Assistant AAL project

Kick-off meeting

June 7th-8th 2012

The meeting took place at Tecnalia in the building at Mikeletegi Pasealekua, 7 San Sebastian Technology Park

June 7th 9:00 to 18:00

Present: Alberto Martínez (TECNALIA),Alexandru Stan (IN2), Alfonso Dominguez (TECNALIA), Ariane Girault (E-Seniors), Erkki Siira (VTT), Idoia Olalde Gancedo (Andago), Iñigo González Vázquez (Andago), Jayden Khakurel (Citruna Technologies), Janne Lahti (VTT), Kieran Holmes (TTR), Mikko Mertala(Fara Oy), Michael Obach (TECNALIA), Monique Epstein (E-Seniors), Philip Barham (works for TTR as an independent consultant), Stefan Carmien (TECNALIA), Wladimir Gutowski (E-Seniors), Wolfgang Kainz (University Vienna), Ainara Garzo (TECNALIA) joined at 12:00

9:00	10’	Opening -Welcome, logistic issues.	TECN
9:10	60‘	Partners’ Introductions -Partners will have ~5´ to introduce	All & IN2
10:10	50‘	WP5: Project management	TECN
11:00	30‘	COFFEE BREAK
11:30	120’	GENERAL PRESENTATION OF THE PROJECT	TECN and All
13:30	60‘	Lunch	All
14:30	30’	GENERAL PRESENTATION OF THE PROJECT (CONTINUED)	TECN and All
15:00	45‘	WP1 Definition of User Requirements and Services	Andago
15:45	30‘	COFFEE BREAK
16:15	45’	WP2: System Development	VTT
17:00		END OF DAY 1

June 8th 9:00 to 13:15

Present: Alexandru Stan (IN2), Ariane Girault (E-Seniors), Idoia Olalde Gancedo (Andago), Iñigo González Vázquez (Andago), Jayden Khakurel (Citruna Technologies), Kieran Holmes (TTR), Michael Obach (TECNALIA), Monique Epstein (E-Seniors), Philip Barham (works for TTR as an independent consultant), Stefan Carmien (TECNALIA), Wladimir Gutowski (E-Seniors), Wolfgang Kainz (University Vienna), Ainara Garzo (TECNALIA)

9:00	10’	Opening -Welcome, logistic issues.	TECN
9:10	45‘	WP3:System Integration, Field Trials and Evaluation	E-Seniors
9:55	45‘	WP4: Dissemination & Exploitation	TTR
10:40	30‘	COFFEE BREAK
11:10	30‘	Discussion of possible issues	TECN and All
11:40	50’	LAUNCHING THE PROJECT	Tecn
12:30	30’	Any Other Business	All
13:00	15‘	Next Quarterly Meeting (QM-1)	All
13:15		END OF meeting and Lunch
14:30	30’	Tour of D-Bus telemetric facilities	All who want to

Minutes :

(note as these are not a formal deliverable, but only a milestone internal document I am leaving them in the original note form)

Changes in DoW:

1. Make all month references absolute not relative (i.e. June 2012 not month 0) if the month is a deliverable then June 2012 means June 30, 2012, if it's a start date for a task June 2012 means June 1, 2012

2. Add milestone for specifying target population (including stakeholders) and which ones will be evaluated. We decided that some of the evaluations need to be done with typical disabilities: vision, motoric (e.g. wheel chares and shaky fingers). Exactly how many and which evaluations is for the WP to decide.

Immediate to do:

1. Choose and implement the shared file space (Stefan)

2. Prepare for next week a flyer with information about the project to get collaborators (PTCs). Translate it into French (and German?) using Google translator? (Stefan)

3. Each partner must send 10 questions that they want to make to the users to collect everything and decide which ones would be asked. Send to: Andago and cc Stefan

4. Everyone should send to VTT the arguments to choose one of other platform.

a. The decision about the developing platform must be taken in September/October at the latest.

5. Start Project hand book

6. Start mailing lists (initiated)

7. Send updated DoW to Brussels (and ourselves) before July 1

8. We need a flyer (in French) to get the collaboration of the PTC of France (Paris?). à Stefan will do it for next week.

