UBIQUITIUS COMPUTING

BY

ADEDOYIN NICHOLAS ADETUNJI 184183

AJIBADE QUDUS GBOLAHAN 184223
TAIWO MUHAMMEDOPEYEMI 184239
ESHO OLAITAN JOSEPH 184252
OKE RAFIU ABIODUN 184256

A PROJECT REPORT SUBMITTED TO THE

DEPARTMENT OF COMPUTER SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
FACAULTY OF ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY
LADOKE AKINTOLA UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY OGBOMOSHO, OYO
STATE, NIGERIA

IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE AWARD OF THE

BACHELOR OF SCIENCE ([Link].) COMPUTER SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING.

FEBRUARY 2023

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 DEDICATION
Home is our family. The lessons to live, love and matter and the support they give
unconditionally.

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 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Our profound thanks go to Jehovah the Almighty God, for His unending love and continuous

support which; He grants us every day. We appreciate everyone who has been a part of this

work; for providing the motivation, information and editorial support needed to make it a

success.

We particularly grateful to all Professors and staffs for their insightful guidance and

contributions and patience, guidance and constructive ideas.

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page Title…………………………………………………………. 1

Dedication………………………………………………………… 2

Acknowledgement………………………………………………… 3

Table of Contents…………………………………………………... 4

Abstract ………………………………………………………….. 8

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION………………………….. 10

1.1. Background of the Study………………………………………. 10

1.2. Key Concepts Ubiquitous computing…………………………… 12

1.2.1. Context-awareness……………………………………………….. 12

1.2.2. Pervasive Computing…………………………………………….. 13

1.2.3. Invisible Computing…………………………………………........ 14

1.2.4. Calm Technology…………………………………………………. 14

1.3 Application of Ubiquitous computing…………………………….. 15

1.3.1 Healthcare…………………………………………………………. 15

1.3.2 Smart Homes………………………………………………………. 16

1.3.2 Transportation………………………………………………………. 16

1.3.4 Retail………………………………………………………………… 16

1.4 Characteristics Of Ubiquitous Computing………………………….. 17

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1.5 Goals of Ubiquitous Computing……………………………………. 18

1.5.1 Experience Goal……………………………………………………. 19

1.5.2 Design Goal………………………………………………………… 19

1.5.3 Engineering Goal…………………………………………………… 20

CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW 21

2.1 History of ubiquitous computing…………………………………… 21

2.2 Weisers vision of UC……………………………………………….. 21

2.3 UC versus Artificial Intelligence (AI)………………………………. 22

2.4 UC versus User Agents (UA)……………………………………….. 23

2.5 Mark Weisers three key devices…………………………………….. 25

CHAPTER 3: THE COMING AGE OF UBIQUITOUS COMPUTING 28

3.1 The Major Trends in Computing……………………………………. 28

3.1.1 Mainframe…………………………………………………………… 28

3.1.2 Personal Computer………………………………………………….. 29

3.1.3 Transition - the internet and distributed computing………………… 29

3.1.4 Ubiquitous Computing………………………………………………. 30

3.2 Calm Technology…………………………………………………..... 31

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3.2.1 Characteristics of ideal calm Technology …………………………… 32

3.2.2 Examples of Calm Technology……………………………………… 32

CHAPTER 4: CONTEXT AWARENESS 36

4.1 What is Context Awareness? ..................................................................... 37

4.2 Types of Context ………………………………………………………… 38

4.3 Context Awareness and Ubiquitous Computing ………………………… 41

4.3.1 Proactive ……………………………………………………………….. 42

4.3.2 Invisible………………………………………………………………… 43

4.3.3 Adaptation……………………………………………………………… 43

4.4 Context Awareness and Ubiquitous Assistive Technologies ………….. 44

4.4.1 HATT model…………………………………………………………… 44

4.5 Importance of Context Awareness……………………………………… 45

4.6 Examples of Context awareness Technology…………………………… 46

CHAPTER 5:IMPLEMENTATION AND CHALLENGES 48

5.1 Goal Based Interactions………………………………………………………. 48

5.2 How ubiquitous computing works…………………………………………….. 50

5.3 Challenges……………………………………………………………………… 52

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5.3.1 Privacy and security……………………………………………………………. 52

5.3.2 Information management………………………………………………………. 53

5.3.3 Networking…………………………………………………………………….. 53

5.4 Requirement…………………………………………………………………… 54

CHAPTER 6: APPLICATION AND SERVICES OF UBICOM 55

6.1 Ubiquitous service ……………………………………………………………. 55

6.2 Application of ubiquitous computing…………………………………………. 57

6.2.1 Real-Time Locating System ( RTLS )………………………………………. 57

6.2.2 The ubi………………………………………………………………………. 59

CHAPTER 7: FUTURE AND CONCLUSION 61

7.1 The Future: Ubiquitous Computing…………………………………………. 61

7.2 Conclusion……………………………………………………………………. 61

REFERENCES 65

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ABSTRACT

Ubiquitous computing refers to embedding computers and communication in our environment.

Ubiquitous computing provides an attractive vision for the future of computing. The idea behind

the ubiquitous computing is to make the computing power disappear in the environment, but will

always be there whenever needed or in other words it means availability and invisibility. These

invisible computers will not have keyboards or screens, but will watch us, listen to us and

interact with us. Ubiquitous computing environments involve the interaction, coordination, and

cooperation of numerous, casually accessible, and often invisible computing devices. One is

happy when ones desires are fulfilled. The highest ideal of ubicomp is to make a computer so

imbedded, so fitting, so natural, that we use it without even thinking about it. Ubiquitous

computing is referred as pervasive computing throughout the paper. One of the goals of

ubiquitous computing is to enable devices to sense changes in their environment and to

automatically adapt and act based on these changes based on user needs and preferences.

The prime goal of this technology is to make human life more simple, safe and efficient by using

the ambient intelligence of computers. Ubiquitous computing therefore induces a paradigm shift

in the way we use computers: Instead of bringing the world into the computer (the Virtual

Reality paradigm), computational power is now brought to the objects of the physical world.

Eventually, the vision of Ubiquitous Computing induces a new way of thinking about computers

in the world, one that takes into account the natural human environment and allows the

computers themselves to vanish into the background. This paper presents a number of

compelling applications using ubiquitous computing and addresses the associated security and

usability concerns.

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Keywords: Ubiquitous Computing, Pervasive Computing Ambient Intelligence, Distributed

Systems,

Human-Machine Systems, Socio-Technical Systems, Internet-Based Technology

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 CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study

The word “ubiquitous” can be defined as” existing or being everywhere at the same time,”

”constantly encountered,” and” widespread.” When applying this concept to technology, the term

ubiquitous implies that technology is everywhere and we use it all the time. Because of the

pervasiveness of these technologies, we tend to use them without thinking about the tool.

Instead, we focus on the task at hand, making the technology effectively invisible to the user.

