Contextual information integration platform for humanitarian relief

It is well recognized that context plays a significant role in all human endeavors. All decisions are based on information which has to be interpreted in context. By making the information systems context-aware we can have systems that significantly improve the human capabilities to handle situations context. In this paper, we highlight the significance of Context that wireless devices should be able to support, especially in the event of a calamity or a disaster to provide much more effective support to the relief efforts. In such situations, where wireless device users need to be provided with critical information for purposes such as evacuation, relief work etc., it is equally important to provide information that suits current situation of the user while taking into account the current environment around the user. We present Rover II, framework for contextual information integration for wireless devices. With our belief that information processing systems should only provide support to the human decision maker (and not attempt to replace him/her), the Rover provides means for supporting the flow of information filtered and augmented using relevant contextual information. Our framework uses a paradigm for handling context information that includes user specific context combined with activity context and common context. We outline the significance of context-awareness with the help of a mobile application/system developed at Maryland on how effective such systems can be in situations of disaster or calamity.