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2009-01-21

Engineer Hopes Cars Will Drive Us to Work Some Day

New Brunswick Business Journal (Canada) (01/19/09) Mullin, Kyle

University of New Brunswick researchers led by professor Howard Li are developing cars capable of driving themselves. Li says one of the first steps is to take detailed pictures of sharp turns, deer, pedestrians, and other obstacles and program those images into a simulator so the system learns what objects to avoid. He says the biggest challenge is developing the right algorithms to allow thousands of smart cars to be compatible on the road and avoid collisions with each other. "We obviously can't use thousands of vehicles to test artificial intelligence compatibility," he says. "We'll use computer simulations to test it and write computer simulations of multiple cars working together." Li says the technology is likely decades away from being used in commercial cars. However, he says there will be breakthroughs made as part of the process that could lead to sensors that prevent accidents by warning drivers of potential dangers. The technology also could be used to save lives in Afghanistan by helping troops avoid hazards. Li says artificial intelligence technology could be used to automate vehicles for tasks such as snow removal, city transit, assembly lines, and farming. "The robotics market is growing 40 percent every year," he says. "This is a field that's going to keep growing and evolving, and one day it will be as common for every family as owning a PC is today."

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A Search Engine for Virtual World Users

University of Teesside (01/09/09)

Researchers at the United Kingdom's University of Teesside are developing Meta-Mole, a dedicated searchable online resource for virtual worlds on the Internet. Meta-Mole users will be able to share and compare information and gain access to the core, technical, and specialist features of virtual worlds. "We were analyzing virtual-world platforms and realized that there doesn't appear to be a comprehensive service offering to list and compare key data for major two-dimensional and three-dimensional environments," says Philip McClenaghan with Teesside's Center for Design in the Digital Economy (D-LAB), which is based in the Institute of Digital Innovation. Meta-Mole relies on data provided by platform developers, and D-LAB researchers want it to accommodate all platforms. The digital industry, firms looking for a platform for new business opportunities, and academia all stand to benefit from Meta-Mole, McClenaghan says.

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Networked Embedded System Middleware Speeds Up the Development of Innovative Systems

Fraunhofer Institute (01/20/09) Deeg, Alex

The Fraunhofer Institutes for Applied Information Technology and Secure Information Technology has developed context aware middleware that is designed to help in the manufacturing of intelligent environments. The institute's Hydra project developed a Networked Embedded System Middleware for Heterogeneous Physical Devices that will help manufacturers and system integrators in combining and connecting devices that can work together in cost-effective and flexible solutions. "A main issue in the Hydra project is networking a broad range of heterogeneous devices," says project coordinator Markus Eisenhauer. "The middleware makes it easy for developers to integrate additional devices and sensors into a distributed infrastructure. And it helps them take care of privacy and security requirements." The Hydra middleware supports several operating systems and programming languages, and can be used in a broad range of applications. To improve security, the middleware minimizes information exchange and the mechanisms needed for secure communication. To demonstrate its use, the researchers created a small model building equipped with sensors that send short messages to alert users to a technical defect. The model includes a situation in which a sensor detects humidity inside the house's heating system and alerts inhabitants by calling a mobile phone and orders an emergency repair request at a service company.

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2009-01-23

Searching for Pervasive Computing's Middleware Middleman

Missouri University of Science and Technology (01/15/09)

The middleware concept could be the key to pervasive computing, says Missouri University of Science and Technology (S&T) professor Ali Hurson. Hurson says that a middleware solution could be used to connect devices that would take on a greater role in the daily affairs of humans. Hurson is currently involved in an airport security project that would have a middleware application serve as the intermediary for cameras, chemical-sniffing devices, and motion sensors. The middleware program would be connected to the databases and information networks of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the National Security Administration, and local police, and would warn law enforcement agencies of any suspicious activity at airports. Hurson says sensors are capable of adapting to different uses because of their flexible design, and software agents could potentially be used to spread throughout a network and remotely reprogram nodes. "These networks have been created in isolation," he says. "Now we want to establish interoperability to serve future applications." Hurson also wants to create a pervasive computing laboratory at Missouri S&T.

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