DEPARTMENT OF COMPUTER SCIENCE
Thursday 4:30 – 7:10 P.M.
Innovation Hall 204
Description: As opposed to the early years of
Computer and Information Technology where the emphasis was on centralized and
general-purpose computers, exemplified primarily by mainframes and personal
desktop computers, we are now living in an increasingly
digital world. This "brave new world" is often characterized by
large number of
inter-connected small foot-print computing and communication
devices that use wireless networks.
Pervasive Computing (also known as Ubiquitous Computing) refers to a new
class of applications based on small, inexpensive, and networked devices that
"instrument" the physical world and make the computers almost
"invisible" while making our daily lives easier. Examples include
smart homes, smart spaces, wireless sensor networks for environmental/habitat
monitoring, wearable computers for virtual reality and health monitoring, among
many others. On the other hand, Embedded Computers are part of larger
and special-purpose systems that interact with real world in real-time. As
such, they typically involve control and monitoring of critical functions, and require
different design techniques. More than 99% of all processors sold world-wide
each year are deployed in embedded systems -- they are everywhere: cell phones, PDAs,
DVD and multimedia players, cameras and office appliances, automobile engines,
aircraft/spacecraft control systems, industrial automation systems, health
informatics, nuclear plant control systems. Pervasive and embedded computing can
and often do intersect, such as in the case of wireless sensor networks deployed
in a "pervasive” monitoring application deploying embedded CPUs in a
sensor mote. While they offer great promises, the pervasive and embedded
computers often have to meet strict operational constraints with limited
resources (limited memory, battery power, CPU frequency). As a result, a significant
body of current Computer Science research is devoted to these systems.
This
course provides an introduction to Pervasive & Embedded Computing areas,
with special emphasis on the underlying Computer Science related challenges and
current solution approaches.
Prerequisites: Grade of C or better in CS 310 and CS 367.
Tentative List of Topics:
Grading:
Homeworks may include material from
reading assignments. Violations of GMU Honor Code will result in an F.
Term Project: Each student is
expected to complete a term project and submit a research paper/report by the
end of the term. Students are allowed to work in groups (of two) for the term
project. The term project will also include an in-class presentation at the end
of the term. A list of potential project topics will be provided; but the
students may define their own project as long as the project has sufficient
scope/complexity and the instructor's approval is obtained. A term project may
be in any of the following forms:
Book: There is no required textbook, as most of the course material
will be disseminated through lectures, and articles from recent issues of
publications such as IEEE Computer, Communications of the ACM, IEEE Pervasive
Computing, IEEE Internet Computing. However, the
following books provide in-depth coverage of some of the topics that will be
discussed in class and they are recommended:
Ubiquitous Computing: Smart
Devices, Environments and Interactions (by Stefan Poslad, Wiley, 2009).
Computers as Components:
Principles of Embedded Computing System Design (by Wayne Wolf, Morgan Kaufmann,
2nd Edition, 2008).
Protocols and Architectures for
Wireless Sensor Networks (by
Holger Karl & Andreas Willig,
Wiley, 2007).
Instructor Office Hours: Wednesday 7:25 PM – 8:25 PM,
Thursday 7:25 PM – 8:25 PM, and by appointment.
Course Web Page: http://www.cs.gmu.edu/~aydin/cs499