Adaptive Systems for Collaboration in Multi-mode Mobile Environments

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This research will advance the state of the art in groupware along two dimensions, both motivated by mobility: (1) It will automate management of groupware tasks, subject to policies and guidelines provided by the participants and in response to changes in group configuration; the process will be made possible by the development of appropriate formalizations, protocols, and metrics. (2) It will develop a software infrastructure tailored to groupware in dynamic wireless environments and capable of multi-mode operation, i.e., in a nomadic manner when connected to infrastructure networks through a gateway or in an ad hoc manner when there are no external resources available. Central to the approach is the concept of knowledge management, whereby knowledge of the environment, other devices, and software capabilities is collected and traded by different mobile devices within the system with the overall aim of increasing each mobile device's understanding of the physical and computational environment that it perceives. This knowledge can then be used to enhance the capabilities of each entity within the system, and therefore by extension the collaborative behavior supported by the system itself.The key technical contribution of this work is the introduction of groupware into the realm of mobile ad hoc networks and the automation of fundamental groupware processes. The dynamism of wireless ad hoc networks makes infeasible simple ports of current groupware technology, geared for reliable wired systems. In fact, the very notion of groupware needs to be reexamined and new algorithms and protocols that accommodate mobility need to be considered. Automation of groupware processes also introduces its own challenges since complex tasks, actions, information flows, work flows, contingency plans and much more need to be described in a machine decipherable format. Additionally, the element of uncertainty, ever present in mobile networks, further adds to the challenge of developing reliable algorithms and metrics. Groupware encompasses a broad range of software technologies that facilitate human collaboration, ranging from simple e-mail and bulletin board services to shared whiteboards and videoconferencing. Today, groupware technology is on the cusp of a revolution, one that is being driven primarily by the incredible pace of development of mobile device technology that has transformed cellular phones and PDAs into viable portable computers and, by extension, into next generation platforms for groupware. Blending mobility with groupware technology will establish a foundation for ambitious new applications that will facilitate and manage the coordinated behavior of groups of people. Responding to catastrophes such as chemical spills, conducting geological surveys of remote areas, and even managing a community of robots exploring a remote planet are only a few examples of the many complex, highly coordinated activities that will benefit from this approach. The project will also mentor doctoral students, channel undergraduates towards doctoral programs, and contribute to public understanding of science and technology through an ongoing collaborative effort with the St. Louis Science Center.