Page 33 - profile-ok

研究群 ｜ Research Laboratories

Network System and Service

Laboratory

Research Faculty Group Profile

Jan-Ming Ho The Network Systems and Services Laboratory has seven principle investigators: Ling-Jyh Chen, Intelligent Monitoring, Alert and Notification Another major empha- short. For this reason, one wants to build them from independently
Research Fellow Meng-Chang Chen, Sheng-Wei Chen, Tyng-Ruey Chuang, Jan-Ming Ho, Jane Liu, and Der-Nian sis of our research involves methods and tools for ensuring that the developed components and have them run in an open environment
Electrical Engineering and Computer Science , Yang. Our team collaborates on several joint projects under the common theme of user-centric symbiotic system consisting of a user-centric device and its user(s) on commodity platforms. RARMS aims to make this way of building
Northwestern University cyber-physical services. We also address several technical issues, including mobile computing, works safely (i.e., it never does any harm and all unavoidable errors time-sensitive robotic applications possible.
Ling-Jyh Chen social computing and quality of experience. Our research results have been published in major are either recoverable or tolerable). This problem is particularly criti- ● PLASH: Platform for Location Aware Service with Human Com-
Assistant Research Fellow conferences and journals. We also participate in the development and transfer of technologies to cal since most SISARL devices are semi-automatic, and may rely on putation
Computer Science , University of California at Los industry. A summary of our current activities is provided below. the user(s) to perform some mission-critical functions. This problem
Angeles is made more challenging by the fact that typical users are untrained, The PLASH project started in mid 2009. It takes a novel approach of
1. User-Centric Cyber-Physical Services
MengChang Chen and their skills vary widely among the user population and for an in- exploiting human computation for wireless-networked, location-
dividual user over time.
Research Fellow In a cyber-physical system (CPS), computing devices, sensors, and actuators coordinate with aware applications. Human computation uses massive groups of net-
Computer Science , University of California, Los each other and interact closely with the physical environment. CPS is a new area of research We are exploring the idea of having the device monitor user actions worked human beings and intelligent things to solve problems that
Angles that fuses together embedded and real-time systems, sensor devices and networks and hybrid at runtime. When the device detects user actions that may lead to computers cannot. A location aware/based application makes use of
control systems. User-centric (UC) devices and systems are used at the user’s discretion, do information on the geographical position(s) of mobile device(s) to
Sheng-Wei Chen what the user wants them to do, and work according to the user’s expectation. Examples in- violations of the underlying assumptions for its correct operations, it provide services that are impossible without location awareness. Ex-
Assistant Research Fellow clude many automation and assistive devices, and wireless-networked location-aware devices works with the user to correct the situation and prevent misuses that amples include the delivery of information on the whereabouts of a
Department of Electrical Engineering , National may have serious consequences. Thus far, we are attacking this prob-
Taiwan University and services for improving quality of life and enhancing societal wellbeing. On-going projects lem in an ad hoc manner, one device at a time. We need to be able to friend, or alerts about new bumps or accidents on the road. We want
in this area include UCAADS (User-Centric Automation and Assistive Devices and Systems) and translate general principles into design guidelines and rules, as well to explore how human computation can enhance the quantity and
Tyng-Ruey Chuang PLASH (Platform for Location Aware Services with Human Computation). quality of information for such services, and how to build services
Associate Research Fellow as working methods and tools. that are impossible without human computation.
Computer Science, New York University ● User-Centric Automation and Assistive Devices and Systems Technology Transfer Efforts Our work on UCAADS has prepared us for
Jane W. S. Liu The goal of UCAADS research is the advancement of technologies for building low-cost, high- two advanced development efforts: MeMDAS (Medication Manage- We are currently constructing a multi-layer middleware to support
smart mobile device platforms, including Andriod and iPhone. In par-
Chair Research Fellow quality personal and home automation and assistive devices and systems. We call these devices ment, Dispensing and Administration System) and RARMS (Robotic ticular, our platform aims to facilitate the use of human computation
Electrical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of and systems collectively SISARL (Sensor Information Systems for Active Retirees and Assisted Application Resource Management). The RARMS project is funded by
Technology Living), which is the name of the Academia Sinica thematic project in which this work began. ITRI. MeMDAS is a collaborative effort with the National Taiwan Uni- by diverse location aware/based application systems and services,
and thus simplify the complexity of such application systems. The
De-Nian yang Examples of SISARL include smart medication dispensers, autonomous home appliances and versity Hospital (NTUH) and ITRI Mechanical and Systems Research Communication Layer enables the use of various wireless technolo-
