Wies Van Hirtum

UBIQUITOUS COMPUTING SYSTEMS

READINGS – INTRODUCTION TO UCS

READING 1: WEISER, M. 1991. THE COMPUTER FOR THE 21ST CENTURY

What is the topic of the paper, and which area of research does it fall into? Write no more
than 100 words.

Topic: The vision of the Computer Science Laboratory of Xerox on the future of computing systems and future
needs. They believe that computer systems will vanish to the background so that humans are no longer aware
of their presence. Computers will be everywhere in our daily lives. To make this reality: two issues arise:
location and scale. Ubiquitous computers must know where they are (location) and will come in different sizes
(scale). The text describes some of their own tests, the requirements for ubiquitous computers (hardware,
software and network) and an imaginary use case. The real power of ubiquitous computing does not come
from any of the proposed devices, but it emerges from the interaction of all of them. They believe that
transition will lead to making things faster and easier with less effort and reduces the problem of information
overload.

Remark: Big focus on screens

Research area:

Identify and summarize three key messages in no more than 150 words each.

1. Computers will vanish to the background

Just like writing disappeared to the background and is present everywhere in our everyday lives, computers will
also be embedded throughout all aspects in our lives. We are only at the beginning of the evolution and
computers will be integrated in everyday objects. This will lead to continuous interactions without even
thinking about the fact that you’re interacting with a computer. This disappearance is a fundamental
consequence of human psychology, not technology. When we no longer need to focus on the devices, we can
focus on new tasks to do with them. Ubiquitous computers will come in a huge variety of sizes and you won’t
even realize of certain objects that they are a computer (think for example of a thermostat)

2. Technology required for ubiquitous computing comes in three parts: hardware, software and
networks

First of all cheap, low-power computers with convenient displays are needed. These displays range from small
(sizes that fit in your pocket or even smaller) to very large. In order to make these work, faster CPUs and more
memory is needed which is expected by the author. The author believes that advances in hardware should be
possible to make all of this come true. He believes that trends in software and network technology are more
problematic. The design of current operating systems is based on the assumption that the hardware and
software configuration will not change drastically. A new type of operating systems needs to be developed so
that it software can be easily added or removed. Also networks need to upgrade to have more devices connect
to the same network and increase the speed of transmission.

3. We need to be aware of possible social issues that these technologies introduce

Key among the social issues is privacy: when there are hundreds of devices in a room that can detect, hear and
see humans, they have the potential of invading your privacy and transmitting this data to people that should

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not get it. Other machines could intercept messages and forward them. Systems should be designed taking
these issues into consideration and should clearly indicate to users what happens to their data. Part of the
solution lies in cryptographic techniques to secure messages.

- Privacy: many computers in one room that are able to sense everything from people (hear,
see, detect,…). They have the potential of invading the privacy and transmit this data to
people that should not get it.
- Make individuals more aware of the people on the other ends of their computer links:
ubiquitous computers reside in the human world and pose no barrier to personal
interactions.
- Decline of computer addiction.
- Overcome the problem of information overload.
4. The real power comes not from any one of these devices – it emerges from the interaction of all of
them

One device does not make a ubiquitous system. It is the interoperability of different kinds of devices that will
give ubiquitous computing its real strength. Data can be exchanged, processing power can be divided and so
on. One small integrated sensor has no real value but when you have a network of connected sensors whose
data can be processed and used in the right way, the real strength of ubiquitous computing is shown.

5. Ubiquitous computing will help overcome the problem of information overload

Do you agree with the author’s point of view? Why (not)? Justify your response in no more
than 150 words.

I do agree with the fact that computers are becoming less and less visible in our everyday lives. Especially now
with the rise of the IoT technology we can see that microprocessors are being integrated in everyday objects
which has the potential of making all these devices connected. On the other hand do I believe that the personal
computer will not disappear quickly. It’s now part of the standard equipment at every company and every
person has one. Mouse and keyboard are still handy tools to use for certain tasks and are not necessarily easily
replaced with other input mechanisms. I believe that many different kinds of technologies are still in research
phase and these discoveries will change the world constantly.

What are, in your perspective, strengths and weaknesses of the paper? List two each.