Ubiquitous technology is often wireless, mobile, and networked, making its users more

connected to the world around them and the people in it.

Figure 1.1: ubiquitous computing

Ubiquitous computing is the method of enhancing computing use by making many devices

(services) available throughout the physical environment, but making them effectively invisible

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to the user. Computers become a useful but invisible force, assisting the user in meeting his

needs without getting lost in the way tries to construct a universal computing environment (UCE)

that conceals (hides)

• computing instruments

• devices

• resources

• technology

And many embedded, wearable, handheld devices communicate transparently to provide

different services to the users based on requirement. These devices mostly have low power and

short-range wireless communication capabilities. Devices utilize multiple on-board sensors to

gather information about surrounding environments.

Ubiquitous computing, also known as pervasive computing, is a concept that envisions a world

where computing is seamlessly integrated into everyday life. It is a paradigm shift from the

traditional model of computing, where users interact with discrete devices such as desktop

computers and smartphones, to a model where computing is embedded into the environment and

becomes "invisible" to users. The goal of ubiquitous computing is to create a seamless

computing experience that is integrated into our daily lives, allowing us to interact with

technology effortlessly.

The concept of ubiquitous computing can be traced back to the early 20th century, with the

invention of the first electronic computers. However, it was not until the late 1980s that the term

"ubiquitous computing" was coined by Mark Weiser, a computer scientist at Xerox PARC.

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Weiser envisioned a future where computing would be embedded into everyday objects and

environments, creating a "calm technology" that would enhance our lives without being

intrusive.

In essence, ubiquitous computing aims to make technology a natural part of our environment,

seamlessly integrated into our daily lives without the need for explicit interaction. This shift from

a device-centric model to an environment-centric one has profound implications for how we

interact with technology and how technology shapes our experiences.

1.2 Key Concepts Ubiquitous computing

Key Concepts Ubiquitous computing is based on several key concepts, including:

1.2.1 Context-awareness:

Context-awareness is a fundamental concept in ubiquitous computing, referring to the ability of

computing devices to understand and respond to their context. This context can include factors

such as location, time, and user preferences. Context-awareness enables computing devices to

adapt their behavior based on the current situation, providing users with more relevant and

personalized experiences.

One of the key challenges in context-aware computing is the need to accurately sense and

interpret the context. This requires the use of various sensors, such as GPS, accelerometers, and

cameras, to collect data about the environment. Machine learning algorithms are then used to

analyze this data and infer the user's context.

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Context-aware computing has a wide range of applications in various fields, including

healthcare, smart homes, transportation, and retail. For example, in healthcare, context-aware

computing can be used to monitor patients' health in real-time and provide personalized

treatment. In smart homes, context-aware computing can be used to create homes that are

energy-efficient and secure. In transportation, context-aware computing can be used to create

smart transportation systems that optimize traffic flow and reduce congestion. In retail, context-

aware computing can be used to create personalized shopping experiences and improve customer

service.

1.2.2 Pervasive computing:

Pervasive computing is another key concept in ubiquitous computing, referring to the idea that

computing is integrated into all aspects of our lives, making it ubiquitous. This means that

computing is no longer confined to specific devices or locations but is instead embedded into the

environment.

Pervasive computing is made possible by advances in technology, such as the development of

the Internet of Things (IoT) and wearable technology. The IoT refers to the network of

interconnected devices that can communicate and share data with each other. This has enabled

the creation of smart homes, smart cities, and other applications of pervasive computing.

Wearable technology, such as smart watches and fitness trackers, has also become increasingly

popular in recent years. These devices are an example of pervasive computing, as they are

seamlessly integrated into our daily lives.

Pervasive computing has the potential to revolutionize the way we interact with technology and

enhance our lives in countless ways. However, there are also challenges that need to be

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addressed, such as privacy and security concerns, interoperability issues, and ethical

considerations. By addressing these challenges, pervasive computing has the potential to

revolutionize the way we interact with technology and enhance our lives in countless ways.

1.2.3 Invisible computing:

Invisible computing is another key concept in ubiquitous computing, referring to the idea that

computing devices are seamlessly integrated into our environment, making them "invisible" to

users. This means that users do not need to interact directly with computing devices but can

instead interact with the environment itself.

Invisible computing is made possible by advances in technology, such as the development of

sensors and actuators that can be embedded into everyday objects. These sensors and actuators

can collect data about the environment and respond to user input, creating a seamless computing

experience.

Invisible computing has the potential to revolutionize the way we interact with technology and

enhance our lives in countless ways. However, there are also challenges that need to be

addressed, such as privacy and security concerns, interoperability issues, and ethical

considerations. By addressing these challenges, invisible computing has the potential to

revolutionize the way we interact with technology and enhance our lives in countless ways.

1.2.4 Calm technology:

Calm technology is another key concept in ubiquitous computing, referring to the idea that

ubiquitous computing should be unobtrusive and enhance our lives without being disruptive.

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This means that computing devices should not be intrusive or distracting but should instead

blend seamlessly into the background.

Calm technology is made possible by advances in technology, such as the development of

sensors and actuators that can be embedded into everyday objects. These sensors and actuators

can collect data about the environment and respond to user input, creating a seamless computing

experience.

Calm technology has the potential to revolutionize the way we interact with technology and

enhance our lives in countless ways. However, there are also challenges that need to be

addressed, such as privacy and security concerns, interoperability issues, and ethical

considerations. By addressing these challenges, calm technology has the potential to

revolutionize the way we interact with technology and enhance our lives in countless ways.

1.3 Applications of Ubiquitous Computing

Ubiquitous computing has a wide range of applications in various fields, including healthcare,

smart homes, transportation, and retail. In each of these fields, ubiquitous computing has the

potential to revolutionize the way we interact with technology and enhance our lives in countless

ways.

1.3.1 Healthcare

Ubiquitous computing has the potential to transform healthcare by enabling remote patient

monitoring, personalized medicine, and telemedicine. Remote patient monitoring refers to the

use of ubiquitous computing devices to monitor patients' health in real-time and provide

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personalized treatment. For example, wearable devices that can track a patient's vital signs and

alert healthcare providers if there is a problem are an example of ubiquitous computing in

healthcare. Personalized medicine refers to the use of ubiquitous computing to provide

personalized treatment recommendations based on a patient's individual characteristics and

medical history. For example, a smart healthcare system that uses data from wearable devices to

make treatment recommendations is an example of ubiquitous computing in healthcare.

Telemedicine refers to the use of ubiquitous computing to provide remote healthcare services,

such as telemedicine. This allows patients to consult with healthcare providers from the comfort

of their own homes.

1.3.2 Smart homes

Ubiquitous computing has the potential to transform homes into smart homes that are energy-

efficient and secure. For example, smart thermostats that can adjust the temperature based on the

time of day and the number of people in the room are an example of ubiquitous computing in

smart homes. Smart locks that can provide secure access to the home are another example of

ubiquitous computing in smart homes.

