Ubiquitous computing - Department of Computer Science

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Transcript Ubiquitous computing - Department of Computer Science

Ubiquitous computing
Spring 2008
Presented By:
Ishita Trivedi
What is Ubiquitous Computing
(ubicomp)
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Ubicomp is a post-desktop model of human computer interaction in
which information processing has been thoroughly integrated into
everyday objects and activities.
Integrate computers seamlessly into the world
– invisible, everywhere computing.
– Often called pervasive/invisible computing.
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Computers are mostly not invisible , they dominate interaction
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Ubicomp is about making computers invisible.
with them.
Ubiquitous computing = mobile computing + intelligent
environment.
Technology View
 Computers everywhere – embedded into fridges, washing
machines, door locks, cars, furniture.
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Intelligent environment.
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Mobile portable computing devices
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Wireless communication – seamless mobile/fixed.
User View
 Invisible – implicit interaction with your environment.
 Augmenting human abilities in context of tasks
Ubicomp vs. Virtual Reality
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Should we live in virtual computing world? Or should computing
come out and live in our physical world?
VR is about simulating physical world & putting people inside
virtual computing world. (Limited applications & activities.).
Ubicomp is about bringing computing to people’s physical world,
integrating with everyday objects and activities.
Ubiquitous computing is an integration of human factors,
computer science, engineering, and social sciences.
Ubiquitous, Mobile, and
Nomadic Computing
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Nomadic computing: “portable”; no mobility while connected.
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Mobile computing: “on-the-go”, e.g., while sitting on a train;
possibility of network connections remaining open.
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Ubiquitous computing:
computing everywhere… OR
computers everywhere…most of them
invisible
Intelligence
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Computing embedded and enhancing physical objects.
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Achieve intelligence through interconnection of physical objects.
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Achieve intelligence through location awareness (without AI)
For example:
Automated call forwarding (context awareness – should
where the person is)
lighting control  smart sensor wall - control heating and
lighting.
Early work
Tabs:
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very small – smart badge with user info, calendar, diary, etc.
allow personalized settings to follow a user
Carried around by a person
 Hundreds in a room
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Remote controllers
Badges
Tags / Labels (RFID)
Locating system (tags as library catalogs)
Animate static physical objects (active calendar, active map)
Pads:
 Foot-scale Ubicomp
devices
 A sheet of paper / tablet PC.
 Portable computers but not laptop
metaphor
 Tens in a room
 Like scrap papers that can be grabbed and used anywhere,
no unique ID.
Boards:
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larger display – whiteboard size.
Personalized electronic bulletin boards.
Multiple pens.
Meeting capture.
Lots of bandwidth available because they’re plugged
into the wall
White board with e-chalk
Shared white board with remote participants.
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Video screen.
Electronic Bookcases
Current technology
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Portable information appliances
– laptops, notebooks, and sub-notebooks
– hand-held computers
– PDAs and smart phones
Wireless communication networks
– multiple networks “covering” the globe
Internet:
– TCP/IP& de-facto application protocols
Usability
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Common user interface for workstation and mobile device
applications.
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Adaptive information display.
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Flexible voice based input-output.
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Voice recognition + text to speech conversion.
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Gesture recognition.
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Intelligent agents
Mobile computing
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Mobile computing - wireless transmission.
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Uses a computing device.
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Many types of mobile computers have been introduced since the
1990s, including the:
Personal digital assistant
Enterprise digital assistant
Smart phone
UMPC
Mobile computing Vision
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Universal connectivity – anywhere, anytime
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Accommodate heterogeneity of networks and communicators.
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Ubiquitous intelligent environment - embedded computers
everywhere
Easy user interaction
Context independent access to services + context dependent
information
Issues
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How to integrate mobile communicators into complex
information infrastructures?
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What effect will they have on work and leisure?
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Privacy
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How to develop and manage adaptable, context-aware software
systems?
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What support is needed within the network?
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Power supplies
Integration of Mobile Systems
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Not stand alone devices.
Need to interact with complex legacy information systems
eg large databases – merging updates, displaying tables etc.
Systems development
Requirements specification for adaptable systems
Component composition to meet global QoS, security,
reliability & performance requirements.
Mobility models
Behaviour specification and analysis
Modelling context aware systems
Context Aware Computing
It is powerful and longlasting, concept in human computer
interaction.
Interaction with computation is by explicit acts of communication (e.g. pointing
to a menu item), context is implicit (e.g. default setting).
Goal of context-aware computing is to acquire and utilize information about the
context of a device to provide services that are appropriate to the particular
people, place, time, events, etc.
For example, a cell phone will always vibrate and never beep in a concert, if the
system can know the location of the cell phone and the concert schedule
Context Adaptation
A context adaptive system enables the user to maintain a
Certain application (in different forms) while roaming
between different wireless access technologies, locations,
devices and even simultaneously executing everyday tasks
like meetings, driving a car etc.
