CSE 535 – Mobile Computing
Lecture 2: An Overview of Mobile
Computing: Part I – Motivation and
Challenges
Sandeep K. S. Gupta
School of Computing and
Informatics
Arizona State University
Agenda
Introduction to Mobile Computing
Introduction to Wireless Sensor Networking
and Applications
Mobile Computing
The need for "information anywhere anytime" has been
a driving force for the increasing growth in Web and
Internet technology, wireless communication, and
portable computing devices.
The field of mobile computing is the merger of these
advances in computing and communication with the
aim of providing seamless and ubiquitous computing
environment for mobile users.
Mobile computing techniques are essential for enabling
distributed and net-centric applications which require
remote and ubiquitous information access.
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Mobile Computing Challenges
Mobile computing environments are characterized by
severe resource constraints and frequent changes in
operating conditions.
This has led to many new and challenging problems
which span several areas of computer science such as
incorporation of support for mobility in network
protocols, development of efficient and adaptive
resource management techniques for wireless
bandwidth and battery power, predicting mobility
patterns, performance modeling and simulation of
mobile applications, and supporting mobile real-time
multimedia applications.
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MC - Fundamentals
Mobile Computing => Adaptive Computing and
Communication
Cross-Layer approach is need for
Adaptation
Conserving resources such as energy
Mobile computing is distinct from distributed
computing
Mobile computing is an essential component of
Ubiquitous computing.
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Mobility and Adaptability
1. Resource Poor
2. Less Secure
Mobile Systems ! ! Dynamic Adaptation
3. Poor Connectivity
4. Less Energy
Application
QoS
(re) negotitation
System
Fig: Dynamic Adaptation
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Example Adaptive Approaches
Approach 1: Combine solutions with different optimality
ranges/performance characteristics.
Approach 2: Treat change in system state as a transient fault
and use the techniques of designing fault-tolerant protocols
Approach 3: Dynamically monitor the system state and use the
solution which is suitable for the current system state.
Many others - ….
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Promises of Mobile Computing
Global information services at any time from any
location
Mobile users as integrated consumers and
producers of data and information
Ubiquitous computing where mobile computers
become an integral part of daily activities
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Mobile Applications
Expected to create an entire new class of
Applications
new massive markets in conjunction with the Web
Mobile Information Appliances - combining personal
computing and consumer electronics
Applications:
Vertical: vehicle dispatching, tracking, point of sale,
information service (yellow pages), Law
enforcement
Horizontal: mail enabled applications, filtered
information provision, collaborative computing…
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Vertical Applications
l Serve a narrow, niche application domain
– Services dispatch (taxi, fire, police, trucking)
– Sales tracking (point of sale, market trends)
– Mail and package tracking (courier, postal)
Relatively easy to implement due to
restrictions and assumptions
– homogeneous MUs
– limited numbers of users
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Horizontal Applications
Broad, domain-independent applications serving a
mass-market
– Electronic Mail and News
– Yellow Pages Directory Services
– Multimedia Merchant Catalogs
– Digital Libraries
– Location-based Information Filtering
Driving force of mobile computing research
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Medical Example
911 Call
Ambulance arrives/departs
Closest hospital
Access patient records
Send vital signs
Update patient records
Page hospital personnel
Order medical supplies
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Party on Friday
Update Smart Phone’s calendar with
guests names.
Make a note to order food from Dinner-
on-Wheels.
Update shopping list based on the
guests drinking preferences.
Don’t forget to swipe that last can of
beer’s UPS label.
The shopping list is always up-to-date.
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Party on Friday
AutoPC detects a near Supermarket that advertises
sales.
It accesses the shopping list and your calendar on the
Smart Phone.
It informs you the soda and beer are on sale, and
reminds you.
that your next appointment is in 1 hour.
There is enough time based on the latest traffic report.
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Party on Friday
TGIF…
Smart Phone reminds you that you need to order
food by noon.
It downloads the Dinner-on-Wheels menu from
the Web on your PC with the guests’ preferences
marked.
It sends the shopping list to your
CO-OP’s PC.
Everything will be delivered by the time
you get home in the evening.
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Wireless Networks
PDA
MOBILE HOST
WIRELESS LAN CELL
2Kbps - 15Mbps
BASE
STATION FIXED
BASE HOST
WIRELESS RADIO CELL
STATION
9Kbps - 14Kbps
FIXED NETWORK
BASE
STATION
Mbps to Gbps
BASE
STATION
PDA
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Wireless Networks
Cellular - GSM (Europe+), TDMA & CDMA (US)
FM: 1.2-9.6 Kbps; Digital: 9.6-14.4 Kbps (ISDN-like services)
Cellular Subscribers in the United States:
90,000 in 1984; 4.4 million in 1990;
13 million in 1994; 120 million in 2000; 187.6 million by 2004
(Cahner In-State Group Report).
Handheld computer market will grow to $1.77 billion by 2002
Public Packet Radio - Proprietary
19.2 Kbps (raw), 9.6 Kbps (effective)
Private and Share Mobile Radio
Paging Networks – typically one-way communication
low receiving power consumption
Satellites – wide-area coverage (GEOS, MEOS, LEOS)
LEOS: 2.4 Kbps (uplink), 4.8Kbps (downlink)
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Wireless Networks (Cont.)
Wireless Local Area Networks
IEEE 802.11 Wireless LAN Standard based systems, e.g.,
Lucent WaveLan.
