Modeling activity spheres in ubiquitous computing environments

1
Modeling activity spheres in ubiquitous computing
environments

• Achilles Kameas, BEng, PhD
• Hellenic Open University
• DAISy group _at_ CTI
• Patras, Greece

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Ambient Intelligence Calm Technology

• The most profound technologies are those that
  eventually disappear into the fabric of everyday
  life
• M. Weiser
• Ambient Intelligence implies a seamless
  environment of computing, advanced networking
  technology and specific interfaces. AmI should
  also be unobtrusive interaction should be
  relaxing and enjoyable for the citizen, and not
  involve a steep learning curve
• ISTAG Report

3
Ubiquitous computing

• In an Ambient Intelligent Environment, humans
  will be surrounded by intelligent interfaces
  supported by computing and networking technology
  that is embedded in everyday objects such as
  furniture, clothes, vehicles, roads and smart
  materials - even particles of decorative
  substances like paint

4
From objects to artifacts

• An artifact is an everyday object enhanced with
• Sensors and actuators
• Processor and memory
• Networking unit
• An artifact has a dual presence
• In the physical world
• In cyberspace

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From artifacts to hyper-objects

• A hyper-object is an artifact that can be used as
  a building block (component) of a larger
  ubiquitous computing system
• Kameas Mavrommati
• A hyper-object has a new affordance
  Composeability
• Composeability helps people build new
  applications using hyper-objects as components
• These applications may exhibit emergent (not
  pre-programmed) behavior

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And then to smart spaces

• Infrastructure
• Wireless networks
• Sensors and actuators
• Digital storage
• Services
• Profiling and adaptation
• Service brokerage
• Location detection
• Context
• Task detection
• Limited proactiveness
• Information processing, storage, transmission

7
RFIDs

• Each RFID tag stores a limited amount of
  information
• Its contents can be read from a distance
• RFIDs are used as bridges between physical and
  digital
• Tags are
• Active contain a battery
• Passive power is conducted from the reader

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Smart dust(Univ. Berkeley)

• Each node (called Mote) is powered by battery and
  contains a small set of sensors, a simple
  processor and a short range radio antenna, so
  that it can be part of a wireless network
• Its size is as small as possible (current
  versions are already smaller than 1 cm3) and its
  value is negligible
• Several motes can self-organize in order to
  realize a task until their batteries are exhausted

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Smart Coffee Machine(TU Darmstadt)
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I/O Crates (Keio Univ.)
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eGadgets (CTI/DAISy)
eGadgets are autonomous artifacts that can be
used as building blocks of ubiquitous applications
Everyday objects have been enhanced with sensor
arrays, an FPGA to control them, special software
(GAS-OS) and an iPaq to run it
12
ASTRA(CTI/DAISy Philips)

• Awareness systems use peripheral perception to
  transmit semantically rich information
• Markopoulos

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Virtual Residence (JRC/IPTS)

• Smart connected home
• Digital presence of people and families
• Supports mobility and interoperability between
  spaces
• Maghiros Daskala

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Requirements -gt ?-gt Applications
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In order to realize AmI spaces

• We need
• A shared model
• Machine readable representations
• Support individuality
• Optimize resource management
• Efficient activity support
• Enhance safety
• We must DEVELOP the necessary architectures,
  software, tools
• In this case, we act as CREATORS

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Architecture layers
Distributed System
Local System
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GAS (Gadgetware Architectural Style)
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GAS-OS
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Artifact ontology
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Service ontology
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Context acquisition
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End user tools
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Digital Territories Activity bubbles (CTI/DAISy
JRC/IPTS)

• Integration of artifacts, devices and services in
  a new entity that supports the activities of its
  owner
• Beslay Hakkala

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Starting points

• AmI spaces consist of components and offer
  services
• Components have a material existence (objects), a
  digital self (software) or both (artifacts)
• All components are functionally autonomous
• All components can, in principle, collaborate
• Applications are realized as combinations of
  software components and are used via the physical
  objects

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What is wrong with existing modeling approaches

• Hierarchical
• Concepts of layers, VMs
• Centralized
• Universal ontologies, yellow pages service
• Not evolvable
• Knowledge representation is fixed
• Not adaptable
• Context-aware programming not possible
• Fragmented
• No definition of emergence and self
• Requirements ? THEORY ? Applications

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Requirements ? LoR ? Applications

• Material ? Sensors, artifacts, devices and their
  parts
• Psychological ? Decision making processes,
  middleware
• Social ? Collaboration, distributed applications,
  ecologies

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The material stratum counterpart

• Objects
• Digital circuits and elements
• Simple components (sensors, actuators, antennae)
• Devices and artifacts
• Services
• Hardware drivers
• Programs, software components
• Software interfaces for properties, affordances,
  services

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The psychological stratum counterpart

• Non-egological acts
• Presentation ? Interpretation of perception,
  communicating
• Representation ? Reasoning, planning, learning,
  adapting
• Egological acts
• Direct perception (through sensors) indirect
  perception (through peers) of context
• Perception of people
• Local resource management
• Unconscious acts
• Power management
• Biological functioning
• Electrical operation, digital computation, signal
  processing

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The social stratum counterpart

• Interactions
• Digital lt-gt digital
• Digital lt-gt physical
• People lt-gt artifacts
• Actors and profiles
• People, organizations, agents
• Spaces and uses
• Public / private
• Emergence of identity
• Safety
• Security, dependability, trust, ethics

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Conclusions

• We must model both objects and services
• Ubiquitous computing applications consist of
  components and interactions
• Objects change
• New affordances in old objects
• New objects
• Software runs in simulated time (except for
  real-time software), but people act in real time
• Issues
• Talk about redesigning old objects
• Describe new (not yet existing) objects
• Synchronize

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• Theory of LoR provides a framework for describing
  and reasoning about ubiquitous computing
  applications
• There exists direct correspondence between
• The three strata and AmI spaces and activity
  bubbles
• The three ontology frameworks and the context
  data
• The unity of one world and the multiplicity of
  realities (activities)
• Ontology in this case must (also) be machine
  readable
• A degree of formality is imposed by programming
  languages, but makes software context-insensitive