CIE PROJECTS
UBI (UrBan Interactions)
UBI is a large multi-disciplinary research program comprising of multiple subprojects. The main goal of the UBI program is to build a functional prototype of future ubiquitous city in Oulu. This involves deploying new urban computing infrastructure, developing the UBI Open Urban Service Network API and a set of functional prototype applications and services, which are empirically evaluated in form of field trials in true environment of use.
To learn more about the whole UBI program and its subprojects RealUbi, UbiCity, UbiGo, UBI Anthropos, please visit the program web site.
Timo Ojala, professor
MediaTeam, University of Oulu
timo.ojala@ee.oulu.fi
Affective Human-Robot Interaction
The objective of the project is to develop leading edge solutions for affective human-robot interaction (HRI) in advanced Ubicom environments. An intelligent robot should be able to detect and identify the user in order to personalize its services and guarantee security.
Furthermore, it should recognize user’s emotions to allow affective interaction, and be able to communicate easily with the user to understand given commands by recognizing speech and gestures. The robot should also learn to change its behaviour according to the user and his/her emotional state.
Matti Pietikäinen, Professor
Department of Electrical and Information Engineering, University of Oulu
matti.pietikainen@ee.oulu.fi
Neo Arena
Neo Arena is an extensive digital media research and development project, where applicable technology and functional content is being developed for a multichannel distribution environment. In addition, Neo Arena tests the commercial feasibility of a multichannel distribution platform and tries to work out the legal prerequisites of multichannel distribution from the point of view of copyrights.
Neo Arena started in 2006. Since those days, there have been over 50 content production, technology and R&D professionals involved. The project is coordinated by Oulu University of Applied Sciences.
Kimmo Paajanen
Oulu University of Applied Sciences
kimmo.paajanen@oamk.fi
Smart Urban Spaces
The SUS project aims to bring suitable design frameworks and urban standards to enable European cities to introduce seamlessly the most advanced mobile technologies in new interoperable eservices. The project brings together committed city organizations to offer pilot sites for the project, technology and service providers as well as researches.
In addition to technology development and integration effort, the main focus is to introduce application demonstrators and piloting the solutions. Eventually, the SUS project aims to provide a European wide technology platform for service development and delivery.
Tuomo Tuikka
VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland
tuomo.tuikka@vtt.fi
Octopus
Octopus Network –When commercial networks are not enough. Octopus Network offers an authentic and independent testing environment. We provide our customers a closed operator to develop and test mobile applications and technologies.
Octopus has created a testbed for mobile solutions which works like a real commercial operator network – yet in closed environment. The core of the testing services is a private carrier-grade environment, functioning in multi-access radio network. Testbed and services can be reached from all over the world through IP and radio networks with roaming capabilities. In addition to technology environment Octopus provides support throughout the development and testing process. Support includes configuration of the testing network to suit our customer´s test case, as well as technical problem solving, traffic reports and traces during the testing.
www.octo.fiSchool of the Future
The world has changed, so have pupils and learning. The School of the Future program targets to meet these challenges by rethinking teacher profession, leadership, support services, learning technology and learning environments.
The program consists of several development projects that provide new information for construction of new schools, renovation of old schools and transformation of operational culture. The development focuses on changing both traditional and virtual spaces and learning environments. The program builds concrete examples how to develop pedagogical models and reform the prevailing operational culture to better correspond our current society in general. School of the Future focuses on the pupils and the skills and knowledge they need. Future learning environment project is carried out as a part of the School of the Future program. The aim of the Future learning environment project is to create 3D game-like learning environment by utilizing realXtend free open source virtual world platform. The outcomes of the project are 1) communal atrium space for networking 2) functional learning space for team and individual learning 3) personal earning space and possibility to personalize your learning.
Pasi Mattila
City of Oulu
pasi.mattila@ouka.fi
InnoMajakka
InnoMajakka is a joint project of Oulu University of Applied Sciences and University of Oulu. Activities in practise include e.g. seminars on innovation related subjects and learning by developing, as well as research and practical development processes around challenges faced by small and medium-sized companies.
All this contributes to a closer co-operation of higher education institutions and other organizations around Oulu region, and also to enhanced innovation activities.
