Contextual mobile adaptation

Ubiquitous computing (ubicomp) involves systems that attempt to fit in with users’ context and interaction. Researchers agree that system adaptation is a key issue in ubicomp because it can be hard to predict changes in contexts, needs and uses. Even with the best planning, it is impossible to foresee all uses of software at the design stage. In order for software to continue to be helpful and appropriate it should, ideally, be as dynamic as the environment in which it operates. Changes in user requirements, contexts of use and system resources mean software should also adapt to better support these changes. An area in which adaptation is clearly lacking is in ubicomp systems, especially those designed for mobile devices. By improving techniques and infrastructure to support adaptation it is possible for ubicomp systems to not only sense and adapt to the environments they are running in, but also retrieve and install new functionality so as to better support the dynamic context and needs of users in such environments. Dynamic adaptation of software refers to the act of changing the structure of some part of a software system as it executes, without stopping or restarting it. One of the core goals of this thesis is to discover if such adaptation is feasible, useful and appropriate in the mobile environment, and how designers can create more adaptive and flexible ubicomp systems and associated user experiences. Through a detailed study of existing literature and experience of several early systems, this thesis presents design issues and requirements for adaptive ubicomp systems. This thesis presents the Domino framework, and demonstrates that a mobile collaborative software adaptation framework is achievable. This system can recommend future adaptations based on a history of use. The framework demonstrates that wireless network connections between mobile devices can be used to transport usage logs and software components, with such connections made either in chance encounters or in designed multi–user interactions. Another aim of the thesis is to discover if users can comprehend and smoothly interact with systems that are adapting. To evaluate Domino, a multiplayer game called Castles has been developed, in which game buildings are in fact software modules that are recommended and transferred between players. This evaluation showed that people are comfortable receiving semi–automated software recommendations; these complement traditional recommendation methods such as word of mouth and online forums, with the system’s support freeing users to discuss more in–depth aspects of the system, such as tactics and strategies for use, rather than forcing them to discover, acquire and integrate software by themselves

Smart Computing and Sensing Technologies for Animal Welfare: A Systematic Review

Animals play a profoundly important and intricate role in our lives today. Dogs have been human companions for thousands of years, but they now work closely with us to assist the disabled, and in combat and search and rescue situations. Farm animals are a critical part of the global food supply chain, and there is increasing consumer interest in organically fed and humanely raised livestock, and how it impacts our health and environmental footprint. Wild animals are threatened with extinction by human induced factors, and shrinking and compromised habitat. This review sets the goal to systematically survey the existing literature in smart computing and sensing technologies for domestic, farm and wild animal welfare. We use the notion of \emph{animal welfare} in broad terms, to review the technologies for assessing whether animals are healthy, free of pain and suffering, and also positively stimulated in their environment. Also the notion of \emph{smart computing and sensing} is used in broad terms, to refer to computing and sensing systems that are not isolated but interconnected with communication networks, and capable of remote data collection, processing, exchange and analysis. We review smart technologies for domestic animals, indoor and outdoor animal farming, as well as animals in the wild and zoos. The findings of this review are expected to motivate future research and contribute to data, information and communication management as well as policy for animal welfare

Modeling, Designing, and Implementing an Ad-hoc M-Learning Platform that Integrates Sensory Data to Support Ubiquitous Learning

Learning at any-time, at anywhere, using any mobile computing platform learning (which we refer to as “education in your palm”) empowers informal and formal education. It supports the continued creation of knowledge outside a classroom, after-school programs, community-based organizations, museums, libraries, and shopping malls with under-resourced settings. In doing so, it fosters the continued creation of a cumulative body of knowledge in informal and formal education. Anytime, anywhere, using any device computing platform learning means that students are not required to attend traditional classroom settings in order to learn. Instead, students will be able to access and share learning resources from any mobile computing platform, such as smart phones, tablets using highly dynamic mobile and wireless ad-hoc networks. There has been little research on how to facilitate the integrated use of the service description, discovery and integration resources available in mobile and wireless ad-hoc networks including description schemas and mobile learning objects, and in particular as it relates to the consistency, availability, security and privacy of spatio-temporal and trajectory information. Another challenge is finding, combining and creating suitable learning modules to handle the inherent constraints of mobile learning, resource-poor mobile devices and ad-hoc networks. The aim of this research is to design, develop and implement the cutting edge context-aware and ubiquitous self-directed learning methodologies using ad-hoc and sensor networks. The emphasis of our work is on defining an appropriate mobile learning object and the service adaptation descriptions as well as providing mechanisms for ad-hoc service discovery and developing concepts for the seamless integration of the learning objects and their contents with a particular focus on preserving data and privacy. The research involves a combination of modeling, designing, and developing a mobile learning system in the absence of a networking infrastructure that integrates sensory data to support ubiquitous learning. The system includes mechanisms to allow content exchange among the mobile ad-hoc nodes to ensure consistency and availability of information. It also provides an on-the-fly content service discovery, query request, and retrieving data from mobile nodes and sensors

