Ambient Intelligence – Useful and non intrusive technology

AMBIENT INTELLIGENCE – USEFUL AND NON INTRUSIVE

TECHNOLOGY

October 2009

7/18/2014 1© 2009 QUiiQ Lda. All rights reserved.

Contents


1. Ambient Intelligence1. Ambient Intelligence

2. Key Technological Areas2. Key Technological Areas

3. The User as Center of the System3. The User as Center of the System

4. QUiiQ Solutions4. QUiiQ Solutions

5. Research Directions5. Research Directions


1. Ambient Intelligence

What is Ambient Intelligence?


A vision for our environment;A vision for our environment;

Smart electronic environments that are sensitive and responsive to the presence of people;Smart electronic environments that are sensitive and responsive to the presence of people;

Electronics embedded in every-day objects; natural interaction; context aware; personalized; adaptive; responsive; pro-active;Electronics embedded in every-day objects; natural interaction; context aware; personalized; adaptive; responsive; pro-active;

Enhancing productivity, healthcare, well-being, expressiveness, creativity;Enhancing productivity, healthcare, well-being, expressiveness, creativity;

Intelligent user friendly interfaces.Intelligent user friendly interfaces.

The Core Problem


… it is not technological…… it is not technological…

Understanding the functioning of the physical, natural, biological, cultural, technical social reality that we live in.

Understanding the functioning of the physical, natural, biological, cultural, technical social reality that we live in.

Interdisciplinary Ambient Intelligence


ArchitectureArchitecture

DesignDesign

SociologySociology

AnthropologyAnthropology

Cognitive Science

Cognitive Science

NeuroscienceNeuroscience

PsychologyPsychology

EngineeringEngineering

Ambient Intelligence started as…


Technology IntegratorTechnology Integrator

Ambient Intelligence

Intelligent InterfacesIntelligent Interfaces

Ubiquitous Communications

Ubiquitous Communications

Ubiquitous ComputingUbiquitous Computing

What we have and what we need…


What we Have

What we Need

IntegrationIntegration

Scalable and Robust Solutions

Scalable and Robust Solutions

Business ModelsBusiness Models

Standards and Lead Markets

Standards and Lead Markets

Building blocksBuilding blocks

Shared scenarios (bright and dark)

Shared scenarios (bright and dark)

Interdisciplinary awareness

Interdisciplinary awareness

New practices of research and innovation

New practices of research and innovation

Criticism and Social Impact


• The loss of consumer privacy

• Fear for an increasingly individualized

• Fragmented society

• Hyper real environments where the virtual is indistinguishable from the real

Social, Political and Cultural concerns about:Social, Political and Cultural concerns about:

Social and Political aspects


Should facilitate human contact;Should facilitate human contact;

Should be orientated towards community and cultural enhancement;Should be orientated towards community and cultural enhancement;

Should help to build knowledge and skills for work, better quality of work, citizenship and consumer choice;Should help to build knowledge and skills for work, better quality of work, citizenship and consumer choice;

Should inspire trust and confidence;Should inspire trust and confidence;

Should be consistent with long term sustainability - personal, societal and environmental - and with life-long learning;Should be consistent with long term sustainability - personal, societal and environmental - and with life-long learning;

Should be made easy to live with and controllable by ordinary people.Should be made easy to live with and controllable by ordinary people.

7/18/2014 11

Emblematic Projects

© 2009 QUiiQ Lda. All rights reserved.

Philips HomeLab

7/18/2014 12

Emblematic Projects


MIT MediaLab

7/18/2014 13

Emblematic Projects


Office and Home of the Future

Home automation is defined as a process or system which provides the ability to enhance one's lifestyle, and make a home more comfortable, safe and efficient.

Home automation is defined as a process or system which provides the ability to enhance one's lifestyle, and make a home more comfortable, safe and efficient.

Home automation can link lighting, entertainment, security, telecommunications,office automation,

heating and air conditioning into one centrally controlled system.

