Plux: Exploring light settings through hybrid control

Connected lighting solutions are replacing traditional lightbulbs in the home environment and offer unlimited numbers of light settings, varying in color, brightness, saturation and more. Interaction design for such systems is challenging: simple switches no longer suffice, and asking users to specify all parameters of all lightbulbs separately is time-consuming and requires them to understand the desired outcome. This paper presents Plux, a tangible light controller which employs a hybrid control approach. Plux generates light settings of pseudo-randomized color palettes, while users control the saturation and brightness directly. Plux is intended to enable serendipitous exploration of new light settings using a peripheral interaction design approach. A field deployment in which 5 people used Plux for 3 weeks in their homes revealed that using Plux easily became a part of the everyday routine. Plux's hybrid control approach was particularly valuable for users who struggle to determine the desired light setting.