mobile devices.

remind users to reconsider their riding decision and to Friends can also sent the warning text message from

manifest the consequence of their decision with the Facebook app to the user. Through this immediate

Figure 4: Turning points of different types of feedback. social feedback, we expect riders to change their mind

decision making with prototype to walk in short daily trips and make that moment as a

turning point of their lifestyle.

users’ current status and emotion. There are several

simple operations that enable users to interact:



A) Toe buttons: a user could select a nearby friend by

pushing the big toe switch and then choose an

emoticon or a vibrating reminder to send.

B) Status: It shows the nearby friends’ current status,

including walking, riding or going to ride. If a friend

sends an emoticon or vibration to him/her, the current

status will become the emoticon for a while to enhance

more social interactions among friends.

Figure 5. System diagram

C) Current Status: the green walking light and red

Walue is a value affected by the ratio of walking and riding light present a user’s current status. While a user

riding, the number of good decisions made and approaching to the motorcycle, both lights will start to

successful encouragements given. It presents an flash and the device will vibrate to remind user to make

overall situation of the user related to walking. The a better decision.

historical log of Walue of a user can give strong D) Walue: is the score of “walking value”. It is a

awareness about behavior changes. Besides, Walues of function of the ratio of walking and riding, numbers of

friends on FootPal can also encourage competition. good decisions and successful persuasions. The arrows

Through the social pressure, riders will influence and be will present if a user Walue is increasing or decreasing

influenced among each other to walk more. to indicate the recently walking behavior change.

E) Message: A user may receive a text message if their

Mobile Device friends send it through the online platform.

For the target users, the mobile device has two major F) Collections: Based on the GPS, the mobile device

functions. One is to convey the sense of companionship records walking trail. The collection shows how many

from friends while walking, by presenting the social different types of places a user already explored by

Figure 6: Mobile Device. presence and current status. The other is to provide walking associated with their decision-making and

It can send the mobility records

members of the social network a chance to encourage persuasion sending.

which contain distance, time,

and geography information to each other by sending an emoticon or a vibrating

the web platform. reminder. Web Platform

A) Dressing Room: the web platform contains two main

As showing the Fig-6, the mobile device is part of parts. After joining into FootPal, users would have a

keychain. It can detect whether the user is walking, foot as their identity (Fig-7). In the dressing room (Fig-

riding or going to ride. The status is shown on other 8), users could change the appearance of their foot.

members’ mobile devices as well as the web platform. They could modify the parts of foot, add some

The blue screen on the mobile device presents nearby accessories, alter the environment where the foot steps

on and let their foot wear shoe. As their Walue Acknowledgements

increases, the number of items which they could select We are grateful to Prof. Monchu Chen and Prof. Yishin

to modify their foot will increase. So they could make Deng who spent considerable time and effort providing

their foot more unique. When Walue decreases, the helpful suggestion that greatly improved the idea and

number of items would decrease too. Their foot would essence of this paper. Special thanks for Chia-Hsin Wu,

become less appealing. Users could also get few special Yu-Hung Chou, Tsai-Fang Wu for their participation.

items after they walk to some special places, which

Figure 7: Foot identity References

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Figure 8: Dressing room page

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Figure 9: Mobility records on the

walking map