Systematic Development of Physical Hypermedia Applications

In this paper we present a model-based approach for the development of physical hypermedia applications, i.e. those mobile (Web) applications in which physical and digital objects are related and explored using the hypermedia paradigm. We describe an extension of the Object-Oriented Hypermedia Design Method (OOHDM) and present an improvement of the popular Model-View-Controller (MVC) metaphor to incorporate the concept of located object; we illustrate the idea with a framework implementation using Jakarta Struts. We first review the state of the art of this kind of software systems, stressing the need of a systematic design and implementation approach; we briefly present a light extension to the OOHDM design approach, incorporating physical objects and “walkable” links. We next present a Web application framework for deploying physical hypermedia software and show an example of use. We evaluate our approach and finally we discuss some further work we are pursuingFacultad de InformáticaLaboratorio de Investigación y Formación en Informática Avanzada (LIFIA

Geographic Information Systems for Real-Time Environmental Sensing at Multiple Scales

The purpose of this investigation was to design, implement, and apply a real-time geographic information system for data intensive water resource research and management. The research presented is part of an ongoing, interdisciplinary research program supporting the development of the Intelligent River® observation instrument. The objectives of this research were to 1) design and describe software architecture for a streaming environmental sensing information system, 2) implement and evaluate the proposed information system, and 3) apply the information system for monitoring, analysis, and visualization of an urban stormwater improvement project located in the City of Aiken, South Carolina, USA. This research contributes to the fields of software architecture and urban ecohydrology. The first contribution is a formal architectural description of a streaming environmental sensing information system. This research demonstrates the operation of the information system and provides a reference point for future software implementations. Contributions to urban ecohydrology are in three areas. First, a characterization of soil properties for the study region of the City of Aiken, SC is provided. The analysis includes an evaluation of spatial structure for soil hydrologic properties. Findings indicate no detectable structure at the scales explored during the study. The second contribution to ecohydrology comes from a long-term, continuous monitoring program for bioinfiltration basin structures located in the study area. Results include an analysis of soil moisture dynamics based on data collected at multiple depths with high spatial and temporal resolution. A novel metric is introduced to evaluate the long-term performance of bioinfiltration basin structures based on soil moisture observation data. Findings indicate a decrease in basin performance over time for the monitored sites. The third contribution to the field of ecohydrology is the development and application of a spatially and temporally explicit rainfall infiltration and excess model. The model enables the simulation and visualization of bioinfiltration basin hydrologic response at within-catchment scales. The model is validated against observed soil moisture data. Results include visualizations and stormwater volume calculations based on measured versus predicted bioinfiltration basin performance over time

Enhancing integrated environmental modelling by designing resource-oriented interfaces

Integrated environmental modelling is gaining momentum for addressing grand scientific challenges such as monitoring the environment for change detection and forecasting environmental conditions along with the consequences for society. Such challenges can only be addressed by a multi-disciplinary approach, in which socio-economic, geospatial, and environmental information becomes inter-connected. However, existing solutions cannot be seamlessly integrated and current interaction paradigms prevent mainstream usage of the existing technology. In particular, it is still difficult to access and join harmonized data and processing algorithms that are provided by different environmental information infrastructures. In this paper we take a novel approach for integrated environmental modelling based on the notion of inter-linked resources on the Web. We present design practices for creating resource-oriented interfaces, driven by an interaction protocol built on the combination of valid linkages to enhance resource integration, accompanied by associated recommendations for implementation. The suggested resource-oriented approach provides a solution to the problems identified above, but still requires intense prototyping and experimentation. We discuss the central open issues and present a roadmap for future research

Systematic Development of Physical Hypermedia Applications

In this paper we present a model-based approach for the development of physical hypermedia applications, i.e. those mobile (Web) applications in which physical and digital objects are related and explored using the hypermedia paradigm. We describe an extension of the Object-Oriented Hypermedia Design Method (OOHDM) and present an improvement of the popular Model-View-Controller (MVC) metaphor to incorporate the concept of located object; we illustrate the idea with a framework implementation using Jakarta Struts. We first review the state of the art of this kind of software systems, stressing the need of a systematic design and implementation approach; we briefly present a light extension to the OOHDM design approach, incorporating physical objects and “walkable” links. We next present a Web application framework for deploying physical hypermedia software and show an example of use. We evaluate our approach and finally we discuss some further work we are pursuingFacultad de InformáticaLaboratorio de Investigación y Formación en Informática Avanzada (LIFIA

Systematic Development of Physical Hypermedia Applications

In this paper we present a model-based approach for the development of physical hypermedia applications, i.e. those mobile (Web) applications in which physical and digital objects are related and explored using the hypermedia paradigm. We describe an extension of the Object-Oriented Hypermedia Design Method (OOHDM) and present an improvement of the popular Model-View-Controller (MVC) metaphor to incorporate the concept of located object; we illustrate the idea with a framework implementation using Jakarta Struts. We first review the state of the art of this kind of software systems, stressing the need of a systematic design and implementation approach; we briefly present a light extension to the OOHDM design approach, incorporating physical objects and “walkable” links. We next present a Web application framework for deploying physical hypermedia software and show an example of use. We evaluate our approach and finally we discuss some further work we are pursuing

