Interacting with the ubiquitous computer

Laboratory testing is essential in understanding the fatigue durability limits of a medical device. Only a limited number of tests, however, are feasible considering the time and cost of manufacturing and testing the device. Many geometries and materials are available as design alternatives and testing is typically constrained to a limited number of devices. Additionally, physical test method capability typically has limitations and uncertainty for such breath of design alternatives. The time and cost is greatly magnified if the designs do not meet the durability test requirements. This leads to an important question, “How do we combine results from the laboratory testing of similar designs and similar materials with state-of-the-art computational methods to create the best possible understanding of the design space?” The Virtual Life Management® (VLM) methodology accomplishes this by creating a Virtual Design of Experiment: a computational method that combines structural analysis (FEA) data, material characterization models and probabilistic methods.For a specific Context of Use, using a computational approach, a) the structural analysis (FEA) models are used to understand the effect of the boundary conditions and loads on the stresses, stress gradients and stressed volumes, b) the material models are used to understand the damage induced by the stresses, and c) probabilistic and Monte Carlo methods are used to extend the design of experiment to high reliability levels and understand the design space at the statistical tails of the durability distribution i.e., Minimum Device Lifetime. The sensitivity of the minimum lifetime to the design parameter will be different than the sensitive at nominal lifetimes. Only by predicting the tails of the distribution can we quantify the durability of the design in the marketplace. This process is pictorially depicted in Fig. 1.Boston Scientific has been working with VEXTEC to create probabilistic microstructural material models for computational strength prediction and then combining these with structural analysis (FEA) and Virtual Life Management to predict risk i.e., probability of failure of a device. Two specific devices and Contexts of Use include: a) pacemaker leads made of MP35N material subject to two amplitudes of bending fatigue and b) endoscopic airway stent made of Nitinol material subject to a crushing load to represent stent deformation depicting a cough. For the airway stent effort, VLM was able to estimate the fatigue lifetime of stent design before stent is manufactured and tested. The simulation was able to show difference in average fatigue lifetime for two Nitinol alloy lots with different inclusion contents (and both complied with the specification (ASTM2063-05)). This was confirmed by the few (∼10) experiments completed. Significantly, VLM was able to predict a large difference for the −3σ fatigue lifetime for the two flavors of Nitinol. (Experimentally this would have required a large number of tests.) For the pacemaker leads project, VLM was able to characterize the lead design as a function of material microstructure (grain size, inclusion size and density) while using residual stress as a calibrating parameter (shown in Fig. 2). This study was able to demonstrate VLM's ability to iterate with material substitution, vendor management, sensitivity analysis, design trade studies and design optimization. To summarize, merging material science with computational methods opens a whole new level of engineering capabilities specifically uncertainty quantification and probabilistic distributions associated with microstructural characterization; a key step in supporting the verification and validation framework being developed by the ASME V&V 40 standard for medical devices.Although the work to date is early stage, the favorable results have provided confidence in the methodology and toolset; and insight to the potential application in the formal medical device product development process.

A particular vision of ubiquitous computing is offered to contribute to the burgeoning, dominant interaction paradigm in human-computer interaction (HCI). An engaged vision of ubiquitous computing (UbiComp) can take advantage of natural human abilities and tendencies for interaction. The HCI literature is reviewed to provide a brief overview of promising interaction styles and paradigms in order to situate them within ubiquitous computing. Embodied interaction is introduced as a key theoretical framework for moving UbiComp forward as an engaged interaction paradigm.Keywordsubiquitous computingHCIembodied interactiontangible interaction

The vision of ubiquitous computing is about numerous devices embedded in our every-day environment, designed to serve humans in a non-obtrusive manner while minimizing the required user attention. These devices are expected to seamlessly monitor context changes and adapt their behavior and functionality to maximize the user benefit. However, designing the self-adaptive logic of such systems is far from trivial. This paper discusses a utility function-based approach for specifying the adaptive behavior of component-based context-aware systems. Although this approach allows for completely autonomous self-adaptive behavior, it also leverages potential user feedback by adjusting and optimizing its behavior. It is argued that this approach provides significant improvement to the adaptive behavior of a system while maintaining the required user attention to a minimum. At the same time, it keeps the complexity involved in the development of such context-aware, self-adaptive applications to a reasonably low level.

