Interactive Tables for Social Experiences at Home

Compared to work environments, the digitization of homes is progressing only slowly. While existing Smart Home applications focus on automatization of, for example, light or heat, there is little discussion about strengthening interpersonal relationships as a potential benefit of smart systems. Since the central dining- or kitchen table is the traditional "social interface" of a home, it seems worthwhile to research domestic interactive tables' potentials of digital support. This paper presents a review of domestic interactive table concepts as well as a survey about pleasurable moments at (non-digital) domestic tables. Based on this, we develop four design principles, Sociality, Flexibility, Distinctiveness, and Homeyness, to offer orientation for the design of future domestic interactive tables.