Strengths:

 Gives a clear overview of the technological requirements for ubiquitous computer systems and what
they think would lead to a good solution
 Realizes that the ‘disappearance’ is not just a matter of technology but also the psychology
 Also touches on the importance of privacy and the concerns that come with the introduction of
ubiquitous technology

Weaknesses:

 This paper mostly talks only about their own research projects and their own vision and gives no
insight in the ongoing projects elsewhere.
 Research projects were high-end at the time but are outdated now. Ubiquitous computing embodies
way more than tabs, pads and boards.
 Paper focusses on a mainly American view on the world.
 Big focus on screens, less on other natural language interfaces
 No focus on safety, security, reliability…

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 all of this was in a simulated setting. They have no actual information about the usefulness in an actual
office environment.

READING 2: BELL, G., AND DOURISH, P. 2006. YESTERDAY’S TOMORROWS: NOTES ON

UBIQUITOUS COMPUTING’S DOMINANT VISION

What is the topic of the paper, and which area of research does it fall into? Write no more
than 100 words.

Topic: This paper explores the vision that has driven the ubiquitous computing research agenda and the
contemporary practice that has emerged. Ubiquitous research mainly focusses on the ‘proximate future’
thanks to the paper written by Weiser. This paper explores this vision and checks alternative visions.
Contemporary views share the messiness. The paper shows that ubiquitous computing has arrived but not in
the clean and orderly way as thought of by Weiser.

Identify and summarize three key messages in no more than 150 words each.

1. The ubiquitous computing agenda is fundamentally tied to the messiness of everyday practice

Alternative and contemporary views of ubiquitous infrastructure have their messiness in common. In the vision
of ubicomp’s proximate future, the infrastructure is clean and gleaming providing well understood services.
However, the real world shows that we will always be assembling heterogeneous technologies to achieve
individual and collective effects. The infrastructure remains messy after decades or centuries. This messiness is
important and the paper suggests that ubiquitous computing is already here, in the form of densely available
computational and communication resources, is sometimes met with an objection that these technologies
remain less than ubiquitous in the sense that Weiser suggested. The ubicomp world was meant to be clean and
orderly; it turns out instead to be a messy one. Rather than being invisible or unobtrusive, ubicomp devices are
highly present, visible, and branded, but perhaps still unremarkable in the sense explored by Tolmie et al.

2. Ubicomp has been successful

Ubicomp has been successful as a research endeavour. It has been a topic on its own but it is also a central
aspect of the research agenda of many other areas of computer science research. Ubiquitous computing
encompasses a wide range of disparate technological areas brought together by a focus upon a common vision.
It is driven, then, not so much by the problems of the past but by the possibilities of the future. Weiser’s paper
set also a rhetorical tone that many have adopted besides articulating a research agenda. Ubicomp has also
been successful as a technological agenda.

3. The future is here and it’s not evenly distributed

Technologies that Weiser anticipated have transformed the role of computation in our lives. It has not,
perhaps, taken the form that he anticipated, although PDAs, cell phones, large-scale displays and digital
cameras do bear family resemblances to the devices that Weiser imagined would come to populate our world.
But computation is imbedded into the technology and practice of everyday life. Distribution?

Do you agree with the authors’ poin t of view? Why (not)? Justify your response in no more
than 150 words.

I do agree with the fact that ubiquitous computing is already there but not in the way that Weiser has
envisioned it. The fact that it did not turn out the way he thought is no problem. A vision is necessary to steer
current research in a certain direction. Research will not necessarily end up in what was hoped as we can see
nowadays with the different kinds of technologies.

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Ubiquitous computing will maybe never reach the level of complete interoperability but it is at least something
to strive for.

What are, in your perspective, strengths and weaknesses of the paper? List two each.

Strengths:

 Takes also other cultures into account. Lots of research was pointing at the American point of view.
 Compares regularly with Weiser’s vision

Weaknesses:

 The paper was written in a very inaccessible way. It does not seem necessary to write the paper in this
way. Lots of difficult words are used and the structure is not very clear.
 Some examples seem to have nothing to do with the text

READING 3: ATZORI, L., IERA, A., AND MORABITO, G. 2010. THE INTERNET OF THINGS: A
SURVEY

What is the topic of the paper, and which area of research does it fall into? How is the
research approach different from readings 1 and 2? Write no more than 150 words.

