ETH Zurich : Computer Science : Pervasive Computing : Distributed Systems : Research :

Cooperations with External Partners

We have a wide variety of industrial and academic partners for a number of internal and external research projects. Follow the links below for more information on the individual projects.

• SNF NCCR-MICS
  As part of the Mobile Information and Communication Systems (MICS) project – a long term research project funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation – we are investigating architecture and infrastructure issues for smart cooperating objects.
• EPC Global
  Fosstrak is an open source RFID software platform that implements the EPC Network specifications. It is intended to foster the rapid prototyping of RFID applications and to accelerate the development of an Internet of Things.
• Bits to Energy Lab
  In collaboration with the Chair of Information Management and the University of St. Gallen, we investigate ubiquitous computing's potential contribution to a more efficient use of energy.
• NTT DoCoMo Euro-Labs
  In collaboration with NTT DoCoMo Euro-Labs, we developed Dyser: A Real World Search Engine, a system for searching the real world, based on dynamic information gathered by a large number of heterogeneous sensors and sensor networks. Within the scope of this project, we also investigated to what extent the built-in Bluetooth modules of modern mobile phones can be used to sense the dynamics of people at public places.

Former Cooperations

• SAP Research Switzerland
  As part of a long-term cooperation we work together with SAP Research Switzerland in the joint areas of Internet of Things, Internet of Services and device to business integration.
• M-Lab (ended December 2008)
  In a cooperation with the University of St. Gallen and a large range of industrial partners, we are developing business applications in the domain of pervasive and ubiquitous computing.
• Hitachi (ended March 2007)
  A research cooperation with the Hitachi Systems Development Laboratory, Japan, that explores applications for tiny, sub-millimeter-sized RFID tags.
• NTT DoCoMo Euro-Labs (ended February 2007)
  In collaboration with NTT DoCoMo Euro-Labs, we developed UbiGate, a system for locating and monitoring everyday items using sensor-equipped mobile phones. This system allowed us to identify challenges that are common to many applications which make use of the large people-centric infrastructure provided by mobile phones and the cellular network.
• Embedded WiSeNts (February 2007)
  Cooperating embedded systems (such as wireless sensor networks and smart cooperating objects) are a potentially disruptive technology. However, the concrete realization of this vision is still unclear. We participate in this European coordination action to clarify this issue.
• Ladenburger Kolleg (ended February 2005)
  Funded by the Gottlieb Daimler and Karl Benz foundation, we lead a team of researchers from seven universities exploring possible social, economic, and ethical consequences of large-scale ubiquitous computing deployments.
• Disappearing Computer Initiative (ended December 2003)
  Within the EU-funded Disappearing Computer initiative we developed a sensore-node platform, the so-called "Smart-It", which can be attached to everyday items in order to support collaborative behavior among objects. We also conducted DC Troubadour, a survey of the state of privacy in a large number of DC projects.
• ETH World Program (ended December 2003)
  Within the ETH World program, we are developing a material entry point system for connecting the virtual campus to the physical campus environment.
• World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) (ended April 2002)
  Within the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), we participated in the design of P3P, an emerging world-wide standard for machine-readable privacy policies.
• Swisscom Corporate Research (ended December 2000)
  Together with Swisscom Corporate Research, we investigated the application of smart card technology in combination with short-distance wireless communication.