Design Principles for Contactile Computing

Proc. SAICSIT-2011, Cape Town, October 2011, pp 306-309

Philip Machanick

Contactile computing is a proposed new paradigm in which sensors and communications are integrated into a system model that integrates real-time support with conventional application support. The motivation for the model is the growth of mobile devices with varying degrees of sensor capability and varying levels of processing power. For smart phones with various sensors, a sophisticated operating system is warranted by the complexity of the resources being managed. At the same time, existing operating systems tend to be strong either in real-time support, or in conventional application support, not both. This paper proposes a preliminary design for a contactile system, based on insights from microkernel systems like L4ka and Minix 3, which have illustrated how designs with dissimilar layers may be pieced together.

Design principles for contactile computing

Philip Machanick
SAICSIT '11 Proceedings of the South African Institute of Computer Scientists and Information Technologists Conference on Knowledge, Innovation and Leadership in a Diverse, Multidisciplinary Environment, 2011