Requirements for an ubiquitous computing simulation and emulation environment

Abstract

Recent years have seen the maturing of ubiquitous computing middleware and software. Accompanied by research into sensor networks and other sensor-driven applications, widespread deployment and realisation of these technologies can now be expected in the coming years. As a cheap and quick method of prototyping applications and protocols, simulation will be a key part of the development cycle for these technologies. However, existing simulators only address a subset of ubiquitous computing environments and are unsuitable for modelling the desired complexity of the domain.This paper presents initial work on the design of a generic simulation tool suitable for the many scenarios encompassed by ubiquitous computing, such as simulation of sensors, actuators, and the environment. In addition, an emulation framework for middleware and software under development is provided which interfaces with the simulation tool. We provide a layered, flexible and modular approach to supporting the simulation of ubiquitous computing environments without constraining the simulator to one aspect of the many possible ubiquitous computing deployment scenarios. Finally, we present and discuss a proof-of-concept simulation.