Sanna Poikkimäki
Oulu University of Applied Sciences
sanna.poikkimaki@oamk.fi
FUTURE PROJECTS
Smart cities
Common open platforms have become major priorities in the development of internet-based services. In this trend cities have gained an important role. Many cities in Europe and across the world invest significantly in these infrastructures to become “smart cities”. It is necessary that cities connect, share best practices, join forces and exploit synergies to become the pathfinders for the new wave of technologies and services.
Through being networked across Europe, Living Labs can bridge language barriers and expose the cross-border similarities and differences - a crucial element to take into account if platforms and services are to succeed. With a broad technological expertise, the Living Labs assess the socio-economic implications of new technological solutions by validating innovative services, business models, processes and value networks. The “smart cities” pilots under consideration would combine all three of the following synergistic elements: 1) User-driven open innovation, 2) connected smart cities, and 3) Internet-based services. CIE with its partners in Oulu will be actively involved in “Smart Cities” program to be started in 2010. Stay tuned for more information in February and the call for project partners in spring time 2010!
CIE RESEARCH
The research conducted at CIE focuses on the following core competence areas.
OPENHigh-growth internet business (HIB)
HIB focuses on concept development and analysing implemented product/service concepts from business ecosystem point of view. The applied research is based on case analysis and development of state of the art processes for innovation, spin-offs and early stage venture capital funding.
The initial research questions of HIB are:
- Future business ecosystems (companies, consumers, business models, networks)
- Marketing innovations facilitated by the future Internet development
- Best practices and methods in modelling and business value measurement?
- Critical factors, mechanisms and incentives in technology diffusion, adoption and new business creation?
OPENHuman-media internet interaction (HMI)
HMI focuses on interaction between humans and rich media future Internet including virtualization technologies for places, people and things, user interfaces and experience. The research aims on understanding human activity, from a variety of perspectives, all of which seek to provide useful and pertinent observations on human action examining how people accomplish their goals – with and through other people, and at times, other media. This approach provides a distinct perspective that encompasses many of the key issues being faced by computing technology developers today – issues such as awareness, context, interaction, engagement, emotion.
The initial research themes of HMI are:
- Social interaction and networking
- Accessing and managing content
- Interactive spaces
- Personal digital content
- Trust, privacy and security
OPENInternet service systems (ISS)
ISS focuses on social networks and methods, including next generation web systems, identity, security and new forms of communication from technology point of view. This calls for multidisciplinary and cross-layer research spanning from the physical layer to the application layer. The research targets to combine iteratively technology-led basic research and application-led applied research. The technology-led research is carried out because it’s interesting or challenging from a purely technical perspective. It produces new knowledge and technology which can open up new possibilities for applications. The application-led research is driven by a domain-specific problem, which is approached by deploying and evaluating proof of concept prototypes via the living lab process. This in turn generates feedback and requirements for the technology-led research.
The initial research themes of ISS are:
- Mobile Internet.
- Everyday Internet.
- Community-coordinated service-oriented systems.
- Internet as a video distribution and consumption environment.
OPENLiving lab (LL)
LL will provide a real test ground for companies to speed up their product development time to market. CIE Living Lab targets to be more than a laboratory – real end users will be involved. LL will generate natural feedback loop to development from user community. Living Labs set-up will be created from existing test beds Octopus and PanOulu. New capabilities will be built for concrete use cases, wireless appliances and new services. LL is not only a network environment but it will also provide capabilities to support and generate communities for live service verification. LL will support multiple trial projects under one umbrella with concentrate investments.
The initial activities under LL are:
- Co-ordinating, upgrading and building service infrastructure to enable Living Lab functionality, performance and support capabilities including test user communities etc.
- Creation of user communities on top of concrete LL platform for service concept development and validation.
OPENUbiquitous internet technologies (UIT)
UIT focuses on future Internet networking & access technologies and multimedia & service driven appliances. The emphasis on the work is on mobile wireless internet and device-to-device communication, Internet of Things. The UIT SRA research programs will seeks an appropriate balance between evolutionary and truly high risk - high gain revolutionary research.
The initial research themes of UIT are:
- Low power wireless sensor networking and devices
- Mobility driven future Internet architectures
- Multi-technology smart wireless networking