The Co-Evolution of Taxi Drivers and their In-Car Navigation Systems

The last article dispatched from my PhD thesis has been accepted for publication in the journal Pervasive and Mobile Computing. The slow academic process to diffuse research results – this study was performed in 2007-2008 – has at least the merit to force authors in looking back into their methods and procedures. Now in 2010, inspired by Nicolas’ Field Research for Design and others, I probably would perform the qualitative data collection and analysis differently. Nevertheless, I still believe this work delivers some relevant insights on people appropriation of location-based systems.

The co-evolution of taxi drivers and their in-car navigation systems (pre-copy-editing pdf)

Abstract. The recent market success of in-car navigation systems creates the opportunity to investigate the appropriation of location-aware systems outside laboratory settings. Through ethnographical lenses, we study how this technology changed the practice of a massive community of its early adopters, the taxi drivers of Barcelona (Spain) and, specifically, their exploitation of pervasive geoinformation. The results show co-evolution: taxi drivers adapt to their in-car navigation systems and adapt them to their needs; in particular, there are evidences of an alteration of the learning processes and of technology appropriation to reduce stress rather than to improve efficiency. We argue that these findings can inform the design of next generation location-based services.

The interplay between a sat-nav and a city guide. Barcelona, June 2008.

Why do I blog this: Last article of my PhD thesis to be accepted. In this study I particularly learned how to a) design a qualitative data collection procedure and b) analyze and interpret the notes, videos and photos.