This paper gives an overview of the current state of the art on the IoT. It provides a description of the different
visions of the IoT paradigm coming from different scientific communities, it reviews the enabling technologies
and illustrates the major benefits of spreading this paradigm in everyday life and it offers an analysis of the
major research issues the scientific community still has to face. The main objective is to give the reader the
opportunity of understanding what has been done (protocols, algorithms, proposed solutions) and what still
remains to be addressed, as well as which are the enabling factors of this evolutionary process and what are its
weaknesses and risk factors. The paper goes back to the basic technology behind the IoT concept (RFID tags)
and shows how it has grown and where we still need research and development to make the concept of
interconnection anytime, anywhere a reality.

This paper does not introduce any research of its own but gives a comprehensive overview of what’s out there
already.

What application domains and scenarios for IoT do the authors identify? Summarize each area
in your own words. Write no more than 200 words.

1. Transportation and logistics

Every means of transport is becoming equipped with sensors, actuators and processing power as well as the
infrastructure and the things they have to transport. IoT can have a huge impact on localization, environmental
monitoring, goods monitoring and so on.

2. Healthcare

Applications in the healthcare domain can be grouped in object tracking, identification and authentication,
automatic data collection and sensing. Instead of curative care, IoT can help us to move towards preventive
care by constantly measuring your body, transmitting this data and analysing it. Sensors are becoming so small
they are no longer a burden to wear.

3. Smart environment

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Sensors and actuators can regulate an office, house or industrial plant by themselves in order to provide the
perfect environment to work in. Through these sensors, patterns can be recognized and smarter use of
available resources can be achieved. In industrial plants, processes can be automated and monitored using
these devices. Builds upon personalization, both in the personal as in the work environment.

4. Personal and social

These are applications that enable the user to interact with other people to maintain and build social
relationships. It could also help to monitor and follow up on your own stuff, guard your house.

Identify and summarize two c hallenges for IoT that the authors discuss in their paper. Write
no more than 200 words.

1. Addressing and networking issues

Since an incredible amount of things will be connected to the internet, effective addressing policies are
needed. It is clear that IPv4 will not be sufficient. Problems that arise with addressing are for example mobility
support and the way addresses are handed out.

A third example of a challenge is to develop a new kind of transportation layer. Major goals of the transport
layer are to guarantee end-to-end reliability and to perform end-to-end congestion control. Existing transport
protocols fail in the IoT scenarios since their connection setup and congestion control mechanisms may be
useless; furthermore, they require excessive buffering to be implemented in objects

2. Security and privacy issues

Considering security, The IoT is extremely vulnerable to attacks for several reasons. First, often its components
spend most of the time unattended; and thus, it is easy to physically attack them. Second, most of the
communications are wireless, which makes eavesdropping extremely simple. Finally, most of the IoT
components are characterized by low capabilities in terms of both energy and computing resources (this is
especially the case for passive components) and thus, they cannot implement complex schemes supporting
security. The major problems are authentication and data integrity. Communication with authentication
servers is needed but due to the low energy devices, the amount of messages has to be limited. Cryptographic
solutions are also a problem due to the limited available processing power.

Privacy should be protected by ensuring that individuals can control which of their personal data is being
collected, who is collecting such data and when this is happening. The collected data should only be used in the
aim of supporting authorized services and the data should be stored until it is only strictly needed.

Is the review comprehensive, or are there any elements that are missing? If so, which o nes?
Write no more than 100 words.

It is a clearly written review but lacks a few elements. The enabling technologies don’t mention for example the
use of Big Data or the importance of good user interfaces. These data volumes also pose challenges in terms of
processing. I also think that there is a (too) big emphasis on RFID tags. This is probably because it was cutting
edge technology at the moment of writing.