Issues : Context Awareness
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Current location
Need location detection e.g. GPS or base station Indoors – radio beacon, IR.
User activity
Walking, driving a car, running for a bus – how to detect this?
Ambient environment
In theatre, alone, in meeting
Local resources or services available
Device capabilities
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Screen, input, processing power, battery life ….
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Current QoS availability – particularly for radio links
Intelligent Environment
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An intelligent environment is a location (e.g. home, office,
hospital, etc) that is equipped with sensors, actuators and
computers that are networked with each other and the internet.
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The components are controlled by "intelligent agent" software
that knows the preferences of the occupants.
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It tailors the environment to suit them.
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The occupants can talk to the environment using speech and
natural language and the sensors can monitor the environment.
Smart Dust
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Autonomous sensing and communication in a cubic millimeter – “dust motes”.
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"Smart dust" devices are tiny wireless micro electro mechanical sensors (MEMS)
that can detect everything from light to vibrations.
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Sensors for temperature, humidity, light, motion …. with bidirectional radio or
laser + battery.
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Typical Applications:
-- Defence related battlefield sensors, motion detectors etc.
-- Inventory control on boxes which communicate with trucks, plane etc to tell
you where they are.
-- Product quality monitoring – vibration, humidity, overheating.
-- Car component monitoring.
Smart Dust Components
Smart Dust
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Smart paint monitors vibrations and detect intruders.
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Changes colour to react to temperature, lighting etc.
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Intelligent glass can filter sunlight, become opaque
no need for curtains.
Smart garments or injectable sensors for people
monitoring.
Issues
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What means of communication?
Radio
Light based
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Batteries would be impractical power source for 100K
processors per person.
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Solar cells are not suitable for all environments.
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Solar cells, fuel cells, body heat power?
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Power not speed is the key issue for future processor
designs.
Major Challenges
Hardware Prototype Issue:
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Power consumption: impossible to change batteries to many
ubicomp devices frequently.
Balance of HW/SW feature: display, network, processing,
memory, storage capability, multitasking, QoS, etc.
Ease of expansion & modification (integration vs. modular
design).
Network Issue:
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Wireless Media Access (802.11, Bluetooth, Cellular Networks).
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Quality of Services (RSVP, etc).
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Ubicomp devices changing network attachment (Mobile IP).
Application Issue:
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“Applications are of course the whole point of ubiquitous computing”.
 Locating people (active badges)
Automated call forwarding
Tracking down people for meeting
Watching general activity in a building (feel in touch with
surrounding environments)
 Shared drawing in virtual meeting
Scalability to 5000 peoples (multicast for bandwidth
efficiency)
Security
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Interactions will be cross multiple organisational boundaries
specification, analysis and integration for heterogeneous OS,
databases, firewalls, routers.
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Everything worth hacking gets hacked.
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Need for secure ‘out of the box’ set up that can identify friend
or foe - level of trust.
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Small communicators, with confidential data, are easily lost or
stolen – biometric authentication.
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Necessary security technology exists.
Privacy
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Location service tracks movement to within metres.
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Clearly indicate you are being sensed or recorded + user control to
stop recording or control distribution of information.
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You are now predictable System can co-relate location, context and
behaviour patterns
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Do you want employer, colleagues or insurance company to know you
carry a medical monitor?
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Tension between authentication and anonymity – business want to
authenticate you for financial transactions and to provide ‘personalized’
service web sites.
Constant spam of context dependent advertising
Management
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Huge, complex systems
Billions of processors
Multiple organisations
Managing physical world, controlling sensors, actuators
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Hacker and virus paradise
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System propagates false information about individuals or
organisation.
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Complexity of s/w installation on a workstation or server – how
do you cope with billions?
Proposed Management
Solution
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Intelligent agents, mobile agents, policy.
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QoS Management
Fat pipes and large storage can convert media streams to
short traffic bursts in core network but still needed for wireless
links.
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Adaptive self-management is the only answer
Partitioned domains of responsibility
Genetic algorithms may be suitable for long-term
strategy but need more deterministic solutions for
short term decision making
Video Links
Presentation – The dawning age of ubiquitous computing
By Adam Greenfield
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMXox8IJvmE&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eubo2AIBiBw&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oS0DBLFtAfQ&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5GRyEnZMaig&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-zBZh-eLBY&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uiS5Z-yRczY&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFISKd6xef0&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8iGGP8uCa4&feature=related
Questions???
References
http://www.media.mit.edu/
http://cooltown.hp.com/
http://portolano.cs.washington.edu/
http://computer.org/dsonline/
http://computer.org/pervasive
http://www.comp.lancs.ac.uk/computing/research/mpg/most/
www.wikipedia.com