ABSTRACT
Factors that influence the finding of objects can be
numerous and complex. Ubiquitous computing solutions
for this problem begin with underlying technologies
(location-sensing and capture) as building blocks for real
applications. This paper investigates the real-world nature
of what losing an object means and the strategies used to
find those objects. A comprehensive survey on the nature
of finding lost objects provides insights for the design of
human-centered, object-finding services. A systematic
analysis of the responses showed the importance of
identifying object types, timescale of use, supporting
situational factors (reasons for loss and strategies of
recovery), and targeting an age-defined user population
(user desire and degree of support) when building these
services. These criteria motivate a checklist for
systematically evaluating both existing and proposed lost
object finding services.