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具有成本效益的无线网状网络、移动接入和包括健康传感在内的转型应用。这一愿景将通过部署在资源不足的休斯顿社区的实验性无线网状网络来实现和测试驱动，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，以更好地了解他们的需求、使用情况和用户对无线基础设施的感知性能。该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，从最终用户到网状回程。通过跨无线网络、移动计算和民族志技术的多学科方法，该项目将在以下方面做出根本性贡献：(i)可预测和弹性网状网络服务的理论和发展，（ii）可用和节能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民族志评估。该项目将产生优化无线移动计算的新技术，并了解资源不足的城市社区的技术需求。在资源不足且主要是西班牙裔的休斯顿社区进行试验部署，将为其居民提供低成本的IT接入。它的成功将证明为所有人实现负担得起的、经济上可持续的无线宽带接入的可能性。该项目将为大学和服务社区的少数民族学生提供机会。我们与社区领导人、设备制造商和医疗保健提供者的广泛合作将有助于为未来的IT部署转移技术和经验。

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.