Ubiquitous Computing: Issues and Challenges

1. Ubiquitous Computing:Issues and Challenges Cynthia Chan Karina Hernandez Mahesh Kasinadhuni DPS Team 2 Spring 2003

2. Outline • Overview – Goals, Issues and Challenges (MAHESH) • Nomadicity, Wireless, Internet (MAHESH) • SW Infrastructure in Ubiquitous Computing (KARINA) • Application Design Challenges (KARINA) • Future of Business Services (CYNTHIA) • Social Issues in Ubiquitous Computing (CYNTHIA)

3. Overview- Issues and Challenges

4. Ubiquitous Computing • Ubicomp • What it Isn’t ? • Ubicomp is the opposite of Virtual Reality, VR ! • Where VR puts people inside a computer-generated world, Ubicomp forces the computer to live in the world out there peopled • VR is primarily a horse power problem • Goal • Integrating Anthropology, Computer Sc. and Social Science • Fundamental Measure of Progress in Computing • Involves rendering it as an inseparable part of our everyday experience while simultaneously making it disappear

5. Major Trends in Computing

6. Overview—Third Paradigm Computing Phase II • Computer – A Dramatic M/C • Path I - Invisible Path • Growth in Technology • Tabs • Pads • Boards • Results • Prototypes failed to be invisible ! • Ubicomp in Post-Modernism • Path II (2000—2020) Focus • New Directions • Level of Embeddedness • Dangling String Display ! • Nomadicity Phase I • One person many computers • Advances in • OS and UI • Networks • Wireless • Microprocessor Cost/Perf. >> • Displays • Activated the World • Results • 100s of wireless computing devices per person per office • Displays (1” to wall sized) • Compact devices to mediate support & organize all activities

7. High Low High Low Level of Embeddedness Ubiquitous Computing Pervasive Computing Level of Mobility Mobile Computing Traditional Business Computing

8. Issues & Challenges • Issues Today • As Technology becomes more embedded & integrated with mobility, the barriers between social and technical aspects become blurred • New Devices must integrate w/existing PCs • Nomadicity • Security and Fraud • Dangling String Display ! • Challenges • Developing & Integrating Ubicomp services w/ • Robust & Innovative mass-scale applications • Integrating w/ Advances from Mobile & Pervasive Computing • Internet provides the raw glue tying together PCs and Nomadics

9. Implications of Nomadicity • Each person uses many devices • Total Nomadic devices >> Number of People • Large Number of Fixed Devices • Many Computers embedded in the environment • Nomadic devices must interact with fixed infrastructure • Many Nomadic devices are essentially “PC Peripherals”

10. Wireless is Best for Nomadics • Wireless avoids plug and unplug problems • Moving hundreds of nomadic devices around is wire overload • Wireless permits easy use of installed local infrastructure

11. Nomadic Infrastructure

12. SW Infrastructure

13. SW Infrastructure • Three key characteristics: • Task Dynamism • Available everywhere/any time • Device Heterogeneity and Resource Constraints • Adapt to changing technological capabilities/hardware capabilities • Computing in a Social Environment

14. SW Infrastructure Challenges • Semantic Modeling • Developing a modeling language • Developing and validating ontologies • Agreeing on shared ontology parts • Building the Software Infrastructure • Determine which user tasks are most relevant • Finding and composing the appropriate components and services • Must be scalable

15. SW Infrastructure • Developing and Configuring Applications • Composition of services, user interface, data flow among components • Reusable services • Validating the user experience • Development of effective methods for testing and evaluating the user scenarios

16. Business Services • Ubiquitous Computing will lead to Ubiquitous Commerce (right message, to the right person, at the right time!) • Impact on Business Strategy – awareness, accessibility, responsiveness • Point of Presence! Context! • Change in nature of service providers (bursty, point-of-presence value, service level commitments) • New services (businesses) will arise…

17. User Experience • Balance user perception of complexity versus efficiency, effectiveness… interaction-based • Environmental issues • Achieving network effects • Role of Context • User Experience (management) • New challenges: • Internet access (multiple devices) • Available memory (truly personal devices) • Seamless access cross-networks • Online, offline interchangeability

18. Social Issues • Potential detrimental management behavior: log tracing, non-guidance. • Work can occur anytime, anywhere becomes all-the-time, everywhere. • Must study behavior and adaptation to ubiquitous computing at the Individual, (Virtual) Team, and (Virtual) organization level

19. Summary • Unlimited access computing with anytime/anyplace capabilities introduces powerful new technology into organizations. • The cost of Nomadicity will plummet • Ubicomp predicts the $5 Nomadic PC peripheral • Infra Structure crucial • Short range wireless Technology required needs development • Public Wireless accepts points a key Infra structure • IR, Infra Red use will grow rapidly

20. Summary • The biggest challenges merging ubiquitous and wearable computing deal with fitting the computer to the human in terms of: • Interface. • Cognitive model. • Contextual awareness. • Adaptation to tasks being performed. • Wearable computers are an attractive way to deliver a ubiquitous computing system’s interface to a user, especially in non-office-building environment.

21. Summary • Ubiquitous computing is about interconnected hardware and software that are so ubiquitous that no one notices their presence. • Ubiquitous will enable people to focus on their tasks and on interacting with other people.

22. Summary • Ubiquitous computing enables businesses to redefine the key aspects of their customer relationships. • Businesses can become continuously aware of their customers needs and provide more natural and powerful means of access to their services. • Ubiquitous computing enables innovative forms of social action, novel organizational forms, and new business models.

23. Main References • Daniel P. Siewiorek, “New Frontier of Application Design”, Communications of ACM, December 2002 • Guruduth Banavar, Abrahan Bernstein. “Software Infrastructure and Design Challenges for Ubiquitous Computing Applications”, Communications of ACM, December 2002 • Andrew Fano, Anatole Gershman. “The Future of Business Services in the Age of Ubiquitous Computing”, Communications of ACM, December 2002 • Leonard M. Jessup, Daniel Robey. “The Relevance of Social Issues in Ubiquitous Computing Environments”, Communications of ACM, December 2002 • Kalle Lyytinen and Youngjin Yoo , “Issues and Challenges in Ubiquitous Computing”, Communications of ACM, December 2002. • Gordon B. Davis, “Anytim/Anyplace Computing and the Future of Knowledge Work, Communications of ACM December 2002. • Nayeem Islam and Mohamed Fayad, “Toward Ubiquitous Acceptance of Ubiquitous Computing”, Communications of the ACM, February 2003 • W. Keith Edwards, Mark W. Newman, Jana Z. Sedivy, “Building the Ubiquitous Computing User Experience” by, CHI 2001, March 31 • Steve Talbott, “The Trouble with Ubiquitous Technology Pushers” • Mark Weiser , “Some Computer Science Issues in Ubiquitous Computing”, March 23, 93 http://www.ubiq.com/hypertext/weiser/UbiCACM.html