1.3.3 Transportation

Ubiquitous computing has the potential to transform transportation by enabling smart

transportation systems that optimize traffic flow and reduce congestion. For example, smart

traffic lights that can adjust their timing based on traffic conditions are an example of ubiquitous

computing in transportation. Smart parking meters that can help drivers find parking spaces more

easily are another example of ubiquitous computing in transportation.

1.3.4 Retail

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Ubiquitous computing has the potential to transform retail by enabling personalized shopping

experiences and improving customer service. For example, retailers can use data from customers'

smartphones to provide personalized recommendations and offers. Smart mirrors that can

provide virtual try-ons are another example of ubiquitous computing in retail.

1.4 Characteristics of ubiquitous computing

The characteristics of ubiquitous computing makes it to stand differently than the existing

technologies the characteristics of ubicom are as:

Figure 1.2: characteristics of ubiquitous network

1. Permanency :

The information remains unless the user purposely remove it. User can never lose their work.

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 2. Accessibility

The information is always available whenever the user need to use it. System access via

ubiquitous computing technologies

3. Immediacy :

Information can be retrieved immediately by the user. Thus it saves users time and

resources ubicom makes information sharing and getting an easy task.

4. Interactivity

The devices can interact with other devices efficiently and effectively through different media

interfaces.

5. Context-awareness and Adaptation

The system can adapt to the user real situation to provide adequate information for the user.

The system can understand the user’s environment via database and sensing the user location,

personal and environmental situations. It can adapt to Device Type, Time, Location,

Temperature, Weather, etc

6. invisibility it contains Invisible Intelligent Devices, Wearable Computing Devices,

RFID, Sensors, Smart Card, Information Artifacts, and Tiny Smart Device

1.5 Goals of ubiquitous computing

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The promise of ubiquitous computing is of a life in which our endeavors are powerfully, though

subtly, without any extra overhead, assisted by computers. The idealistic visions painted by the

ubiquitous computing movement stand in stark contrast to what we see when we boot up our

computers each day. Ubiquitous computing can be achieved with the help of

1. User :

Users are part of the ubiquitous environment. Based on their need and requirement the

system have to retrieve the information from environmental situation and predefined

database.

2. Theory

We have theory for design and analysis of complex buildings, bridges, electronic

circuits. We need the theory to understand and model complex interactions of

ubiquitous systems

3. Engineering

Engineering is required for implementation of the design. Thus ubiquitous network

must achieve goals related to them.

1.5.1 Experience Goal

To develop ubiquitous computing methods and techniques that are sensitive both to the needs

of individuals and society, and the impact upon them. These will support the realization of

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human experiences and will include new forms of interaction and new interaction paradigms

that make ubiquitous computing usable by all.

1.5.2 Design Goal

Design goal pertain to all aspects of ubiquitous computing, are agreed among both academic

and professional engineers; design Goals are instantiated in the design and rigorous

documentation of several computational systems with a successful operational history.

Figure 1.3: Engineering goals

1.5.3 Engineering goal

To develop a coherent informatics science whose concepts, calculi, models, theories and tools

allow descriptive, explanatory and predictive analysis of ubiquitous computing at many levels of

abstraction. To employ these theories to derive all its systems and software, including languages;

To analyses and justify all its constructions by these theories and tools.

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 CHAPTER 2

LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 History of ubiquitous computing

The term Ubiquitous Computing was coined and introduced by the late Mark Weiser (1952 -

1999). He worked at the Xerox Palo Alto Research Center (PARC, now an independent

organization). PARC was more or less the birthplace of many developments that marked the PC

era, such as the mouse, windows-based user interfaces and the desktop metaphor (note that

Xerox STAR preceded the Apple Lisa, which again preceded Microsoft Windows), laser

printers, many concepts of computer supported cooperative work (CSCW) and media spaces, and

much more. This success is contributed (among other reasons) to the fact that PARC man- aged

to integrate technology research and humanities research (computer science and human factors in

particular) in a truly interdisciplinary way.

Weiser concentrated so much on user aspects that quite a number of his first prototypes were

mere mockups: during corresponding user studies, users had to imagine the technology side of

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the devices investigated and focus on use cases, ideal form factors and desired features,

integration into a pretend intelligent environment, etc.

2.2 Weisers vision of UC

Mark Weisers ideas were first exposed to a large worldwide audience by way of his famous

article” The Computer of the 21st Century”, published in Scientific American in1991. A preprint

version of this article is publicly available at

[Link] Maybe the most frequently cited

quotation from this article reads as follows: ”The most profound technologies are those that

disappear. They weave themselves into the fabric of everyday life until they are indistinguishable

from it.” This was Marks vision for the final step in a development away from standard PCs,

towards a proliferation and diversification of interconnected computer-based devices.

A deeper understanding of Mark Weisers visions can be drawn from his position towards three

dominant, maybe over-hyped trends in computer science at his time:

• virtual reality

• artificial intelligence

• user agents

With a good sense for how to raise public attention, Mark criticized these three trends as leading

in the wrong direction and positioned UC as a kind of opposite trend.

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2.3 UC versus Artificial Intelligence (AI):

In essence, Mark Weiser criticized the overly high expectations associated with AI in the 80s. In

the late 80s and early 90s, i.e. at the time when he developed his UC vision, AI research had to

undergo a serious confidence crisis. The term AI had not been associated with a commonly

accepted, reasonably realistic definition, so that the association with human intelligence (or the

human brain) was destined to lead to disappointments. The AI hype had provided researchers

with considerable funds but only for a while. Mark Weiser proposed to take a different approach

towards a higher level of sophistication of computer based solutions (which had been the goal of

AI at large). He considered it a more reasonable objective to concentrate on small subsets of

intelligent behavior and to dedicate each computer to such a subset. Higher sophistication would

be fostered by interconnecting the special-purpose computers and by making them cooperate.

This reasoning lead to the term smart, considered more modest than the term intelligent. Sensor

technology plays an important role in dedicating computers to a small subset of understanding

the world around us (a key element of intelligent behavior). By widely deploying and

interconnecting sensor-based tiny computers, one would be able to integrate environmental data

(location, temperature, lighting, movement) and use this information to produce smart behavior

of computers and computerized physical objects.

2.4 UC versus User Agents (UA):

In computing, a user agent is software (a software agent) that is acting on behalf of a user. For

example, an email reader is a mail user agent, and in the Session Initiation Protocol (SIP), the

term user agent refers to both end points of a communications session.

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In contrast to virtual reality and artificial intelligence, the term user agent is not very prominent

in the general public. At the time referred to, UAs were thought as intelligent intermediaries

between the user and the computer world, i.e. as an approach towards increased ease-of-use or

better human-computer interaction. User Agents were often compared to the common perception

of British butlers who are very discreet and unobtrusive, but always at disposal and extremely

knowledgeable about the wishes and habits of their employers. Following this analogy, UAs

were installed as autonomous software components between applications and users, inspecting

and learning from the user-software application

Mark Weiser challenged five requirements usually derived from this analogy for user agents

he judged the necessary base technology as immature.

