Ubiquitous Computing for Future Computing
Environments
Gregory D. AbowdCollege of Computing
&GVU Center
About me
B.S., Notre DameMathematics and Physics, 1986
M.Sc./D.Phil., University of OxfordComputation 1987/1991 (SE formal methods)
PostdocUniversity of York 1989-1992Carnegie Mellon 1992-1994
Faculty GaTech CoC 1994-present Tenure/promotion 2000
Teaching
Undergrad and Grad HCI (and SE)
This yearFall: 4470/6456 Principles of UI SoftwareSpring: 6750 Introduction to HCI
Next yearSabbatical!
Current PhD Students
1. Bob Waters (SE)2. Khai Truong 3. Heather Richter4. Lonnie Harvel5. Kris Nagel6. Rod Peters7. Jay Summet (joint with Jim Rehg)8. Xuehai Bian (joint with Jim Rehg)9. Giovanni Iachello (joint with Colin Potts)10.Gillian Hayes11.Heather Mahaney (joint with Jeff Pierce)12.Shwetak Patel (first year)
Former PhD Students
Kurt Stirewalt, 1997 Michigan State
Anind Dey, 2000 Intel, UC Berkeley
Jennifer Mankoff, 2001 UC Berkeley
Jason Brotherton 2001 Ball State
Other Students (typical)
3-5 masters students (CS, HCI, InfoSec)
~ 20 ugrad in project teams/semester
What Does This Mean?
Yes, I am a busy person, and that can be an issue. Ask others about this.
I am not looking to take on more students this year. But I am always interested in good students with similar interests.
Student Philosophy
I like students who are: independent team players
An advisee is a child, a friend, a colleague.
I give students lots of freedom, but that does not always work out.
I don’t have to be advisor to give advice
Research Area
Human-Computer InteractionDesign, development and evaluation of
interactive systemsFocus on real applications and the tools
to build them
Ubiquitous ComputingThe latest paradigm in interaction, “off
the desktop” and into our everyday lives.
Research Distinction: Ubicomp in Living Laboratories
It is not sufficient to achieve technological breakthroughs; the work must be situated.
Important contribution lies in the understanding of impact on everyday life. Otherwise, who cares what we do?
Research method
Build applications that are motivated by a human need in a real environment eClass, Cyberguide, smart intercom, PAL,
Living Memory Box, Finding Lost Objects, Family Video Archive
Build infrastructure/toolkits to enable others to investigate Context Toolkit, OOPS, INCA
Example Living Laboratories
Classroom (eClass, Classroom 2000)Home (Aware Home @ the Res. Lab)
Office (Augmented Office)
Car (someday?)
Body (Wearable Computing)
Research themes
Automated capture eClass, meetings, home Near, medium and long-term My biggest push these days
Context-aware computing Cyberguide, CyberDesk, Context Toolkit popular in ubicomp research related to automated capture
Natural interaction OOPS error-correction toolkit Large/small interaction surfaces
Automated Capture
Automated capture and access for live experiences can benefit or otherwise enhance everyday activities. Can we observe and understand
the impact in everyday use? Are there reusable solutions
across applications?
Context-Awareness
Effective use of implicit situational information is one key to the killer existence.
Services just do the right thing.
Scalable Interaction
There are many relevant scales of interaction technologyWeiser: inch, foot, yardOthers: MEMS, building, campus
What facilitates “naturalness”Perception/recognitionSmooth integration of virtual/physical
Where Is This Leading?
Toward a more generalized model of interaction implicit input as first class entity content + context ambiguity: requiring human intervention Persistent: infer higher level activity Ambient & directed output
Programming for physical environments
Current Principal LaboratoryThe Aware Home
interesting human needs others: aging in place family communication children: tracking developmental goals
context-aware computing testbed low-level sensing to human activity
capture on different timescales Many surfaces for interaction
How can you get involved?
8903 next semester mailman mailing lists
future@cc ubicomp-group@cc (feeds fce-lab@cc) ahri@cc
Meetings Ubicomp Group: Mon. 11:00am CRB 381 HCI Seminar: Thurs 1:30pm CRB 303 AHRI: Wed. 3:30pm, Friday informal lunch
Research in Ubicomp
Technology
Building blocks for ubicomp
Emphasis: sensing/perception and large interactive surfaces
Essa, Bobick, Rehg, Starner
Applications are not essential for progress, just used as motivation.
Technology
Research in Ubicomp
Design/Eval
The human experience
Emphasis: successful aging, families, informal activities
Abowd, MacIntyre, Mynatt, Pierce, Stasko, Potts, Guzdial
Running systems often not needed to inspire good design ideas.
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