UBIQUITOUS COMPUTING

UBIQUITOUS COMPUTING Alberto Grillo Software Engineering II

Summary • Introduction to Ubiquitous Computing • History of Ubiquitous Computing • Challenges and Requirements • Comparison of Technologies • Software Engineering • References

Introduction to Ubiquitous Computing • What is • Characteristics • Goals

Whatis (1/3) • the method of enhancing computing use by making many devices (services) available throughout the physical environment, but making them effectively invisible to the user (Mark Weiser)

What is (2/3) • tries to construct a universal computing environment (UCE) that conceals: • computing instruments • devices • resources • technology • invisible to users from applications or customers

Whatis (3/3) • computing everywhere • many embedded, wearable, handheld devicescommunicate transparently to provide different services tothe users • devices mostly have low power and short-range wirelesscommunication capabilities • devices utilize multiple on-board sensors to gatherinformation about surrounding environments

Characteristics of Ubicomp Applications • context-awareness • impromptu and volatileinteraction • interactions among applications are based onspecific context

Goals • the promise of ubiquitous computing: • a life in which our endeavoursare powerfully, though subtly, assisted by computers • the idealistic visionspainted by theubiquitous computing movementstand in stark contrast towhat we see when we boot up our computers each day

Summary • Introduction to Ubiquitous Computing • History of Ubiquitous Computing • Challenges and Requirements • Comparison of Technologies • Software Engineering • Références

History of Ubiquitous Computing • History • Mark Weiser • Experiments

History • Active Badge • Andy Hopper • Xerox PARC 1991-2000 • Mark Weiser (until, sadly,April 1999) • Calm Technology

Mark Weiser: the father of ubiquitous computing • researcher in the Computer Science Lab at Xerox’s PARC (Palo Alto Research Center) • first articulated the idea of ubiquitous computing in 1988 • has called UC “…highest ideal is to make a computer so imbedded, so fitting, so natural, that we use it without even thinking about it.”

Experiments • Tabs • Pads • Boards 1988 – 1994 at PARC Xerox • Classroom 2000 • SAAMPad (Software Architecture Analysis Method Pad) • The Conference Assistant

Challenges and Requirements • Hardware • Applications • User Interfaces • Networking • Mobility • Scalability • Reliability • Interoperability • Resource Discovery • Privacy and Security

Nanotechnology (1/2) The trend toward miniaturization ofcomputer components down to anatomic scale is known as nanotechnology

Nanotechnology (2/2) • • Mobile data technology • – GSM, GPRS, UMTS, CDMA, WAP, Imode • • Wireless data technology • – Bluetooth, 802.11b • • Internet data technology • – IP over optical, Broadband • • Content services • – Web & WAP • • Applications • – Multimedia, Internet messaging

Applications • main motivation of ubiquitous computing (Weiser1993) • need to have an awareness of their context: acombination of several factors, including the current location, the current user or if thereare any other Ubicomp devices present in the near surroundings

Pen Gesture recognition … Mouse keyboard Users Interface The multitude of different Ubicomp devices with their different sizes of displaysand interaction capabilities represents another challenge

Networking Another key driver for the final transition will be the use of short-range wirelessas well as traditional wired technologies Wirelesscomputing refers to the use of wirelesstechnology to connectcomputers to a network

Mobility Mobility is made possible through wireless communication technologies Problem of disconnectivity!!! This behaviour is an inherent property ofthe ubicomp concept and it should not be treated as a failure

Scalability In a ubiquitous computing environment where possibly thousands and thousandsof devices are part of scalability of the whole system is a key requirement All the devices are autonomous and must be able to operate independently adecentralized management will most likely be most suitable

Reliability Thus the reliability of ubiquitous services and devices is a crucialrequirement In order to construct reliable systems self-monitoring, self-regulating andself-healing features like they are found in biology might be a solution

Interoperability This will probably be one of the major factors for the success or failure ofthe Ubicomp vision Use of technology just existed: JINI,CORBA,ecc… This diversity will make it impossible thatthere is only one agreed standard

Resource Discovery The ability of devices to describe their behaviour to the network is akey requirement. On the other hand, it can not be assumedthat devices in a ubiquitous environment have prior knowledge of the capabilites of otheroccupants.

Privacy and Security • In a fully networked world with ubiquitous, sensor-equipped devicesseveral privacy and security issues arise • the people in this environmentwill be worried about their privacy since there is the potential of total monitoring • must be understandable by the user andit must be modelled into the system architecture

Comparison of Technologies Table shows a list of these APIs and technologies. The original comparison madeby Olstad, Ramirez, Brady and McHollan. Without Bluetooth orIrDA.

