ACTIVE: An Enhanced Web Services Platform for the Impaired

Adam Cheyer, SRI International

During each technology shift, some people get left behind, in particular, users with physical, visual, auditory, or cognitive impairments. As Web Services becomes the next computing platform, new technology is required to enable better interaction with a web service powered world.

In this presentation, we will look at requirements, potential applications, and current approaches to addressing this need. We will then discuss ideas for a future web services platform based on a unifying "active ontology" approach, that provides a framework for developing applications aimed at helping surgeons, the elderly, business executives, and mobile consumers.

Biography

Adam Cheyer is currently a Program Director in SRI's Artificial Intelligence Center, where he serves as Chief Architect of the CALO/PAL project, an ambitious effort to create a next-generation personal cognitive assistant. Previously, Mr. Cheyer was VP of Engineering at Dejima, a provider of natural interaction technology for mobile applications, and before that, VP of Engineering at Verticalnet, an enterprise software provider. As Senior Scientist and Co-Director of the Computer Human Interaction Center (CHIC) at SRI International, Mr. Cheyer led a multidisciplinary team of researchers exploring web services, distributed knowledge, and pervasive computing.