NeTS-WN: Collaborative Research: Mesh Networks for Under-Served Urban Communities: Engaging Users and Integrating Mobile Access and Health Sensing

该项目的驱动愿景是为资源不足的城市社区提供经济高效的无线网状网络、移动接入和包括健康检测在内的变革性应用程序。这一愿景将通过在资源不足的休斯顿社区部署的实验性无线网状网络来实现和测试，并向社区居民分发实验性移动设备。社区居民将参与人种学驱动的定性调查和分析，以更好地了解他们对无线基础设施的需求、使用情况和用户感知的性能。这个项目提供了一个前所未有的机会来全面研究无线系统的所有组件，从终端用户到网状回程。该项目将通过跨无线网络、移动计算和人种学技术的多学科方法，在(I)可预测和有弹性的网状网络服务的理论和开发，(Ii)可用和节能的移动接入的设计和部署，以及(Iii)在资源不足的城市社区中对用户影响的人种学评估方面做出基本贡献。该项目将产生优化无线移动计算和了解资源不足的城市社区的技术需求的新技术。在一个资源不足且主要是西班牙裔的休斯顿社区进行的试验性部署，将为其居民提供低成本的IT接入。它的成功将展示实现所有人负担得起的、经济上可持续的无线宽带接入的可能性。该项目将为少数族裔学生在大学和接受服务的社区提供机会。我们与社区领袖、设备制造商和医疗保健提供商的广泛合作将有助于为未来的IT部署转让技术和经验教训。

This project's driving vision is to provide under-resourced urban communities with cost-effective wireless mesh networks, mobile access, and transformational applications including health sensing. This vision will be realized and test-driven via a deployed experimental wireless mesh network in an under-resourced Houston community with experimental mobile devices distributed to community residents. Residents of the community will be engaged with ethnographically-driven qualitative inquiry and analysis to better understand their needs, usage, and user-perceived performance of the wireless infrastructure. This project presents an unprecedented opportunity to holistically study all components of a wireless system, from the end user to the mesh backhaul.With a multi-disciplinary approach spanning wireless networking, mobile computing, and ethnographic techniques, this project will make fundamental contributions in (i) theory and development of predictable and resilient mesh network services, (ii) design and deployment of usable and energy-efficient mobile access, and (iii) ethnographic evaluation of user impact in under-resourced urban communities.This project will produce new technologies for optimizing wireless mobile computing and understanding the technological needs of under-resourced urban communities. The experimental deployment in an under-resourced and primarily Hispanic Houston community will provide low-cost access to IT for its residents. Its success will demonstrate the possibility to achieve affordable, economically-sustainable, wireless broadband access for all. The project will offer opportunities for minority students in the universities and the served neighborhoods. Our extensive collaboration with community leaders, equipment manufacturers, and health-care providers will help transfer technologies and lessons for future IT deployments.