ETH Zurich : Computer Science : Pervasive Computing : Distributed Systems : Education : Student Projects : Abstract

Adaptive User Interfaces for Smart Things (B)

Status: Abgeschlossen

In our efforts to create an ecosystem of smart things that communicate and interact using Web patterns like Representation State Transfer (REST) and protocols (e.g., HTTP), we are currently constructing multiple prototypes of Web-enabled devices (e.g., thermostats, candles, screen controllers). To support interaction within an environment consisting of such devices, we are constructing a back-end infrastructure that allows to find and semantically discover smart things' functionality and the services they offer. These semantic descriptions could in particular contain information on what kind of physical input/output interface a device implements (e.g., a knob, a switch, a gauge). Using such data, a mobile device could render a user interface on-the-fly and depending on the specific type of smart thing the user wishes to interact with.

The goal of this project is to design a system that allows a mobile device to understand the physical interaction interfaces of smart things and to map these to its local control and displaying capabilities. For every Web-enabled thing a user wishes to interact with, the mobile device shall display an interface adapted to the specific functionality and data provided by the smart device. As a first step, it will be necessary to propose a semantic description format that could be used to model physical interactions with smart devices. Multiple use cases that incorporate Web-enabled devices already available in our group shall be defined. Finally, a software prototype for mobile devices shall be implemented.