9. Each partner must send 10 questions that they want to make to the users to collect everything and decide which ones would be asked.

10. Wolfgang will finish informed consent; he will send his input to Andago.

a. Ainara will send some stuff too.

11. Every partner who is involved in user requirements gathering and analysis should write down 10 questions and then schedule a phone conference.

a. Example: “Tell me a story about a successful bus trip, one about every day bus trip; worst bus trip you ever had. “This might be an interview (i.e. somehow guided), so that they don’t tell too long stories.

b. TTR could contribute some results from their previous (literature) research.

12. Phil will send within two weeks a press release in English; Michael will forward it to Erika Ibañez

13. It was suggested to have a short tag line of 3-4 words. Phil will send an e-mail to all to ask for suggestions.

14. Logo too washed out ANDAGO will make it with more blue pop out

15. E-Seniors will be in Eindhoven and take flyers etc. there.

16. Andago will provide a first text of the copyleft issues.

17. Stefan will send an e-mail asking for skillsets of people.

18. Stefan will do a Doodle for the next meeting in December.

19. Fact sheet: within 2 months. Stefan has something done.

20. Two ppt slides for AAL web-site: within 4 months

21. Set up project web-site: within 4 months à web-site needs to include videos and photos.

22. Send to TTR Fact sheet draft: within 2 months

23. Send an e-mail to the partners asking for information related to their skills.

24. Collect Skype information of all the partners.

Made decision:

1. The slides will be on a shared file space.

2. We should have a shared glossary (started 14.6.12)

3. We will try and use Haptimap’s map format and route editor

4. We should have 2-3 levels of handouts: one for techno-guy, one for public transportation companies and one for the general public (one for users too?).

5. HTML5 is not an option, because the system must work without network access, too.

6. Localization of the web-site: it must be multilingual. (at least in the partners languages)

7. Accessibility of the website: AA might be enough, but if it’s simple enough AAA could be achieved.

8. The webpage must have the logos of the funding organizations, e.g. the Spanish Ministry MINETUR.

9. The final conference will be inside an AAL Forum in order to have the right people there (instead a conference) and because it is much more cost effective.

10. All should CC Stefan in E-Mails concerning stuff to do.

Needs to make decision:

1. Decide on shared file technology – look at basecamp as well as BSCW

2. How to facilitate ticket purchase without being involved financially

3. If the user is using the system, could he/she receive calls

4. Ask <target> people how they use the public transportation & recover (good practices)

5. Selection of the mobile platform:

a. Send to VTT the arguments of each partner to choose one of other platform.

b. Erkki shall poll the technical people

c. We need to know how many and which platforms

Long-term issue:

1. Make and post a schedule of meetings and due dates in public space

2. Send a list of good practice with respect to use of and failure/recovery from PUC

3. How to deal with conflicting information from different sources?

4. GPS !

5. There’s a definition of the target users in the DoW; this should be copied into the related working documents.

6. Agree conventions for coding (quality of code).

7. Conventions for coding must be put into the project book.

8. Phil shall write a short document that enables a new web host to maintain the website once the project will be finished.

9. There should be an ASSISTANT discussion group within LinkedIn; the purpose is to try these media;

10. The informed consent should address the issue that movies, pictures and audio of the people are published.

11. A template for deliverables and reports will be done

12. Create a generic ASSISTANT set of slides (in several sizes – Stefan has done a 3 page one)

13. Look at CEN stuff and see if M24 is too early for this – tell TTR if so)

14. Collect stats on elders use of phones and smartphones

15. Put list of design for elders resources on project handbook (my stuff)

Notes from meeting:

Day one:

2012-06-07 09:13

Opening and Partner’s Introduction

Stefan presents TECNALIA, Agenda

9:52 Management WP5

See slides for more information, here are only additional remarks and agreements.

The slides will be on a shared file space.

Project date: 1 June 2012 – 31 May 2015

Alberto informs that on Feb. 2013 and on February 2014, we have to send a report of the respective calendar year.

Start deliverables when you start a task.

Project Handbook: File repository BSCW; every project partner will have only one account;

Alexandru will send Stefan a URL to Basecamp; then it will decided if Basecamp is better for the project with BSCW.

