Abstract. Distributed sensor networks offer many new capabilities for contextually monitoring environments. By making such systems mobile, we increase the application-space for the distributed network mainly by providing dynamic context-dependent deployment, continual relocatability, automatic node recovery, and a larger area of coverage. In existing models, the addition of actuation to the nodes has exacerbated three of the main problems with distributed systems: power usage, node size, and node complexity. In this paper we propose a solution to these problems in the form of parasitically actuated nodes that harvest their mobility and local navigational intelligence by selectively engaging and disengaging from mobile hosts in their environment. We analyze the performance of parasitically mobile distributed networks through software simulations and design, implement, and demonstrate hardware prototypes.

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This paper describes the design and architecture of the UbERBadge, a wireless sensor node and wearable display designed to facilitate group interaction in large meetings and acquire a wide range of data for analyzing social dynamics. The platform design and its application suite are described. Data is presented that shows the social patterns developing across large events and indicates that certain individual characteristics (interest, affiliation) can be determined from the sensor data from deployments of this system with groups of over 100 people.

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Abstract-Most visions of ubiquitous computing anticipate a world permeated by a dense sampling of sensors, many of which will be capable of capturing, analyzing, and transmitting personally relevant and potentially privacy-sensitive media, such as video, audio, and identification information. This paper describes a set of sensor platforms that we have designed to experiment with personalization, interaction, and control in such dense media capture environments.