Virtual Board
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Pervasive Computing is a research area dealing with embedded systems, real-time and distributed computing. A major topic is the diffusion of digital elements into a real-world environment, enriching it with 'smart' artifacts that provide new, more natural interaction paradigms.
Enhancing commonplace appliances with computing power and the ability to transmit data over wireless links creates a perspective, where interaction with all things over global networks becomes a reality.
Cellular phone networks are today the socially most influential networks. These have been in use mainly as a means for point-to-point communication, or for one-way information flows. Another restriction imposes the fact that both ends have to be ready for communication simultanously. |
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We have overcome this barrier and enhanced cellular phone networks to evolve into an asynchronous multi-user communication medium by incorporating projection displays in public areas as an asynchronous, visual broadcast medium.
The Virtual Board is a wireless messaging- and notification system and demonstrates the use of GSM/GPRS networks for multi-user communicaton.
A digital pen resembling its analog ancestors can be used to 'write' messages to (virtual) boards in lecture rooms, public display areas or billboards.
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A variant using normal GSM-telephones is in use since autumn 2000 at University of Linz, where students may post questions in lectures with large boards. It has proven as a precious tool for supporting the communication between teacher and students.
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notebook reacts to events issued by a communication layer, in this case a GSM-Modem, and displays incoming messages for public discussion.
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In the news:
Oberösterreichische Nachrichten
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University of Linz |
2007