Mailing Lists:

Everybody
WPx
Subgroups

Social Media should be addressed in dissemination; Phil and Monique should talk about this and will address this issue in their presentation tomorrow.

DoW must be sent to Brussels within the next month. Due dates must be explicit in the DoW, e.g. Month 1 must be replaced by June 2012.

Absolute calendar must be used instead of relative dates. (This was agreed twice during the meeting.)

Stefan will create a schedule of the project and especially propose a list of upcoming meetings (when, where).

It was discussed, how elderly people (users) should pay for the products and services of ASSISTANT. Ticket buying could be an issue. Data structure should be compatible with existing standards.

Example: if someone travelling, say, ASSISTANT should recommend where to buy a ticket, which ticket etc., but should not buy the ticket. ASSISTANT should not be a ticketing system (especially not internationally working), because it could be too challenging. An external ticketing system could be called in ASSISTANT.

Good practise ideas should be given to E-Seniors in order to inspire them.

Because things change so quickly, from time to time we have to check the State of the Art work.

2012/06/07 – 12.00 GENERAL PRESENTATION OF THE PROJECT

We have to decide things like: if the user is using the system, could he/she receive calls? Stefan thinks that he/she should do. We have to check if the user is in the correct side of the way, if the bus line is the correct, …

Some test must be performed although the system is not complete develop. Maybe using a couple of screens and explaining the users which will be the functionalities. Other issue to take into account is if the users give us some feedback and afterwards we feel that that feedback mustn’t be taken into account we should explain it to the users.

HaptiMap

To get down of the bus the user must be advised by voice or vibration because the users won’t be looking at the screen continuously so they won’t realize about an alert in the screen.

11:30 General presentation of the project:

Target group are the elderly. Other groups are not excluded, even though solutions are not primarily targeted at them.

It was suggested that there will be an “app” for each city, not a general app.

There are already some applications for trip planning, e.g. (UK) national door-to-door trip planning system. ASSISTANT will use robustly and compare to them. - Google Transit is another application.

There should be a Panic button on the smart phone to go home from every point and additionally, if the user is or feels lost.

It was agreed that we need a proper glossary of terms.

Conflicting information from different information sources is an issue; we have to write scenarios and test cases to check if things really work.

Additional notes: error trapping: maybe some service could be established to answer phone calls if some user is lost; but this would not scale well.

Open question: what should happen, if ASSISTANT is running on a smart phone and a phone call comes in? Should it switch forth and back or should it not allow any distraction? This might be configured in the system.

If someone goes on board a bus, say, the user must be sure that’s the right vehicle. In Finland, an NFC-based validation system is used. There is a whole series of questions, which turn out to be requirements to meet.

Galileo could be an issue to be addressed within the near future, even though the basic problem of GPS that it may fail (GPS canyons, subways, buildings); dead-reckoning could help; we must tell the user that the system is not working when it’s not working; be transparent;

Spiral model (iterative development) is a good way of avoiding working for two years on some system and then realize that it doesn’t work or doesn’t meet the requirements of the users.

There will be in the beginning and early phases quick mockups to find problems and requirements with users.

We must have a product/service in 2017. Dbus doesn’t want to have just another project that half a year after finishing it, nobody uses the prototype any more.

12:45 Presentation of Haptimap by Alfonso Domínguez

When on the bus, the modality of vision could be wrong; vibrating could be the one to prompt a user to leave the bus.

Maybe the route editor and part of the maps of Haptimap could be used in ASSISTANT.

It was discussed that pedestrian crossings, traffic lights and other data might be very difficult and costly to obtain and to maintain.

These and other problems listed in these notes will be available in a list, which will be passed out to every partner. Changes in the DoW will be done accordingly.

2012/06/07 – 14.30 GENERAL PRESENTATION OF THE PROJECT (CONTINUED)

PTE: public transportation executive

PTC: public transportation company

Necesitamos datos reales desde el principio. Viena: tiene un acuerdo con el PTC de allí para conseguir los datos gratis. SS también.

