Download the one-page Ubicomp2009 brochure.

    greenUbicomp

Keynote I

Poor Man's Ubicomp

Dr. Henry Tirri

Sr. Vice President and Head of Nokia Research Center, Nokia

Abstract: Ubicomp is usually defined as a post-desktop model of human-computer interaction in which information processing has been thoroughly integrated into everyday objects and activities. The observation that modern mobile phones are radio equipped computers with a growing ability to sense their surroundings via embedded sensors (camera, GPS, accelerometer etc.) allows us to discuss a "poor man's" version of ubicomp - pervasive computing enabled by networks of "standard" mobile phones. The handsets are always with us, but unlike a passive device like a watch, they are frequently “activated” to help us absorb and broadcast information. Because of the global pervasiveness of these devices they form a potential sensing network with billions of sensors without any new additional infrastructure. As a result of this connectivity and location-awareness, combined with the mobile device’s ability to record the usage patterns of its user, it can measure context information in ways that has not been possible ever before; not just any context but context of the life of people. Due to the law of large numbers, we can collect context data on the macrotrends of society and build services that help us to tap into the pulse of the activities surrounding us (such as traffic, weather, shopping, diseases, environmental changes). The first steps in this poor man's ubiquitous computing are already a reality but it is also evolving fast. In this talk we will discuss the challenges and opportunities of building services based on mobile phone ubiquity.

Biography: Dr. Henry Tirri is SVP and Head of Nokia Research Center (NRC). Nokia Research Center drives breakthroughs that reach far into the future, enabling new business opportunities for Nokia. As Head of Nokia Research Center, Henry is responsible for labs worldwide that pursue disruptive innovation. NRC works closely with all Nokia operating units and promotes open innovation, working on research projects in collaboration with leading universities and research institutes around the world.

Henry joined Nokia in 2004 as a Research Fellow in the Software and Applications Laboratory. Henry holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of Helsinki, Finland. In addition to his Nokia role, he is also an Adjunct Professor of Computer Science at the University of Helsinki and an Adjunct Professor of Computational Engineering at the Helsinki University of Technology. He has extensive experience in running research activities in the fields of intelligent systems and networking and his personal research interests span artificial intelligence, information theory, search technologies and wireless sensor networks.

Before joining Nokia, Henry was a Professor of Computer Science and Head of the Graduate School and the Intelligent Systems Laboratory at the University of Helsinki, leading a large, world-class research group in probabilistic modeling. Previous positions include working as a Research Scientist at Microelectronics and Computer Technology Corporation (MCC), MTS at AT&T Bell Laboratories, Visiting Scientist at NASA AMES where he contributed to the Mars Rover technology for the 2003 mission.

In the academic world, Henry has been a Visiting Professor at Stanford University and the University of California at Berkeley. He was also Vice President of Scientific Operations and Co-Founder of Ekahau. He is the author and co-author of more than 175 academic papers in various fields of computer science, social sciences and statistics and holds five patents.

Keynote II

Honest Signals from Reality Mining

Prof. Alex (Sandy) Pentland

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Abstract: We have developed the technology of reality mining, which uses sensor data to extract subtle patterns that predict future human behavior. These predictive patterns are based on "honest signals," which are human behaviors that evolved from ancient primate signaling mechanisms, and which are major factors in human decision making in everything from job interviews to first dates. By building interfaces based on honest signals, we have been able to obtain dramatic improvements in human-machine systems.

Biography: Professor Alex (“Sandy”) Pentland's focus is the development of human-centered technology, and the creation of ventures that take this technology into the real world. He directs the Human Dynamics Lab, helping companies to become more productive and creative through organizational engineering, and the Media Lab Entrepreneurship Program, established to facilitate technology commercialization. He is among the most-cited computer scientists in the world, and in 1997 Newsweek magazine named him one of the 100 Americans likely to shape this century. More recently his work was named `breakthrough idea of the year’ by Harvard Business Review and one of `10 technologies poised to change the world’ by Technology Review.

Brought to you by:

ACM Sigmobile Sig Chi

Ubicomp 2009 is locally organized by the University of Florida and the University of Central Florida.

Sponsors:

NSF

HP

Nokia    Intel