Michael Boronowsky

Winspect: a case study for wearable computing-supported inspection tasks

Introduces the Winspect project-an application of wearable computing in an industrial inspection process-with focus on its user interface. We present a case study to demonstrate the benefit of wearable input devices and the use of implicit interaction as a complementary technique. Two almost independent tasks from the application domain are addressed: the input of findings for inspected components in a harsh environment, and a technique to overcome the display resolution when browsing a hypertext-like documentation.

The future of mobile computing: R&D activities in the state of Bremen

Purpose – The paper aims to report on the future of mobile computing and R&D activities in the state of Bremen.Design/methodology/approach – The Mobile Research Center in Bremen, Germany, provides results from interdisciplinary scientific research for the creation of economic value by partners from industry.Findings – The paper finds that, through the MRC and its partners, a national and international brand is being developed with respect to excellent research and to the transfer of research in the area of mobile solutions.Originality/value – This paper outlines technology and research activities in Bremen, which promotes itself as the mobile city, a trademark standing for innovation and supporting in innovative ways the necessary structural changes in the economy. It will be of interest to those in the field of R&D.

Innovation, Knowledge- and Technology Transfer Process Capability Model – innoSPICETM

The constant technological improvement of products, services, processes and work environment is a critical factor for the development of our economy and society. It strongly depends on the ability to develop knowledge and technology, to transfer it from the point of generation to the site of adaptation and application and to put the technology into use for the benefit of the acquirers and transferors. So far, there is no widely accepted, reliable, predictable and efficient method to evaluate to what extent an organization performs such activities, i.e., innovation, knowledge- and technology transfer (IKaTT). To cope with this problem, we propose to adopt a process-oriented point of view where outcome quality is achieved by the means of process quality. This paper introduces a SPICE conformant innovation, knowledge and technology transfer process capability model that reuses the existing capability dimension of ISO/IEC 15504 to assess knowledge and technology development, transfer and innovation.

An Approach to Development of an Application Dependent SPICE Conformant Process Capability Model

The Process capability modeling elaborated by the world-wide software engineering community during the last 25 years became a tool for systematization and codifying knowledge and experience of process oriented activities. This tool is designed to improve the predictability of activity results, i.e. process capability. Namely, ISO/IEC 15504 defines a process capability dimension and the requirements for any external process definition to be applicable process capability dimension. Enterprise SPICE defines a domain-independent integrated model for enterprise-wide assessments and pertinent improvement. On the other hand, any application domain contains application specific knowledge and experience that is not covered in width and depth by domain independent process modeling. The purpose of this paper is to address the problem of application dependent SPICE conformant process modeling integrated with application independent components. It will be illustrated with the developer processes of the innovation, knowledge and technology transfer process model innoSPICE.

The Open Wearable Computing Group

Between 2004 and 2009, the European Commission and 42 partners from 16 countries invested about 24 million Euros to empower mobile workers through the wearIT@work project. In addition to maintenance, production, healthcare, and emergency response, new application domains targeted included cultural heritage, a rural living lab for the prevention of environmental disasters, and wearable computing assistance for visually impaired persons. Industrial demonstrators, evaluations results, and an exploitation strategy were developed and published in a technology repository that indicates the maturity levels of the different components.

Wearable Computing - a new approach in Concurrent Enterprising

Wearable computing means a paradigm shift: instead of working at the computer users are supported by computing systems in their primary tasks. Thus wearable computing is ideal to develop new insight into the behaviour of the Concurrent Enterprise. Currently wearable computing is still a technology of niches and in a laboratory stage. However, with wearIT@work a project dedicated to applications was launched by the European Commission (EC IP 004216). The first 18 months of this project are over and demonstrators, evaluations and results are available. In this paper the concept of the project is briefly introduced and results are presented showing the impact of wearable computing for the Concurrent Enterprise. This impact is based on the cyclic and user centred design approach in developing the different pilot application demonstrators for the four application domains of maintenance, production, healthcare and emergency response.

