Course Number: IAT 451
Course Title: The Design of Ubiquitous Environments
Credit Hours: 3 Vector: 2-0-1 (lecture-tutorial-lab)
Course Description
Ubiquitous environments are those in which information and control services are available for casual use. The design of such environments requires in-depth understanding of patterns of use, user-centred design processes and knowledge of enabling technologies. This course covers all three areas, with particular emphasis on how technologies enable human action. The well-known example of a smart house is used to motivate and demonstrate how ubiquity can act as a design principle.
Prerequisite: Upper division standing.
Recommended: None.
Corequisite: none
Special Instructions: None.
Course(s) to be dropped if this course is approved:
None.
This is one of four core upper division courses in the Technology in Arts and Design (TAD) Stream. Together with the three other core courses it covers the key technologies and methodologies applied in the creative, design and other human-centred applications. Specifically, this course concentrates on technologies for the ubiquitous computing environments.
Will this be a required or elective course in the curriculum; probable enrolment when offered?
This is a core required course for the Technology in Arts and Design Stream. It is an elective for other streams. The expected registration would be 30 students per offering.
Indicate Semester and Year this course would be first offered and planned frequency of offering thereafter.
First offering: Spring 2006.
Which of your present CFL faculty have the expertise to offer this course? Will the course be taught by sessional or limited term faculty?
V. Kumar, M. Hatala, P. Polydorou, V. Kyrylov, B. Ben Youssef, T. Calvert, Rob Woodbury.
Are there any proposed student fees associated with this course other than tuition fees?
No.
Is this course considered a `duplicate' of any current or prior course under the University's duplicate course policy? Specify, as appropriate.
No.
Note: Senate has approved (S.93-11) that no new course should be approved by Senate until funding has been committed for necessary library materials. Each new course proposal must be accompanied by a library report and, if appropriate, confirmation that funding arrangements have been addressed.
Provide details on how existing instructional resources will be redistributed to accommodate this new course. For instance, will another course be eliminated or will the frequency of offering of other courses be reduced; are there changes in pedagogical style or class sizes that allow for this additional course offering.
This is a core component of the SIAT curriculum.
Does the course require specialized space or equipment not readily available in the department or university, and if so, how will these resources be provided?
No.
Does this course require computing resources (e.g. hardware, software, network wiring, use of computer laboratory space) and if so, describe how they will be provided.
The course requires access to a computer lab with standard systems software available from leading commercial vendors; some required packages are available as the Open Source applications. A modest amount of sensor, control and effector equipment will be required to demonstrate functions of a smart house. Access to shop facilities would be very useful for this course.
Systems overview: goals, precedent designs, typical architectures. (1 week)
User-centred design. How to discover what people find useful. (1 week)
Data communications systems. This includes treatment of mobile communication using Bluetooth, WiFi, PCS, infrared, etc and technologies for positioning (GPS). (3 weeks)
Networking. An overview of networking technologies both within the system and between the system and the outside world. (3 weeks)
Managing distributed computing resources. Operating systems basics, client-server programming, network programming, distributed platforms, security. (3 weeks)
Integrated ubiquitous systems. This provides a systematic view of all the previous material with the concentration on agent based problem solving and agent collaboration (e.g. in the robotic soccer). (3 weeks)
Project (Lab component)
For a course project the students may use devices and prototyping software such as MSP MAX, Basic stamp, AIBO, etc.
Project Objectives
Gain practical experience in the following:
“Connect” devices using one of the mobile communication technologies and apply their acquired knowledge of network programming
Investigate how data and computational resources are managed in particular distributed application
Evaluate wireless networking technology
Investigate how sensor data is integrated in a distributed system and evaluate data processing algorithms.
Grading will be based on performance in a mid-term exam and a team based course project.
We have yet to locate a single text that covers the range of topics addressed in this course. We aim to put together a course pack using reference material and other books on ubiquitous environments.