Norbert Streitz and his AMBIENTE--Smart Environments of the Future division at Fraunhofer-IPSI in Darmstadt approach augmentation by better integrating information technology with architecture and furniture. Beyond their "traditional" roomware components, AMBIENTE designed smart artifacts (e.g., the wall-sized ambient Hello.Wall display that uses light patterns for communication, or the hand-held ViewPorts) that employ wireless networking and sensing to support informal human communication and provide atmospheric information and location- and context-dependent services in a range of spaces.

More Information: http://www.ipsi.fraunhofer.de/ambiente/english/index.html (external link)