Looks like kids have found a bad side to tag identification systems

With our Hampton, NH deployments just around the corner, we sought concrete evidence that the capacities of our handheld-device batteries, of Symbol MC70 / MC50 EDAs, would provide officers with Project54 (P54) services throughout the duration of their eight hour shifts. To do so, I’ve modified the existing structure of our automated button-presser, the P54-Testbot, now offering battery-usage logging of something I like to call “sequential routines”. Contrary to the normal operation of P54-Testbot, the sequenced operation allows for sets of button-presses to be categorized as sequences. Because of reduced display area, the handheld version of P54 has a significant number of button-locations declared as absolute screen-positions rather than P54-typical row-column declarations. To increase its ease-of-use, the sequential routine’s algorithms have been designed to support each method of button-creation. After the execution of a sequence the percentage of battery remaining is recorded and textually labeled with the sequence’s name. Sequences are then repeated at developer-defined frequencies. All parameters governing these sequential routines are editable through the device’s registry, pictured below, along with a termination value which causes P54 to exit if the main-battery level becomes less than some threshold.

Results from the sequences pictured above are depicted in the figure below. Slight differences in the definitions of the sequences’ iteration count per hour caused the variances between the origination points of the colored plots. I’ll spare you from most of the details, but not all. Each plot represents a test consisting of three sequences: one submitting a records query, another activating the barcode scanner, and a final capturing an image. The black plots represent tests of lower frequency sequences (about 22.5 minutes), while the red plots represent tests of higher frequency sequences (about 15 minutes). As we can see, even in the case of higher frequency sequences, the battery capacities of our handheld devices fall to 10% after a period of 10 hours, exceeding the 8 hour requirement.

Deployment results to come

Michael Farrar

During our experiments we use questionnaires to collect some data. So far we have used paper questionnaires. The major advantages of paper questionnaires are: ease of administration (subjects know what to do with them); and ease of creation (using a word processor). On the other hand,  there are two major flaws: unintentional incompleteness (subjects miss some questions); and data entry errors (transfer from paper to digital form is error prone). We are looking into an alternative method of questionnaire administration. The most likely solution is the delivery of computerized questionnaires through a survey application, such as LimeSurvey, an open source php based survey application. LimeSurvey allows an easy creation of questionnaires, while providing full control over the survey presentation. The questionnaires and data can be exported/imported using csv format. Questionnaires can also be printed and with the help of queXML and queXF the conversion of the data from paper into digital format can be automatic.

Alexander Shyrokov

The UNH ECE992c Ubiquitous Computing course literature reviews were presented today (Dec 9th). All the presentations were very good. The semester-long paper reading and homework preparations have sharpened everyone’s skills to make effective and visually appealing presentation slides.

Nemanja Memarovic broke the ice talking about the field of human-computer interactions (HCI) depicting a full circle of the topics covered in class during the semester.

After that, Ivan Elhart gave a very interesting presentation on the presence of ubiquitous computing in vehicles. His main focus was on wireless communication with and inside cars.

Ken Mikelinich covered the literature on wireless sensor networks (WSN). He provided us with a great insight on the state-of-the-art of this field of research and development.

Finally, Michael Farrar presented his review on ubiquitous computing using mobile devices. This literature overview will help him a lot with his Master’s thesis background.

As mentioned, all presentations were very well prepared. We all learned a bunch about these fascinating fields of ubiquitous computing.

Oszkar

Recently I ran across this very interesting video about how to perform head tracking using a Wii remote. But, this is not all. Using this principle it is possible to change the perspective of the picture shown on the screen, which makes the illusion of having a 3D display. Although it works only for one person at a time, I think it is a very neat idea. Take a look and decide for yourself:

Zeljko Medenica

Interesting Israeli device
“This ‘brain-fingerprinting,’ or technology which checks for behavioral intent, is much more developed than we think.”

http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/12/02/airport.security/index.html

One doesn’t have to look too far to see the Digital Divide … it exist right here in New Hampshire, USA.  The effects can be profound.  Lack of high speed infrastructure impacts research, distance learning, business development and a myriad of other benefits that the Internet can provide to needy rural communities.  All one needs to do is travel shy 1 hour north to get a glimpse of the Internet Dirt Road.  High speed Internet is not an option for many communities … it just doesn’t exist.  And carriers will not support it.  Rural America was not “electrified” nor “wired for phones” because of the “free market”.  In the past, if utilities wanted to do business they had to serve the whole state.  What happened?

Perhaps the AWS-3 auctions coming next year might be a solution (http://www.usatoday.com/tech/wireless/2008-12-01-free-broadband_N.htm?loc=interstitialskip) to take this country from the 15th most connected country to the 14th?  –>

http://www.informationweek.com/news/services/data/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=207801621

Note from this article the USA pays far more for Internet than the superior services offered in Europe and Asia.

Check out this article today in NYTimes regarding privacy issues.

Ken Mikelinich

UNH students, staff and faculty now have access to the IEEE/IET Electronic Library (for a description of what IEL provides click here).

I would like to thank Jennifer Carroll and Emily Poworoznek of the UNH Library for acquiring this excellent resource for our campus.

Andrew Kun