We need a flyer (in French) to get the collaboration of the PTC of France (Paris?). à Stefan will do it for next week. It will be useful also for dissemination. Maybe for Germany also. It was suggested to call PTE better PTC (public transportation company).

What inputs could be used: Behavioural information, GPS, …

Escalating set of remediation is a part of the remediation structure; one example might be that a user is in the right bus line, but in a bus that drives into the wrong direction.

During the project development, maps can be used from Austrian University. In Paris, you probably must pay for the real-time information on arriving buses; however, in San Sebastián this data is for free.

We will use real bus data from the very beginning.

We should be able to link into existing, running systems in the three towns/cities where tests are foreseen;

Even though the UK is not involved in the trials, however, they may try to think of how the system tested in the other cities would/could work in the UK.

Monique needs a flyer or something similar on one page that Stefan will send her, so that she can translate it into French (next week).

We should have 2-3 levels of handouts: one for techno-guy, one for public transportation companies and one for the general public (one for users too?).

2012/06/07 – 15.00 WP1 DEFINITION OF USER REQUIREMENTS AND SERVICES

Objectives:

- Define a needs framework for the system development from the user perspective

- Generate a set of scenarios and use cases that will guide system design and evaluation, and become the basis for test cases in the evaluation phase of the project

- Build an ethical guideline for the project

- Update the state-of-the-art analysis to reflect changes made between proposal and project

They have to think by themselves and afterwards make a workshop with seniors. They are doing it in different countries to check the differences and connections. They want to create some tests. They are thinking in FG or interviews. Stefan says for asking users about stories related to public transport and that they got loosen. The use cases will be defined and afterwards they will be implemented to be tested.

Ask people how they use the public transportation.

Steps:

- define user’s needs

- define user’s barriers (how they interact with the service/system)

- prioritise them

- analyse environment’s context

- collect technological requirements: also for business model perspective. WP4 & WP5 will be involved also.

- system design

Adding collection of practices is proposed and very well accepted.

For the first contact with users (maybe better with stakeholders) are proposed: focus group or personal interview including an explanation of their experience with the public transportation.

Target of users? Must be the first step.

Each partner must send 10 questions that they want to make to the users to collect everything and decide which ones would be asked.

Andago: WP1

Andago will work with e-Seniors in order to

It is important that tests are not culture bound.

Andago will do a first attempt in Spain and from there will come out

Focus groups will be the preferable type.

Suggestion: Ask potential users to “Tell me some stories when you got lost”.

From these stories, find some common motives that might come out of them.

Informed consent will be finished by Wolfgang, he will send his input to Andago.

Ainara will send some stuff too.

Steps in Andago: it was suggested to start with the collection of current practises. These could be “little narratives” about it. “Tell me how you use the bus.” “Let them say a paragraph.” What we want is a story (not a number or a “Yes” or “No”).

This will give credibility and depth to the scenarios.

Every partner who is involved in user requirements gathering and analysis should write down 10 questions and then schedule a phone conference.

Example: “Tell me a story about a successful bus trip, one about every day bus trip; worst bus trip you ever had. “This might be an interview (i.e. somehow guided), so that they don’t tell too long stories.

TTR could contribute some results from their previous (literature) research.

Andago should check if they are fine with the DoW concerning possible changes needed for WP1.

There’s a definition of the target users in the DoW; this should be copied into the related working documents.

2012/06/07 – 16.00 WP2 COMPONENT DEVELOPMENT

It is the technical implementation.

Goals:

- Design and implement modules and solutions for specific challenges, achieving a robust, context-sensitive travel guide.

- Design and implement a browser based route editor.

- Provide support for importing and storing local transit data.

- Design and integrate a user interface that allows input changes by the end-user.

- Explore and specify error-trapping and error mediation functions.

- Generate APISs for UM and error-capture models that allow easy integration and modification.

- Investigate different multimodal interaction techniques (audio, haptic, visual).

Creating a common platform is a challenging task!

Selection of the mobile platform: most of the participants have experience with Android, some with Windows Mobile and only one with iphone. We don’t have to choose one right now, but VTT is asking for a date.

Send to VTT the arguments of each partner to choose one of other platform.

Agree conventions for coding (quality of code).

