WIRELESS SENSING SYSTEMS: REVEALING THE PREVIOUSLY UNOBSERVABLE
This talk organised by ICICS here at UBC on the use of mobile phones as part of the Distinguished Lecture Series may be of interest.
Prof Deborah Estrin, CS UCLA
WIRELESS SENSING SYSTEMS: REVEALING THE PREVIOUSLY UNOBSERVABLE
Thursday February 15, 4:00 – 5:00 PM, questions until 5:30 PM
Hugh Dempster Pavilion 310
6245 Agronomy Road (between Main and East Mall)
University of British Columbia
WIRELESS SENSING SYSTEMS: REVEALING THE PREVIOUSLY UNOBSERVABLE
Description
Miniaturization and Moore’s law has enabled us to combine sensing, computation and wireless communication in integrated, low-power devices, and to embed networks of these devices in the physical world. By placing sensing devices up close to physical phenomena we are now able to observe previously unobservable physical processes. This high-fidelity observation allows domain experts to create better models, make more accurate predictions, and more effectively manage resources. In this talk, we explore the use of the installed base of image and acoustic sensors that we all carry around in our pockets or on our belts—cell phones. Beyond the intentional communities and conversations supported by sites such as Flikr and lifeblog, there is potential for the automated, programmable, and adaptive collection of both physical and social parameters at personal and community levels. There are important overlapping themes with scientific applications, most critically the importance of processing of data close to the source so as to address the varied needs of individuals to selectively share these direct observations of their lives and spaces.