Press Room

  • June 28, 2009 –The Living Lab mentioned in Bloomington church’s sermon. After touring our lab during Mini University, Dr. Emerson (a Senior Pastor at First United Methodist Church in Bloomington) mentioned a few of our prototypes and our lab during his sermon, Times change, so must we. Click here to listen.
  • May 19, 2009 — ETHOS PI interviewed for the Silver Bullet Security Podcast. “For the 38th episode of The Silver Bullet Security Podcast, Gary talks privacy with Kay Connelly, Associate Professor of Computer Science at Indiana University and Senior Associate Director of IU’s Center for Applied Cybersecurity Research. Gary and Kay discuss why in situ usability study is important, the E.T.H.O.S. living lab (including the “presence clock” and the portal monitor), and Kay’s advice to women interested in pursuing a career in computer science.” Read more and listen to podcast.
  • May 14, 2009 — Two ETHOS PIs receive teaching grant. “Seven Indiana University Bloomington faculty have received 2009 Summer Instructional Development Fellowships from the offices of the Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education and the Vice Provost for Faculty and Academic Affairs to develop specialized and innovative courses. They are Sonya Atalay in anthropology; Colleen Ryan-Scheutz and Kelly Sax in French and Italian; Beth Samuelson in literacy, language and culture education; Kalpana Shankar in informatics; Kay Connelly in computer science; and Rex Sprouse in Germanic studies and second language studies.”  Read more.
  • Spring, 2009 – ETHOS project highlighted in Research and Creative Activity magazine.  ” IU researchers working on the ETHOS (Ethical Technology in the Homes of Seniors) project are developing practical and pervasive technologies that help seniors stay safe and secure in their homes, while providing peace of mind for family members and caregivers. ETHOS devices connect seniors and loved ones, while allowing seniors to maintain their privacy and autonomy. In the center’s “Living Lab,” a simulated senior home environment, CACR researchers develop and test technologies such as the Portal Monitor, which monitors the exterior doors of a senior’s home. Unless the resident disarms the device, the Portal Monitor takes a digital photograph when someone enters or leaves the residence. The system sends a photograph and a message to the computer or mobile phone of the caregiver, who can then assess the safety of the senior. The device has applications for those with dementia, who may put themselves in jeopardy by wandering away, and it can alert others to unwanted visitors who may intend to abuse or take advantage of seniors.”  Read more.
  • February, 2009 — ETHOS PI, Kay Connelly, gives advice to President Obama. “Increased efficiency is NOT the solution; improving America’s overall health is what’s needed. Technology has the potential to revolutionize health care. While I applaud your focus on using technology to streamline health care processes, making electronic patient records a reality in the next five years, I encourage you to consider how technology can not only assist in managing our medical records, but be used to improve our health. Simply put, no matter how much more efficient we make it, our health care infrastructure cannot keep up with the demand caused by an aging population and the dramatic increase in chronic conditions. Instead, we need to focus on how to make people healthier…”  Read more.
  • February, 2009 — ETHOS PI, Jean Camp, gives advice to President Obama.  A three-pronged strategy for protecting computer users. Security research, commercial network management, software providers and public policy have left those with computers at home unable to defend themselves from malicious attackers. As a result, the number of attacks and subverted computers and identities continues to increase. In 2004, Boomers owned more than one-third of the value of all stocks and more than 10 percent of the value of all bonds in the U.S. — that is, one-third of the value of all the American stock exchanges combined. They are being asked to defend this wealth from a world of criminals far more trained in computer science than these targets of crime will ever be. What is required is a three-pronged strategy. First, software itself must come of age, providing security as well as fun and functionality. Second, network service providers must assist individuals whose computers are (unknown to them) participating in malicious activity after having been subverted. Those who connect the network to the computer are in a unique position to know when a machine has been subverted, and assist the victim of the digital assault. Third, finally, public education on computer security should address the virtual as well as the physical threats to the public interest. Read more.
  • December 17, 2008 — ETHOS project could have helped kidnapped senior citizen.  “Family and friends of a 75-year-old California grandmother beaten and kidnapped from her home last week might have known of the crime within moments if a device patented by an Indiana University researcher had been in use. If Sandy Vinge had been using The Portal Monitor developed by Indiana University professor L. Jean Camp when kidnapped from her home, photographs taken at the victim’s front door step would have been forwarded instantaneously to a pre-selected group of her closest friends and family members.” Read more.
  • August 15, 2008 — ETHOS PIs receive CRA grant.  “Assistant Professors Kay Connelly and Kalpana Shankar, along with two undergraduate students, have received a $15,500 Multidisciplinary Research Opportunity for Women (MROW) grant from the Computing Research Association Committee on the Status of Women in Computing Research. Their proposal, “Using the Wii and Social Networking to promote Cognitive, Physical and Social Engagement among Seniors,” was selected from a wide variety of potential projects to receive the grant that the National Science Foundation has helped to fund.”  Read more.
  • November 2, 2007 — ETHOS student receives prestigious award.  “Oliver McGraw, a senior, has been named one of five recipients of the Undergraduate Research Stipends in Practical Ethics awards for 2007-2008, presented by IU’s Poynter Center for the Study of Ethics and American Institutions. Recipients of the Poynter stipends may use the funds to cover the costs of research and travel. All recipients will present their results at a symposium in Spring 2008.”  Read more.
  • July 19, 2007 — ETHOS announced. “An Indiana University School of Informatics-led team is creating a digital toolkit that enables elders to maintain their privacy, while taking full advantage of home-based computing for their health and personal safety.The project, which is funded by an $821,000 grant from the National Science Foundation, will construct a “living lab” with a select group of volunteers at Meadowood Apartments, a Bloomington retirement community. The researchers’ initial designs will be used to perform user studies and evaluate the design method. The feedback from the elder users will enable improvements in the design and the design methodology.”  Read more.