Pervasive Human Centric Computing

Larry Rudolph

Laboratory for Computer Science

What do the words mean?

• Computers are already pervasive– They infest every city, town, village

• Computers are already human-centric– Are they for the birds?

• Computing– Nobody computes anymore, well hardly anyone

So what do we mean?

• Pervasive– But they are not where we need them; we still “go to”

them, or set them up (laptops)– Should be like telephones, batteries, outlets

• Human Centric– We adapt to them (but it should be opposite) – Computation enters the human world

• Computing– Computer-mediated functions– Computation becomes oxygen-like utility

A Vision

To bring an abundance of computation & communication within easy reach of humans

through natural perceptual interfaces of speech and vision

so computation blends into peoples’ lives

enabling them to easily do tasks they want to do:

collaborate,

access knowledge,

automate routine tasks

A Vision

A different “Vision”Hi Honey, I’m home. Come see what I just bought!

The PC is where it’s at

The PC is passe?

• Exploding the PC and flinging its parts throughout the galaxy

• Build your computer out of components in the environment: “Just-in-time” assembly

• How to use, name, control, configure, program, etc. What applications?

A Scenario• I walk into Steve’s office and he asks me to join him on a trip to DC• I slip on the anonymous fingerworn lying on his desk• It recognizes my face and begins to personalize itself to me• I say “Call Home”• The fingerworn locates and fetches the cell-phone code,

customizes itself into a cell phone, finds the number, and dials it• I talk to my wife and verify she can take our son to his swim meet• I then say “Arrange a trip to DC on the 24th, returning three days

later”• I take the fingerworn off, which promptly forgets everything • I return to my office

• Birthday present: A Wallet finding application– Camera’s, speech input, various output

• Configuration & installation– Extra option for two wallets

• Snoring imitates dialog

• TV selected as output device – turn off TV

• Radio 2nd selection – turn off radio– Telephone, then cell phone

• Smash PC– Application migrates to off-site server

• Application bug: Car alarm goes off– Lose sleep, lose job, no need for wallet

Another scenario

The post-PC world will be dangerous.

The question is for whom?

Them not us

• Transition from EDU COM– Because of stable, fixed platform

• The bottom is about to drop out – No platform (of platforms) in sight

• Transition back from COM EDU

A lack of control

many devices require compatible software

wasted power

The name game

Using each others cutting edge technology

• Speechbuilder is a great example

calculator 10 x 10

Overview of projects

• Virtual Fishing– Room is the sea– When a user joins, a boat is dropped into the ocean– As the user moves, so does the boat– User sees fish underneath the boat.– Message in a bottle

Overview (cont)

• Boggle– 16 letters in 4 by 4 grid– Physically move to square corresponding to letter– Shake iPaq to capture the letter

• Capture the flag– Doom interface

• Assassin – Shoot target when near-by– Tilting cricket listener confuses location – for offense

& defense

Multispace symphony • There are four different spaces• Each user has one instrument – and iPaq• The iPaq simulates a different instrument in each

space– E.g., 4 people, 4 spaces 16 instruments

• Global Score – tells everyone where they should be and when they should play their note

KeyboardWith

CricketKeyboard Score Performance

Living in both worlds

• Dangerous to bullies and nurds