Home automation can link lighting, entertainment, security, telecommunications,office automation,

heating and air conditioning into one centrally controlled system.

Bill and Melinda Gates' $97 million house

7/18/2014 14

Emblematic Projects


Kasa do Futuro – Major Sponsors

7/18/2014 15

Emblematic Projects


Kasa do Futuro

Large scale projectLarge scale project

7/18/2014 16

Emblematic Projects


Kasa do Futuro

Multiple control pointsMultiple control points

Full Domotic integrationFull Domotic integration

2. Key Technological Areas

Ambient Intelligence Building Blocks



Ubiquitous Computing

Pervasive Computing

Wearable Computing

Mobile Computing

Embedded Systems

Personalized Systems

Context Awareness

Adaptive Systems

Intelligent Agents

Human-Centric UIs

Embedded Computing


What is Embedded Computing?

Digital electronic system as well as other elements;Digital electronic system as well as other elements;

Application specific, not highly user programmable;Application specific, not highly user programmable;

Digital logic interacts with the physical world.Digital logic interacts with the physical world.

Embedded Computing


Attributes of Embedded Computing

Sensing and control;Sensing and control;

Real-time operation;Real-time operation;

Designed to meet multiple constraints;Designed to meet multiple constraints;

Dependable;Dependable;

Distributed;Distributed;

Autonomous.Autonomous.

Embedded Computing


Examples of Embedded Systems

Sensor networks;Sensor networks;

Fly-by-wire;Fly-by-wire;

Engine control;Engine control;

Medical implants;Medical implants;

Space control.Space control.

Embedded Computing


Applications of Embedded Computing?

Improved quality of life: health care, homeland security, transportation, productivity, entertainment, etc;Improved quality of life: health care, homeland security, transportation, productivity, entertainment, etc;

Military applications: smart soldier, battlefield of the future, etc;Military applications: smart soldier, battlefield of the future, etc;

Because embedded computers are everywhere, large numbers are practitioners are needed;Because embedded computers are everywhere, large numbers are practitioners are needed;

Growing field needs new and improved techniques, architectures, etc;Growing field needs new and improved techniques, architectures, etc;

Wearable Computing


•Controlled by the user;

•Has both operational and interactional constancy, i.e. is always on and always accessible.

A computer that is subsumed into the

personal space of the user

A computer that is subsumed into the

personal space of the user

•Is always with the user;

•Into which the user can always enter a command or receive relevant information, while walking around or doing other activities.

It is a device that:It is a device that:

What is Wearable Computing?

Wearable Computing


Attributes of Wearable Computing I

Un monopolizing of the user’s attention: User can attend to other events;Un monopolizing of the user’s attention: User can attend to other events;

Unrestrictive to the user: Allows interaction while user carries out normal functions;Unrestrictive to the user: Allows interaction while user carries out normal functions;

Observable by the user: User can identify computational and non-computational components of their clothing;Observable by the user: User can identify computational and non-computational components of their clothing;

Controllable by the user: User can take control at any time;Controllable by the user: User can take control at any time;

Wearable Computing


Attributes of Wearable Computing II

Attentive to the environment: Can enhance the user’s environment and situational awareness;Attentive to the environment: Can enhance the user’s environment and situational awareness;

Communicative to others: Can be used as a communications medium;Communicative to others: Can be used as a communications medium;

Shares the same physical and situational context as the user.Shares the same physical and situational context as the user.

Wearable Computing


Wearable Computing in the Military

Onboard physiological/medical sensor suite to accelerate casualty care;Onboard physiological/medical sensor suite to accelerate casualty care;

Netted communications to maximize robustness and integration of small teams;Netted communications to maximize robustness and integration of small teams;

Embedded training;Embedded training;

Enhanced situational awareness;Enhanced situational awareness;

Synchronized firing of weapons from team.Synchronized firing of weapons from team.



