NLP on Mobile Devices

Inspired by APIs such as Google Translate, cutting-edge input methods (e.g.,Swype), and successes in embedded speech recognition, I chose Android for my Spring 2010 seminar at the University of Washington, MA program in computational linguistics.

Entitled "NLP on Mobile Devices", this course was designed to explore the use of computational linguistics on mobile devices such as smart phones. We surveyed current issues and technologies concerning mobile devices, including user interface challenges, processing limitations, various operating systems, and market share (all within a compling context).

The main assignment was for students to develop proof-of-concept apps for Android-based smart phones using the Android SDK. Students had the possibility to explore such topics as speech technology, text processing, and NLP-related web applications. Furthermore, since the fast-growing mobile market introduces many possible opportunities for the computational linguist, we explored entrepreneurship in relation to the fast-changing mobile landscape. I am actively developing round two of this course (Winter 2011) and will post materials soon.

posted Dec 13, 2010 6:33 PM by scott farrar 

Johns Hopkins University Department of Computer Science

Our students used the Android platform for their final project in Wireless Embedded Sensing Systems to develop a WiFi localization and mapping tool. They developed user interfaces and used the built-in GPS and WiFi to collect signal strength readings which were then processed into location estimates, and presented to the user as points on a map. Students made use of a variety of techniques, including estimating distances from path-loss and AP broadcast strength, trilateration, and directing human users to perform targeted sampling tasks. The results were great: in some cases, they were able to make localization estimates with error on the order of meters. Being able to make use of the ADK and good high-level API's (SQLite, Apache HTTP, Maps, and the UI framework) enabled the students to build complex client-server applications in short order and contributed greatly to their success.

posted by terzis@cs.jhu.edu

MIT AITI

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Accelerating Information Technology Innovation (MIT AITI) is a multidisciplinary group that promotes software development skills and technology entrepreneurship in emerging regions. MIT AITI partners with universities in Africa and South Asia to offer mobile and Internet technology incubator courses instructed by MIT alumni and graduate students with MIT undergraduate teaching assistants. Additionally, MIT AITI builds networks of local investors, mentors, entrepreneurs, and developers centered on each program location that help our students to realize their startup goals.

During the summer of 2011, AITI, with the support of Google, organized programs in Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Rwanda and Sri Lanka. Over 170 students attended the programs in total. The technical curriculum focused on building software development experience, and introduced the students to real-world platforms such as Django, Google App Engine, and Android. The entrepreneurship curriculum is experience-based as well, with units covering ideation, team-building, pitching and presentation skills, and negotiation. Each course is organized around a group project, asking students to develop an innovative and viable mobile service startup. Each instructor team includes expertise in both technical and entrepreneurial areas, with mentorship an important component of the course structure.

The courses employed Android phones so that the students could get real-world experience with the Android platform and with mobile web. Students from each course used Android phones to test the prototypes for their projects, and to demo the prototypes for the public Demo Day at the end of the course.

The 2011 summer programs have already had high-profile outcomes since the short time since they have completed. Two student teams in Sri Lanka have signed partnerships with mobile operators to market and deploy their services. Four student teams in Rwanda have registered companies from their projects, and one team has won a Rwandan entrepreneurship competition and will be traveling to Europe to compete in an international competition. Finally, multiple teams from have been accepted into highly-selective local incubators to continue developing their startups.

posted by Michael Gordon of MIT

Barcelona Informatics School LSI Department

Within the AndroidEDU Google EMEA Program, the LSI department an the Barcelona Informatics School at UPC has organized an innovative Android programming workshop.  During ten weeks, twenty students (organized in small groups) come across and solve technical difficulties arising in the actual Android programming. By the end of the course, each group develops its own Android application. The patent motivation in Android among students has allowed us to apply proactive learning techniques with very good results. As teachers, this experience has enabled us to meet new challenges, since it has forced us to rethink our role, to create educational material accordant with the new communication media (web-based on-line forums, YouTube, etc.), and fostering a fruitful collaboration between teachers and students.

posted by Maria Serna