Schedule: 3 cycles: concept, pilot, prototype

WP2:
Erkki Siira, VTT

Experience within the group

Android 10

Windows Mobile 2

iPhone 1

-> iPhones are great, but they are too expensive for the elderly;

It was also discussed to develop in HTML5, but this is not an option, because the system must work without network access, too.

Code porting was discussed; no definite agreement was made in this respect.

The decision about the developing platform must be taken in September/October at the latest.

Erkki shall poll the technical people for recommendations about the platform to be used. Every technically skilled partner shall reason in some paragraphs why some platform shall be used;

We should do two out of four (Symbian OS is dying; iOS may be too expensive; Android and Windows Mobile might be the winners).

Erkki shall send a mail and ask the other opinions.

It was discussed how many and which platforms should be used;

The software must be maintainable; programmers must use good function names, variable names, and must use comments.

Conventions for coding must be put into the project book.

Alex, Alfonso, Iñigo and Erkki, and others too, will exchange knowledge about architecture and other issues while requirements are gathered and analysed.

2012/06/08 – 9.10 WP3 SYSTEM INTEGRATION, FIELD TRIALS AND EVALUATION

In this WP they need the help of all the partners.

ESENIORS is defining the FG, but they also must participate in the design of the FG in other regions. Interviews will be also done.

Someone should help to Vienna defining the interviews and FG.

2 iterations

The PM subcontracted to Alex (Germany) by Andago must be represented anywhere. In this WP they have 5 PM (apart of the other 8PM for Andago).

This WP will start in M9.

Localization of the web-site: it must be multilingual. We would create material in English, but translations must be done. Every partner will do the translation into their language. Languages: French, Spanish, German and Finish.

ESENIOR needs to make something in French for the users.

Erika Ibañez can help us with the dissemination of the Kick-off meeting. à Michael sent an e-mail to Erika about this during the meeting.

Blue week in France, in October, dedicated to seniors. Maybe next meeting could be done there October or December (January not good).

2012-06-08 9:15

WP3: Phil will collect some data from the UK

The person-months might be tentative.

There are 2 iterations in 3 countries.

IN2 is a subcontractor of Andago and will work on 3.1.

Requirements are a set of metrics to measure the results of the projects.

Localization of the website: it will be with several languages.

German, Spanish, French, English, maybe Finish Phil will send some summary to Stefan;

press release is required

Phil will send within two weeks a press release in English; Michael will forward it to Erika Ibañez.

It was suggested to have a short tag line of 3-4 words. Phil will send an e-mail to all to ask for suggestions.

The logotype shall be not too washed out. Andago will take care of that.

It was commented that research should not be a silo. Furthermore, the importance of a glossary and a list of definitions were underpinned.

A DVD (i.e. a movie, because in 2015 DVDs will have disappeared) will be done with a video for the end of a

Phil and Stefan will talk about a 3-minute video soon.

Phil shall write a short document that enables a new web host to maintain the website once the project will be finished.

Accessibility of the website is an issue. AA might be enough, but Alexandru and Stefan said that AAA could be achieved. We'll check this.

The deadline for AAL Forum in Eindhoven in September has passed.

The webpage must have the logos of the funding organizations, e.g. the Spanish Ministry MINETUR.

E-Seniors will be in Eindhoven and take flyers etc. there.

It was discussed that publishing results in US American conferences, could be interesting, but that the European Commission should be asked before because of the increased costs: Stefan and Phil will talk about this.

There should be an ASSISTANT discussion group within LinkedIn; the purpose is to try these media;

The informed consent should address the issue that movies, pictures and audio of the people are published. This is for the final DVD too. It might depend on the country.

Andago will provide a first text of the copyleft issues.

The final conference will be inside an AAL Forum in order to have the right people there (instead a conference) and because it is much more cost effective.

Tests:

We will test mainly with typical target;

we have to include at least one with motoric disability, one with ...

low hanging fruit, i.e. easy to include disabilities; however, this should not be a test about interaction mobilities for, say,

blind people. We just make sure that the transfer modality is successful.

We need a milestone for the description of target population. Stefan will talk to E-Seniors about this.