The article is devoted to the methodological analysis of the concept of “popular science event”. The study begins with a bibliometric analysis of publications from Russian Science Citation Index and scientific electronic library eLIBRARY.RU, selected by the search prescription “popular science event”. The main research method was the analysis of the flow of publications related to the thematic area “popular science events” from January 1, 2008 to September 14, 2023. A total of 75 relevant articles were selected for the research topic. Based on the general bibliometric indicators of the selection of publications on the topic of popular science events, conclusions were drawn about the local nature of the analyzed topic. The greatest interest in this topic was aroused by specialists in the field of pedagogy, cultural studies and economics. In general, this area of activity is now relevant, but it is not sufficiently developed in methodological terms. There is no definition of this concept in publications, however, due to the development of communicative practices in which the genre of popular science event is used, its introduction into the terminological range is required. Therefore, the next stage of the research is the operationalization of the concept under study. The greatest attention is paid to the analysis of publications from the field of library science. The dictionary articles devoted to the interpretation of the main component of the considered concept “event”, including the specific context of use — “library event”, are also regarded. Popular science events held in libraries have different goals, objectives, content and composition of participants. Depending on the content of the listed characteristics, such events become important for self-education of people and assistance to the scientific community in popularization of science.The article may be useful for specialists whose work is related to the organization of popular science events in libraries and popularization of scientific knowledge in general.

Analyses of word-meaning can usually be divided into those which assign a meaning to a word IN ISOLATION FROM a specific context of use, and those which regard the meaning of a word as being largely, if not entirely, DEPENDENT UPON a specific context of use. The ultimate expression of the latter ‘polysemantic’ approach is probably that of the later Wittgenstein who argued that ‘every difference in a word’s use is a consequence of and evidence for a difference in its meaning’ (Wertheimer, 1972: 49). One recent example of the former ‘monosemantic’ approach is that of Bolinger (1977) whose stated purpose is to ‘reaffirm the old principle that the natural condition of a language is to preserve one form for one meaning, and one meaning for one form’ (p. x); also, the proponents of lexicalism are likewise ‘monosemantic’ in inclination in that they stress the primacy of lexical units over the syntactic relations which exist between them. Both these approaches have their advocates, and it should be stated at the outset that neither is necessarily right or wrong; each can only be judged according to whether the phenomena it is used to interpret are thereby illuminated.

Image grid display: A study on automatic scrolling presentation

This paper provides an overview of the human-centered vision of Ubiquitous Computing and draws on research examining slowly emerging problems over a long-term time frame in the emerging Ubiquitous Computing environment. A six-phase process employing scenario planning, electronic focus groups, and problem assessment surveys harnessed the insight of 165 individuals from diverse backgrounds and regions throughout the State of Hawaii. Distinct differences were found between the problem identification of specialists (policy makers and systems designers) and nonspecialists (everyday citizens), and there were significant differences found in the problem assessment between groups. The greatest differences in both phases emerged from social and psychological issues related to the emerging Ubiquitous Computing environment. It is argued that in addition to enormous technical changes, Ubiquitous Computing will serve to blur sociotechnical boundaries throughout the environment, challenging existing distinctions between humans and machine intelligences. As the potential for extending human capabilities via computing and communications technology is actualized in coming decades, what it means to be human will be a major source of public policy conflicts, and the early identification of problems related to these changes is essential in order to mitigate their impacts and socially negotiate a more desirable future.

The ability of new medical devices and technology to demonstrate safety and effectiveness, and consequently acquire regulatory approval, has been dependent on benchtop, in vitro, and in vivo evidence and experimentation. Regulatory agencies have recently begun accepting computational models and simulations as credible evidence for virtual clinical trials and medical device development. However, it is crucial that any computational model undergo rigorous verification and validation activities to attain credibility for its context of use before it can be accepted for regulatory submission. Several recently published numerical models of the human spine were considered for their implementation of various comparators as a means of model validation. The comparators used in each published model were examined and classified as either an engineering or natural comparator. Further, a method of scoring the comparators was developed based on guidelines from ASME V&V40 and the draft guidance from the US FDA, and used to evaluate the pertinence of each comparator in model validation. Thus, this review article aimed to score the various comparators used to validate numerical models of the spine in order to examine the comparator's ability to lend credibility towards computational models of the spine for specific contexts of use.

Our life is characterized by the presence of a multitude of interactive devices and smart objects exploited for disparate goals in different contexts of use. Thus, it is impossible for application developers to predict at design time the devices and objects users will exploit, how they will be arranged, and in which situations and for which objectives they will be used. For such reasons, it is important to make end users able to easily and autonomously personalize the behaviour of their Internet of Things applications, so that they can better comply with their specific expectations. In this paper, we present a method and a set of tools that allow end users without programming experience to customize the context-dependent behaviour of their Web applications through the specification of trigger-action rules. The environment is able to support end-user specification of more flexible behaviour than what can be done with existing commercial tools, and it also includes an underlying infrastructure able to detect the possible contextual changes in order to achieve the desired behaviour. The resulting set of tools is able to support the dynamic creation and execution of personalized application versions more suitable for users’ needs in specific contexts of use. Thus, it represents a contribution to obtaining low threshold/high ceiling environments. We also report on an example application in the home automation domain, and a user study that has provided useful positive feedback.

