(1) The document discusses emerging technologies including pervasive computing, wearable computing, intelligent agents, and the semantic web. It summarizes research being done at UMBC on intelligent, pervasive computing. (2) The research aims to embed computing into everyday life so that it is as natural as using ordinary objects. Challenges include developing standards and social technologies. (3) The document concludes by noting that the evolution of useful technologies takes incremental steps over time, enabled by the semantic web and wireless communication.

1. What Comes
Next ?
Tim Finin
University of Maryland,
Baltimore County
February 17, 2004
http://ebiquity.umbc.edu/v2.1/resource/html/id/16/
1

2. Caveat
“It's tough to make predictions,
especially about the future.”
-- Yogi Berra
UMBC
an Honors University in Maryland
2

3. (0) Opening thoughts
Some current research at UMBC
(1) Pervasive computing
(2) Wearable computing
( ) Intelligent agents
( ) The semantic web
(3) Final thoughts
UMBC
an Honors University in Maryland
3

4. IT Evolution
ecommerce
Internet
1970 1980 1990 2000
Personal Web
computer
Google
During the past 20 years, computers have engaged the
general population and made a difference in our lives.
UMBC
an Honors University in Maryland
4

5. IT Evolution
?
ecommerce
Internet
1970 1980 1990 2000
Personal Web
computer Google
The possibilities for what comes next is very large. Advances in hardware,
software and theory will take us in many directions. Research is exploration,
evolution, often done by random search performed by 10,000 grad students
typing on keyboards.
UMBC
an Honors University in Maryland
5

6. IT Evolution
?
Autonomic Trust
Systems
Natural
Language
Intelligent Understanding
ecommerce software
Internet agents
Wearable
Computing
Web
1970 1980 1990 2000 Services 2010
Pervasive
Computing
Semantic
Personal Web Web
Adaptive
computer Systems
Google
Our ebiquity lab at UMBC is exploring some of these
Based on the idea of intelligent, pervasive computing.
UMBC
an Honors University in Maryland
6

7. Human Evolution?
UMBC
an Honors University in Maryland
7

8. Human Evolution?
UMBC
an Honors University in Maryland
8

9. Human Evolution?
Pervasive Computing aims to embed computing into
our lives, making it as natural as using other ordinary
objects like pen, paper, and cups and available anytime
and anywhere.
UMBC
an Honors University in Maryland
9

10. (1) Pervasive
Computing
“The most profound technologies are those
that disappear. They weave themselves into
the fabric of everyday life until they are
indistinguishable from it ” – Mark Weiser
Think: writing, central heating, electric
lighting, …
Not: taking your laptop to the beach, or
immersing yourself into a virtual reality
UMBC
an Honors University in Maryland
10

11. Practical Pervasive technology: the ambient
orb
The orb is connected by a pager to a
network intrusion detection system
monitoring the status of the UMBC network.
The number and severity of security
incidents are visualized by its changing
color and frequency of pulsing.
UMBC
an Honors University in Maryland
11

12. Communication is a key enabler
Too bad they
Cool
can’t talk to
toys…
each other…
UMBC
an Honors University in Maryland
12

13. We have many standards
Sync.
Configuration?
Download
Too much work…
. Done.
UMBC
an Honors University in Maryland
13

14. The devices must be more
social
Thank God!
Everything is
done for me!
UMBC
an Honors University in Maryland
14

15. Ongoing research issues
 Languages for devices to exchange and share
information using common vocabularies
 User configurable policies for trust and privacy
 Context aware systems that can anticipate the
needs of users and act in advance by
“understanding” their situation
 Intelligent middleware and agents to
 Sense, acquire and share context knowledge
 Reason about and maintain consistent context
knowledge
 Enforce policies for security, trust, safety & privacy
UMBC
an Honors University in Maryland
15

16. Our intelligent room
B Room
Booker
(Semantic Web)
SOAP/OWL
Services
FIPA-ACL/OWL
P
Personal Agent
Mocha PC (FIPA/JADE)
8”x6”x2”
UMBC
an Honors University in Maryland
17

17. A Typical CoBrA Use Case
Alice in Wonderland*
Alice enters a The broker detects The broker negotiates
conference room Alice’s presence privacy policy with Alice
B ≈≈
≈
Policy says, The broker builds The broker knows
“can share with any the context model Alice’s role and
agents in the room” intention
Web
B +
A
UMBC * Our intelligent meeting room
an Honors University in Maryland
18

18. A Typical CoBrA Use Case
Alice in Wonderland
The broker informs The projector agent The projector agent
the subscribed agents wants to help Alice asks slide show info.
B A
B
The broker acquires The broker informs The projector agent
the slide show info. the projector agent sets up the slides
Web
B
B
UMBC
an Honors University in Maryland
19

19. (2) Wearable
computing
 A new form of human-computer interaction with
small body-worn computing components
 Always on, always ready, always accessible
 Supporting hands busy and eyes busy interactions
 Not hand held devices, laptop computers and
personal digital assistants (PDAs).
 Will lead to a new form of synergy between
human and computer, characterized by long-
term adaptation through constancy of user-
interface.
UMBC
an Honors University in Maryland
20

20. Wearable computer,
not
UMBC
an Honors University in Maryland
21

21. Wearable computing, maybe
UMBC
an Honors University in Maryland
22

22. Wearable computing, today
UMBC
an Honors University in Maryland
23

23. (3) Final Thoughts
two enabling technologies
 The Web continues to evolve
 Web services and the semantic web are
enabling more automation and agents
 The web is not just for people anymore
 Its a universal acid, consuming all in its path
 Wireless communication makes it easy
and cheap for things to sense
and interoperate
UMBC
an Honors University in Maryland
24

24. The Evolution of Useful
Things
 The Evolution of Useful Things,
Henry Petroski, 1994.
 Before 1900, papers were held
together with straight pens!
 The development of “spring
steel” allowed the invention of
the paper clip in 1899.
 It took about 25 years (!) for the
evolution of the standard “gem
paperclip” considered to be
optimal for general use.
 Things take time, but the
incremental results pay the
way.
UMBC
an Honors University in Maryland
25

25. Climbing
Mount
Improbable
“The sheer height of the peak doesn't matter, so
long as you don't try to scale it in a single bound.
Locate the mildly sloping path and, if you have
unlimited time, the ascent is only as formidable as
the next step.”
-- Richard Dawkins, Climbing Mount
Improbable, Penguin Books, 1996.
UMBC
an Honors University in Maryland
26

26. http://ebiquity.umbc.edu/
UMBC
an Honors University in Maryland
27