Explaining our work

Our Research Group creates innovation related to the so-called Intelligent Environment systems, which according to one of the pioneers in this area, Prof. Vic Callaghan, can be defined as follows:

“An Intelligent Environment is one in which the actions of numerous networked controllers (controlling different aspects of an environment) is orchestrated by self-programming pre-emptive processes (e.g., intelligent software agents) in such a way as to create an interactive holistic functionality that enhances occupants experiences.”

We do research which has impact on technical areas such as Smart Homes, Context-awareness, Ambient Intelligence, Ambient Assisted Living, Intelligent Environments, Smart Environments, Pervasive Computing, Ubiquitous Computing, Person-Centric Computing. 

We deploy sensing equiment and create software to provide services which help humans in practical situations.   Our areas of higher interest and expertise is on the use of technology to improve: health and well-being (e.g., through the concept of Smart Homes and mobile apps), to improve education (e.g., through the concepts of Smart Classrooms and Smart Campus) and services for citizens at work and other dimensions of daily life (e.g., through the concept of Smart Meetings and  Smart Cities).

Our group creates innovation in this area guided by the ethos that Intelligent Environments should be consistent with the following principles:

P1) to be intelligent to recognize a situation where it can help.

P2) to be sensible to recognize when it is allowed to offer help.

P3) to deliver help according to the needs and preferences of those which is helping.

P4) to achieve its goals without demanding from the user/s technical knowledge to benefit from its help.

P5) to preserve privacy of the user/s.

P6) to prioritize safety of the user/s at all times.

P7) to have autonomous behaviour.

P8) to be able to operate without forcing changes on the look and feel of the environment or on the normal routines of the environment inhabitants.

P9) to adhere to the principle that the user is in command and the computer obeys, and not viceversa.

as they were outlined in:

Intelligent Environments: a manifesto. Juan C. Augusto, Vic Callaghan, Achilles Kameas, Diane Cook, Ichiro Satoh. Human-centric Computing and Information Sciences, 3:12, 2013. 2013. Springer.     DOI: 10.1186/2192-1962-3-12 URL: http://www.hcis-journal.com/content/3/1/12