Experimenting with ubiquitous computing technologies in productive environments

Ubiquitous computing techniques are ideal tools to bring new solutions to environments which are otherwise quite resistant to rapid change. In this paper we present techniques to carry out experiments in the very heterogeneous environment of a hospital's decision making conference, the "tumour board". Introducing the concept of surface interaction we demonstrate how information from various sources such as X-ray film, slide presentations and projections of CT scans together with oral comments and typed notes can be captured and made available for surgeons' use in the operating theatre, without interfering with the "old" way of holding the meeting and without putting any extra burden on the hospital staff.