Human-in-the-Loop Cyber-Physical-Systems based on Smartphones

Tese de doutoramento em Ciências e Tecnologias da Informação, apresentada ao Departamento de Engenharia Informática da Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia da Universidade de CoimbraTechnological devices increasingly become smaller, more mobile, powerful and efficient. However, each time we have to hurdle through unintuitive menus, errors and incompatibilities we become stressed by our technology. As first put forward by the renowned computer scientist Mark Weiser, the ultimate form of computers may be an extension of our subconscious. The ideal computer would be capable of truly understanding people's unconscious actions and desires. Instead of humans adapting to technology and learning how to use it, it would be technology that would adapt to the disposition and uniqueness of each human being. This thesis focuses on the realm of Human-in-the-loop Cyber-Physical Systems (HiTLCPSs). HiTLCPSs infer the users’ intents, psychological states, emotions and actions, using this information to determine the system's behavior. This involves using a large variety of sensors and mobile devices to monitor and evaluate human nature. Therefore, this technology has strong ties with wireless sensor networks, robotics, machine-learning and the Internet of Things. In particular, our work focuses on the usage of smartphones within these systems. It begins by describing a framework to understand the principles and theory of HiTLCPSs. It provides some insights into current research being done on this topic, its challenges, and requirements. Another of the thesis' objectives is to present our innovative taxonomy of human roles, where we attempt to understand how a human may interact with HiTLCPSs and how to best explore this resource. This thesis also describes concrete examples of the practical usage of HiTL paradigms. As such, we included a comprehensive description of our research work and associated prototypes, where the major theoretical concepts behind HiTLCPS were applied and evaluated to specific scenarios. Finally, we discuss our personal view on the future and evolution of these systems.A tecnologia tem vindo a tornar-se cada vez mais pequena, móvel, poderosa e eficiente. No entanto, lidar com menus pouco intuitivos, erros, e incompatibilidades, causa frustração aos seus utilizadores. Segundo o reconhecido cientista Mark Weiser, os computadores do futuro poderão vir a existir como se fossem uma extensão do nosso subconsciente. O computador ideal seria capaz de entender, em toda a sua plenitude, as ações e os desejos inconscientes dos seres humanos. Em vez de serem os humanos a adaptarem-se à tecnologia e a aprender a usá-la, seria a tecnologia a aprender a adaptar-se à disposição e individualidade de cada ser humano. Esta tese foca-se na área dos Human-in-the-loop Cyber-Physical Systems (HiTLCPSs). Os HiTLCPSs inferem as intenções, estados psicológicos, emoções e ações dos seus utilizadores, usando esta informação para determinar o comportamento do sistema ciber-físico. Isto envolve a utilização de uma grande variedade de sensores e dispositivos móveis que monitorizam e avaliam a natureza humana. Assim sendo, esta tecnologia tem fortes ligações com redes de sensores sem fios, robótica, algoritmos de aprendizagem de máquina e a Internet das Coisas. Em particular, o nosso trabalho focou-se na utilização de smartphones dentro destes sistemas. Começamos por descrever uma estrutura para compreender os princípios e teoria associados aos HiTLCPSs. Esta análise permitiu-nos adquirir alguma clareza sobre a investigação a ser feita sobre este tópico, e sobre os seus desafios e requisitos. Outro dos objetivos desta tese é o de apresentar a nossa inovadora taxonomia sobre os papeis do ser humano nos HiTLCPSs, onde tentamos perceber as possíveis interações do ser humano com estes sistemas e as melhores formas de explorar este recurso. Esta tese também descreve exemplos concretos da utilização prática dos paradigmas HiTL. Desta forma, incluímos uma descrição do nosso trabalho experimental e dos protótipos que lhe estão associados, onde os conceitos teóricos dos HiTLCPSs foram aplicados e avaliados em diversos casos de estudo. Por fim, apresentamos a nossa perspetiva pessoal sobre o futuro e evolução destes sistemas.Fundação Luso-Americana para o DesenvolvimentoFP7-ICT-2007-2 GINSENG projectiCIS project (CENTRO-07-ST24-FEDER-002003)SOCIALITE project (PTDC/EEI-SCR/2072/2014

