Abstract
The processing capabilities of mobile devices coupled with portable and wearable sensors provide the basis for new context-aware services and applications tailored to the user environment and daily activities. In this article, we describe the approach developed within the UPCASE project, which makes use of sensors available in the mobile device as well as sensors externally connected via Bluetooth to provide user contexts. We describe the system architecture from sensor data acquisition to feature extraction, context inference and the publication of context information in web-centered servers that support well-known social networking services. In the current prototype, context inference is based on decision trees to learn and to identify contexts dynamically at run-time, but the middleware allows the integration of different inference engines if necessary. Experimental results in a real-world setting suggest that the proposed solution is a promising approach to provide user context to local mobile applications as well as to network-level applications such as social networking services.

Abstract
Embedded systems are considered one of the areas with more potential for future innovations. Two embedded fields that will most certainly take a primary role in future innovations are mobile robotics and mobile computing. Mobile robots and smartphones are growing in number and functionalities, becoming a presence in our daily life. In this paper, we study the current feasibility of a smartphone to execute navigation algorithms and provide autonomous control, e.g., for a mobile robot. We tested four navigation problems: Mapping, Localization, Simultaneous Localization and Mapping, and Path Planning. We selected representative algorithms for the navigation problems, developed them in J2ME, and performed tests on the field. Results show the current mobile Java capacity for executing computationally demanding algorithms and reveal the real possibility of using smartphones for autonomous navigation.

Abstract
The ubiquity of communication devices such as smartphones has led to the emergence of context-aware services that are able to respond to specific user activities or contexts. These services allow communication providers to develop new, added-value services for a wide range of applications such as social networking, elderly care and near-emergency early warning systems. At the core of these services is the ability to detect specific physical settings or the context a user is in, using either internal or external sensors. For example, using built-in accelerometers, it is possible to determine whether a user is walking or running at a specific time of day. By correlating this knowledge with GPS data, it is possible to provide specific information services to users with similar daily routines. This article presents a survey of the techniques for extracting this activity information from raw accelerometer data. The techniques that can be implemented in mobile devices range from classical signal processing techniques such as FFT to contemporary string-based methods. We present experimental results to compare and evaluate the accuracy of the various techniques using real data sets collected from daily activities.

Abstract

Abstract
The goal of the project "SmartVision: active vision for the blind" is to develop a small and portable but intelligent and reliable system for assisting the blind and visually impaired while navigating autonomously, both outdoor and indoor. In this paper we present an overview of the prototype, design issues, and its different modules which integrate a GIS with GPS, Wi-Fi, RFID tags and computer vision. The prototype addresses global navigation by following known landmarks, local navigation with path tracking and obstacle avoidance, and object recognition. The system does not replace the white cane, but extends it beyond its reach. The userfriendly interface consists of a 4-button hand-held box, a vibration actuator in the handle of the cane, and speech synthesis. A future version may also employ active RFID tags for marking navigation landmarks, and speech recognition may complement speech synthesis.

Abstract
Nowadays virtual communities are spread all over the web, providing users a cyber-place to share a common purpose and interact with each other around the world. These environments face new challenges in order to provide their users with better tools to interact and fulfill the environment's goals. In this context we propose a model to create regulated interaction environments based on the theater metaphor: the Social Theatres. A multi-layer software architecture (ASTeaS) was developed to support this web-based interaction model, allowing easy construction of such social interaction spaces and adaptation to users' devices. In this paper we discuss the usage of interaction regulation in virtual environments supported by the Social Theatres model, evaluating the users interaction in case study scenarios. © 2010 IEEE.