Introduction
Many promising results of research in ubiquitous computing remain in the laboratory because it is difficult to asses the value of experimenting with these technologies in a realistic settings. The costs and benefits of creating such an environment, integrating the technology, and inducing a realistic usage for the ubiquitous services are all highly uncertain factors.
Aim and Vision
In our vision, ubiquitous technologies and services simply should work; for individuals and for groups of people. People should be able to depend on the proper operation of these services, with respect to their availability, reliability, and security. Yet their operation must be intuitively and
unobtrusive.
It is our ambition to realize the above vision in The Smart Environment Laboratory (SEL), where we will connect users with core technology such that individuals can appreciate state-of-the-art technology and that their perception will guide the development of technology. Thus facilitating innovative application of technology. The SEL facilitates creative use of technology under development. We will contribute to new applications and business models, contribute to the rearrangement of the way-of-work for the consequent improvement of productivity, and to contribute to the creation of infrastructure for enhancing the quality of life of people. The use cases in SEL will demand for integration and seamless interworking of technology. Typically, a prototype implementation will suffer from imperfections, resolving these undoubtedly will yield new, expectedly exciting, technology.
Approach
To realize our ambition we are creating an infrastructure in which researchers from a wide range of disciplines work closely together. Some researchers will be working on engineering topics such as communication technology, embedded software and hardware configurations, and security and privacy issues, whereas others will work on topics from the social sciences such as user interfaces, user perception, human monitoring and coaching. A particular asset of our infrastructure is that we effectively close the gap between an individual user and a dedicated technology, which is generally a gap too big to close for individual projects. At each of the three Technical Universities, the SEL has a so-called Smart Network eXPerience lab (SmartXP). Each SmartXP lab is intimately connected to a range of specialized laboratories, through the engineers and social scientists that work in the SmartXP lab. The range of satellite laboratories include laboratories for technology integration and core technology development as well as laboratories for human machine interaction and user interface design targeting specific user groups, of which the emerging home and care labs are distinct examples. A SmartXP lab is a place where technology can be experienced in a realistic setting. It offers people a chance to participate in applications and validation tests. Concurrently, a SmartXP lab offers researchers the opportunity to observe the use of technology and its ability to interoperate with various other technologies. A SmartXP lab is the place where research meets applied technology, mutually strengthening each other.
The Smart Environment lab is self-reinforcing. It is a living lab in which scientists and engineers participate constantly in each-other’s applications; they share each-other’s technology and they typically will use each-other’s applications in their daily life. Moreover, the smart environment lab is a market place for expertise and state-of-the art technology for the next generation of ubiquitous services.
Example
We are working on a system for virtual presence that provides the opportunity to collaborate, participate, and observe at a distance. The same system can be used to distribute applications and to observe its usage in daily life of the SmartXP researchers.
Another example is the health monitoring system. Here researchers experience the fact of being constantly monitored. The monitoring system is integrated with a coaching system that guards the well-being of the researchers. Note that the virtual presence system is a technology under development as well as a tool. We will investigate to what extent the virtual presence will change the way-of-work of our researchers.
Portfolio
The Smart Environment Lab provides easy access to a broad field of expertise; recall hierarchical structure of SmartXP labs and their satellite laboratories. Today, we accommodate a number of projects in the field of health, safety, and well-being related applications, a portfolio which we are actively extending. We believe that an important aspect of future applications will be experience sharing among individuals and amongst groups of people. We hope to welcome soon in our lab representatives from various kinds of user groups as well as representatives of a broad range of technologies. We look forward to work together with industry and research institutes on the next generation of ubiquitous services.
For more information: http://smartxp.ewi.utwente.nl/joomla/index.php
Scientific leader
Prof.dr. Pieter Hartel (UT)
Contact Information:
Dr. Ir. H.W. van Dijk
Visiting Address:
University of Twente
Hallenweg 11, Building Zilverling
7522 NB Enschede
The Netherlands
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