5G Outlook – Innovations and Applications

5G Outlook - Innovations and Applications is a collection of the recent research and development in the area of the Fifth Generation Mobile Technology (5G), the future of wireless communications. Plenty of novel ideas and knowledge of the 5G are presented in this book as well as divers applications from health science to business modeling. The authors of different chapters contributed from various countries and organizations. The chapters have also been presented at the 5th IEEE 5G Summit held in Aalborg on July 1, 2016. The book starts with a comprehensive introduction on 5G and its need and requirement. Then millimeter waves as a promising spectrum to 5G technology is discussed. The book continues with the novel and inspiring ideas for the future wireless communication usage and network. Further, some technical issues in signal processing and network design for 5G are presented. Finally, the book ends up with different applications of 5G in distinct areas. Topics widely covered in this book are: • 5G technology from past to present to the future• Millimeter- waves and their characteristics• Signal processing and network design issues for 5G• Applications, business modeling and several novel ideas for the future of 5

Multisensor navigation systems: a remedy for GNSS vulnerabilities?

Space-based positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) technologies, such as the global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) provide position, velocity, and timing information to an unlimited number of users around the world. In recent years, PNT information has become increasingly critical to the security, safety, and prosperity of the World's population, and is now widely recognized as an essential element of the global information infrastructure. Due to its vulnerabilities and line-of-sight requirements, GNSS alone is unable to provide PNT with the required levels of integrity, accuracy, continuity, and reliability. A multisensor navigation approach offers an effective augmentation in GNSS-challenged environments that holds a promise of delivering robust and resilient PNT. Traditionally, sensors such as inertial measurement units (IMUs), barometers, magnetometers, odometers, and digital compasses, have been used. However, recent trends have largely focused on image-based, terrain-based and collaborative navigation to recover the user location. This paper offers a review of the technological advances that have taken place in PNT over the last two decades, and discusses various hybridizations of multisensory systems, building upon the fundamental GNSS/IMU integration. The most important conclusion of this study is that in order to meet the challenging goals of delivering continuous, accurate and robust PNT to the ever-growing numbers of users, the hybridization of a suite of different PNT solutions is required

The Emerging Internet of Things Marketplace From an Industrial Perspective: A Survey

The Internet of Things (IoT) is a dynamic global information network consisting of internet-connected objects, such as Radio-frequency identification (RFIDs), sensors, actuators, as well as other instruments and smart appliances that are becoming an integral component of the future internet. Over the last decade, we have seen a large number of the IoT solutions developed by start-ups, small and medium enterprises, large corporations, academic research institutes (such as universities), and private and public research organisations making their way into the market. In this paper, we survey over one hundred IoT smart solutions in the marketplace and examine them closely in order to identify the technologies used, functionalities, and applications. More importantly, we identify the trends, opportunities and open challenges in the industry-based the IoT solutions. Based on the application domain, we classify and discuss these solutions under five different categories: smart wearable, smart home, smart, city, smart environment, and smart enterprise. This survey is intended to serve as a guideline and conceptual framework for future research in the IoT and to motivate and inspire further developments. It also provides a systematic exploration of existing research and suggests a number of potentially significant research directions.Comment: IEEE Transactions on Emerging Topics in Computing 201

5G Outlook – Innovations and Applications

5G Outlook - Innovations and Applications is a collection of the recent research and development in the area of the Fifth Generation Mobile Technology (5G), the future of wireless communications. Plenty of novel ideas and knowledge of the 5G are presented in this book as well as divers applications from health science to business modeling. The authors of different chapters contributed from various countries and organizations. The chapters have also been presented at the 5th IEEE 5G Summit held in Aalborg on July 1, 2016. The book starts with a comprehensive introduction on 5G and its need and requirement. Then millimeter waves as a promising spectrum to 5G technology is discussed. The book continues with the novel and inspiring ideas for the future wireless communication usage and network. Further, some technical issues in signal processing and network design for 5G are presented. Finally, the book ends up with different applications of 5G in distinct areas. Topics widely covered in this book are: • 5G technology from past to present to the future• Millimeter- waves and their characteristics• Signal processing and network design issues for 5G• Applications, business modeling and several novel ideas for the future of 5