Federated Devices: Augmenting
Mobility with Ambient Resources
Frankie James, Ph.D.
SAP Research, RC Palo Alto
What are Federated Devices?
Basic Idea: Ad-hoc wireless federation of two or more computer
components to enhance the capabilities of at least one of them
Ad-hoc:
 Wireless protocols allow federation, but pairing uses complicated set-up
Wireless:
 Many mobile devices and sensors can currently “federate” to other devices
through physical connections
Types of Federation:
 Federating devices for enhanced input/output capability
 Federating devices for resource composition
Federation of sensor network to nearby PDA with ability to process incoming data and
display a chart
 Cf. OSGi

 SAP AG 2004, Federated Devices / Frankie James / ‹#›
Example: Federation of mobile device and ambient display
Ambient displays to augment mobile device usage
 Mobile screen too small to show all important data
 Large screen easier for sharing, etc.
data displayed
on large screen
 SAP AG 2004, Federated Devices / Frankie James / ‹#›
Federation and the Reality-Based Framework
Context-awareness and federation:
 Resources in the environment serve the user’s needs
 Natural actions (e.g., walking towards something) should trigger
federation (cf. MICA – Fraunhofer FIT)
“Virtuosity” and federation:
 Users can develop virtuosity in expert interfaces tailored to their needs
and use this to control other devices
 Can meet accessibility needs: cf. Disability, Inability, and Cyberspace,
John Perry et al., 1997 – Total Access System
 SAP AG 2004, Federated Devices / Frankie James / ‹#›