Ubiquitous computing integrates computation into the physical environment. It is the computing model of future. It aims to move from the traditional desktop computers into embedding computing in every objects and devices. The introduction of inexpensive sensors and interaction devices (e.g., web cams, smart phones, digital pens, Microsoft SenseCam, Microsoft Kinect, Google glasses, portable eye-tracking, HoloLens, Ocolus Rift, etc.) and wireless communications (e.g., mobile smart phones and the telecommunication generations, Arduino boards with 802.11b wireless connectivity, etc.) has created endless opportunities for systems and applications that can change our lives. The vision is that the virtual (computing) space will be seamlessly integrated with our physical environment, such that people as breath naturally and unconsciously, cease to take notice of computing objects. Pioneers of this idea believe that embedding computation into the environment will enable people to interact with computers more naturally, something like human to human communications.
The Ubiquitous and autonomous computing course has the main focus on technical, design and implementation aspects of ubiquitous computing. It involves the following topics to help graduate students to realize this vision of ubiquitous computing:
- Differences between ubiquitous computing with the traditional distributed computing
- Infrastructure of the ubiquitous computing
- Context-awareness and its dimensions
- Middleware for ubiquitous computing and its functionalities
- Domains of ubiquitous computing
- Internet of things
- Crowd sensing
- Social awareness that applies ubiquitous computing techniques to improve our social lives.