Ambient Intelligence Technology Overview

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
Interfaces
Intelligent
Interfaces
Ubiquitous
Communications
Ubiquitous
Communications
Ubiquitous
Computing
Ubiquitous
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

Ambient Intelligence Building Blocks
Ambient
Intelligence
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.

Ubiquitous Computing
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 GalaxyThe 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 place
or 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 to
provide relevant information/services to the user, when it
relevancy 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?
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,…
as context?
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

Ambient Intelligence
“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
Videos
Turn 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
photos
Check if everything is
closed, and go to sleep
QuiiQ offers total flexibility to mold this system to your daily
routines and lifestyle
QuiiQ 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)

QUiiQ AUTOMATION FRAMEWORK

QUiiQ AUTOMATION FRAMEWORK
Very short time-to-market in home automation software
development;
Very short time-to-market in home automation software
development;
Allow the independent and geographically distributed
development of software components for the system;
Allow the independent and geographically distributed
development of software components for the system;
Software Reuse;Software Reuse;
Guarantee the existence of abstract concepts with short
cognitive distance from the informal reasoning;
Guarantee the existence of abstract concepts with short
cognitive 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 Automation
Foundation; QuiiQ Communication Foundation;
• Context Provider; Context Interpreter & Aggregator;
Application Logic;
Layered ArchitectureLayered Architecture
• QuiiQ Automation Foundation abstracts and converts the raw
data;
• Extend the concept of device to contain a context widget;
• A widget is based on the BaseObject, being this way
completely 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 : QuiiQ
Communications Foundation, QuiiQ Presentation Foundation.
Work on the other layers of the framework : QuiiQ
Communications Foundation, QuiiQ Presentation Foundation.
Prototype development and field tests.Prototype development and field tests.
Extend the context-aware system and introduce ranking and
predicting mechanisms.
Extend the context-aware system and introduce ranking and
predicting mechanisms.
Continue the study around user behavior, social intelligence
and ways of interaction.
Continue the study around user behavior, social intelligence
and ways of interaction.

Contacts
Thank You!
Rui Barreira
E-mail: rui.barreira@quiiq.com
Tel. 938554581
QUiiQ Lda (Portugal)
Rua Guerra Junqueiro, 495, 1º C
4150-389 Porto – Portugal
Tel./Fax: +351 22 0110253
E-mail: info@quiiq.com
URL: www.quiiq.com
QUiiQ Corporation (USA)
2711 Centerville Road
Wilmington, Delaware
Email: info@quiiq.com

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