AMBIENT AND PERVASIVE TECHNOLOGY DESIGNING SAFEGUARDS FOR VULNERABLE USERS BY TARYN RICHARSON & MELANIE FLETCHER

AMBIENT AND PERVASIVE TECHNOLOGYDESIGNING SAFEGUARDS FOR

VULNERABLE USERSBY TARYN RICHARSON & MELANIE

FLETCHER

pervasive Technology can be defined as technology that is designed to change attitudes or behaviours by using

technology.

AMBIENT AND PERVASIVE TECHNOLOGY

DESIGNING SAFEGUARDS FOR VULNERABLE USERS

‘convergence of information technology and cognitive science’ Verbeek (2009) ‘smart environments that are able to respond intelligently to what we do’ Verbeek (2009) ‘even aim to influence our behaviour’ Verbeek (2009) Ham et al. (2009) research suggests ambient and pervasive technology can influence behaviours and attitudes.

Ambient and pervasive Technology……

AMBIENT AND PERVASIVE TECHNOLOGY

DESIGNING SAFEGUARDS FOR VULNERABLE USERS

Electronic conference tools

Wikis Blog Internet SMS

Electronic communication tools

Examples of Ambient and Pervasive Technology being used today……

Ellen returns home after a long day's work. At the front door she is recognized by an intelligent surveillance camera, the door alarm is switched off, and the door unlocks and opens. When she enters the hall the house map indicates that her husband Peter is at an art fair in Paris, and that her daughter Charlotte is in the children's playroom, where she is playing with an interactive screen. The remote children surveillance service is notified that she is at home, and subsequently the on-line connection is switched off. When she enters the kitchen the family memo frame lights up to indicate that there are new messages. The shopping list that has been composed needs confirmation before it is sent to the supermarket for delivery. There is also a message notifying that the home information system has found new information on the semantic Web about economic holiday cottages with sea sight in Spain. She briefly connects to the playroom to say hello to Charlotte, and her video picture automatically appears on the flat screen that is currently used by Charlotte. Next, she connects to Peter at the art fair in Paris. He shows her through his contact lens camera some of the sculptures he intends to buy, and she confirms his choice. In the mean time she selects one of the displayed menus that indicate what can be prepared with the food that is currently available from the pantry and the refrigerator. Next, she switches to the video on demand channel to watch the latest news program. Through the follow me she switches over to the flat screen in the bedroom where she is going to have her personalized workout session. Later that evening, after Peter has returned home, they are chatting with a friend in the living room with their personalized ambient lighting switched on. They watch the virtual presenter that informs them about the programs and the information that have been recorded by the home storage server earlier that day. Wikipedia (2012)

Scenario……

AMBIENT AND PERVASIVE TECHNOLOGY

DESIGNING SAFEGUARDS FOR VULNERABLE USERS

WhereaboutsClock………..

o Displays the general whereabouts of family members using cell phone data.

o Works by transmitting a SMS from a personal mobile device or a personal computer when a member moves into a registered zone e.g. School or Work.

o Easy to read interface, designed to be viewed at a glance.

o The display is “always on” and can only be viewed from the home.

o It shows only that a family member is at “home”, at “work or school”, or “out”, as precise location isn’t necessary for the purpose of planning a meal, knowing someone is on their way home, or being reassured a child is at school.

Microsoft Corporation 2012, Whereabouts Clock, viewed 25 May 2012, Retrieved from http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/groups/sds/whereabouts_clock.aspx

AMBIENT AND PERVASIVE TECHNOLOGY

DESIGNING SAFEGUARDS FOR VULNERABLE USERS

Digital Jewellery…Bluetooth wireless technology

Unobtrusive Hardware:• Smaller Devices• Nano Technology• Smart Devices• Sensors

Computing Infrastructure:• Networks• Service oriented architecture

Dynamic Device Networks:• Easily controllable• Easily programmable

(End user can program their own device)

Context Awareness

Dependable and Secure Devices

AMBIENT AND PERVASIVE TECHNOLOGY

DESIGNING SAFEGUARDS FOR VULNERABLE USERS

Key Technologies Required

Ambient and pervasive devices or systems are increasing in popularity.

New contexts for communication between users.

An example is the eSense project which uses ambient technologies through wireless devices and networks. eg. Mood based services and textures.

This new technology imposes increased risks on the users.