READING 4: CHUNG ET AL. 2004. DEVELOPMENT AND EVALUATION OF EMERGING

DESIGN PATTERNS FOR UBIQUITOUS COMPUTING

Summarize the main message of the paper in no more than 100 words

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This paper describes the first attempt of researchers to develop a design pattern language for ubiquitous
computing and proposes 45 pre-patterns that can be used to make design processes easier. These patterns
describe application genres, physical-virtual spaces, techniques for managing privacy and for fluid interactions.
The design patterns describe a certain problem and their solution in a compact form and give some examples
that are found in commercial applications. The usefulness is tested in two iterations with both experienced and
novice designers. It turns out that they help the designers in coming up with ideas and communication but that
privacy patterns are not really used. Pre-patterns are design patterns that are still emerging and are not in
common use yet by the design community and end-users. Design patterns are a format for capturing and
sharing knowledge.

Choose one design pre -pattern (p. 241 -242) and give an example how it is represented in
today’s technology. Does the pattern grasp all challenges? Write no more than 250 words.

Chosen design pattern: A12 – Enabling mobile commerce

Representation in today’s technology: Yuka

Yuka is an application that makes you scan a barcode of food or cosmetics and it will show you for example the
nutritional value of food using a color code. In case the score is bad, it will give you a recommendation for a
similar product with a better score.

This application provides hence more information about products that supermarkets would not show. Instead
of using a dedicated device (as proposed in the paper), nowadays, everyone can use it on their phone for free
since barcodes can be scanned with the integrated camera.

A challenge that is not really grasped is the fact that scanning these product takes time and demands a certain
effort from people. This could be too much for some in order to actually use the application.

The authors state that ‘the participants still failed to take advantage of the privacy patterns’
(see p. 239). Why do you think this happened? Write no more than 150 words.

There are a few reasons that one could think of why these privacy patterns were not used. First of all, the
designers were asked to design an application with certain requirements. It is a natural reflex to start thinking
about the functionality and to ignore the security and privacy aspect. Most designers have no experience with
the privacy part I would imagine. Users of the application are also more likely to value it based on its
functionality than on its privacy implementation. A second reason could be that the design task did not very
explicitly demand the implementation of privacy patterns so it was forgotten. And thirdly, the text stipulates
that the privacy patterns are quite abstract and lacked visualisations. This could lead to a reduced use of these
patterns.

READING 5: FORD, M., AND PALMER, W. 2019. ALEXA, ARE YOU LISTENING TO ME? AN
ANALYSIS OF ALEXA VO ICE SERVICE NETWORK TRAFFIC.

Summarize the main message of the paper in no more than 100 words.

This paper wants to get a better insight into the Amazon Voice Services behaviour and the connected Alexa
devices. It is important to understand this so that security measures can be taken. A better understanding can
also lead to acceptance and less worries of the public. The study has shown that there are privacy, consent and
data control issues with the Amazon Alexa. This was investigated using three research questions.

Does the paper successfully answer the research questions raised in section 3? Why (not)?
Write no more than 150 words.

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The paper concludes that the device does not record and send any data when the microphone is off. This is
based on the fact that no AVS network traffic is observed higher than 7050 bpm and no response cards exist.
One should wonder if this value is the right value and also that the keep-alive messages do not contain any
audio.

The second question clearly indicates that audio is recorded without using the wake word. This is done both by
TV sounds and human speech. Users are not aware of this and could hence be intruding their privacy.

The third question shows that not all information is properly logged although there are still some things not
very clear. They question the robustness of the AVS signature and also the lack of knowledge on how the Echo
works.

Assumptions were made but they still need to be verified.

What are the main implications of the paper in terms of privacy? Write no more than 150
words.

This paper shows that these devices do things even when you don’t expect them to. As a user, you expect the
device to only work when using the wake word but clearly this is not the case. It is also not clear when the
device turns on (by accident) and what happens with the speech that was recorded at these occasions. Only by
using the physical button, one can be sure that the device is not recording but this has a huge impact on the
applicability. As a user, you should be able to ask what the device has been recording and delete this from the
databases but if the logging is not consistent, how can you be sure that you got everything or that they deleted
everything?

Practically, what does Figure 5 tell you?

See page 71, third paragraph?

In your opinion, are avenues for future work suggested in section 6 sound?

