From Metamodeling to Automatic Generation of Multimodal Interfaces for Ambient Computing

International audiencehis paper presents our approach to design multichannel and multimodal applications as part of ambient intelligence. Computers are increasingly present in our environments, whether at work (computers, photocopiers), at home (video player, hi-fi, microwave), in our cars, etc. They are more adaptable and context-sensitive (e.g., the car radio that lowers the volume when the mobile phone rings). Unfortunately, while they should provide smart services by combining their skills, they are not yet designed to communicate together. Our results, mainly based on the use of a software bus and a workflow, show that different devices (such as Wiimote, multi-touch screen, telephone, etc.) can be coordinated in order to activate real things (such as lamp, fan, robot, webcam, etc.). A smart digital home case study illustrates how using our approach to design with ease some parts of the ambient system and to redesign them during runtime

Facilitating the Design of Multi-channel Interfaces for Ambient Computing

International audienceAmbient computing is one of the more significant recent advances in computer-human interactions. With the ambient intelligence paradigm, computers become embedded in our natural surroundings. As they are context sensitive and adaptable, they better provide smart services to humans. But ambient computing requires communication between several heterogeneous components that are not supposed to communicate each other. This paper describes how we use a workflow to facilitate the design of multichannel interfaces for ambient computing. Our results show that different devices (such as Wiimote, multi-touch screen, telephone, etc.) can be managed in order to activate real things (such as lamp, fan, robot, webcam, etc.). A smart digital home case study illustrates a possible implementation of our approach and shows how it allows redesigning easily some parts of the ambient system just by modifying the workflow

From Metamodeling to Automatic Generation of Multimodal Interfaces for Ambient Computing

International audiencehis paper presents our approach to design multichannel and multimodal applications as part of ambient intelligence. Computers are increasingly present in our environments, whether at work (computers, photocopiers), at home (video player, hi-fi, microwave), in our cars, etc. They are more adaptable and context-sensitive (e.g., the car radio that lowers the volume when the mobile phone rings). Unfortunately, while they should provide smart services by combining their skills, they are not yet designed to communicate together. Our results, mainly based on the use of a software bus and a workflow, show that different devices (such as Wiimote, multi-touch screen, telephone, etc.) can be coordinated in order to activate real things (such as lamp, fan, robot, webcam, etc.). A smart digital home case study illustrates how using our approach to design with ease some parts of the ambient system and to redesign them during runtime

A support to multi-devices web application

International audienceProgramming an application which uses interactive devices located on different terminals is not easy. Programming such applications with standard Web technologies (HTTP, Javascript, Web browser) is even more difficult. However, Web applications have interesting properties like running on very different terminals, the lack of a specific installation step, the ability to evolve the application code at runtime. Our demonstration presents a support for designing multi-devices Web applications. After introducing the context of this work, we briefly describe some problems related to the design of multi-devices web application. Then, we present the toolkit we have implemented to help the development of applications based upon distant interactive devices

Challenges for the Design of Intelligent and Multimodal Cognitive Systems

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Challenging Analytical Knowledge On Exception-Handling: An Empirical Study of 32 Java Software Packages

In this paper, we aim at contributing to the body of knowledge on exception-handling. We take neither an analytical approach (``we think exception handling is good because X and Y'') nor an empirical approach (``most developers do Z and T''). Our method is to compare analytical knowledge against empirical one. We first review the literature to find analytical knowledge on exception handling, we then set up a dataset of 32 Java software applications and an experimental protocol to statically characterize and measure the exception handling design. We eventually compare our measures against the claims on exception handling that authors have made over time. Our results show that some analytical principles for exception design do not support the empirical validation: 1) practitioners violate the principle and 2) upon analysis, there are indeed very good use cases going against this principle. This is in particular the case for ``Empty Catch Blocks are Bad'' and ``Do not Catch Generic Exceptions''