Intro to Context-Aware Computing Jason I. Hong

Context-Aware Computing Shift from explicit to implicit interaction Use this implicit input to adapt systems to situation Where you are Who you are with What resources Lighting and noise level Network connectivity Social situation Body temp, heart rate Emotional state Personal History Daily behavioral patterns

Proposed Design Space Manual actionsAutomatic actions InfoProximate selection Contextual info Auto reconfig CommandsContextual cmdsTriggered actions Scoreboard public display Location-based file system

Proposed Design Space Manual actionsAutomatic actions InfoProximate selection Contextual info Auto reconfig CommandsContextual cmdsTriggered actions Auto bind PDA to large display Turn off cell phone in meeting Auto connect laptop to projector Auto turn on your computer when you enter building

Proposed Design Space Manual actionsAutomatic actions InfoProximate selection Contextual info Auto reconfig CommandsContextual cmdsTriggered actions Certain actions more likely in certain places –Ex. Library functions when in a library Streamlined input –Ex. Send to “all people in room”

Proposed Design Space Manual actionsAutomatic actions InfoProximate selection Contextual info Auto reconfig CommandsContextual cmdsTriggered actions “Next time in the library” “Next time I see Marvin” “When I’m back at my desk”

Comments on Context-Aware Computing Schilit et al paper spurred lots of spinoff research –Context-awareness now a core idea in ubicomp Also raised lots of questions –What does context mean? (rathole?) Amazon purchases? What I ate yesterday? Clothes worn? Designed for a context vs adapts to a context? How much can computers realistically adapt? Is it even useful to think of the issue as “context”? –Understandability Walk into a room, what will happen? Added complexity, will we ever get it right?

Comments on Context-Aware Computing More questions –Semantics for computer? Or person? Subtle but fundamental issue with ubicomp Ex. IM status messages Ex. “context-awareness exhibited by people is of a radically different order than that of computational systems. People notice a vast range of cues, both obvious and subtle… context-aware systems detect a very small set of cues… A (hypothetical) context-aware cell phone might be able to detect that it is motionless and in a dark place with high ambient noise ­ but that is very different from the human awareness of being in a theatre.” (Tom Erickson) Where does interruptibility fit? Research note: avoid “nearest printer” apps!

Location-enhanced Computing Location-enhanced computing is aspect of ubicomp with strongest path to success –150,000 in 2002 to 42mil in 2005 (maybe) –Finding nearest restaurants –Friend Finder (Checking why spouse is late) –Navigation –Tracking kids –Tracking firefighters and victims –E911 (by Dec2005, optimistic) Lots of work being done with location –Chaotic, but lots of opportunities –Follow-up papers will examine location issues more

Some Research Issues in Context-Awareness What is and isn’t context? How to obtain? –Ex. GPS vs Badge vs Cell Tower –Ex. Video camera vs motion sensor Accuracy –GPS (1m) –vs PlaceLab WiFi (30m) –vs Cell tower (??m) –Fundamental issue w/ sensors Semantics? Computer or person? –Where do semantics lie? –Related to accuracy Understandability –Walk into a room, what will happen? Programming –Highly dependent on tech used –Is it a single API? Or lots of APIs? Privacy –Richer model -> privacy? –“Let’s go over there and steal his home theater” –How to maximize benefit while minimizing risks?

Project Schedule Fri Oct 01 – Form teams (2-3 ppl) and submit 2 page Mon Tue Wed Oct 4-6 – Project checkpoint meetings Mon Oct 11 – Prototyping Tools readings Wed Oct 20 – Prototyping Mini-Project due –Do a lo-fi prototype of an interesting ubicomp app –2 page writeup (what you learned) –Can be part of final project Thu, Fri Nov 4,5 – Project checkpoint meetings Wed Dec 8 – Final project presentations

Some Example Project Ideas Connecting devices in the home in the future –Very likely lots of things will have wireless built-in –How to connect things? Ex. mp3s to “that tv” Ex. DVD to “that monitor” Ex. This laptop to that projector One idea: put visual tags on each device –Describes what the device is –What inputs and outputs it has

Some Example Project Ideas Very likely everyone will have a location history in future What are interesting visualizations? –Ex. Where was that park in Colorado I went to last year? –Ex. Where was my friend’s wedding? –Link to personal calendar? Map? Just list of places? –Useful summaries?

Some Example Project Ideas End-User Programming –"When my alarm clock rings...", "start the coffee maker" –"When the soap dispenser is empty...", "send to maintenance" –"When this laundry machine is done...", "send SMS to me“ Useful way of thinking of certain ubicomp apps? Most useful functions?

Some Example Project Ideas Eventster –“What’s going on tonight?” –Slurp events from the web, geocode them, and see what’s going on nearby on PDA –Download events for a large area at a time beforehand, and then query as needed (avoid privacy issues) –Use events as part of location history “Show me all the pictures I took at Rich’s wedding”

Some Example Project Ideas An interesting location-based app An app or evaluation of ubicomp privacy issues A prototyping tool for ubicomp