Jonathan Gips

MIThril 2003: applications and architecture

In this paper we describe the MIThril 2003 wearablecomputing research platform. MIThril 2003 is a proven,accessible architecture that combines inexpensive,commodity hardware, a flexible sensor/peripheralinterconnection bus, and a powerful, light-weightdistributed sensing, classification, and inter-processcommunications software layer to facilitate thedevelopment of distributed real-time multimodal andcontext-aware applications.MIThril 2003 extends the previous MIThril modulararchitecture into the domain of large-scale wirelessgroup applications by leveraging the availability ofinexpensive Linux-based PDA hardware combined withinnovative open-source software and custom sensorhardware. We demonstrate the power and functionalityof MIThril 2003 by describing compelling real-worldwearable research applications created using MIThril2003 technology.

A sensor network for social dynamics

This paper describes the design and architecture of the UbER-Badge, a wireless sensor node and wearable display designed to facilitate group interaction in large meetings and acquire a wide range of data for analyzing social dynamics. The platform design and its application suite are described. Data is presented that shows the social patterns developing across large events and indicates that certain individual characteristics (interest, affiliation) can be determined from the sensor data from deployments of this system with groups of over 100 people

Identifying and facilitating social interaction with a wearable wireless sensor network

We have designed a highly versatile badge system to facilitate a variety of interaction at large professional or social events and serve as a platform for conducting research into human dynamics. The badges are equipped with a large LED display, wireless infrared and radio frequency networking, and a host of sensors to collect data that we have used to develop features and algorithms aimed at classifying and predicting individual and group behavior. This paper overviews our badge system, describes the interactions and capabilities that it enabled for the wearers, and presents data collected over several large deployments. This data is analyzed to track and socially classify the attendees, predict their interest in other people and demonstration installations, profile the restlessness of a crowd in an auditorium, and otherwise track the evolution and dynamics of the events at which the badges were run.

Mobile-IT Education (MIT.EDU): M-Learning Applications for Classroom Settings.

In this paper, we describe the Mobile-IT Education (MIT.EDU) system, which demonstrates the potential of using a distributed mobile device architecture for rapid prototyping of wireless mobile multi-user applications for use in classroom settings. MIT.EDU is a stable, accessible system that combines inexpensive, commodity hardware, a flexible sensor/ peripheral interconnection bus, and a powerful, light-weight distributed sensing, classification, and inter-process communications software architecture to facilitate the development of distributed real-time multi-modal and context-aware applications. We demonstrate the power and functionality of this platform by describing a number of MIT.EDU application deployments in educational settings. Initial evaluations of these experiments demonstrate the potential of using the system for real-world interactive m-learning applications.

Shiver motion and core body temperature classification for wearable soldier health monitoring systems

We present a wearable real-time shiver monitor based on the MIThril LiveNet system, a flexible distributed mobile platform that can be used for a variety of proactive healthcare applications. In this exploratory study, we demonstrate that shivering can be accurately determined from continuous accelerometer sensing. Our preliminary results also indicate that shivering characteristics may be correlated with core body temperature, indicating the potential for creating a real-world cold exposure monitoring and classification wearable system.

Human computing for interactive digital media

Widespread adoption of interactive, peer-to-peer digital media will require a solution to the Privacy, Sharing, and Interest (PSI) problem: how can we know what the user wants to share with whom, and when, without burdening the user with constant updating of lists of approved users and sharing preferences? We argue that real-time analysis of user behavior provides an automatic PSI capability, allowing media to be automatically and proactively shared with a much lower user burden.

MIT.EDU: system architecture for real-world distributed multi-user applications in classroom settings

In this paper we describe the MIThril mobile-IT education (MIT.EDU) platform, an innovative architecture that allows for the rapid prototyping of wireless mobile multi-user applications for use in classroom settings. MIT.EDU is a proven, accessible system that combines inexpensive, commodity hardware, a flexible sensor/peripheral interconnection bus, and a powerful, light-weight distributed sensing, classification, and interprocess communications software architecture to facilitate the development of distributed real-time multi-modal and context-aware applications. We demonstrate the power and functionality of the MIT.EDU platform by describing a number of system deployments of real-world applications in a number of educational settings.