Transcript Challenges in UbiComp Take 2 Sushmita Subramanian Readings    Beyond Prototypes: Challenges in Deploying Ubiquitous Systems by Nigel Davies and Hans-Werner Gellersen Disappearing Hardware by Roy Want, Trevor.

Challenges in UbiComp
Take 2
Sushmita Subramanian
Readings
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Beyond Prototypes: Challenges in Deploying
Ubiquitous Systems
by Nigel Davies and Hans-Werner Gellersen
Disappearing Hardware
by Roy Want, Trevor Pering, Gaetano
Borriello, Keith Farkas
Mega-Utilities Drive Invisible Technologies by
Bill Schilit
Beyond Prototypes: Challenges in
Deploying Ubiquitous Systems
Overview
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Ubiquitous Information and Communication
Problems:
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No one system that can manage it all
Technical problems
Social/legal problems
Economic concerns
Experiments in the field
Results/requirements of ubiquitous computing
Ubiquitous Information and
Communication
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Ubiquitous computing systems are made
more possible because of:
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advances in technology
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processing power/storage
GPS, smart cards, RFID
social developments
And particularly…
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World Wide Web accessibility
Mobile communication popularity
World Wide Web
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People have become accustomed
to web portals reducing attachment
to one device.
People use multiple devices in a
single day to access info
Web encouraged us dealing with
privacy issues.
Mobile Communications
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800 million subscribers to mobile phone
services
23 billion SMS, heading to 1 billion per day
Phones offer many capabilities and are now
a commodity
SIM cards – approximate ubiquitous
computing model, but users only have one
and still have to make conscious effort.
A Broader System
Technical Challenges
Different technologies can make up
ubiquitous systems
 Might have to map between different systems
(e.g. if cameras describe view using different
location model than car’s navigational
system)
 Hard to predict user intent in
software
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Social and Legal Challenges
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Intelligent systems might be gathering too much
personal data
Can they discard personal information and only
return the relevant information like parking space
availability?
What about mistakes?
Privacy is two-way:
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May communicate other people’s information to a user
Need to communicate user’s information to a server
Economic concerns
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Since technologies are distinct, there are
multiple service providers
What’s the business model for this?
How do you ensure fair competition?
Findings in Ubiquitous Computing
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Need forums to discuss projects/results
Need actual deployment (not just demos)
Design open extensible systems
Need a management system
Figure out a business model
Systems need to interpret contextual info and adapt
User interface that allows users to interact and
coordinate between multiple systems
Disappearing Hardware
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Current computer experience is not
enjoyable
Focus on task completion instead of
interaction with the tools
Detect user goals/tasks
But hard to manage this complexity
Trend over last decade
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Task-specific hardware improvements
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E.g. spell checker, calculator, electronic
translators
Specialized interface and ease of use
PC has become generalized machine that
can perform multiple tasks – better value with
added complexity
Progress since the 90s
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People researched and attempted invisible
computing, but technology wasn’t there yet.
Notable improvements:
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Wireless networking
Processing capability
Storage capacity
High-quality displays
Current adoption rate of emerging technology
Current ubiquitous systems
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Personal systems:
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Mobile and wearable systems
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Limited by computational ability and integration with other
devices
Can be overly intrusive
Personal servers are useful and convenient
Infrastructure systems
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Hard to deploy and manage
Power and environmental impact are still concerns
Too small, too numerous
Security issues – need to keep track of each node and who
is listening to who.
Necessities for ubiquitous computing
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Wireless needs to be fast and robust
Display needs to be high quality
Physical hardware determined likeability
(size, weight, power consumption)
Technologies have to be better than pen and
paper technology or provide some better
functionality
Which interaction is appropriate?
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Pen computing
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Speech/vision interfaces
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Successful on PDA devices with accessible displays
Not good on systems with small/no displays
Good when systems have good computation resources and
static environment
Bad for mobile systems that need to operate in dynamic
environments
Touch-based interfaces
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Task-specific crafted for a specific application
Is a dynamic touch based system possible?
The Future
Able to access personal information quickly
and conveniently
Integration of computation and real world
without human intervention
Proactive systems predicting user needs
Challenges
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Size and weight
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Hardest to accomplish because of battery size
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Reduce power consumption
Find alternative/improved energy sources
User interface
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Reducing this can also decrease usability
Energy
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Example: Itsy pocket computer
Buttons, keyboards, mice, pointers, LCD panels, touch screens,
microphones, and speakers – popular for high-rate info flow
ambientROOM explores low-latency, low importance info
Interaction Design
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System has to distinguish and handle multiple users
Better and cheaper accuracy in location within few millimeters