These suggestion seem quite logic but don’t address the real problems that came forward from this research.
One should find out what makes the Echos record data when they’re not on and what the reasons are for the
inconsistencies. Amazon could or should be more open on how they collect and use the data. The suggested
work is more of a technical nature and not so much of a ethical nature.

READING 6: POOLE, E.S., LE DANTEC, C.A., EAGAN, J.R., EDWARDS, W.K. 2008.
REFLECTING ON THE INVISIBLE: UNDERSTANDING END-USER PERCEPTIONS OF
UBIQUITOUS COMPUTING.

Summarize the main message of the paper in no more than 100 words

Besides functional aspects, designers should also be able to understand and asses the non-functional needs,
values and expectations of end-users. The paper shows that the way users understand a technology and how
they imagine it works plays a crucial role in the acceptance of it. People are concerned about for example trust
and privacy and hence the inner workings of technology should be clear to them. Understanding the different
factors can affect how technology is adapted by the people.

Ubiquitous computing system designers’ decision may have serious social implications. It is therefore important
to not only consider the functional aspects of these systems, but also the non-functional aspects. Perceptions
that the general public has about certain technologies can influence the use and integration of these
technologies. Different cultures and their values may cause different perceptions. These views or perceptions
are created by so called “folk theories”. If a designer does not understand these theories there is a chance that

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misunderstandings about its functions and consequences arise, which influence the way the technology is used
(if at all) and how it is adapted. To prevent this, a designer should investigate and understand these theories as
to adjust the technology to prevent/solve concerns and assure the technology will be used as it was intended.

In your own words, define the term ‘folk theor y’, and give an example. Write no more than
200 words

A folk theory is based on someone’s personal experiences or social interactions and makes it possible to grasp a
certain new technology by linking it something they already know. Through this link, they can make predictions
on how it will work, reason on it and explain it. The folk theory can be seen as some kind of a mental model a
person has for e technology based on what they already know.

For example people think of RFID tags as magnetic strips used on credit cards or barcode labels on retail
products. This means that they think that the device can hold a small amount of variable information that may
or may not be unique.

Or see RFID tags as a serial number

Or RFID tags as GPS system

Folk theories are ways of understanding and explaining concepts/technologies/… in order to understand the
world better. These stories are shared by a social group and are created by media, information from family and
friends, pop culture, own experiences,…. They determine how a iser (and non-user) thinks about the
technology, its function, its consequences,… and how they use it (if at all).

For example: the use of fingerprints as a way to pay. There are a lot of people in Belgium who are wary of giving
their fingerprints to the government, due to influences from pop culture (how fingerprints can be stolen by
professionals, used by criminals, …), interaction with friends and family (who are distrustful that our
government can safeguard such vital information) and the association of fingerprints with criminals in media
(news from America, where we see most applications for fingerprints). All of these concerns form a Folk Theory
about fingerprint technology not being trustworthy, that it should not be used in daily life

What are implications of Poole et al.’s findings for systems such as Amazon Echo? Relate
findings from this paper to the previous one, and write no more than 200 words.

- Think of showing how the echo works

- Think of not knowing who owns the data, where it goes to
- People don’t completely understand how it works -> Is it always listening?
- People don’t think they can change anything about it

Suggest two strategies that could be applied to educate the public about the capabilities of
voice agents. Write no more than 200 words.

As I previously mentioned, the capabilities of voice agents are not well known. The trust toward government
and large companies has largely disappeared due to violation after violation coming to light. The only way to
regain that trust is to let a trusted third-party research the technology to determine there are no violations
taking place. The problem with this solution is who that third party might be. They have to be trustworthy
enough that their result is not questioned and that they cannot be influenced by government or companies.

Another way to enlighten the public about its capabilities is to make part of the technology open source so
developers can access it, get more accustomed to it and gain previously lacking insight. By doing so the
developers themselves gain an understanding of its trustworthiness, they will tell this to their colleagues,

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family and friends. Those people will spread it further until eventually the negative Folk Theory will be adjusted
to a more accepting one, resulting in more acceptance of the technology.

Lastly, the inclusion of more families in experiments like these, which show the capabilities of the technology as
well as give a better understanding (due to the results of the experiments themselves) of what it can and can’t
do.

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