Over the Air: Imperial College hosts a leading technology festival

More than 300 developers, technologists and designers come to Imperial to take part in the first ever technology festival aimed at fostering the next big technological break though<em>–News</em>

Thursday 10 April 2008
By Colin Smith

The latest developments in internet technology which include enabling robots to take commands from mobile phones were just one of the many innovations demonstrated at an internet technology festival, held at Imperial College London (4-5 April, 2008).

The Over the Air Festival, co-sponsored by the Imperial College Internet Centre and the technology groups Mobile Monday and BBC Backstage, was held to encourage innovation and creativity amongst independent computer developers working on new internet technologies.

The event attracted more than 300 designers, marketers and captains of industry from as far afield as Japan, Australia, the US, Europe and New Zealand all keen to push forward the development of the internet.

300 delegates descended on Imperial to attend the Over the Air Festival

In his welcome speech Professor John Darlington, Director of the Imperial College Internet Centre, said the internet was currently undergoing exciting changes which are making the technology more personal and mobile for users.

Professor Darlington discussed some of the schemes the Centre is working on to integrate the internet with other technologies and cited the VORTIX project as an example which could potentially revolutionise daily life for commuters.

Imperial researchers are working with Transport for London on new tag technology which performs simple functions, similar to computer chips, to process and send information.

Professor Darlington says the internet is currently undergoing exciting changes

The team plans to embed this tag technology into items, for example railway posters at stations, so that travellers can get instant access to the latest transport information transmitted to their mobile phones, such as news about alternative routes to ease congestion at busy times of the day.

Professor Darlington also discussed the Real Time Information Processing (RTIP) project, which combines mobile phones and technology which pin points your geographic location to deliver personalised information to travellers.

“Imagine you are lost and you need to get to a train station. Via your mobile phone and sensors positioned throughout the city, the RTIP technology could plot a direct course to a tube station and find your favourite coffee house on the way to make your journey as hassle free and comfortable as possible. This is just one example where the next generation internet technology could revolutionise your daily life,” said Professor Darlington.

Professor Darlington said the driving ethos behind the Over the Air Festival was to exchange ideas and foster creativity and innovation in the independent software developer community. As part of this process, festival delegates formed teams and were asked to compete and come up with new creative programs which could utilise the internet with other devices.

During the two day competition, 21 teams developed a range of novel programs with Orange Pilot, an internet software developing company, taking out the Best Use of Multimedia category for their new software program entitled the 21 Century Fridge Door.

This program enables text messages and photos from mobile phones to be sent wirelessly, via the internet, to the latest craze in home appliances - fridges which have in-built computer screens. The team believes this technology could be a novel way for people to send text message reminders to their homes.

Another winner, Mr Tom Hume from the technology company Future Platforms, which develops mobile phone technologies, took the Best Overall Prototype Award for his project – a small dog-like robot called the Octobastard.

Mr Hume developed a program which enabled him to send speech commands from his mobile phone via the internet to a computer which was wired to the Octobastard robot. This robot can respond to speech commands sent by mobile phones to sit, roll over and move from side-to-side. He believes his winning entry demonstrates how mobile phones and the internet could be used to remotely activate home technology in the future.

The festival also provided a platform for senior staff from some of the world’s biggest technology companies including Yahoo, Sun Microsystems, Google, Nokia and Adobe to swap ideas with independent developers at free seminars and discussion groups.

One of the driving forces behind the festival, Ms Dolores Iorizzo, from the Imperial College Internet Centre said the event pushed the boundaries forward in mobile internet technology. She added:

“This festival moved into unchartered territory, exceeding all expectations, and produced some of the most innovative uses for mobile phones and internet technology.”

The Imperial College Internet Centre was established through a £400,000 Strategy and Investment Fund grant from the College and the Faculty of Engineering and carries out research and software development into new internet technologies and applications.