• UAs were supposed to give advice to their users based on what they had learned. Mark

Weiser asked, in essence, why they would not do the job themselves a promise that UC

should fulfill;

• UAs were supposed to obey the user, e.g., by applying planning algorithms to basic

operations with the aim to fulfill the goals set by a user. In contrast to this approach, UC

was intended to behave rather proactively, i.e. to propose and even act in advance as

opposed to reacting on command.

• A third widespread requirement suggested that UAs should intercept the user-application

interface. UC in contrast should be more radical and take over the interaction or carry out

functions on its own an approach presumed by Mark Weiser to be the only viable one if

humans were to be surrounded by hundreds of computers.

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 • A basic assumption about UAs was that they would listen to the (interactions of) the user.

Mark Weiser considered natural language processing technology and speech recognition

technology at his time to be far too immature to promise satisfying results in this respect;

• UAs should learn the user’s preferences, wishes etc. by observation. Again, the necessary

(machine learning) technology was judged to be too immature to live up to this promise.

2.5 Mark Weisers three key devices

These complementary UC devices were prototyped at his lab; investigated in the context of

PARCs typical creative, team-oriented setting, all three were thought as electronic replacements

for the common analog information appliances.

1. Xerox Pad:

The Xerox Pad can be considered to be the prototype and father of present PDAs, introduced

even before the Apple Newton appeared in 1993. The initial concept was that of an electronic

equivalent to inch-size information bearers, namely PostIt Notes: easy to create and to stick

almost everywhere, available in large quantities. As the PDA analogy suggests, the prototypes

had a lot more functionality than PostIt Notes but were also a lot more expensive and

cumbersome to handle by design (not only due to short and mid-term technology limitations).

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 Figure 2.2: xerox ’pad’

2. Xerox ’Tab’:

The Xerox Tab can be considered to be the prototype and father of present Tablet PCs. The

analogy from the traditional world was that of a foot-size information bearer, namely a

notebook or notepad. One may infer from the rather stalling market penetration of Tablet

PCs that technology is still not ready for mass market Tabs today, but one may also expect

to find a pen centric, foot size handheld computer to become very successful any time soon.

An interesting facet of the original Tab concept was the idea that Tabs would in the future

lay around for free use pretty much as one finds paper notebooks today, e.g. as part of the

complementary stationery offered to meeting participants..

Figure 2.3: xerox ’tab’

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 4. Xerox Liveboard’:

The Xerox Liveboard was the prototype of present electronic whiteboards. A PARC spinoff

company designed and marketed such boards, and today many companies like Calgary

based SmartTechnologies Inc. still sell such devices. Liveboards represented the yard-size

information bearers in the family of cooperating devices for cooperating people. In contrast

to many devices sold today, liveboards supported multi-user input pretty early on.

Figure 2.4: xerox Liveboard’

The developments and studies conducted at Mark Weisers lab emphasized the combination of

the three device types for computer.

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 CHAPTER 3
THE COMING AGE OF UBIQUITOUS COMPUTING
3.1 The Major Trends in Computing
The important waves of technological change are those that fundamentally alter the place of

technology in our lives. What matters is not technology itself, but its relationship to us. In the

past fifty years of computation there have been two great trends in this relationship: the

mainframe relationship, and the PC relationship. Today the Internet is carrying us through an era

of widespread distributed computing towards the relationship of ubiquitous computing,

characterized by deeply imbedding computation in the world. Ubiquitous computing will require

a new approach to fitting technology to our lives, an approach we call “calm technology”.

Mainframe many people share a

computer
Personal Computer one computer, one person
Internet - Widespread Distributed transition to
Computing
Ubiquitous Computing many computers share
each of us
Table 3.1: trends in computing

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3.1.1 The mainframe
The first era we call “mainframe”, to recall the relationship people had with computers that were

mostly run by experts behind closed doors. Anytime a computer is a scarce resource, and must be

negotiated and shared with others, our relationship is that of the mainframe era. There is

mainframe computing today: a shared office PC, and the great physical simulations of everything

from weather to virtual reality, have in common sharing a scarce resource. If lots of people share

a computer, it is mainframe computing

3.1.2 Personal computer

The second great trend is that of the personal computer. In 1984 the number of people using

personal computers surpassed the number of people using shared computers. The personal

computing relationship is personal, even intimate. You have your computer, it contains your

stuff, and you interact directly and deeply with it. When doing personal computing you are

occupied, you are not doing something else. Some people name their PC - many people curse or

complain to their PC.

3.1.3 Transition - the internet and distributed computing

The Internet is deeply influencing the business and practice of technology. Millions of new

people and their information have become interconnected. Late at night, around 6am while

falling asleep after twenty hours at the keyboard, the sensitive technologist can sometimes hear

those 35 million web pages, 300 thousand hosts, and 90 million users shouting “pay attention to

me!”

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Interestingly, the Internet brings together elements of the mainframe era and the PC era. It is

client server computing on a massive scale, with web clients the PCs and web servers the

mainframes. Although transitional, the Internet is a massive phenomenon that calls to our best

inventors, our most innovative financiers, and our largest multinational corporations. Over the

next decade the results of the massive interconnection of personal, business, and government

information will create a new field, a new medium, against which the next great relationship will

emerge.

Figure 3.1: Towards pervasive computing/ubicom

3.1.4 Ubiquitous Computing

The third wave of computing is that of ubiquitous computing, whose cross-over point with

personal computing will be around 2005-2020. The “UC” era will have lots of computers sharing

each of us. Some of these computers will be the hundreds we may access in the course of a few

minutes of Internet browsing. Others will be imbedded in walls, chairs, clothing, light switches,

cars - in everything. UC is fundamentally characterized by the connection of things in the world

with computation.

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Ubiquitous computing refers to embedding computers and communication in our environment.

Ubiquitous computing provides an attractive vision for the future of computing. The idea behind

the ubiquitous computing is to make the computing power disappear in the environment, but will

always be there whenever needed or in other words it means availability and invisibility.

Figure 3.2: Graphical analysis of computing trends

3.2 Calm-technology

Today Internet is carrying us through an era of widespread distributed computing towards the

relationship of ubiquitous computing, characterized by deeply embedding computation in the

world. Ubiquitous computing will require a new approach to fitting technology to our life, an

approach called “calm technology”. The most potentially interesting, challenging, and profound

change implied by the ubiquitous computing/ubicom era is a focus on calm. If computers are

everywhere they better stay out of the way, and that means designing them so that the people

being shared by the computers remain serene and in control. Calmness is a new challenge that

UC brings to computing. When computers are used behind closed doors by experts, calmness is

relevant to only a few. Computers for personal use have focused on the excitement of interaction.