Wearable Computing: Information and Communication Technology Supporting Mobile Workers (Wearable Computing: Informations- und Kommunikationstechnologie zur Unterstützung mobiler Arbeiter)

Summary The terms “Ubiquitous Computing”, “Wearable Computing”, and “Ambient Intelligence” are discussed and it is shown that the methodology of Living Labs will be crucial to the success of Wearable Computing. Research problems such as energy supply and power management, wearable user interfaces, context detection, and user acceptance and usability are described and illustrated by examples taken from the EU Integrated Project wearIT@work showing how Living Labs are used introducing the technology in practice. Zusammenfassung Die Begriffe „Ubiquitous Computing”, „Wearable Computing” und „Ambient Intelligence” werden gegenüber gestellt und es wird argumentiert, dass die Methode „Living Lab” kritisch für eine erfolgreiche Einführung des Wearable Computing in der Praxis ist. Forschungsfragen wie Stromversorgung, Benutzungsschnittstellen, Kontexterkennung und Akzeptanz durch die BenutzerInnen werden diskutiert und anhand des EU-integrierten Projekts wearIT@work wird der Nutzen von Living Labs für die Einführung in der Praxis an Beispielen erläutert.

Interseum - From Physical to Virtual Showrooms

Following the successful proven concept of small and specialized exhibitions (so called showrooms) run by research institutions as windows to scientific innovation, the network BONITA (a project financed by the INTERREG IV B – Baltic Sea Region) extends the physical showrooms to virtual ones. While the basic idea of the physical showroom is to have an attractive exhibition area for demonstrating cutting edge-technologies in a tangible and accessible fashion and transmitting technological knowledge between science and a region, the main idea of the virtual showroom is to have centralized access to several exhibits located in different places resulting in distributed knowledge and bridging the gap between the physical and virtual world of museums and showrooms and between the expert and the visitor. The presentation of what is now technically feasible should be just one aspect of the showroom. It should also create a connection to what is technically imaginable, whereby the visionary aspects of the technology are communicated. The combination of tangible benefits and interdisciplinary visions for the future is an exceeding interesting one. Firstly it allows specific innovations to find their way to market more quickly, since they gain a higher profile and are in the public eye. On the other hand, long-term trends can also be created interactively and discussed within different target groups.

Enterprise SPICE Extension for Smart Specialization Based Regional Innovation Strategy

Process capability modeling became a tool for the systematization and codification of knowledge for process oriented activities in various areas. Enterprise SPICE defines a domain independent integrated model for enterprise-wide assessment and continuous process improvement. This paper presents the use of a SPICE conformant application dependent process modeling to support a smart specialization based regional innovation strategy process. Smart specialization is the main approach for the development and implementation of innovation strategies to improve of European regions within the programming period 2014–2020 driven by EU structural funds. The work presented in this paper provides the details of the regional innovation strategy process capability assessment model that is designed as an extension of the Enterprise SPICE Model.

Showrooms as a Window to Science Based Innovation

Abstract Scientific results benefit from more tangible stakeholder communication. Showrooms are a tool to transform abstract scientific concepts into solution-oriented and less complex demonstrators. The basic idea of a showroom implies a smart expo and meeting place to demonstrate the latest technological developments in a comprehensive and interactive manner and to stimulate transfer of scientific results to practice. Presentation of new technologies can be an eye opener of what can already be done today. But it is just more than this as it can put discussion with interested stakeholders to a new level - allowing to think beyond this - paving the ground for innovation. This way a showroom stimulates very substantial discussion about future ideas with real involvement of industry and society. Involving the public via a showroom environment is also helpful for the diffusion of new ideas, leading to potential faster market take-up, when new solutions are put into reality. Furthermore the interaction with the public is a stimulus also for the scientist, raising a much better understanding about current and future needs. Capability is understood as a measure of the ability of an entity (organization, person, system) to achieve its objectives in relation to its overall mission professional science communication is part of the capability of, e.g., a university. Innovation capability in this sense refers to the ability of a set of regional stakeholders from academia, political authorities, public administrations and industry to innovate in synergy for economic and societal development – showrooms are an important tool to achieve this.