Erotic Aspects of Everyday Life as a Challenge for Ubiquitous Computing

In this paper we discuss how interactive technology disables or enables erotic aspects of everyday life, and we discuss a number of design concepts in order to relate erotic aspects to the issue of visibility versus invisibility in ambient computing. This discussion has general relevance for the study of residual categories in ubiquitous computing

Linked data as medium for distributed Multi-Agent Systems

The conceptual design and discussion of multi-agents systems (MAS) typically focuses on agents and their models, and the elements and effects in the environment which they perceive. This view, however, leaves out potential pitfalls in the later implementation of the system that may stem from limitations in data models, interfaces, or protocols by which agents and environments exchange information. By today, the research community agrees that for this, that the environment should be understood as well as abstraction layer by which agents access, interpret, and modify elements within the environment. This, however, blurs the the line of the environment being the sum of interactive elements and phenomena perceivable by agents, and the underlying technology by which this information and interactions are offered to agents. This thesis proposes as remedy to consider as third component of multi agent systems, besides agents and environments, the digital medium by which the environment is provided to agents. "Medium" then refers to exactly this technological component via which environment data is published interactively towards the agents, and via which agents perceive, interpret, and finally, modify the underlying environment data. Furthermore, this thesis will detail how MAS may use capabilities of a properly chosen medium to achieve coordinating system behaviors. A suitable candidate technology for digital agent media comes from the Semantic Web in form of Linked Data. In addition to conceptual discussions about the notions of digital agent media, this thesis will provide in detail a specification of a Linked Data agent medium, and detail on means to implement MAS around Linked Data media technologies.Sowohl der konzeptuelle Entwurf von, als auch die wissenschaftliche Diskussion über Multi-Agenten-Systeme (MAS) konzentrieren sich für gewöhnlich auf die Agenten selbst, die Agentenmodelle, sowie die Elemente und Effekte, die sie in ihrer Umgebung wahrnehmen. Diese Betrachtung lässt jedoch mögliche Probleme in einer späteren Implementierung aus, die von Einschränkungen in Datenmodellen, Schnittstellen, oder Protokollen herrühren können, über die Agenten und ihre Umgebung Informationen miteinander austauschen. Heutzutage ist sich die Forschungsgemeinschaft einig, dass die Umgebung als solche als Abstraktionsschicht verstanden werden sollte, über die Agenten Umgebungseffekte und -elemente wahrnehmen, interpretieren, und mit ihnen interagieren. Diese Betrachtungsweise verschleiert jedoch die Trennung zwischen der Umgebung als die Sammlung interaktiver Elemente und wahrnehmbarer Phänomene auf der einen Seite, und der zugrundeliegenden Technologie, über die diese Information den Agenten bereitgestellt wird, auf der anderen. Diese Dissertation schlägt als Lösung vor, zusätzlich zu Agenten undUmgebung ein digitales Medium, über das Agenten die Umgebung bereitgestellt wird, als drittes Element von Multi-Agenten-Systemen zu betrachten. Der Begriff "Medium" bezieht sich dann genau auf diese technologische Komponente, über die Umgebungsinformationen Agenten interaktiv bereitgestellt werden, und über die Agenten die zugrundeliegenden Daten wahrnehmen, interpretieren, und letztendlich modifizieren. Desweiteren wird diese Dissertation aufzeigen, wie die Eigenschaften eines sorgfältig gewählten Mediums ausgenutzt werden können, um ein koordiniertes Systemverhalten zu erreichen. Ein geeigneter Kandidat für ein digitales Agentenmedium findet sich im Ökosystem des „Semantic Web”, in Form von „Linked Data”, wörtlich („verknüpfte Daten”). Zusätzlich zu einer konzeptionellen Diskussion über die Natur digitaler Agenten- Media, spezifiziert diese Dissertation „Linked Data” als Agentenmedium detailliert aus, und beschreibt im Detail die Mittel, wie sich MAS um Linked Data Technologien herum implementieren lassen

Dealing with Variability in Context-Aware Mobile Software

Mobile context-aware software pose a set of challenging requirements to developers as these applications exhibit novel features, such as handling varied sensing devices and dynamically adapting to the user’s context (e.g. his or her location), and evolve quickly according to technological advances. In this paper, we discuss how to handle variability both across different domains and during the evolution of a single application. We present a set of design structures for solving different problems related with mobility (such as location sensing, behaviour adaptation, etc.), together with the design rationale underlying them, and show how these sound micro-architectural constructs impact on variability. Our presentation is illustrated with case studies in different domains.Facultad de Informátic