But when computers are all around, so that we want to compute while doing something else and

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have more time to be more fully human, we must radically rethink the goals, context and

technology of the computer and all the other technology crowding into our lives. Calmness is a

fundamental challenge for all technological design and implementation of the next ten to fifty

years. In designing calm technology, Weiser and john saily brown describe calm technology as””

that which informs but doesn’t demand our focus our attention”.

3.2.1 Characteristics of ideal calm technology

 The best computer is a quiet, invisible servant,

 The more you can do by intuition the smarter you are;

 The computer should extend your unconscious.

 Technology should create calm

3.2.2 Example of calm technology

1. Inner office windows

We do not know who invented the concept of glass windows from offices out to hallways. But

these inner windows are a beautifully simple design that enhances peripheral reach.

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 Figure 3.3: Inner office windows

The hallway window extends our periphery by creating a two-way channel for clues about the

environment. Whether it is motion of other people down the hall (it’s time for a lunch; the big

meeting is starting), or noticing the same person peeking in for the third time while you are on

the phone (they really want to see me; I forgot an appointment), the window connects the person

inside to the nearby world. Inner windows also connect with those who are outside the office. A

light shining out into the hall means someone is working late; someone picking up their office

means this might be a good time for a casual chat. These small clues become part of the

periphery of a calm and comfortable workplace. The inner office window is a metaphor for what

is most exciting about the Internet, namely the ability to locate and be located by people passing

by on the information highway, while retaining partial control of the context, timing, and use of

the information thereby obtained.

3. Internet multicast

A technology called Internet Multicast may become the next World Wide Web (WWW)

phenomenon. Sometimes called the MBone (for Multicast backBONE), multicasting was

invented by a graduate student at Stanford University. Whereas the World Wide Web

(WWW) connects only two computers at a time, and then only for the few moments that

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 information is being downloaded, the MBone continuously connects many computers at the

same time.

4. Dangling string

Bits flowing through the wires of a computer network are ordinarily invisible. But a radically

new tool shows those bits through motion, sound, and even touch. It communicates both light

and heavy network traffic. Its output is so beautifully integrated with human information

processing that one does not even need to be looking at it or be very near to it to take advantage

of its peripheral clues. It takes no space on your existing computer screen, and in fact does not

use or contain a computer at all. It uses no software, only a few dollars in hardware, and can be

shared by many people at the same time. It is called the”Dangling String”.

Figure 3.4: Dangling string

Created by artist Natalie Jeremijenko, the ”Dangling String” is an 8 foot piece of plastic

spaghetti that hangs from a small electric motor mounted in the ceiling. The motor is electrically

connected to a nearby Ethernet cable, so that each bit of information that goes past causes a tiny

twitch of the motor. A very busy network causes a madly whirling string with a characteristic

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noise; a quiet network causes only a small twitch every few seconds. Placed in an unused corner

of a hallway, the long string is visible and audible from many offices without being obtrusive. It

is fun and useful. At first it creates a new center of attention just by being unique. But this center

soon becomes peripheral as the gentle waving of the string moves easily to the background

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 CHAPTER 4

CONTEXT AWARENESS

Context awareness is an important characteristic to application in a ubiquitous computing. Using

context awareness, systems can integrate gracefully with their environments with minimal

intrusion and unnecessary interaction with the user. There are many definitions of context

awareness that have been discussed in recent years. Each of these definitions, although slightly

different from each other, exhibits certain commonalities between them. These commonalities

mapped directly to the four types of context that a ubiquitous system can be aware of:

• location

• activity

• identity

• time

Collecting and analyzing this context information can greatly enhance ubiquitous computing

systems for the standard user. This point was illustrated by exploring different ubiquitous

computing systems that are currently available in today’s market place, or that are at the

prototype stage and will perhaps be available in the future. These examples showed that without

the use of context aware information in a ubiquitous computing system, none of these

technologies would be possible. Not only was it shown that context aware technologies enhanced

the overall experience for standards user, but also it was shown that context awareness benefits

users with disabilities through the use of assistive technology. Over one third of the assistive

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technology devices distributed each year are abandoned by users . This is due to the fact that the

assistive technologies are not context aware technologies. These systems will break down

barriers, allowing people with disabilities to integrate seamlessly into social environments, much

like ubiquitous computing itself.

4.1 What is Context Awareness?

The first definition of context awareness appeared in an article written by Schilit and Theimer in

1994. They defined context aware computing to be the “ability of a mobile user’s applications to

discover and react to changes in the environment they are situated in”. This definition considers

the location of a user, and perhaps the time of day, when defining what functions a context aware

application should perform.

In 1999, they redefined context aware computing as “Context is any information that can be

used to characterize the situation of an entity. An entity is a person, place, or object that is

considered relevant to the interaction between a user and an application, including the user and

applications themselves”. The definition focuses strongly on the idea of identity and location.

They believe that a computer system not only needs to be aware of the location of the user, as

similarly suggested by Schilit, but that the identity of the user is also an important factor when a

system is defining what functions is should and should not perform.

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More recently, in 2004, Beale defined context as a “set of changing relationships that may be

shaped by the history of those relationships”. The example he uses describes a student visiting a

library and searching through the shelves for a few books of interest. On subsequent visits, the

student could be presented with recommendations of other books to read that are similar to the

books the student read on previous visits. This definition takes into account that the activity is a

key aspect to context awareness.

Figure 4.1: Context awareness

4.2 Types of context

The four types of context that a ubiquitous system must be aware of:

1 .Location

Location awareness plays a very important role for ubiquitous computing systems. It allows

these systems to adapt in terms of the resources that are available to the user and to the system.

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With a user’s location, a system may be able to determine what other objects or people are in the

surrounding area and what activity is occurring near the entity. Furthermore, using this

information the ubiquitous system itself can adapt to ensure the users demands are met

efficiently and effectively.

With the increased popularity in mobile computing and communication, users now have an

expectation that information services should be available to them at all times, irrespective of

their current location. Mobile devices need to be aware of your current location in order to

ensure a user is provided with the most efficient network service. Some locations may have

access to Wi-Fi, some to 3G and some to EDGE networks. Mobile computers need to, using the

information collected from the users location, determine which network service is the strongest

and then configure itself to that frequency, all without the need for user interaction.

2. Activity

An activity describes what is occurring in a given situation. A ubiquitous computing system that

is activity aware will collect data regarding the activity that is currently being performed as well

as from previously performed user tasks. With this data, the system can conduct a number of

different data analytic functions, and using the results, can determine what additional tasks need

to be performed as well as predicting what tasks will be performed in the future whether a given

context should trigger an event.

