1. Ubiquitous Computing
Software Systems

2. Why Ubiquitous Computing?
The most profound technologies are those that disappear.
-Mark Weiser ( )
Chief Technologist at the Xerox Palo Alto Research Center

3. Why Ubiquitous Computing?
The personal computer is still too hard to use
Think about watching a movie by PC
Download file, network access, media player, codecs, supporting software…

4. The Goal of UbiComp
Age of calm technology, when technology recedes into the background of our lives

5. What Ubiquitous Computing isn’t
The opposite of Virtual Reality
virtual reality puts people inside a computer-generated world, ubiquitous computing forces the computer to live out here in the world with people

6. What Ubiquitous Computing isn’t
Although ubiquitous computers may employ sound and video much more than text and graphics, but it is not merely a “Multimedia Computer”
It’s a revolution in human-computer interaction

7. UbiComp—Third Wave in Computing
Phase I — Mainframe
One computer, many people
Phase II — Personal Computer
One person, one computer
Transition Phase
Internet and Distributed computing
Phase III — Ubiquitous Computing
One person, many computers

8. UbiComp—Third Wave in Computing
Source:

9. Initial Incarnation in Ubiquitous Computing
“Tabs”, “pads”, and “boards” built at Xerox PARC,

10. Calm Technology
A calm technology moves easily from the periphery of our attention to the center, and back.

11. Periphery and Center Periphery Center
Something we are attuned to without attending to explicitly
Center
Something we explicitly take control of

12. So, what is a Calm Technology?
A comfortable pair of shoes?
Or a Personal Computer?

13. The Final Aim of UbiComp
To make computing Calm Technology

14. Signs of Calm Technology
A Calm Technology
easily moves from center to periphery and back
enhances our peripheral reach
Ex. Video conference with phone conference
puts us at home, in a familiar place

15. Life With Ubiquitous Computers
Ubiquitous Computing will make our world more convenient
It will make our world into a computer-aided one – but without information overload.

16. Current Ubicomp Research
Part 2
Current Ubicomp Research

17. A ubicomp prototype – Interactive Workspaces
Development began at Stanford in 1999
Collection of many different smaller software systems

18. Interactive Workspaces
Purpose
team-based collaboration in technology augmented environments
Social protocols determine which tools team members use at any given time, instead of:
making environment itself “smart”
attempting to anticipate user needs

19. Interactive Workspaces
Application projects
Construction project management
Interactive learning
Product design

20. Interactive Workspaces
iwork_scenario.rm

24. Interactive Workspaces – Workspace Devices
Large, interactive, high-resolution wall-mounted and tabletop displays
PDAs
Laptops
Tabletop scanners
Wireless LCD displays
Pan-and-tilt cameras

25. Interactive Workspaces - Systems Integration
Event Heap
Centralized event exchange system for workspace devices
PointRight
system that allows a single mouse and keyboard to control multiple screens
PointRight.rm
Barehands
Implement-free interaction with a wall-mounted display

26. Challenges for Ubicomp (1)
Privacy / trust issues
“one rotten apple”
Component interaction
Components must be designed in open, extensible manner
Assurances in performance, security, reliability
Flexibility / adaptability
Ubicomp environments inherently subject to change
System Management mechanisms, policies
As components --> infinity

27. Challenges for Ubicomp (2)
Viable economic models
Without killer app, no one wants it
But the killer app is the combination of many small mundane apps
UI integration
How to make it consistent, usable, obvious, invisible

28. Conclusion: Emerging Commercial Ubicomp Systems
Railcar Telematics
position, temperature, acceleration, and weight sensors
Just-in-time billing, railcar handling, security
Multimedia response center
Takes advantage of pervasive camera phones
911 emergency calls, reporting crime