Dealing with Variability in Context-Aware Mobile Software

Mobile context-aware software pose a set of challenging requirements to developers as these applications exhibit novel features, such as handling varied sensing devices and dynamically adapting to the user’s context (e.g. his or her location), and evolve quickly according to technological advances. In this paper, we discuss how to handle variability both across different domains and during the evolution of a single application. We present a set of design structures for solving different problems related with mobility (such as location sensing, behaviour adaptation, etc.), together with the design rationale underlying them, and show how these sound micro-architectural constructs impact on variability. Our presentation is illustrated with case studies in different domains.Facultad de Informátic

Model driven design and data integration in semantic web information systems

The Web is quickly evolving in many ways. It has evolved from a Web of documents into a Web of applications in which a growing number of designers offer new and interactive Web applications with people all over the world. However, application design and implementation remain complex, error-prone and laborious. In parallel there is also an evolution from a Web of documents into a Web of `knowledge' as a growing number of data owners are sharing their data sources with a growing audience. This brings the potential new applications for these data sources, including scenarios in which these datasets are reused and integrated with other existing and new data sources. However, the heterogeneity of these data sources in syntax, semantics and structure represents a great challenge for application designers. The Semantic Web is a collection of standards and technologies that offer solutions for at least the syntactic and some structural issues. If offers semantic freedom and flexibility, but this leaves the issue of semantic interoperability. In this thesis we present Hera-S, an evolution of the Model Driven Web Engineering (MDWE) method Hera. MDWEs allow designers to create data centric applications using models instead of programming. Hera-S especially targets Semantic Web sources and provides a flexible method for designing personalized adaptive Web applications. Hera-S defines several models that together define the target Web application. Moreover we implemented a framework called Hydragen, which is able to execute the Hera-S models to run the desired Web application. Hera-S' core is the Application Model (AM) in which the main logic of the application is defined, i.e. defining the groups of data elements that form logical units or subunits, the personalization conditions, and the relationships between the units. Hera-S also uses a so-called Domain Model (DM) that describes the content and its structure. However, this DM is not Hera-S specific, but instead allows any Semantic Web source representation as its DM, as long as its content can be queried by the standardized Semantic Web query language SPARQL. The same holds for the User Model (UM). The UM can be used for personalization conditions, but also as a source of user-related content if necessary. In fact, the difference between DM and UM is conceptual as their implementation within Hydragen is the same. Hera-S also defines a presentation model (PM) which defines presentation details of elements like order and style. In order to help designers with building their Web applications we have introduced a toolset, Hera Studio, which allows to build the different models graphically. Hera Studio also provides some additional functionality like model checking and deployment of the models in Hydragen. Both Hera-S and its implementation Hydragen are designed to be flexible regarding the user of models. In order to achieve this Hydragen is a stateless engine that queries for relevant information from the models at every page request. This allows the models and data to be changed in the datastore during runtime. We show that one way to exploit this flexibility is by applying aspect-orientation to the AM. Aspect-orientation allows us to dynamically inject functionality that pervades the entire application. Another way to exploit Hera-S' flexibility is in reusing specialized components, e.g. for presentation generation. We present a configuration of Hydragen in which we replace our native presentation generation functionality by the AMACONT engine. AMACONT provides more extensive multi-level presentation generation and adaptation capabilities as well aspect-orientation and a form of semantic based adaptation. Hera-S was designed to allow the (re-)use of any (Semantic) Web datasource. It even opens up the possibility for data integration at the back end, by using an extendible storage layer in our database of choice Sesame. However, even though theoretically possible it still leaves much of the actual data integration issue. As this is a recurring issue in many domains, a broader challenge than for Hera-S design only, we decided to look at this issue in isolation. We present a framework called Relco which provides a language to express data transformation operations as well as a collection of techniques that can be used to (semi-)automatically find relationships between concepts in different ontologies. This is done with a combination of syntactic, semantic and collaboration techniques, which together provide strong clues for which concepts are most likely related. In order to prove the applicability of Relco we explore five application scenarios in different domains for which data integration is a central aspect. This includes a cultural heritage portal, Explorer, for which data from several datasources was integrated and was made available by a mapview, a timeline and a graph view. Explorer also allows users to provide metadata for objects via a tagging mechanism. Another application is SenSee: an electronic TV-guide and recommender. TV-guide data was integrated and enriched with semantically structured data from several sources. Recommendations are computed by exploiting the underlying semantic structure. ViTa was a project in which several techniques for tagging and searching educational videos were evaluated. This includes scenarios in which user tags are related with an ontology, or other tags, using the Relco framework. The MobiLife project targeted the facilitation of a new generation of mobile applications that would use context-based personalization. This can be done using a context-based user profiling platform that can also be used for user model data exchange between mobile applications using technologies like Relco. The final application scenario that is shown is from the GRAPPLE project which targeted the integration of adaptive technology into current learning management systems. A large part of this integration is achieved by using a user modeling component framework in which any application can store user model information, but which can also be used for the exchange of user model data