Exploring the Design Space for Geo-Fenced Connected Devices at Home

This note offers a reflection on the design space for a geo- fenced connected device and service (GFS) - a specification that enforces a connected device can only be used within a virtual perimeter. Many connected devices are nowadays be- ing accessed through applications running on mobile devices instead of tangible controls. Whilst this ubiquitous access is highly convenient, it is also making connected devices more vulnerable. As such, we reintroduce location constrained in- teraction, adapted to connected devices of modern home, and explore three design cardinals i) spatial granularity, ii) roles and delegation, and iii) access control. We report a qualita- tive study that explored this design space through a prototype geo-fenced connected lighting system. Our findings suggest that users would like to have geo-fencing for a subset of con- nected devices, prefer to define geo-fences statically but with different granularities for different devices, and desire access control through location verification and credentials.