Interlacing and embedding computers into the environment and everyday items to streamline and simplify life;Interlacing and embedding computers into the environment and everyday items to streamline and simplify life;

Sensors support and interact with the environment;Sensors support and interact with the environment;

Enables anytime, any place data access and manipulation;Enables anytime, any place data access and manipulation;

Creates a self regulating and quasi-intelligent user interface.Creates a self regulating and quasi-intelligent user interface.

What is Ubiquitous Computing?



Sample Implementation



Challenges Ubiquitous Computing

• Elephant in the room: A central network hub necessary for the coordination of interlaced systems and sensors.

Handling mobilityHandling mobility

• Coordination between sensors eliminates unnecessary power usage (leaving the light on or TV running)

Power supply for embedded sensorsPower supply for embedded sensors

• Where and how to structure interaction between man and machine

User InterfaceUser Interface



In the Movies

• “Smart Car”

Knight RiderKnight Rider

• The doors have emotion, and express this when people used them

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

• Smart Paper

Minority ReportMinority Report

Context-Awareness


• Several definitions of context in the literature;

• Any information that can be used to characterize a person, a placeor an object;

• It’s the “Who”, “Where”, “When” and “What” and determines the“Why”.

ContextContext

• Several definitions of context in the literature;

• A system is context-aware if it uses the context information toprovide relevant information/services to the user, when itrelevancy depends on the user actions.

Context-awarenessContext-awareness

Base Definitions I

Context-Awareness


Base Definitions II

• Direct Sensor Access.

• Middleware Infrastructure.

• Context Server.

Context acquisition architectureContext acquisition architecture

• Widgets.

• Network Services.

• Blackboard Model.

Context ManagementContext Management

Context-Awareness


Base Definitions III

• Physical and virtual Sensors;

• Logic Sensors.

Sensor InfrastructureSensor Infrastructure

• Key-Value Models;

• Markup Scheme Models;

• Graphical Models;

• Object Oriented Models;

• Logic Based Models;

• Ontology Based Models.

Context ModelingContext Modeling

Context-Awareness


Base Definitions IV

• Maintain Historical Data;

• Allows the implementation of Intelligent Learning algorithms;

• The system becomes more flexible.

Historic InformationHistoric Information

• Artificial Neural Networks;

• Bayesian Networks;

• Hidden Markov Languages.

Reasoning MethodologiesReasoning Methodologies

Context-Awareness


Indoor mobile tour guide

• Entities: the users, the application, tour sites …

• Context: company, exhibition objects …

What are the entities; what can be viewed as context?What are the entities; what can be viewed as context?

• Weather, traffics outside …

What should not be viewed as context?What should not be viewed as context?

Context-Awareness

Active Maps

• Entities: the users, the application, monuments, car, …

• Context: Location, history, weather, related monuments,…

What are the entities; what can be viewed as context?What are the entities; what can be viewed as context?

• Football results, stock market, …

What should not be viewed as context?What should not be viewed as context?

3. The User as Part of the System

What is Usability?


Jakob Nielsen

Usability is the measure of the quality

of the user experience when

interacting with something - whether

a website, a traditional software

application, or any other device the

user can operate in some way or

another.

What is Usability?


ISO 9421

Usability is a measure of the

effectiveness, efficiency and

satisfaction with which specified

users can achieve specified goals in a

particular environment.

Putting People First


How to make informed (proactive) choices about sharing information?How to make informed (proactive) choices about sharing information?

How to learn how other people protect their information?How to learn how other people protect their information?

How to share information with an intended audience?(e.g. friends, my family and their friends)How to share information with an intended audience?(e.g. friends, my family and their friends)

Much more than usability – What is the framework for social

communication?Much more than usability – What is the framework for social

communication?



CommunicationCommunication

ProcessesProcesses

• Social navigation

• Legitimate peripheral participation

• Social translucence

StructuresStructures

• Relationships

• Social networks

People are Social Creatures



Sharing Information: Digital Family Portrait

Support “peace of mind”Augment common household object

Maintain awareness over distance

5. QUiiQ SOLUTIONS



“The most profound technologies are those that disappear”

The Computer for the 21st Century, by Mark Weiser, 1995

Home Automation


Domotics (lights, blinds, dimmers,

sensors, etc.)