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 Figure 4.2: location context

For example, many IT companies run a virus scanning tools over the company’s network to

detect is the network is free from malicious viruses. This process can be very resource

intensive and can lead to workers computers slowing down considerably. To prevent this

slow down, and thus ensure the workers’ productivity is not affected, the network system is

programmed to be aware of normal working hours and only begin this virus scanning

outside of these hours. Some systems can also determine when the last successful virus scan

completed and therefore flag to the ICT department if another scan is required

3. Identity

When a ubiquitous computing system is identity aware, it has access to information about

the user. This information can either be explicitly or implicitly provided by the user. For the

identity information to be explicitly indicated the user does not need to interact with the

system in order for the system to collect data. For example, facial recognition software can

be used to correctly identify the person that is interacting with the system. For identity

information to be implicitly collected, the user must directly interact with the software in

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 order for the system to be made aware of the user. A common implicit identity gathering

feature is a login dialog where the user must type in their username and password. Once

this primary identity information is acquired the system can access secondary information

about the user also, for example, a user’s contact information, date of birth, relationship

with other people in the environment, etc.

Knowing the identity of a user is a powerful and useful tool. It allows a system to present

customized information to the user as well as using this information to determine what

other system events should be processed in order to meet the users demands.

4. Time

Time aware computing systems are aware of the time of day and/or can record time lapses

between certain events. These systems can use this time information to determine capturing and

processing this type of information it must still be designed correctly to ensure the proactive

solution does not irritate the user, as this would remove the systems invisibility and transparency.

Knowing the identity of a user is a powerful and useful tool. It allows a system to present

customized information to the user as well as using this information to determine what other

system events should be processed in order to meet the users demands.

4.3 Context Awareness and Ubiquitous Computing

The vision for ubiquitous computing is to create environments that are saturated with computing

and communication capabilities, which integrate with human users gracefully. With a successful

creation of this type of environment, the technology that surrounds the user becomes transparent

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and disappears. A pervasive computing system must be context aware to ensure that the system

is minimally intrusive. It must be aware of the user’s identity, location, time and activity. With

the use of context aware systems ubiquitous computing systems can become adaptable, flexible

and proactive while still remaining invisible to the user.

There are a few key areas within ubiquitous computing that can be enhanced with the use of

context awareness

4.3.1 Proactive

For a ubiquitous computing system to be very effective, it must track and record the user’s intent.

Without this ability, the system will be unable to predict which system actions and events will

help the user rather than hinder them. Even when the system is capable of might need to perform.

If the assistant was context aware and had access to this identity and activity information the tool

could, for example, determine that the user was an expert user and that they worked as a

secretary. Analyzing the activities previously performed by this user, the system would be made

aware that the user only used Microsoft Word to write letters. Therefore the system could

proactively decide to present the user with a letter template as soon as they opened Word. This

template would contain the company’s address, the days date, and signed with the users name to

ensure the user did not have to repeatedly input this data every time they wrote a letter.

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 Figure 4.3: Context Awareness and Ubiquitous Computing

4.3.2 Invisible

Ubiquitous systems need to remain invisible to the user to ensure the minimal intrusion on the

user’s life. Without context awareness, a system would require a user to manually input

important data relating to each task that needed to be performed. This in itself would remove the

systems transparency. However when a system is context aware, it can gather this information by

observing the user context and behavior without the need for user intervention, thus allowing the

system to remain invisible.

4.3.3 Adaptation

For a ubiquitous computing system to be effective it needs to have an adaption strategy in place.

An adaption strategy is necessary when there is a significant mismatch between the demand and

the supply of particular resources. The resources may be energy, memory, network signal, etc.

With this mismatch the ubiquitous system needs to quickly determine what alternative strategy to

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take. The only way the system can do this is to collect information relating to the users context

and then decide on the most efficient and effective path to take.

4.4 Context Awareness and Ubiquitous Assistive Technologies

The International ISO-9999 Standard defines assistive technology as the following: “Any

product, instrument, equipment or technical system used by a disabled or elderly person, made

specially or existing on the market, aimed to prevent, compensate, relieve or neutralize the

deficiency, the inability or the handicap.”

This essentially means that any technology, whether low tech or high tech, that helps a

disabled user is deemed as an assistive technology. Assistive technology enables people with

disabilities to participate in society as contributing community members. These technologies can

also allow people to achieve optimal functionality and independence assuming that the assistive

technology fully meets the needs of the user

4.4.1 HATT model

The Human Activity Assistive Technology (HAAT) Model is often used when designing an

assistive technology for a user with disabilities. This model describes how the user’s

performance can be influenced, negatively or positively, by the person, the activity and the

person’s environment.

The model suggests that each of these factors influence each other, and for optimal

performance these factors need to adapt to change effectively. Each of the factors considered in

the HAAT Model can be directly mapped to the types of context information that a ubiquitous

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computing system can be made aware of. Using this context information acquired by the

ubiquitous system/assistive technology, the system could continuously adapt to the users

requirements.

Figure 4.4: the HATT model

4.5 Importance of context awareness

Clippy the paperclip Take the Microsoft Office Assistant Clippy the paperclip as an example.

This tool was designed to anticipate what the user intent was when using any of the Microsoft

Office Suite. This tool was programmed to ask the user certain questions and offer advice once a

predetermined event had occurred. This, although useful in some situations, became a rather

annoying feature that many users turned off. Eventually with the release of Office XP, the

feature was completely removed. The reason

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 Figure 4.5: the Microsoft Office Assistant Clippy the paperclip

For its failure is that office assistant was not context aware. It had no awareness of the identity of

the user using the office suite and no real understanding of the activity being performed by that

user. Without this information it was impossible for the assistant tool to adapt to the user’s needs

and proactively determine what tasks the user

4.6 Example of context awareness technology

The SVC is designed to vacuum dirty floor areas, avoid furniture in the room, avoid areas of

the floor that have already been cleaned as well as ensuring it does not run out of battery

power. The Smart Vacuum Cleaner does this by being location aware. It uses location

sensors to determine if the area it is approaching has already been cleaned or if there is

furniture blocking its path. If either of these conditions are true the device quickly adapts and

determines on an alternative route. If low battery power is indicated to the device it will

adapt once again, and make its way back to its docking station where it can recharge its

batteries before completing the cleaning task

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Figure 4.6: the Microsoft Office Assistant Clippy the paperclip

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 CHAPTER 5

IMPLEMENTATION AND CHALLENGES

5.1 Goal based interactions

The smart environment is made up of numerous ubiquitous computing devices. They each

function to sense and actuate according to a given occupants need. But what happens when one

device contradicts the other? How can the devices cooperate so that a ubiquitous computing

environment responds correctly, as a whole?

The paper Smart Environments and Self-Organizing Appliance Ensembles raises the very

interesting question, “How do you control devices you do not perceive?” An answer to this

question revolves around goal oriented device cooperation. You see, the smart system cannot

rely on the user to provide a step-by-step process of how each device should behave. Similarly,

the designer cannot predict all combinations of how an ensemble ubiquitous computing

environment needs to respond. Instead, a system may be driven by a users goal where the system

generates the strategy

Within a smart environment, goal based interactions are likely to be at its heart. How a

computing device carries out a function is not what matters most to a user. It is rather the effect

of ubiquitous computing devices that is key. The following is a diagram as described in the paper

to illustrate how such a goal oriented context-aware environment will work

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 Figure 5.1: Goal Based Interaction.

