Edge Computing in the Hands of Users

Smart portable and wearable devices have become more and more popular in our lives due to their ability to "Wear and Use On-the-Go". However, in order to collect data and perform momentarily assessment of users' data, they require to be light weight, compact size with multiple sensors and higher processing capabilities. Edge computing provides an opportunity for wearable devices to access more resources without violating the constraints on weight, size, and sensing capabilities. Furthermore, edge computing (including TinyML) provides many required on-device processing capabilities which can then help in protecting users' private data as raw personal data (such as images and videos) don't need to be shared remotely. In this talk, I will look at the potential of edge computing to empower wearable and handheld devices while protecting users' privacy and I will showcase several examples of our recent work at the Smart Sensing lab including fidgeting cubes for mental health, edge and portable devices for Crime prevention and edge gadgets for location-based gaming and wellbeing. I will also provide a glimpse into exciting future directions that promise to have a profound impact on the Edge-Computing in the hands of users.