Software Modeling and Verification group

1
Software Modeling and Verification group
Project NOMAD living the wireless university
The problem
The system
We want to use the wireless network technology to
give the users the possibility of living
university courses and services in a more dynamic
way.
The user device calculates its position depending
on signals received from the wireless access
points around it. With the help of a software
from Appear Networks, the Appear Positioning
Engine (APE), it can understand in which zone it
is, and communicate this to the server.

Location specific
(x2,y2,z2)
Services and information are to be delivered to
users in an automatic fashion, depending on the
time of the day, the location of the user and his
role (student, professor)
(x1,y1,z1)


The position of the user is calculated using
signal strength. A software running on the client
device is continuously monitoring signals of all
access points around it and communicating them to
the APE depending on their strength, the APE can
deduct the position of the device with a
precision of 2 meters.
Time specific
Device user specific
position
APE/APS
contents
User
We can do this using the university wireless
network infrastructure, with its 44 access points
(going to increase) in four buildings, and
providing users the software to use on their
portable devices (portable PCs, palm computers).
Depending on this position information, and on
the time of the day and the type of user and
device, the Appear Provisioning Server (APS) will
send available contents to the device. Contents
can be of many types applications, web pages,
slides, documents they will be displayed on the
device as icons in a window. Clicking them will
allow the user to run the application or view the
document.
While users move in the university area, they
will cross certain zones, and they will
automatically receive contents and applications
on their devices.
Distribution of content is made through HTML GET
requests sent from the client software to the
server. Encryption and security are available
using SSL technology, like in normal browsers.
Lesson 14 Wireless networks
Our experience making our university wireless
In the Centre Universitaire DInformatique we
have carried out an experi- ment with our
students, providing them devices and instructing
them on how to use the system. The impressions
from the students have been very satisfying, and
most of them agreed that the system can improve
students life, that its a definitely good way
to provide information, and that it should be
expanded to the whole university. In the future
this way of working can gradually eliminate the
need of bringing around books and printed slides.
Students and personnel will be equipped with
mobile devices, and content will always be
reachable with a simple click. Researchers on
mobile application models have now a platform on
which they can build their prototypes to study
the correctness and the possible applications of
their theoretical work.
10h00, classroom Entering the room, the students
get the test to be done today. The teacher also
gets the solution on his device
9h00, cafeteria Perfect time to get the online
news and check the daily schedule on the palm
computer.
A day in the wireless university
15h00, study room All material from the last
week of courses is available to students with a
portable PC in this room, to review recent
lessons.