As you can see, intention analysis and strategy planning are critical to how the ubiquitous

computing system will work. Both are necessary for goal based interactions.

A users needs may be quite varied and the smart environments devices must cooperate with

each other in unison. In addition, as users add or remove devices to their smart environment,

ubiquitous computing technologies must easily allow for such user changes. In the end, a goal

oriented approach calls for a dynamic system, so the user’s needs are met even as they change in

real-time. The smart environment will be able to simultaneously feed the senses so occupants can

carry out a multitude of functions. With few interface techniques a user may communicate based

on their intention; and therefore, their goals. Smart environments will work seamlessly to

orchestrate a smart space through context aware techniques. Appliances will form an ensemble,

giving rise to architectural space that yields greatest value.

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5.2 How ubiquitous computing works

The success of ubiquitous computing rests with the proper integration of various components

that talk to each other and behave as one. It shows such a ubiquitous computing stack. At the

bottom of the stack is a physical layer. Tiny sensors are attached (carried, worn, or embedded) to

people, animals, machines, homes, cars, buildings, campuses, and fields. Today, some

smartphones come with a host of sensors that capture various bits of information from the

immediate surroundings. Beyond the microphone and camera, they integrate multiple sensors

such as GPS, accelerometer, compass, and so on.

Figure 5.2: ubiquitous computing stack.

Above the sensors lies the wireless communication infrastructure, which can be provided by

the 802.11 family of networks. Newer standards such as 802.11n have lower latency. Together

with mesh networks, such standards ensure the connectivity of sensors and devices. Another

technology called ZigBee is a low-cost alternative for keeping multiple devices connected,

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allowing parent devices to wirelessly control child sensors. Near field communication (NFC) is

yet another technology standard that leverages RFID and can be used for ubiquitous computing,

especially in scenarios where non-battery operated passive points are concerned. NFC-powered

devices can also interact with one another.

The next level includes a range of application services. The data from the sensors and

handheld devices is gathered, mined, and analyzed for patterns. The patterns help provide options

to smart applications that proactively make changes to environments through smartphones,

tablets, netbooks, notebooks, handhelds, or other smart devices. The smartphone, for instance,

can transform itself into a barcode or quick response (QR) code reader to identify and get details

of a product from a retail store, or display the barcode of your airline ticket so that the barcode

code reader at the check-in kiosk can read it and issue a boarding pass. Another example could

be that of a cardiac patient wearing a tiny monitor connected to a mobile device. An irregular

ECG will trigger the mobile to alert the patients doctor and emergency services. An example of

how this can happen has been depicted in Figure.

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Figure 5.3: smart device interaction.

5.3 Challenges

The power ubiquitous computing promises carries with it significant risks. One such risk is

associated with the amount of privacy that must be sacrificed to see the benefits of truly helpful

computers. Another is that early, bleeding edge applications of ubiquitous computing will turn

out to be more ambitious than effective, leading some to prematurely conclude that the idea is a

failure. We address each of these concerns below.

5.3.1 Privacy and security

When such a vast number of entities are connected, their interactions and communications are

examined more carefully. First, data from one person’s device must be distinguished from data to

another. Second, it is necessary to ensure that false data is not intentionally injected by some

other device, masquerading as a bonafide source for that information. And finally, it must be

rendered difficult or impossible to steal someone else’s data. Researchers are currently working

on solving each of these problems in an effort to secure mesh networks.

• You are now predictable

System can co-relate location, context and behavior patterns

• 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

• Users should be aware of being monitored

• Ability to control who/what has access to my data (stored, communicated, inferred), ability

to define levels of privacy, trust etc.

5.3.2 Information management

• Billions of sensors generating petabytes of (dynamic) data

• Need filtering, aggregation, collaborative sensing, new query techniques which cater for

errors in source.

• Meta data description of information

• Provenance - audit trails,

• How and where modified etc.

5.3.3 Networking

• Another key driver for the final transition will be the use of short-range wireless as well as

traditional wired technologies

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5.4 Requirement

”Ubiquitous Computing” will usher in a new era. Instead of do-it-all computers, we will see the

advent of simple, task-specific, miniaturized and intuitively operable processors that will be

invisibly integrated in everyday objects. Similarly, traditional input devices such as keyboards

and mice will not be required. Instead, the processors will be controlled by electronic, optical,

acoustic or chemical sensors, and they will output via actuators such motors or other control

units.

In order to reach that point, however, researchers need to develop new software that is capable of

the following:

• Self-configuration, that is, automatic adaptation to changing environments

• Self-optimization, including continual monitoring and analysis of its own performance and

the use of available resources according to specific processes

• Self-organization and the implementation of decisions across the system as a whole

• Self-protection, meaning identification and control of unauthorized access and virus activity

• Self-repair, for example, discovering and resolving problems

• Self-teaching, that is, recognition of behavioral patterns and their incorporation in internal

management mechanisms. Of particular importance here is sensitivity to context.

In other words, the system must not only be capable of recognizing objects and persons, but

it must also be able to prepare for future situations

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 CHAPTER 6

APPLICATION AND SERVICES OF UBICOM

6.1 Ubiquitous service

A service refers to a software component that performs computation or action on behalf of a

system entity. This entity can be the user or another service. Services are usually well-defined in

their functionality as well as their inputs and outputs. We identify the five goals of ubiquity, with

regards to a service, as Availability, Transparency, Seamlessness, Awareness, and

Trustworthiness (ATSAT) as depicted in the figure. These goals may be satisfied to varying

degrees based on user needs and operating conditions.

1. Availability

Ideally, a ubiquitous service should be available independent context. The service should be

also available regardless of changes in user status, needs, and preferences.

2. Transparency

According to Weiser, a good tool is an invisible tool. Weisers notion of disappearance,

where a tool is “literally visible, effectively invisible” means that the tool does not intrude

on the user consciousness; the user focuses on the task, not the tool. Ubiquitous computing

provides smarter unconscious, so that users do more easily and intuitively without requiring

user attention and awareness of the underlying technology. Transparency implies more than

just a user-friendly interface; the technology should facilitate the task in a non-intrusive

way and in this way “hide “the underlying technology from the user

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3. Seamlessness

Seamlessness can be defined as the capability of providing an everlasting service session

under any connection with any device. The ultimate goal is that the system will recognize

the user wherever she logs on, on any system, with any equipment, at any time, with the

applications in a given state and have them adapting the best possible way given these

surrounding conditions. Seams occur when the service fails to satisfy the minimum QoS

requirements set by the end-user.