Security (Cameras, Video Surveillance,

CCTV)

HVAC(heating, ventilating and air

conditioning)

Environments,

Routines, Favorites

and Profiles

Multi-room (audio and video)

Video Doorbell

and Access

Control

Energy, Gas and

Water Saving

QUiiQ AUTOMATION


Home Automation Protocols

WiredWired

WirelessWireless

…

All of them share the same theoretical

concepts

QUiiQ AUTOMATION Architecture


"QuiiQ is a home automation software bundle that gives you a simple, yet powerful control of home divisions, environments, routines and devices.” 1

Concepts

Abstraction:

•Divisions;

•Devices;

•Environments;

•Routines;

•Alarm;

•Users.

Client-Server

Architecture

Several Control Points

QUiiQ AUTOMATION Control


Divisions - Floors and divisions created by the userDivisions - Floors and divisions created by the user

Lights - Dimmers, on/off, architectonic iluminationLights - Dimmers, on/off, architectonic ilumination

Appliences - On/Off, Irrigation, etc.Appliences - On/Off, Irrigation, etc.

Sensors - Luminosity, smoke, presence, flooding, temperature, etc.Sensors - Luminosity, smoke, presence, flooding, temperature, etc.

Security - Alarms (intrusion and technical), Users, CCTV.Security - Alarms (intrusion and technical), Users, CCTV.

Environments - Sequence of actions created by the user.Environments - Sequence of actions created by the user.

Routines - Automatically executed actions created by the user.Routines - Automatically executed actions created by the user.

HVAC - Heating Ventilation and Airconditioning.HVAC - Heating Ventilation and Airconditioning.

QUiiQ AUTOMATION - Points of Control


PDA/SmartphonePDA/Smartphone

Touchscreen PCTouchscreen PC

Media CenterMedia Center

PCPC

QUiiQ AUTOMATION – The Living Room


Watch Movies and

VideosTurn Light On, Close

Garage Door

QuiiQ is a new concept of interaction with your houseQuiiQ is a new concept of interaction with your house

QUiiQ AUTOMATION – The Dinning Room


Watch the TV News

Turn on the external

alarm, watch the kids

QuiiQ makes it easy to control your home divisions, manage your environments and routines.QuiiQ makes it easy to control your home divisions, manage your environments and routines.

QUiiQ AUTOMATION – The Office


QuiiQ was developed with user oriented and highly intuitive user interfaces

QuiiQ was developed with user oriented and highly intuitive user interfaces

QUiiQ AUTOMATION – The Bedroom


Watch you family

photosCheck if everything is

closed, and go to sleep

QuiiQ offers total flexibility to mold this system to your daily routines and lifestyleQuiiQ offers total flexibility to mold this system to your daily routines and lifestyle

Home Entertainment


TV (analogic, digital, IPTV ad web TV)

Multimedia Contents

(integration, storage, reproduction, VOD,

online shopping)

Entertainment Solutions

(movies, music, videos, photos, games)

Communication (social networking, messanging, groupware, family notes)

Speech Recognition

(empowers user to interact by voice)

Wireless and Mobility

(natural and seamless, hands-free and eyes-free

interaction )

QUiiQ MOVIES


QUiiQ MOVIES is a brand new way to archive, manage and watch your entire movies collection and to access movie-oriented contents and services

QUiiQ MOVIES has a powerful user friendly interface, controlled either by touch displays, remote controls or wireless keyboards. It is highly effective with vast databases and provides access to thousands of titles, actors and directors instantly.

With QUiiQ MOVIES you can watch any movie stored in the digital archive from every access point of your home network. Search all the movies related information and create powerful filters to improve your navigation experience.

QUiiQ MOVIES is designed for the new Windows Vista™ Media Center platform. Take advantage of all the features available in the Media Center like pictures slideshow, playing video, listening to music, selecting radio stations and recording TV.

