Mari Ervasti

Mobile Phones as Seismologic Sensors: Automating Data Extraction for the iShake System

There are a variety of approaches to seismic sensing, which range from collecting sparse measurements with high-fidelity seismic stations to non-quantitative, post-earthquake surveys. The sparse nature of the high-fidelity stations and the inaccuracy of the surveys create the need for a high-density, semi-quantitative approach to seismic sensing. To fill this void, the UC Berkeley iShake project designed a mobile client-backend server architecture that uses sensor-equipped mobile devices to measure earthquake ground shaking. iShake provides the general public with a service to more easily contribute more quantitatively significant data to earthquake research by automating the data collection and reporting mechanisms via the iShake mobile application. The devices act as distributed sensors that enable measurements to be taken and transmitted with a cellular network connection. Shaking table testing was used to assess the quality of the measurements obtained from the iPhones and iPods on a benchmark of 150 ground motions. Once triggered by a shaking event, the devices transmit sensor data to a backend server for further processing. After a seismic event is verified by high-fidelity stations, filtering algorithms are used to detect falling phones, as well as device-specific responses to the event. A method was developed to determine the absolute orientation of a device to estimate the direction of first motion of a seismic event. A “virtual earthquake” pilot test was conducted on the UC Berkeley campus to verify the operation of the iShake system. By designing and fully implementing a system architecture, developing signal processing techniques unique to mobile sensing, and conducting shaking table tests to confirm the validity of the sensing platform, the iShake project serves as foundational work for further studies in seismic sensing on mobile devices.

Understanding human values in adopting new technology-A case study and methodological discussion

This paper proposes a method for understanding and modelling human values in the evaluation of new technology in social settings, and analyses the validity of the proposed method in a specific use case. The method, which is based on the Schwartz universal model of human values adopted from social psychology research, is used in the context of value analysis of the adoption of a technology-supported attendance control system in a primary school. The results are based on an evaluation of a 14-week trial where two classes of elementary school children used an attendance control system that was implemented using networked technology components, including smart cards, NFC-enabled mobile phones and card readers, a web portal, and SMS messaging. The findings from the trial are analysed from the viewpoint of three end-user groups, namely children, parents, and teachers.

Experiences from NFC Supported School Attendance Supervision for Children

Our paper presents a field study arranged at a Finnish primary school where two classes and a total of 23 pupils between the ages of 6 and 8 trialed an attendance supervision system supported by Near Field Communication technology in 2008. In the trial the pupils marked their arrival at and departure from the school by touching a reader device or NFC-enabled mobile phone with a smart contactless card. The system simplified attendance monitoring by replacing manual roll calls leaving thus more time for teaching. Parents were able to receive real-time information on children’s attendance, which reduced their concerns about whether their child had arrived at school safely. Information about user experience was obtained by using a variety of data collection methods. Children, as well as their teachers, became fast familiar with the touch-based interaction, and the attendance supervision was soon integrated into their everyday school routines. Our analysis shows that a technology-supported attendance supervision system can bring value for all end-user groups but it seems that the system will serve primarily the teachers and the parents.

Medication management support for vision impaired elderly: Scenarios and technological possibilities

This paper describes scenarios and discusses technological possibilities for implementing a mobile application to support medication management of elderly vision impaired people. The scenarios have been defined in workshops and discussions between technology providers, elderly care personnel, representatives of associations for blind, and pharmacy professionals complemented with observation of vision impaired elderly. Technological discussion evaluates the possibilities for implementing a medication support application with near-field communication (NFC) technology. The goal is to develop a mobile application concept that allows vision impaired elderly to manage their daily medication autonomously.

A situation-aware safety service for children via participatory design

Children are mostly neglected as technology end users, even though they have needs and requirements that should be taken into account in the design of new products and services. This paper introduces a process for a designing situation-aware safety service for children with a unique combination of novel participatory tools, a brainstorming workshop, and scenario writing. The design process includes five phases where the service design team, with multi-science expertise, uses the participatory design tools to gather the needs, fears, and hopes from the end users in the very early phases of the design. We report the lessons learned from the usage of the design process by the pupils, their parents and teachers from one primary school in Finland. We used publicity via the news in local and provincial newspapers, radio, and TV to receive feedback and acceptance from the local society. The design process proved to be powerful and it enabled the gathering and receiving of valuable feedback from both end users and the local society.