Assistant Research Fellow robotic helpers designed to help elderly individuals stay well and independent. Other SISARL Laboratories. It has been partially supported by NTUH since 2008. gies (e.g., WLAN, WiMax, and 3G) and communication structures (e.g,
Department of Electrical Engineering , National are automation and point-of-care tools for enhancing the quality and reducing the costs of Since July 2009, it is also partially funded by the one-year 經濟部科 Vehicle to Infrastructure, Vehicle to Vehicle, or Vehicle to Mobile de-
Taiwan University health and medical care. Below is an overview of our current research and advanced develop- 技研究發展專案. vice). The Data Layer is for data representation, storage, and access.
ment efforts. Details on these efforts and links to open source software can be found at the MeMDAS is a system of smart medication cabinets, mobile nursing The Service Layer aims to provide the basic building blocks for serv-
project homepage (http://SISARL.org). carts, and software tools for the purpose of preventing medication ices/applications. This layered architecture allows application build-
Middleware and Tools A common requirement of SISARL is that such a device must be flexible, dispensing and administration errors. One initial result is an intelli- ers to conveniently create their systems by simply using PLASH API’s
i.e., easily configurable, customizable, and capable of adapting to changes in the user’s needs gent nursing cart (iNuC). In addition to tools for bar-code controlled to access the Service Layer.
and skills. We have adopted the workflow paradigm to achieve greater flexibility and used medication administration and automatic patient record keeping, As case studies and for proof-of-concept and experimentation pur-
workflows in two innovative ways. One way is to use workflows as behavior specifications of iNuC provides its users with modern work and time management, in- poses, we have built several location-aware applications that use hu-
devices, user actions, and device-user interactions. In essence, these specifications are execut- telligent monitoring and alert tools, and a web portal to the hospital man computation. One example is “map’n track friends” (http://plash.
able device and user models. We use them to simulate devices and device-user interactions for information system. iNuC version 1.0 is now ready for experimental iis.sinica.edu.tw/Danny/*.action), which can run on both Android and
assessing the usability of devices and ensuring that the symbiotic system of device and user use by NTUH nursing staff. We are currently implementing software iPhone platforms. As its name implies, Map’n track friends is a loca-
works as desired. SISARL Simulation Environment was designed for this purpose. components that integrate iNuC with other components of MeMDAS, tion service that lets you keep track of the whereabouts of friends,
including a multi-user medication station server that manages medi-
We also adopt the workflow-based design and architecture for embedded devices and robots, cations in cabinets under its control and enforces bar-code control- family, and colleagues on a map. The system localizes you only when
using a workflow engine as middleware for the dynamic integration of reusable components. led medication dispensing. The capability of supporting concurrent the application is running. The system is secure via a two-way hand-
The light-weight Embedded Workflow Framework (EMWF) was built and is continuously en- dispensing by multiple users from the same station will be a distin- shake validation system: You must invite/request friends to be added
hanced for this purpose. We aim to make the enhanced version of EMWF suitable for a wide guishing feature of MeMDAS. The other distinguishing characteristic to your list and they must then accept your requests. You will be able
range of SISARL devices and systems. We are incorporating mechanisms for end-to-end re- is flexibility. The system is designed to be easily configured to sup- to see only friends who have accepted your requests, and vice-versa.
source and quality of service management, which will make EMWF capable of supporting real- port centralized, distributed, and hybrid dispensing processes and Another example is an application that allows voluntary users to up-
time system abstractions needed by time-critical cyber-physical systems and services. easily customized by individual departments and hospitals to follow load pictures taken while traveling. The system can use the collected
their own protocols. The MeMDAS software system and tools are built pictures and users’ traveling experiences as basis to recommend tour
around a workflow-based architecture. Their implementation on the routes to other drivers based on their locations and previous travel
Microsoft .NET Workflow Framework (WF) provides us with an invalu- routes. Finally, the cyber-physical social network system VProbe de-
able case study on the use of workflow-based designs for complex scribed later in the section on social sensing applications is an ex-
SISARL. We plan to replace WF with our own enhanced version of ample of novel applications that exploit the synergy between human
EMWF. computation and location awareness.
2. Mobile Computing Research
The RARMS project started in March 2010. Its goal is to establish a firm
foundation for a framework of real-time middleware and resource ● Networked Sensing Systems
management services. RARMS specifically targets service and social
robots (i.e. household automation devices, delivery robots and tour Our research focus is on networked sensing systems in hostile envi-
guides, physical therapy assistants, and so on). For these applications, ronments in which network contacts are intermittent, an end-to-end
it is important to keep development costs low and time-to-market path between the source and the destination rarely exists, disconnec-
32 33