Metronaut's application is schedule negotiation and guidance instructions for a visitor to the CMU campus. The visitor's position is determined by reading bar codes at information signs around campus. Modifications to the schedule are negotiated using the two-way pager for communications with the campus computing infrastructure. Metronaut could alternatively be powered by a mechanical flywheel converting kinetic energy to electrical energy.
The targeted application of the Metronaut mobile unit includes navigation, personal scheduling, and collaboration between units and a central information server. To this end, the unit requirs simple protocols for data entry, data retrieval, and communications. The wide range communications link and a bar code reader for input, provides a platform for a great number of potential applications.
Many applications such as inventory assessment and package identification already exist today, but usually with wireless communication that is very local in scope. In contrast, Metronaut has a very wide-area communications system (the pager), and is a general purpose device potentially able to exploit a large number of targeted applications.
A visitor to the CMU campus can follow a busy schedule of meetings, and also make updates as needed. There is a bar code sticker network (Stickernet) around the campus that contains encoded location information. The Stickernet communicates with the rest of the campus computing infrastructure. A visitor can register the position in the parking lot by scanning a bar code on a nearby positioning sticker then automatically receive directions to the first meeting location displayed on their LCD screen. The visitor can verify positions along the way as correct landmarks are passed by scanning in bar codes. In order to negotiate schedule changes the visitor can send and receive e-mail messages and get appropriate directions and information displayed. An intelligent agent negotiates with other people's schedules and makes updates. Also the visitor may want to update the schedule with a certain event advertised on a flier, by scanning in the bar code at the bottom of the flier.
Last updated on 19 July 1997