AMBIENT AND PERVASIVE TECHNOLOGY

DESIGNING SAFEGUARDS FOR VULNERABLE USERS

“The social consequences of a large scale deployment of

ambient and pervasive technologies are as yet

completely unknown” Clarke (2007)

The Development of Ambient……

Ambient devices are the new form of communication.

Enables users to share feelings and moods using wearable devices.

Track movements of others, capturing medical and environmental data remotely.

AMBIENT AND PERVASIVE TECHNOLOGY

DESIGNING SAFEGUARDS FOR VULNERABLE USERS

“Ambient intelligences is beyond the current 3G mobile

communications systems through the use of wireless sensor

networks (WSN)” Clarke (2007)

The communications architecture of New ambient systems……

People who use this technology may find new and creative uses.

Uses for this technology will go beyond what the developers could ever have imagined.

Through development there is the risk of misuse but this can lead to successful innovation

On the other hand misuse by dysfunctional people can lead to an avenue that provides opportunities to seek or prey on the young and vulnerable.

The potential for misuse of Ambient Technologies……

ETSI (European Telecommunications Standards Institute) monitors issues related to ICT products and services used by youth.

ETSI along with other companies are concerned of adequate security and safeguard features in ambient and pervasive technology.

The most vulnerable young people were identified at between the ages of 4 and 12.

It was identified that most of the cohort were using products and services aimed at adults.

Therefore ETSI focused on producing new guidelines for designers.

AMBIENT AND PERVASIVE TECHNOLOGY

DESIGNING SAFEGUARDS FOR VULNERABLE USERS

ETSI: ISSUE AMONG YOUTH……

The safeguards for vulnerable users is still in the beginning stagesIn order to safeguard these vulnerable users it is essential to be

aware of difficulties experienced in the past and learn from this.In order to do this it is vital that there be heavy encryption of data

flowsAdditional security features and secure transfer of data between

devices.Prevention of insecure communications

AMBIENT AND PERVASIVE TECHNOLOGY

DESIGNING SAFEGUARDS FOR VULNERABLE USERS

Added Safeguards for vulnerable user……

This allows users to exchange information between two devices.Adult to adult exchange or parent to child exchangeOpens the door to enormous risks if hackers fraudulently intercept

the data flow. Opens the door to risks of identity theft.Today our children are a generation of technology so the risk to them

being victims of technology misuse is high.They also can be the instigators of misuse for example bullying peers

or abuse of adults such as teachers etc

AMBIENT AND PERVASIVE TECHNOLOGY

DESIGNING SAFEGUARDS FOR VULNERABLE USERS

The risks e.g. Digital Jewellery……

Make strong safeguards a high priority in the design and development stages.

Don’t rush a prototype make safeguards a priority.Develop strong encryptions on transmitted data.Self regulate guidelines to better safeguard young users.As part of the design process, have technologies tested

and have designers undertake a social impact assessment.

AMBIENT AND PERVASIVE TECHNOLOGY

DESIGNING SAFEGUARDS FOR VULNERABLE USERS

Designing Safeguards……

• Ambient and pervasive technology could have repercussions on our most vulnerable, children.

• But it does provide vital opportunities in the way of quality of life

• It is therefore imperative that we focus on ethics, safety, reliability and privacy.

• Ethics, safety, reliability and privacy should accompany the development and implementation of new technology.

• Designers, programmers, users, and policy makers should have adequate education in perceiving and assessing the impacts of technology.

Conclusion….

AMBIENT AND PERVASIVE TECHNOLOGY

DESIGNING SAFEGUARDS FOR VULNERABLE USERS

Clarke, A 2007, Ambient and Pervasive Technology Designing Safeguards For Vulnerable Users, Interactions, Reading 7, Victoria University, Melbourne, viewed 01 April 2012, retrieved from vu

Ham, J Midden, C Beute, F 2009, Can ambient pervasive technology persuade unconsciously?: using subliminal feedback to influence energy consumption ratings of household appliances, ACM Digital Library, viewed 24th May 2012, http://dl.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=1541988

Verbeek, P 2009, Ambien Intelligence and pervasive Technology: The Blurring Boundaries Between Human and Technology, Nanoethics, Springer, viewed 24 May 2012, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2837215/

Wikipedia 2012, Ambient Intelligence, Wikimedia Foundation Inc, viewed 21st May 2012, retrieved from www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ambient_intelligence

References……