During the project we will choose a number of reference scenarios to drive and help focus our research. The scenarios are not meant to be new: they are actually already investigated and solutions have been provided. However, as we mentioned, solutions are ad-hoc. Our purpose is to challenge the proposed general methodology to assess its potential benefits and validity. We briefly report here on some potential cases.
Consider the complexity involved in a public transportation system in a modern metropolis. Several (largely unrelated) organizations interact in order to produce value for their users, stakeholders, and even the general public not directly involved in the transportation services. Correspondingly, a plethora of information sources is available and people want to use them according to their availability and current goals. For example, a passenger at the bus stop could be interested in the data about itineraries and traffic, in order to plan her trip on her mobile phone. The bus stop and users are supposed to work together only for a limited amount of time, the elements (components) that define the software assembly (application) vary quite frequently, and the information the bus stop provides must be tailored on passengers' destinations and profiles. Users might also prefer trip data be presented on their mobile devices or displayed on the big screen near the bus stop and if too many passengers want their data on the display, the system must find suitable solutions to present them. Instead, bus drivers may be interested in traffic jams on their route and advice on alternatives: rerouting, however, would be possible only if no one is waiting at the skipped stops. We can also think of environmental monitoring applications, able to sense the air and react automatically if pollution becomes too high. Many reactions are actually possible, including re-routing traffic from the most polluted areas, but they should be selected with respect to the different actors involved. A traffic control application could consider the vehicles that enter and leave a specific area as active entities that signal their position, receive information about traffic congestions, and decide the best route to take. The same vehicles may also discover some new services provided by the context (e.g., availability of parking lots, automatic toll systems, or tourist information).
The concepts of situational software developed by SMScom can be applied also in other relevant practical cases, from the automation of the appliances of everyday use to assisted living for elderly or impaired people. Situations evolve continuously, and the supporting software cannot be re-designed, re-implemented, and re-configured every time. If the pathologies of an elder person become worse, doctors might decide they want to monitor new vital parameters and this information must be analyzed and sent to them automatically. A similar adaptation pattern may be exploited when a handicapped person, who uses a wheelchair, buys a new DVD player and wants to control it remotely through the joystick used to control his/her chair.
Since this is a research proposal, these are only a few examples of where the methods and tools targeted by SMScom may address societally relevant problems. SMScom does not identify test-beds and scenarios a-priori to demonstrate its applicability. Different case studies will be selected and used as appropriate throughout the project. The group, however, is also active in other research projects that ensure interaction with industry, government, and public administrations on more application-oriented testbeds. In particular, the group participates in FP7 projects like the SeCSE, Cascadas, SLA@SOI, Q-Impress, and in the S-CUBE research network, and through them can interact with the EU platform on services NESSI, which coordinates most of the advanced European initiatives in the area. Through this rich network of cooperations, SMScom will benefit both in terms of problem areas to focus on, trial experiments, and collaborations.