Stefan will send an e-mail asking for skillsets of people.

Skype could be an option for phone conferences, mainly because of the shared whiteboard; regarding speech quality, however, the system used in the last audio conferences is better; Recommendation: get a head-set;

Stefan will figure out how to inform the right people about how the project is going (progress, future actions).

Stefan will do a Doodle for the next meeting in December.

All should CC Stefan in E-Mails concerning stuff to do.

2012/06/08 – 10.00 WP4 DISSEMINATION & EXPLOITATION

- Establish project identity (logo, tag line)

- Establish awareness of, and a profile for, our product

- Develop effective communication tools, channels and interfaces

- Communicate the role of the AAL JP and the EC in supporting the project

- Maintain wide-ranging, two-way communication with key stakeholders: end users, industry, other European projects, co-workers, etc. à also the transportation companies.

- All partners contribute to this process à sometimes a paragraph in the website is enough

A template for deliverables and reports will be done.

Logo: must be blue. When the new one is done we will check if the A of Assistant must be put or not.

Press release of project kick-off meeting à as soon as possible. Try doing in different local languages.

Fact sheet: within 2 months. Stefan has something done.

Two ppt slides for AAL web-site: within 4 months

Set up project web-site: within 4 months à web-site needs to include videos and photos.

www.aal-assistant.eu: a tool for disseminating results. Lively and updated. Need updates, blogs, videos, etc. Needs links and RSS feeds to social media. Must be accessible!

Other obligations:

- Representation at Annual AAL Forum

- Subscribe to AAL Newsletter: done

- Verify that all reports, publications and press releases bear logo and acknowledgement.

o We have to add also the Spanish Minister logo!

- Copy all reports in the web-site

Elements of dissemination:

- Newsletter: 2 per year

- Conferences blog à they are doing a document not to miss the conferences, including transport conferences. Is an on-going document, will be available.

- Social media: LinkedIn, twitter, Facebook

- On-going contact with other projects and organisations + European forums (ELTIS?)

- Press releases + company newsletters

- Final DVD à check the proper consents for each country

Other immediate opportunities:

- ITS UK Inclusive Mobility Interest Group Meeting (13/06/2012). TTR will send someone as attendant

- The Vodafone Smart Accessibility Awards

First draft of Business Plan by M18 à Marketing strategy will be very interesting for Tecnalia. We can share it with Jennifer Stack.

CEN Standards Workshop in M24

2012/06/08 – 11.10 DICUSSION OF POSSIBLE ISSUES

How many elderly uses smartphones? We have good data about how many of them use mobile phones. Maybe the market target is not very big?

Are we taking into account

- People with disabilites? à We have to test the system with people with disabilities. But what kind? The application must be inclusive.

- National differences?

Discussion of target.

I got the phone call just as my bus came to my stopàmaybe in the previous stop the user can receive a message.

2012/06/08 – 11.40 LAUNCHING THE PROJECT

Infrastructure first:

- Templates

- Share file space

- Phone conference system – Skype?

- What other resources do we need before starting?

We have to decide things like: if the user is using the system, could he/she receive calls? Stefan told that he/she should do.

Some test must be performed although the system is not complete develop. Maybe using a couple of screens and explaining to the users which will be the functionalities. Other issue to take into account is if the users give us some feedback and afterwards we feel that that feedback mustn’t be taken into account we should explain it to the

Target of users? Must be the first step.

It was discussed, how elderly people (users) should pay for the products and services of ASSISTANT. Ticket buying could be an issue. Data structure should be compatible with existing standards

Because things change so quickly, from time to time we have to check the State of the Art work.

Target group are the elderly. Other groups are not excluded, even though solutions are not primarily targeted at them.

It was agreed that we need a proper glossary of terms.

It was discussed that pedestrian crossings, traffic lights and other data might be very difficult and costly to obtain and to maintain

Every partner who is involved in user requirements gathering and analysis should write down 10 questions and then schedule a phone conference.

Example: “Tell me a story about a successful bus trip, one about every day bus trip; worst bus trip you ever had. “

This might be an interview (i.e. somehow guided), so that they don’t tell too long stories

network access, too.