Mobile and Ubiquitous Computing
Key researchers: Profesor Nigel Davies, Professor Hans Gellersen
Mobile computing is concerned with providing access to computers and associated computer services while on the move. Ubiquitous computing complements this by surrounding users with very large numbers of computers typically embedded in the physical environment. This is often called the disappearing computer.
At InfoLab21 there is a major initiative investigating the creation of practical, deployable mobile and ubiquitous systems. The emphasis of this work is on the creation of systems that extend beyond mere laboratory prototypes and are able to be used by real end-users. The work addresses core technical challenges in this area including issues of scalability, system evolution and management, security, privacy, interference and also associated economic factors. This technology was used in the Guide project that created a prototype mobile, context-aware tour guide and deployed it within the city of Lancaster for use by tourists. The system is widely acknowledged as the most comprehensive research system ever developed and received extensive coverage in both the academic and popular press.
One of the compelling aspects of ubiquitous computing is to deeply embed computing in the physical world and, in particular, into artefacts that are not normally associated with computing. InfoLab21 has specialised in the investigation of artefacts with embedded intelligence for a number of years now. One of the outcomes of this research is the Smart-Its platform, hardware and software for augmentation of artefacts with sensing, perception and wireless communication. This opens up exciting opportunities, as it allows artefacts to have a more active role in their own management. One example, currently investigated at Lancaster in collaboration with industrial partners, is the augmentation of chemical drums to the effect that they autonomously assess their correct handling and storage and alert potential hazards.
Case Study
e-Campus
Recognising the strategic importance of ubiquitous computing as a revolutionary new technology, the University has invested in a unique experimental infrastructure around the campus known as the e-Campus. This facility provides a research testbed for large-scale ubiquitous computing systems and acts as a catalyst for the creation of a range of experimental e-Services and inter-disciplinary research reaching out to disciplines such as Psychology, Engineering, Sociology and the Creative Arts. As part of e-Campus, one project is investigating the augmentation of the underpass area in the University with a range of public displays driven by steerable projectors; an artist has been commissioned to develop digital art for this space.