Software Engineering • research is inherently empirical and relies on a rapid prototyping development cycle • information should be pushedto user based on current task,inferences made about user’ssituation • as user moves into differentenvironments

References • Mario-Leander Reimer • Ubiquitous Computing: • Challenges, Requirements and Technologies • Staffordshire University April 3, 2001 • http://research.soc.staffs.ac.uk/~rimmer/knowledge/papers/ubicomp.pdf • Abowd, G. D. (1999) • Software Engineering Issues for Ubiquitous Computing • http://www.cc.gatech.edu/fce/pubs/icse99/final.html

References • Weiser, Gold and Brown • The origins of ubiquitous computing research at PARC in the late 1980s • IBM Systems Journal, VOL 38, NO 4, 1999 • http://www.itee.uq.edu.au/~comp4501/weiser.pdf • Weiser, M. (1991) • The Testbed Devices of the Infrastructure for Ubiquitous ComputingProject • http://www.ubiq.com/hypertext/weiser/The Testbed Devices of the Infrastructure for Ubiquitous Computing Project.htm

References • Weiser, M. • A complete movie about ubiquitous computing at Xerox PARC • http://www.ubiq.com/hypertext/weiser/Ubiquitous Computing Movies.htm • Weiser, M. • Ubiquitous Computing • http://www.ubiq.comp/hypertext/weiser/UbiHome.htm

References • Weiser, Mark • The Computer for the 21st Century • Scientific American September 1991 • http://www.ubiq.com/hypertext/weiser/SciAmDraft3.html • Weiser, Mark • Some Computer Science Issues in Ubiquitous Computing • CACMJuly 1993 • http://www.ubiq.com/hypertext/weiser/UbiCAM.html

References • Gregory D. Abowd and Elizabeth D. Mynatt • Charting Past, Present, and Future Research in Ubiquitous Computing • Georgia Institute of Technology • htpp://cc.gatech.edu/fce/pubs/tochi-millenium.pdf

THANKS THE END

Xerox PARC 1991-2000 • PARC = Palo Alto Research Center • 41 people immersed in ubiquitous computing environment • virtual UCE with several interconnected devices such as notepads, blackboards and electronic scrap papers • difference from a standard PC: • people using these devices do not perceive them as computers anymore and can therefore focus on the actual tasks

Experiment at PARC – TAB • TAB

Experiment at PARC - PAD Pad

Experiment at PARC – BOARD Liveboard

Tab • prototype handheld computer • was 2x3x0.5", had a 2 week battery life on rechargeable batteries, and weighed 7 oz • used a Phillips 8051 processor with 128k NVRAM • featured an external I2C external bus, a custom resistive touch screen, and a 128x64 mono display • included an infrared base station in the ceiling for LAN connectivity • The Tab project is consider by many to be the most significant of the three prototyping efforts

Classroom 2000 Instructors are given the ability topresent moreinformation during each lecture, with the goal of providing a deeperlearning experience. As aresult, students are often drowned withinformation andforced into a “heads down” approach to learning.

Computing Everywhere • Ubiquitous means: • presenteverywhere • simultaneously encountered in numerous different instances • computers become a useful but invisible force, assisting the user in meeting his needs without getting lost in the way

Wireless Infrastructure (1/2) • • Technology Advancement • – Wide adoption of wireless technology: • 67 million mobile professionalsby 2002 • – Cost for wireless access: • comparable to wired networks • • What does the new Internet provide? • – Mobility • – Ubiquitous access

Wireless Infrastructure (2/2) • • What is mobile Internet? • – Extension of Internet • – Extension of Wireless Services

Wireless Infrastructure – Key Components • • Mobile data technology • – GSM, GPRS, UMTS, CDMA, WAP, Imode • • Wireless data technology • – Bluetooth, 802.11b • • Internet data technology • – IP over optical, Broadband • • Content services • – Web & WAP • • Applications • – Multimedia, Internet messaging

Universal Computing Environment The infrastructure of the ubiquitous computing environment may be organized and structured as a cyber equivalent of an ecosystem, a very complex, dynamic infrastructure. A ubiquitous computing system is a integrated system of computing resources, devices, services, and the ubiquitous computing environment (UCE) that provides a communication framework to connect all of the components.

Wash Machine Games Lighting Audio Cooker Digital Camera DVD Printer PC PDA Scanner NOTEBOOK Disk Drives Universal Computing Environment

Universal Computing Environment • this architecture was used as the basis for the implementation ofBEACH • it provides the functionality for synchronouscooperation and interaction with room ware components

UBIQUITOUS COMPUTING