I got stuck writing one of my chapters today because I suddenly couldn't see the purpose of a section of 'mobile computing' in the overall scope of my thesis. Why did I need such a section, when it is obvious that context-aware computing is most often implemented as mobile computing? And what points other than this should I bring out? I wrote something about mobile technologies and infrastructures (well, the lack of) but I erased most of it again. I described the many different types of mobility that research has to deal with, such as mobile but having a base and mobile, doing work while walking/moving etc. I finally gave up, decided to deal with the chapter later and biked home through Copenhagen, secretly wishing that Denmark will lose the football/soccer match tonight (sorry!). That would make my night's sleep a lot better; last time Denmark won, people were cheering and partying right outside my window until four in the morning.
Posted by Louise at June 27, 2004 06:30 PMWell, one angle to help might be to consider *why* it is the case that most context-aware computing is done in the context of mobile computing? When you think about it, it doesn't make much sense, really. That is, there is no particular reason why "location" (or any of its cognates) should be the most relevant contextual category.
Just a thought: Isn't a ticket terminal at the train station context-aware (or at least fitted to its context)? Information terminals at the tourist office? Book search terminals at the library?
If they seem like strange examples, I think it is because "context-aware" signals an opposition to:
1) Universal and mobile devices such as a laptop.
2) Task-specific and stationary devices such as the terminal mentioned above.
So "context-aware" always indicates something mobile and dynamically adapted to a specific task?
Posted by: Jesper at June 29, 2004 06:08 PMWell, thanks for the comments Paul, they inspired me and I decided to rewrite the section a bit (when I can reach my document!).
As for context-aware things I wrote today that there are several approaches to this type of 'computing': the strictly information focused, based on the notion that a situation is quantifiable at each point in time and the more contextual (!) which propose that context is fluctuating and impossible to capture by technology but qualifiable by humans. I assume that the ticket terminal is developed to the overall context and thereby designed with thought to the social human situation (height, functionality etc.) but since it does not adapt to a changing situation (changes height to support tall or short people, only clips half a clip for poor people) it is not context-aware in the classic sense. So to echo Paul's comment, no, context-aware computing does not need to be mobile, you just have to use your imagination :-)
Posted by: Louise at June 29, 2004 10:20 PM