Smarcos Newsletter 4 Issue
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The SMARCOS newsletter issue from March 2012 provides an update on the project's progress over its second year, focusing on interconnectivity and usability of embedded systems. It highlights collaboration with new Finnish companies, successful user interaction methodologies, and the development of tools for context-aware functionalities. The newsletter also summarizes dissemination activities, including participation in events and production of promotional materials to enhance project visibility.
Smarcos Newsletter 4 Issue
- 1. ISSUE 4 March 2012 IN THIS ISSUE: The Smarcos newsletter covers the Consortium activities around the project. This fourth issue reviews Smarcos progress during the second year of the project (March 2011 - 2012) Introduction Progress Overview Introduction The Smarcos Consortium aims to help users of interconnected embedded systems by ensuring their interusability. Our results will be applicable to all embedded systems that interact with their users, which is a substantial fraction of today’s market. This fourth issue contains valuable and updated information on Smarcos work-packages (WP) progress and latest results. It ´s highly relevant to mention that the Smarcos Consortium has reinforced its expertise from 2012 with the joining of 3 new Finish companies: IXONOS, NEMEIN & OFFCODE. This newsletter edition covers also main dissemination activities: latest events, presentations and new promotion materials. SMARCOS has also jointly participated within the ATC 2011 (Artemis Technological Conference 2011) with SOFIA and CHIRON projects and prepare with them materials
- 2. ISSUE 4 March 2012 Progress Overview and evaluation. A prototyping tool is being SMARCOS has had a productive second year, developed for different aspects of inter- the project has progress fluently and any usability as well as using the scenarios from deviation have been overcome and dealt with the Smarcos applications domains to the efficiently by the Consortium. Thanks to the approach of the developed methods hard work invested by project partners, whom evaluation. were busy working on the different aspects to be researched and developed, many benefits have been drawn from the targets accomplished, which have set the scenario to build on for the last period of the project. The progress is analyzed below listing the benefits achieved, making special emphasis on what has been done and how is being done: User Interaction thoughtful Analysis User friendly multiple device system methodology UI focus on establishing experimental design methods not based on traditional concepts: User’s context knowledge and feedback on multiple devices, involving large number of performance was obtained in an unobtrusive user stories/situations, a set of research manner, calculating context-tailored advice methods were used, from interviews to and feedback on performance from this surveying and from design workshops to sensed context and presenting advice as well benchmarking of existing services and as feedback about the user’s performance in products. several health domains in a user-friendly way. To overcome these challenges, a system is Inter-usable UI interfaces and context- devised that uses sensing devices that the based functionalities models user is already using; a mobile phone, a computer, a television, a pill dispenser, an These models enable the support for multiple activity monitor. These devices are connected interaction modalities and multitude of to one Smarcos system, where they share devices, seamless context negations and UI their information. adaptation mechanisms Previous proposal was extended to better address the issues raised by multi-device environments, with particular attention to the aspects necessary to model the scenarios considered in the applications Development-cycle of inter-usable systems span & evaluation of developed methods and tools The development of tools for processing both, design and runtime enabling quick and cost efficient functionalities for UI composition and context processing. The main focus was on the three stages of development phase: design-time, run-time
- 3. ISSUE 4 March 2012 Cross-project cooperation & extension of Development validation, evaluation of the expected dissemination activities context-based awareness cue and users techniques The project results were disseminated through a great variety of channels and To achieve a seamless and ‘natural’ resources were produced to support the interaction between the employed technology project at different events. and its users, with the main objective of enhancing and enriching their lives. The work has been carried out iteratively in rapid cycles of concept creation, design, implementation and testing. All major developments are incrementally validated in small scale trials. Brand new devices built & marketable products results Pilots will provide the basis for several marketable products. Research of forefront technologies and progress in the development has led to technological evolution of the current pilots. Several Smarcos has achieved cross-project technologies were integrated in the pilots, collaboration (mainly with SOFIA and including those to implement long-distance CHIRON projects) a number of events, communication using proprietary technology conferences and workshop had been in the Vehicles pilot; those to allow the attended were the project was presented interaction of visually-impaired people with and was able to reach a wider audience. a smart phone; and several to improve the Material such as a brochure, posters, videos, cartographical features of the Aviation pilot. etc. has been produced to reinforce the Smarcos message. All of them are available through the project website at www.smarcos-project.eu) and social networks: - Facebook:www.facebook.com/smarcospr oject.eu - Twitter: @smarcosproject. This newsletter is published every six months. It informs the members of the Smarcos and the general public about the progress of the project. Contact: Dr. Jani Mäntyjärvi (Jani.Mantyjarvi@vtt.fi) Any questions or suggestions? Please contact us! //www.smarcos-project.eu/
- 4. ISSUE 4 March 2012