Hans-Werner Gellersen

Bio: Hans-Werner Gellersen is an academic researcher from Lancaster University. The author has contributed to research in topics: Mobile computing & Ubiquitous computing. The author has an hindex of 18, co-authored 58 publications receiving 3068 citations. Previous affiliations of Hans-Werner Gellersen include Karlsruhe Institute of Technology.

Smart-Its Friends: A Technique for Users to Easily Establish Connections between Smart Artefacts

Abstract: Ubiquitous computing is associated with a vision of everything being connected to everything. However, for successful applications to emerge, it will not be the quantity but the quality and usefulness of connections that will matter. Our concern is how qualitative relations and more selective connections can be established between smart artefacts, and how users can retain control over artefact interconnection. We propose context proximity for selective artefact communication, using the context of artefacts for matchmaking. We further suggest to empower users with simple but effective means to impose the same context on a number of artefacts. To prove our point we have implemented Smart-Its Friends, small embedded devices that become connected when a user holds them together and shakes them.

Cooperative Artefacts: Assessing Real World Situations with Embedded Technology

Abstract: Ubiquitous computing is giving rise to applications that interact very closely with activity in the real world, usually involving instrumentation of environments. In contrast, we propose Cooperative Artefacts that are able to cooperatively assess their situation in the world, without need for supporting infrastructure in the environment. The Cooperative Artefact concept is based on embedded domain knowledge, perceptual intelligence, and rule-based inference in movable artefacts. We demonstrate the concept with design and implementation of augmented chemical containers that are able to detect and alert potentially hazardous situations concerning their storage.

The MediaCup: Awareness Technology Embedded in a Everyday Object

Abstract: The MediaCup is an ordinary coffee cup augmented with sensing, processing and communication capabilities, to collect and communicate general context information in a given environment. In this project, coffee cups are computerized to integrate them and the information they hold--where the cup is, how it is handled, and whether it's hot or cold--as context into surrounding information ecologies.

WebComposition: an object-oriented support system for the Web engineering lifecycle

Abstract: Maintenance of web applications is a difficult and error-prone task because many design decisions are not directly accessible at run time, but rather embedded in file-based resources. In this paper we introduce the WebComposition system addressing this problem. This system is based on a fine-grained object-oriented web application model, and maintains access to it throughout the lifecycle for management and maintenance activities. Modifications of the model are made effective in the web by incrementally mapping the model to file-based resources.

A Survey of Context-Aware Mobile Computing Research

Abstract: Context-aware computing is a mobile computing paradigm in which applications can discover and take advantage of contextual information (such as user location, time of day, nearby people and devices, and user activity) Since it was proposed about a decade ago, many researchers have studied this topic and built several context-aware applications to demonstrate the usefulness of this new technology Context-aware applications (or the system infrastructure to support them), however, have never been widely available to everyday users In this survey of research on context-aware systems and applications, we looked in depth at the types of context used and models of context information, at systems that support collecting and disseminating context, and at applications that adapt to the changing context Through this survey, it is clear that context-aware research is an old but rich area for research The difficulties and possible solutions we outline serve as guidance for researchers hoping to make context-aware computing a reality

Smart objects as building blocks for the Internet of things

Abstract: The combination of the Internet and emerging technologies such as nearfield communications, real-time localization, and embedded sensors lets us transform everyday objects into smart objects that can understand and react to their environment. Such objects are building blocks for the Internet of Things and enable novel computing applications. As a step toward design and architectural principles for smart objects, the authors introduce a hierarchy of architectures with increasing levels of real-world awareness and interactivity. In particular, they describe activity-, policy-, and process-aware smart objects and demonstrate how the respective architectural abstractions support increasingly complex application.

A Context Modeling Survey

Abstract: Context-awareness is one of the drivers of the ubiquitous computing paradigm, whereas a well designed model is a key accessor to the context in any context-aware system This paper provides a survey of the the most relevant current approaches to modeling context for ubiquitous computing Numerous approaches are reviewed, classified relative to their core elements and evaluated with respect to their appropriateness for ubiquitous computing

Providing architectural support for building context-aware applications

Abstract: Traditional interactive applications are limited to using only the input that users explicitly provide. As users move away from traditional desktop computing environments and move towards mobile and ubiquitous computing environments, there is a greater need for applications to leverage from implicit information, or context. These types of environments are rich in context, with users and devices moving around and computational services becoming available or disappearing over time. This information is usually not available to applications but can be useful in adapting the way in which it performs its services and in changing the available services. Applications that use context are known as context-aware applications. This research in context-aware computing has focused on the development of a software architecture to support the building of context-aware applications. While developers have been able to build context-aware applications, they have been limited to using a small variety of sensors that provide only simple context such as identity and location. This dissertation presents a set of requirements and component abstractions for a conceptual supporting framework. The framework along with an identified design process makes it easier to acquire and deliver context to applications, and in turn, build more complex context-aware applications. In addition, an implementation of the framework called the Context Toolkit is discussed, along with a number of context-aware applications that have been built with it. The applications illustrate how the toolkit is used in practice and allows an exploration of the design space of context-aware computing. This dissertation also shows how the Context Toolkit has been used as a research testbed, supporting the investigation of difficult problems in context-aware computing such as the building of high-level programming abstractions, dealing with ambiguous or inaccurate context data and controlling access to personal context.