Home Resource Planning


Home Groceries

(stocks and logistics)

Receipts & Expenses (fully integration of family

expenses)

Global Scorecard

(monitoring energy, gas and water consumptions

and costs)

E-Government (access to public on-line

services)

Alerts & Notes

(customized warnings and messages)

QUiiQ GROCERIES (Alliance with WIPRO)


6. Research and Development

QUiiQ AUTOMATION FRAMEWORK


QUiiQ AUTOMATION FRAMEWORK


Very short time-to-market in home automation softwaredevelopment;Very short time-to-market in home automation softwaredevelopment;

Allow the independent and geographically distributeddevelopment of software components for the system;Allow the independent and geographically distributeddevelopment of software components for the system;

Software Reuse;Software Reuse;

Guarantee the existence of abstract concepts with shortcognitive distance from the informal reasoning;Guarantee the existence of abstract concepts with shortcognitive distance from the informal reasoning;

Context-Awareness Frameworks


Context-Awareness Sub-Structure (CASS)

Context-Awareness Sub-Structure (CASS)

Context ToolkitContext Toolkit

Service-Oriented Context-Aware

Middleware (SOCAM).

Service-Oriented Context-Aware

Middleware (SOCAM).

Context Broker Architecture

(CoBrA)

Context Broker Architecture

(CoBrA)

CORTEXCORTEX

HydrogenHydrogen

Context Management Framework

Context Management Framework

GaiaGaia

……

The Context Toolkit


- Context information

abstraction;

- Query and notifications;

- Reusable.

- Specific Context;

- Related Context;

- Higher level Context;

- Encapsulates the sensors

logic.

- Raises the abstraction level;

- converts low-level context

into high-level context.

- Searches for components;

- Manages the platform

functionality;

QUiiQ AUTOMATION FOUNDATION + Context Toolkit


• QuiiQ Presentation Foundation; QuiiQ AutomationFoundation; QuiiQ Communication Foundation;

• Context Provider; Context Interpreter & Aggregator;Application Logic;

Layered ArchitectureLayered Architecture

• QuiiQ Automation Foundation abstracts and converts the rawdata;

• Extend the concept of device to contain a context widget;

• A widget is based on the BaseObject, being this waycompletely integrated with the Context Toolkit Environment.

Widget ArchitectureWidget Architecture

Context Toolkit Extensions


• Match the context information with several quality parameters

Quality of Context Manager.Quality of Context Manager.

• Detect contradictory values;

• Deals with the context ambiguity and decides with information to use.

Conflict Resolution Engine.Conflict Resolution Engine.

• Infers new context based in existing context;

• It is necessary to upgrade the key-value model to ontology’s.

Inference EngineInference Engine

• Modifies the system behaviors based on the user behavior.

User Behavior AnalyzerUser Behavior Analyzer

• Through authentication guarantees access levels to context.

Privacy and Security ModulePrivacy and Security Module

Research Directions


Work on the other layers of the framework : QuiiQCommunications Foundation, QuiiQ Presentation Foundation.Work on the other layers of the framework : QuiiQCommunications Foundation, QuiiQ Presentation Foundation.

Prototype development and field tests.Prototype development and field tests.

Extend the context-aware system and introduce ranking andpredicting mechanisms.Extend the context-aware system and introduce ranking andpredicting mechanisms.

Continue the study around user behavior, social intelligenceand ways of interaction.Continue the study around user behavior, social intelligenceand ways of interaction.

Contacts


Thank You!

Rui Barreira

E-mail: [email protected]

Tel. 938554581

QUiiQ Lda (Portugal)

Rua Guerra Junqueiro, 495, 1º C

4150-389 Porto – Portugal

Tel./Fax: +351 22 0110253

E-mail: [email protected]

URL: www.quiiq.com

QUiiQ Corporation (USA)

2711 Centerville Road

Wilmington, Delaware

Email: [email protected]