Wearable and mobile sensors connected to social media in human well-being applications

This paper introduces a concept based on monitoring human behavior using sensors with social media connectivity to distribute data and provide help to people in challenging situations. Together with its sub-concepts, it defines a framework for and specific aspects of communication in several application areas, in which sensors are used to track human behavior and measure the human physiological status. The thus gathered information is then shared via social media.Conventional information flow between a sensor and the social web is a one-way street, based on extraction of information or placement. Sensor data is shared on the social web on the users initiative. One-way flow is useful in many situations. More advanced functionality can be realized with bidirectional flow. Here, a sensor automatically invokes the social web to obtain relevant information that can influence the user. The social web can also take the initiator role and provide useful information for the sensor to act on.SEWEB concept was developed to provide help in challenging situations. Testing and evaluation of the concept was conducted using a schoolchildrens safety service application, and a related business model was created to discuss aspects linked to the concepts commercialization prospects. Safety of children and marginalization of youth are increasing problems in our modern society. Developing technologies, however, offer more possibilities for building safety solutions for children and teenagers. This paper describes a new concept of using sensors to monitor human behavior in combination with data processing and information transfer via different communication channels as well as different types of support the concept makes available. The concept utilizes the web and social media to create services and new business centered around different applications designed to support child safety in challenging situations and to prevent the marginalization of young people. This conceptual work involves different sub-concepts in the areas of information flow and connections, potential services and business potential. Some application areas will be introduced and discussed as specific cases demonstrating the features of the developed concept.

Touch- and audio-based medication management service concept for vision impaired older people

A novel Near Field Communication (NFC) based solution to support medication management of vision impaired older users is presented in this paper. The service concept allows older users with vision impairments to manage their daily medications autonomously by providing them means to identify medicines and retrieve personal medication information. In order to demonstrate the feasibility of the concept, an early prototype called BlindNFC was implemented. It is a NFC-enabled PDA with a basic functionality of reading the medicine name and dosage information aloud by touching the medicine package. The service concept was tested and evaluated with user studies in Finland and Spain, where altogether 39 older people with varying level of problems with their sight and other functional abilities participated in the studies. Findings revealed that older users learned and used the basic functionality of touch- and audio-based system quite easily. A set of design issues to be taken into account was identified. Users showed a high degree of satisfaction in the use of the BlindNFC device, together with the solution it offers. They found potential value in the technology also in tagging and identifying other everyday physical objects than medicine packages and using their own self-recorded audio messages for marking objects. However, users were not currently willing to adopt the system for continuous use, as many of them had established over time methods for managing the medications, and were therefore observed reluctant to change these ways.

Safety services for children: a wearable sensor vest with wireless charging

Wearable sensors constitute an increasing market in providing various promising opportunities for improving and controlling safety issues for children in day care and schools. This paper presents the technological enablers and requirements for building a complete end-to-end energy-efficient safety system. Our work introduces a proof-of-concept for a wearable sensor vest with integrated wireless charging, designed to enhance the security of children. The wireless charging takes place in the ordinary repository for the vests, such as in a wardrobe or a coat rack, without requiring any specific actions from the user. The developed sensor vest provides information about the location and well-being of children, based on received signal strength indication, global positioning system, accelerometer, and temperature sensors. This paper also discusses the experiences of the “safety service for children” school pilot, which utilized various sensors with end-to-end applications. Piloting and technological implementations are based on a participatory study conducted among children, teachers, and parents, to gain important knowledge and understanding about the real user needs and service system usability requirements.

Touch-Based Access to Mobile Internet: User Experience Findings

This article reports user experience findings from two field trials where Mobile Internet access was supported through Near Field Communication (NFC)-based tag infrastructure. The authors’ results show that touch-based interaction can provide enhancement to the Mobile Internet user experience in: (1) content and service discovery, (2) Mobile Internet access, and (3) integrated situated and embodied experience. The problems related to service discovery can be solved by providing location-based access, and by using visual cues embedded into the environment for discovering content and services. Mobile Internet access through touch solves the problem of memorizing complicated URLs and the challenge of typing with a mobile device keypad. As touch-based access builds a semantic bridge between the physical context of use and the Mobile Internet experience, the user experience converges seamlessly into one where both the physical and digital worlds play a role.

Evaluating Human Values in the Adoption of New Technology in School Environment

This paper describes the results of a value analysis of adopting a technology-supported attendance control service in a primary school. The results are based on a case study that explored a 14-week trial where two classes of elementary school children used an attendance control system that was implemented using networked technology components, including smart cards, NFC enabled mobile phones and card readers, a web-portal, and SMS messaging. Even though the design goals of the system were directed towards creating value primarily for the parents and teachers, the analysis of subjective perceived value showed that the children were the most satisfied user group of the system. A model of human values adopted from social psychology was used for modeling and interpreting the value experienced by the children.