UVa Bus.NET: enhancing user experiences on smart devices through context-aware computing

The compact, mobile device, such as the PocketPC, is often regarded as little more than a handy, smaller "portal" by which to access information kept on larger back-end machines such as exchange servers and WWW servers. However, the true value of the device may ultimately result from more sophisticated approaches by which the device can fully recognize and change its behavior based on its context, such as location, remaining battery life, available networking, and user preferences. We present "UVa Bus.NET", a testbed at the University of Virginia for developing and evaluating general, context-aware, mobile solutions. We use .NET, .NET Compact Framework, GPS-enabled devices, and wireless networking inside buildings to notify students and professors of impending appointments and class meetings, give directions to their next appointment, and even direct them to the real-time location of the most appropriate bus to catch. The longer-term goals of UVa Bus.NET are also presented: to provide a more predictable experience to mobile device users by hiding and otherwise managing resource limitations.