iCareNet Autumn School on Context Sensing

The first joint iCareNet event will take place during October 24 – 28, 2011 at Universität Passau, Germany.

Scope and aims

The event aims to provide the newly starting iCareNet research fellows with a platform to meet and jointly learn about approaches and techniques for context-aware systems. The iCareNet Autumn School is specifically addressing the following topics:

• Context sensing: sensing, signal processing and sensor networking. The school event specifically focuses on sensor modalities, technologies, and their properties related to context awareness.

• Research methodology and research ethics. The school event specifically focuses on topics relevant to the newly starting research fellows in order to prepare their personal development plans and determine their research focus.

Objectives in detail

Sensing, signal processing and sensor networking. Sensor choice is a key decision in designing context-aware systems. In addition, understanding the characteristics of the underlying sensors is instrumental to all other stages of context information extraction, system design and application. The goal of this school, held by international experts on sensor technology, is to advance under­standing and provide base knowledge on:

1. Sensor technologies, such as micro­elec­tronic-micro-mechanical systems and textile sensors, etc.
2. Processing of sensor signals, including de-noising, filtering, artefact removal, etc.
3. Networking concepts in sensor networks that are relevant for context-aware systems, including ad-hoc networks, messaging, failure handling, etc.

Research methodology and research ethics. Developing a proper research methodology is essential during start-up phase of the fellows. The goal of this school is to introduce fellows to ethical research methodology at the highest quality standards and broaden understanding of:

1. Finding and establishing an independent research topic, including literature review, innovation process, hypothesis-based research.
2. Result dissemination through papers and presentations, including specific training on presentation skills (complementary to the local training of each partner).
3. Understand ethical consideration in research, peer-review processes and requirements (including new concepts, such as open reviews).
4. Detect and react to plagiarism.

Workgroups. In addition to the regular programme of lectures and discussion sessions, the Autumn School provides workgroups addressing specific topics relevant for context-aware systems development. The workgroup topics are related to current challenges in context-awareness research.

Programme

The preliminary full programme (PDF format).

Monday 24th October

• 09:00 - 11:00: Arrival & Registration
• 11:00 - 12:30: Welcome message + Fellow introductions
• 14:00 - 18:00: General Assembly meeting
• 19:00 - 21:00: Welcome dinner

Tuesday 25th October

• 09:00 - 18:00: School event 'Ubiquitous sensing technology'

Wednesday 26th October

• 09:00 - 15:30: School event 'Research methodology & ethics'
• 15:30 - 18:00: Excursion to Mainkofen

Thursday 27th October

• 09:00 - 18:00: Workgroup meetings 'Pervasive service infrastructures' and 'Tools and techniques for ground truth handling'
• 19:00 - 21:00: Farewell party

Friday 28th October

• 09:00 - 12:30: Workgroup meetings 'Pervasive service infrastructures' and 'Tools and techniques for ground truth handling'
• 12:30 - 13:30: Departure

Course material

The course material will be provided on this page shortly before the school event.

Social events

The iCareNet Autumn School offers a Welcome Dinner and Farewell party to the research fellows. The Welcome Dinner will take place at the 'Stiftskeller in der
Heilig-Geist-Stiftschenke' (www.stiftskeller-passau.de). The Stiftskeller is very famous for its local wines. Before the dinner, a wine tasting will take place.

Venue and local information

University of Passau (UP) is located in the south-eastern part of Germany, close to the Czech and Austrian boarders. Several hotels have been selected for participants. Participants are requested to book their hotel room individually.

• Hotel list: Hotelliste.pdf

• Map of the university buildings: UNI-Lageplan_Info_mini.pdf

• Travel guide Passau: Travel.pdf

Registration (for iCareNet fellows only)

For iCareNet research fellows participation in the Autumn School is compulsory. Research fellows need to register by sending an email message with the digital proof of the registration fee payment to icarenet_office <at > lists.actlab.ele.tue.nl.

Registration must be made before October 10, 2011. The registration fee of 150 EUR must be paid by bank transfer to:

This registration is only applying for iCareNet fellows and the iCareNet Autumn School 2011. The registration fee includes the excursion transfer, lunch and coffee break catering, and course material.

For the iCareNet GA meeting, registration will be arranged by email, please see the GA page.

General information

Taxi service:

• Taxi-Zentrale Passau e.G., Tel: +49 851 57500
• Taxiunternehmen Heidi Frint, Tel: +49 171  6511118

Train schedule:

• http://www.bahn.de/i/view/USA/en/index.shtml

Contact at the University of Passau:

Address: Room 228
2nd Floor
Innstr. 43
94036 Passau

Phone numbers:

Prof. Dr. Lukowicz: +49 851 3080
Office: +49 851 3081