Final Report Summary - TALOS (Task-aware-location-based services for mobile environments)
Executive summary:
Project ambition
The goal of TALOS is to design, develop and evaluate a complete framework that will enable the task-aware provision of content to mobile users. We bridge the gap between traditional location-based service (LBS) and general web content in that task computing will provide purposeful, rich, geo-enabled web content to mobile devices. The software framework will contain all the necessary programming tools, libraries, application programming interfaces (APIs), and authoring tools, to provide modularity and simple integration with existing solutions.
Project results
To achieve the overall ambition, the project has the following major achievements:
(1) Context aggregation
A context aggregation module, which captures the user's contextual attributes was implemented. It does so using:
(a) an iPhone compatible 'soft-GPS' wireless positioning component that enables the estimation of the current user's position in both indoors and outdoors environments without any need for specialised hardware (i.e. global positioning system (GPS)), internet connectivity or intervention of third-party carriers; and
(b) a wardriving server that captures information about the reachable WiFi networks.
(2) Task computing
Task computing is a relatively novel concept in regards to the design, implementation, and operation of computing environments, aiming to fill in the gap between tasks (i.e. what users want to do) and services (i.e. functionalities available to the user). The authoring tasks in TALOS are supported by the task ontology authoring tool (TOAT). The interface and the functionalities of TOAT are based (i) on the results of actual surveys - conducted by KU Leuven as well - involving both expert and non-expert users; and (ii) on the requirements defined by the small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
(3) Content and metadata
A content repository has been implemented that allows for efficient manipulation of content to provide it for whatever device and form necessary. This repository includes a content conversion methodology and database-based content repository.
A web-based content manipulation interface for the repository provides the basic means for any content manipulation as well as metadata authoring including annotation of content with tasks. Specifically, the interface consists of:
(a) a browser-based interface implemented in Ruby-on-Rails and Javascript, provides for full-fledged text manipulation of the content stored in the repository;
(b) a task annotation tool that allows for linking of content to tasks;
(c) a geocoding toolkit; and
(d) a web scraping framework.
(4) Prototypes
The above components and their outputs have been put together forming the TALOS system. The TALOS system has two output channels, which result in two prototypes, namely a task-aware travel guide, in an eBook form, and a mobile travel guide, designed for the Apple iPhone platform.
The first prototype is a portal website that allows travellers to buy or select a MMV travel guide of their choice. The second prototype consists of a mobile travel guide for the iPhone platform. The mobile travel guide offers data extracted from the back-end server in various representations, through task-based interfaces. The mobile travel guide includes four modes of operation, namely, the activities, eBook, map, and diary mode.
Conclusions
The aim of TALOS was to make LBS more user friendly by structuring content around tasks, i.e. what users want to do in a given context. As such the project has resulted in the following four major results:
(a) wireless positioning technology;
(b) flexible content management technology;
(c) task;
(d) prototypes.
The technology developed in TALOS can be used for a wide range of applications and potential exploitation targets as the SME partners have diverse business interests and thus needs with respect to the project.
Contact details: Dr Dieter Pfoser
Research Academic Computer Technology Institute
Davaki, 10
GR-11526 Athens
pfoser@cti.gr
http://www.talos.cti.gr
Project ambition
The goal of TALOS is to design, develop and evaluate a complete framework that will enable the task-aware provision of content to mobile users. We bridge the gap between traditional location-based service (LBS) and general web content in that task computing will provide purposeful, rich, geo-enabled web content to mobile devices. The software framework will contain all the necessary programming tools, libraries, application programming interfaces (APIs), and authoring tools, to provide modularity and simple integration with existing solutions.
Project results
To achieve the overall ambition, the project has the following major achievements:
(1) Context aggregation
A context aggregation module, which captures the user's contextual attributes was implemented. It does so using:
(a) an iPhone compatible 'soft-GPS' wireless positioning component that enables the estimation of the current user's position in both indoors and outdoors environments without any need for specialised hardware (i.e. global positioning system (GPS)), internet connectivity or intervention of third-party carriers; and
(b) a wardriving server that captures information about the reachable WiFi networks.
(2) Task computing
Task computing is a relatively novel concept in regards to the design, implementation, and operation of computing environments, aiming to fill in the gap between tasks (i.e. what users want to do) and services (i.e. functionalities available to the user). The authoring tasks in TALOS are supported by the task ontology authoring tool (TOAT). The interface and the functionalities of TOAT are based (i) on the results of actual surveys - conducted by KU Leuven as well - involving both expert and non-expert users; and (ii) on the requirements defined by the small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
(3) Content and metadata
A content repository has been implemented that allows for efficient manipulation of content to provide it for whatever device and form necessary. This repository includes a content conversion methodology and database-based content repository.
A web-based content manipulation interface for the repository provides the basic means for any content manipulation as well as metadata authoring including annotation of content with tasks. Specifically, the interface consists of:
(a) a browser-based interface implemented in Ruby-on-Rails and Javascript, provides for full-fledged text manipulation of the content stored in the repository;
(b) a task annotation tool that allows for linking of content to tasks;
(c) a geocoding toolkit; and
(d) a web scraping framework.
(4) Prototypes
The above components and their outputs have been put together forming the TALOS system. The TALOS system has two output channels, which result in two prototypes, namely a task-aware travel guide, in an eBook form, and a mobile travel guide, designed for the Apple iPhone platform.
The first prototype is a portal website that allows travellers to buy or select a MMV travel guide of their choice. The second prototype consists of a mobile travel guide for the iPhone platform. The mobile travel guide offers data extracted from the back-end server in various representations, through task-based interfaces. The mobile travel guide includes four modes of operation, namely, the activities, eBook, map, and diary mode.
Conclusions
The aim of TALOS was to make LBS more user friendly by structuring content around tasks, i.e. what users want to do in a given context. As such the project has resulted in the following four major results:
(a) wireless positioning technology;
(b) flexible content management technology;
(c) task;
(d) prototypes.
The technology developed in TALOS can be used for a wide range of applications and potential exploitation targets as the SME partners have diverse business interests and thus needs with respect to the project.
Contact details: Dr Dieter Pfoser
Research Academic Computer Technology Institute
Davaki, 10
GR-11526 Athens
pfoser@cti.gr
http://www.talos.cti.gr