4. Awareness

Ubiquitous devices extend the human senses by providing greater awareness of the

surrounding environment. By blending into the physical world, a ubiquitous service bridges

the gap between the end-user and his surroundings. We advocate the need for mutual

awareness between the user (context) and the service (feedback). Abowd and Mynatt put

forth the “five W’s” of context, providing a good starting point of the different components

that should be put together to provide user context. The five Ws are:-Who (the ability of a

device to identify not only its owner, but other people and devices in its vicinity within the

environment), what (the ability to interpret user activity

and behavior, and using that information to infer what the user wants to do), Where (the

ability to interpret the location of the user and use that to tailor functionality), When (the

ability to understand the passage of time, use it to understand the activities around and to

make inferences), and Why (the ability to understand the reasons behind certain user

actions). In addition to the system awareness of its user, a ubiquitous environment provides

user awareness of the task (i.e. feedback) in a way that may enhance the user’s decisions.

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 5. Trustworthiness

We define trust of an entity in a ubiquitous service environment as the confidence that the

entity will behave as expected in a given context. Mutual trust must be established between

different entities in a ubiquitous environment in a sense that each entity is assigned a trust

value based on its behavior. An entity can be advice, a service or a user. In the latter case,

the trustworthiness of a service or a device has psycho sociological aspects that affect its

usability. The model of trust in a ubiquitous context should capture both the needs of the

traditional world of computing where trust is based on identity, and of the world of

ubiquitous and pervasive computing where trust is based on identity, physical context or a

combination of both. In other words, both identity-based and context-based trust

relationships should be defined between different entities within a ubiquitous environment

6.2 Ubiquitous service Application of ubiquitous computing

6.2.1 Real-Time Locating System ( RTLS )

RTLS is a local positioning system where small, inexpensive electronic tags are attached to
people and objects, such as equipment, patients and caregivers in a hospital, to help track
interactions and improve services.

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 Figure 6.1: Real-Time Locating System for hospital.

This means hospitals can better track when doctors and nurses entered the room, interacted

with the equipment and patient etc. This non-intrusive logging means that the system could alert

nurses when a patient hasn’t been checked on for a while. It could also be used for better asset-

tracking; Hospital staff no longer need to manually log every time a piece of equipment moves

rooms, but can locate equipment instantly even in large hospitals. Tags on the patient’s wrist can

pull up their electronic medical records immediately and accurately, reducing the risk of

dangerous errors.

All this is done through small, wireless tags that are low-power and need no recharging for the

life of the tag.

The system is non-intrusive in that it doesn’t require users to change their behavior, but instead

integrates into their environment and provides benefit through improving patient care and

reducing risks and errors. The tags are small, need no maintenance and easily integrated into

wristbands, asset management tags etc. The base stations for talking to them are simple devices

that can be plugged directly into a wall socket.

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 Figure 6.2: Awarepoint Tag.

6.2.2 The ubi

”An always-on, connected computer that talks back”

The Ubi is an always-on voice-activated computer ready to help. Just plug it in, talk to it and it’ll

help you connect with your world. You talk to the Ubi and it talks back. It directly connects to

the Internet through Wi-Fi.

We believe people want to do things when they’re at home - they clean, they fold laundry, they

cook, they eat, they spend time with loved ones. These are all things that (for the most part) take

up use of our arms and hands. When we’re at home, we’d rather use our limbs for other activities

than typing, scrolling, or swiping. Ubi is short for ubiquitous computer because it’s always on,

always listening, always ready to help. It can scribe, listen, analyze. Ubi will either talk back to

you the information you seek or indicate information through multi-color lights. Ubi listens to its

environment and senses it through sound, temperature, light, pressure, and humidity. It can

record this information or use it to trigger events and communication. Ubi can be used for

potentially hundreds of applications. The Applications we plan to ship with the Ubi are:

1. Voice-enabled Internet search

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2. Speakerphone

3. Indicator light (light changing based on events, e.g. weather, stock, email)

4. Home speaker system with sound piping

5. Virtual assistant (audio calendar, feed reader, podcast etc)

6. Voice memos

7. Alarm clock

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 CHAPTER 7

FUTURE AND CONCLUSION

7.1 The Future: Ubiquitous Computing

Computing, over the past 50+ years, has gone through two distinct phases: the mainframe era

and the personal computing era. The third phase has begun and you may have not even noticed

that is the way it is supposed to be. Ubiquitous means existing or being everywhere at the same

time, i.e. constantly encountered. Ubiquitous computing, or ubicomp, as it has been tagged will

define the future of computing.

The distinguishing feature of ubicomp will be the lack of interface. Everything will be controlled

by natural actions as opposed to the point-and-click interfaces we have all grown used to.

Right now we receive information in two distinct ways: pull or push. Pull can be characterized

by a user sitting down at a computer, firing up Google, and searching for specific information in

real-time. Push is characterized by receiving filtered information based on user preferences;

much like the personalized text messages on your cell phone informing you of weather or traffic

conditions.

When computing becomes ubiquitous you will not need to manually set preferences. The object

you interact with will learn from you and provide information based on your environment.

Temperature, time of day, movement, sound, color and light will all influence the information

you receive. Ubiquitous computing will provide a continuous stream of information without

being distracting and will only provide the information you need at the time.

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Everything will become interactive and more importantly, reactive. Imagine the following

scenarios:

1. You make a call to your friend whose native language is French. He understands English

quite well but prefers to speak in French. No problem. In real-time what you say comes

across on his end in French and vice-versa.

2. You need to setup a meeting with a group of business partners who all have busy schedules.

No problem, their automated calendars work together to find a good time for all of you to

meet.

3. You are rushed to the hospital after a car accident. By performing a retinal scan the ER

doctors are provided with time-sensitive and important information: allergies, past

surgeries, existing

4. Conditions, emergency contact information, name and age. (Ubiquitous computing will

probably prevent most accidents before they happen.)

5. You have lost your keys. No more searching, just ask your house. It will know EXACTLY

where they are, even if they are hiding in the couch cushions. (Keys will probably be a thing

of the past at this point.)

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 Figure 7.1: ultra-tiny computer imbedded in environment.

It is difficult to comprehend all that ubiquitous computing will entail. I look at it this way:

Everything, and I mean everything, will be connected. A communication device of some type

will be embedded in every single product created. This prospect is scary for some, exciting for

others.

7.2 Conclusion

The UC will bring information technology beyond the big problems like corporate finance and

school homework, to the little annoyances like where are the car-keys, Can I get a parking place,

and Is that shirt I saw last week at Macy’s still on the rack? Many researchers are working

towards this new era - among them our work at Xerox PARC, MIT’s AI-oriented ”Things That

Think” program, the many mobile and wearable computing programs (many funded by ARPA),

and the many companies integrating computation into everyday objects, including Mattel and

Disney but

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• Currently pervasive systems are more hype than reality

• Some component technologies are available

• Technology problems - seamless communications, power

• Management problems - adaptive self-management, privacy

• Most research focuses on Engineering aspects No theory to underpin understanding,

analysis & design

• SMC provides a scope for theoretical analysis and Implementation

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REFERENCES

The Computer for the 21st Century; Weiser, Mark , July 1999

Ubiquitous computinge;Weiser; Gold; Brown .

Adaptive Steady State Genetic Algorithm for scheduling university exams”,AlSharafat

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