The seminar was composed of workshops and tutorials on head-mounted eye tracking, egocentric vision, optics, and head-mounted displays. The seminar welcomed 30 academic and industry researchers from Europe, the US, and Asia with a diverse background, including wearable and ubiquitous computing, computer vision, developmental psychology, optics, and human-computer interaction. In contrast to several previous Dagstuhl seminars, we used an ignite talk format to reduce the time of talks to one half-day and to leave the rest of the week for hands-on sessions, group work, general discussions, and socialising. The key results of this seminar are 1) the identification of key research challenges and summaries of breakout groups on multimodal eyewear computing, egocentric vision, security and privacy issues, skill augmentation and task guidance, eyewear computing for gaming, as well as prototyping of VR applications, 2) a list of datasets and research tools for eyewear computing, 3) three small-scale datasets recorded during the seminar, 4) an article in ACM Interactions entitled Eyewear Computers for Human-Computer as well as 5) two follow-up workshops on Egocentric Perception, Interaction, and at the European Conference on Computer Vision (ECCV) as well as Eyewear at the ACM International Joint Conference on Pervasive and Ubiquitous Computing (UbiComp).

Interacting with the Web of Things

The main focus of this research will be on pervasive computing. Pervasive computing, (also called ubiquitous computing) is the growing trend towards embedding microprocessors in everyday objects so they can communicate information. Pervasive computing devices are completely connected and constantly available. Throughout this research pervasive computing will be defined, examples will be provided, and we will discuss it’s relevancy as time goes forward. Towards the end of our research we will provide an idea that could ease the human experience with respect to pervasive computing.

Purpose This paper aims to explore the challenges and opportunities of cryptocurrency adoption in Tunisia, focusing on the perspectives of users and professionals. Specifically, it seeks to investigate the underlying factors influencing the adoption and usage of cryptocurrencies in the Tunisian context, including regulatory, technological and socio-economic considerations. By conducting a comprehensive analysis of the motivations, perceptions and experiences of cryptocurrency users and professionals, this research aims to provide valuable insights into the dynamics of cryptocurrency adoption in emerging markets. Through a nuanced examination of these factors, the study ultimately seeks to inform policy decisions, industry practices and future research directions aimed at fostering the responsible and sustainable integration of cryptocurrencies and blockchain technologies into the Tunisian economy. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative approach was used, combining 18 in-depth interviews with professionals alongside netnographic research conducted within two Facebook groups and a Discord group. Data analysis was carried out using T-LAB Plus 2022 software to identify key barriers and motivations to cryptocurrency adoption. Findings The findings reveal four distinct categories of cryptocurrency enthusiasts, along with the primary obstacles to adoption, including regulatory uncertainty, risks of fraud and theft and legal ambiguity. Motivations for adoption include revolutionary sentiments, profit-driven motives and peer influence. Furthermore, blockchain technology is recognized for its potential to enhance transparency and drive economic growth in Tunisia, particularly in sectors such as finance, agriculture and public services. The study reveals key differences between users and professionals in cryptocurrency and blockchain adoption. Users are driven by revolutionary goals and financial gain, while professionals emphasize risks, regulatory ambiguity and the need for clear legal frameworks. This contrast underscores the need for balanced policies that consider both perspectives. Research limitations/implications Limitations of this research include the small sample size due to data confidentiality and the difficulty in recruiting cryptocurrency holders, many of whom were hesitant to participate due to legal concerns. A future quantitative study could further explore these findings and broaden the generalizability of the conclusions, particularly concerning blockchain technology’s potential to drive economic growth. Practical implications The findings of this study highlight the need for regulatory clarity and consumer protection measures to foster trust and legitimacy in the cryptocurrency and blockchain markets in Tunisia. Additionally, educational initiatives and support for blockchain-based projects could promote innovation and economic growth in the region. Social implications Addressing the barriers to cryptocurrency adoption could have significant social implications, including increased financial inclusion, economic empowerment and technological advancement in Tunisia. By fostering an environment conducive to cryptocurrency and blockchain use, the country could position itself as a hub for digital innovation in the region. Originality/value This study offers a unique insight into cryptocurrency adoption in Tunisia, exploring user perspectives in an emerging market facing structural challenges. By comparing user experiences with professional insights, it also sheds light on the divergent views within the ecosystem, offering a comprehensive understanding of the barriers and opportunities in cryptocurrency adoption.

Knowledge-based programs provide an abstract level of description of protocols in which agent actions are related to their states of knowledge. The paper describes how epistemic model checking technology may be applied to discover and verify concrete implementations based on this abstract level of description. The details of the implementations depend on the specific context of use of the protocol. The knowledge-based approach enables the implementations to be optimized relative to these conditions of use. The approach is illustrated using extensions of the Dining Cryptographers protocol, a security protocol for anonymous broadcast.KeywordsFormal methodsanonymitymodel checking

Blockchain-Based Architectures for the Internet of Things: A Survey