Radio or Infrared frequencies: 1.2 Kbps-15 Mbps
Packet Data Networks
ARDIS
RAM
Cellular Digital Packet Data (CDPD)
Private Networks
Public safety, UPS.
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Wireless Local Area Network
Data services: IP packets
Coverage Area: Offices, buildings, campuses
Roaming: Within deployed systems
Internet access: via LAN.
Type of services: Data at near LAN speed.
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Wireless Characteristics
Variant Connectivity
Low bandwidth and reliability
Frequent disconnections
predictable or sudden
Asymmetric Communication
Broadcast medium
Monetarily expensive
Charges per connection or per message/packet
Connectivity may be weak, intermittent and expensive
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Portable Information Devices
PDAs, Personal Communicators
Light, small and durable to be easily carried around
dumb terminals [InfoPad, ParcTab projects],
palmtops, wristwatch PC/Phone, walkstations
run on AA+ /Ni-Cd/Li-Ion batteries
may be diskless
I/O devices: Mouse is out, Pen is in
wireless connection to information networks
either infrared or cellular phone
specialized HW (for compression/encryption)
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Portability Characteristics
Battery power restrictions
transmit/receive, disk spinning, display, CPUs,
memory consume power
Battery lifetime will see very small increase
need energy efficient hardware (CPUs, memory) and
system software
planned disconnections - doze mode
Power consumption vs. resource utilization
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Portability Characteristics
Resource constraints
Mobile computers are resource poor
Reduce program size – interpret script languages (Mobile
Java?)
Computation and communication load cannot be distributed
equally
Small screen sizes
Asymmetry between static and mobile computers
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Mobility Characteristics
Location changes
location management - cost to locate is added to
communication
Heterogeneity in services
bandwidth restrictions and variability
Dynamic replication of data
data and services follow users
Querying data - location-based responses
Security and authentication
System configuration is no longer static
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What Needs to be Reexamined?
Operating systems
File systems
Database systems
Programming Languages
Communication architecture and protocols
Hardware and architecture
Real-Time, multimedia, QoS
Security
Application requirements and design
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Limitations of Wireless Sensors
Wireless sensor nodes have many limitations:
Modest processing power – 8 MHz
Very little storage – a few hundred kilobits
Short communication range – consumes a lot of
power
Small form factor – several mm3
Minimal energy – constrains protocols
Batteries have a finite lifetime
Passive devices provide little energy
Some Sample Applications
Industrial and Commercial Uses
Inventory Tracking – RFID
Automated Machinery Monitoring
Smart Home or Smart Office
Energy Conservation
Automated Lighting
Military Surveillance and Troop Support
Chemical or Biological Weapons Detection
Enemy Troop Tracking
Traffic Management and Monitoring
Sensor-Based Visual Prostheses
Retinal Implant Cortical Implant
Organization into Ad Hoc Networks
Individual sensors are quite limited.
Full potential is realized only by using a large
number of sensors.
Sensors are then organized into an ad hoc
network.
Need efficient protocols to route and manage
data in this network.
Why Wireless Sensors Now?
Moore’s Law is making sufficient CPU performance available with
low power requirements in a small size.
Research in Materials Science has resulted in novel sensing
materials for many Chemical, Biological, and Physical sensing
tasks.
Transceivers for wireless devices are becoming smaller, less
expensive, and less power hungry.
Power source improvements in batteries, as well as passive
power sources such as solar or vibration energy, are expanding
application options.
Typical Sensor Node Features
A sensor node has:
Sensing Material
Physical – Magnetic, Light, Sound
Chemical – CO, Chemical Weapons
Biological – Bacteria, Viruses, Proteins
Integrated Circuitry (VLSI)
A-to-D converter from sensor to circuitry
Packaging for environmental safety
Power Supply
Passive – Solar, Vibration
Active– Battery power, RF Inductance
Wireless Sensor Nodes: Examples
Consider Multiple Generations of Berkeley Motes
Model Rene 1 Rene 2 Mica Mica 2
Date 10/2000 6/2001 2/2002 7/2003
CPU 4 MHz 8 MHz 4 MHz 4 MHz
Flash
8 KB 16 KB 128 KB 128 KB
Memory
SRAM 32 KB 32 KB 512 KB 512 KB
Radio 10 Kbps 10 Kbps 40 Kbps 40 Kbps
Historical Comparison
Consider a 40 Year Old Computer
Model Honeywell H-300 Mica 2
Date 6/1964 7/2003
CPU 2 MHz 4 MHz
Memory 32 KB 128 KB
SRAM ??? 512 KB
A Rosy Future for Wireless Sensors?
Is the effort on wireless sensor protocols a
waste of time??
Can we just wait 10-15 years until we have
sensors that are very powerful??
NO!! Will still face:
Very limited storage
Modest power supplies
Traffic Management & Monitoring
Future cars could use
wireless sensors to:
Handle Accidents
Handle Thefts
Sensors embedded
in the roads to:
–Monitor traffic flows
–Provide real-time
route updates
Conclusions
Fundamental to Mobile computing is various
techniques in hardware/software to adapt to
variation in resource availability – taking into
account contextual information including user
preferences.
Wireless sensor networking is enabling
technology for pervasive/ubiquitous computing
Next Class - Continue discussion on
Adaptation techniques
Read Chapter 1
