...Clarity of mind means clarity of passion, too; this is why a great and clear mind loves ardently and sees distinctly what it loves. - Blaise Pascal (1623 - 1662)
Background: HeliOS the Greek mythical Sun God used to drive his chariot across the sky each day. This fun Project named after HeliOS to resemble his agility and power is aimed at harnessing the capabilities of GPS satellites to provide user friendly voice activated car automation system. It also integrates wireless messaging, music and information management platform to lead today’s automotive technology into the future.
Overview: Leveraging the advancements made in the field of mobile communication, positioning and digital multimedia, this project is aimed at providing the ultimate driving experience only read about in science fiction.
HeliOS has three primary aspects, namely - voice activated navigation system, automated wireless mobile multimedia management and automated digital imaging and management
Voice activated Navigation System: Using the power of the heavenly Global Positioning system and local GIS database provided by Microsoft Mappoint technology, HeliOS is able to automatically track the location of the user’s vehicle and provide navigational information real-time to the user. The system is capable of providing optimized routing information to a desired destination. It is intelligent enough to highlight nearest road services, nearest restaurant and hotel and automatically archive the trip log and route information on behalf of the user. To avoid compromising of the user’s safety, HeliOS exposes Voice Activated command mode thus allowing the driver to instruct the system vocally.
Automated Wireless Multimedia Management System: Using on-board computer, storage and wireless connectivity (802.11b), HeliOS integrates seamlessly with the Home Automation server (located in the user’s house) and downloads new music files available on the user’s home PC and makes them available to the user on the go. This extends the digital music collection of the user on the road even when he is miles away from his Digital Entertainment Center.
Automated Digital Imaging and Management: The introduction of Wireless technology have drastically changed the way we interact and use digital systems. Taking advantage of the Bluetooth technology, HeliOS talks to the user’s digital camera to retrieve pictures taken by the user during his trip and automatically integrates them to the trip archive. The HeliOS system users the presence of Digital Wireless LAN Hotspots to upload the trip log real-time to the user’s web site, thus enabling his dear ones at home to see the places visited by the user.
Background: This is the project that I conceptualized, defined and proposed three years back, when I joined Hewlett Packard. Along with a group of dynamic and enthusiastic set of colleagues we were able to introduce a new Mobile revolution within Hewlett Packard.
The advent of untethered Internet dramatically changed the modus operandi of current business. The miniaturization of computers and the boost in the computing speed added to this mobile revolution. To extend the capability of printers and to enter them in the race for mobility, Maple allowed mobile workforce to access information and print on-the-go.
Overview: Even before web services were defined, Maple used web services like protocols to allow mobile professionals access information on the move and direct them to other information device like printers. Maple was definitely ahead of its time - 17 invention disclosures were filed many o which have been filed for patent at various countries. More information about maple and projects derived out of maple could be read at HP Mobile Printing website.
Participants:
Management:
Han Tian Phua (GM Business Printing Division, HP),
Chuin Kiat Lim (R&D Manager),
Wilson Wong (Project Manager)
Marketing:
Caroline Ng (Marketing Manager),
Lisa Wong (Marketing),
Vivian Lim (Market Research),
May Lai (Marketing),
Yoong Yee Fong (PR),
Michelle Chuan (Marketing),
Cecilia Pang (PR),
Customer Satisfaction:
Prakash Tanapathy
Asmi
R&D:
John I C Gomes
Ngee Chuan Tan
Yi Quian Tan
Ker Chuan Yew
Abstract: There is little doubt that we have entered the knowledge economy where what organizations, institutions and communities know is becoming more important than the traditional sources of economic power capital, land, plant and labor which they command.
The value attributed by stock markets to companies in sectors such as software development and biotechnology far outweighs their tangible assets. Even in industries as traditional as manufacturing, companies are obtaining competitive advantage through technological know-how, product design skills, problem solving expertise, personal creativity and the ability to innovate.
Knowledge management is the discipline of capturing these knowledge-based competencies, storing and disseminating them for the benefit of the organization as a whole. Much has been written about knowledge management. We have tried to utilize the power of Knowledge hidden amongst the members of a community, to provide a comprehensive tool for the development of Knowledge based economy. By harnessing the information present amongst its members we have tried to develop a framework for the growth of Knowledge powered communities.
Overview: iOn enable users to perform online queries and post questions. The system then carries out an instantaneous search for an answer by either referring to the pre-stored database or by crawling the Internet for experts with the required qualification. Thus the need to post a question in a newsgroup and wait for an undefined period for a solution is eliminated. This is achieved using mobile agents traversing the Internet.
Business Plan and Market Analysis: The project was submitted and selected in various Business Plan competition. Read the Business Plan Executive Summary here
Participants:
Dr. Clement Chia (NTU)
Sneha N Shah
Jayanth Nagarajan
John I C Gomes
Afterthoughts: This projects was submitted for the Sun Microsystems - Singaren Distributed Computing Competition in which we got the Best Project for Commercial Implementation Award. I still remember the last few days, how we spend staying up all night to work on the project, Learn MS DCOM overnight, make Sun Java platform, IBM’s Aglets and Microsoft Win32 to interoperate. to ensure all modules were functional and to complete the documentation. Endless arguments, motivation from one another to keep striving.. In retrospect it was a fun project!!
Abstract: The Internet revolution has remodeled the definition of the computer from a single stand alone device to a gargantuan information network. It enabled one to overcome the limitations of geography and allowed him to access information anytime, anywhere.
Space Disk was a project that utilized the universality of the Internet to allow one to store information and his data on a centralized storage in a seamless fashion from him PC. Though we never completed this project, we did progress to define the technology specifications and demonstrated the concept with simple technical prototypes.
Abstract: The project was aimed at the development of a software-based simulation of the Motorola 68K microprocessor to exhibit different features of the microprocessor system. It included a graphical simulator to illustrate the flow of data and the affect of the various system registers on executing assembly language instructions. The also included an Visual Studio like Integrated Development Environment (IDE) for the development of Motorola 68000 assembly language, cross compile the assembly programs and download them to the physical hardware.
To ensure that the environment could be extended to other microprocessor system, I developed a XML like language called RTL (Register Transfer Language) to define the instruction set outside the binaries of the application and hence providing means for third party developer to extend the system to other platforms.
Participants:
Dr. N Shriskanthan (NTU)
John I C Gomes
Background: British Gas obtains Natural Gas from Gas wells in the North Sea. The gas obtained is pressurized and transported through an extensive network of pipes in the United Kingdom. Before reaching terminal usage point (household) the pressure is reduced using a set of gas valves. The difference in pressure ensures that the flow from the source to the destination. The pressure reducing valves are located all over the UK and usually require British Gas engineers to perform frequent physical test and predict failure.
Description: The project was aimed at automating the test performed on the Gas Reducing Values and conduct the test remotely, thus eliminating the need for test engineers to travel to the site and hence drastically reduce operating costs. The system used advances telemetry equipment to connect remotely to the pressure values, download the test, obtain results and analyze the heath and predict the potential failure.
Participants:
Kevin Milligan (Project Manager)
Paul Barke (Mechanical Engineer)
Roger Wilkinson (Mechanical Engineer)
John I C Gomes (Computer Engineer - Intern)
Description: This project still in the process of being defined is an XML based peer to peer interaction system. Check back for information update.
John I C Gomes (C) Copyright 2005-2010
