CraftStumbler2 my Pocket PC utility for 802.11b based wireless network auditing is running. It is based on CraftDeamon a C++ DLL which calls NDIS functions on the IEEE 802.11 NIC and returns the detected BSSIDs and their attributes stored in the IEEE 802.11 NIC’s database. CraftDeamon’s methods are exported to be invoked by CraftStumbler (C# client) which displays the access points’ MAC addresses and signal strength and if selected redirects the data to a remote server (Java) which logs them on a centralized database.

Premier article écrit avec Nicolas Nova, Patrick Jermann et Pierre Dillenbourg:
Un système de localisation par triangulation pour les activités coopératives

Résumé: Cet article décrit un système de localisation de personnes en environnement construit sur assistant personnel et Pc tablette utilisant un réseau sans fil et la triangulation par rapport à la position des antennes de ce même réseau. Un tel système vise à être employé dans deux contextes. Le premier concerne l’étude de la coordination spatiale d’un groupe dans le cadre d’une tâche semi-écologique. Le second vise à étudier la topologie des espaces d’interactions sociales.

Friday morning brainstorm on spatial positionning with Pierre and Nicolas. Hard to determine the joint activity on the first picture. The second could be the landing area of the UFOs already witnessed in Geneva this week.

Developments of location awarness softwares for iPAQs are well on their way at CRAFT. I wrote (learning by doing) a simple C# client application that allows to map my own location as well as the one of my mates in real time.

On this snapshot of my iPAQ screen, I (in red) am at the INF cafeteria taking a coffee, Guillermo (in yellow) doing his diploma work in the INN building and Patrick (orange) and Nicolas (blue) are both working at the CRAFT (CE building).

Friday at CRAFT is “bidouille” day. My access point sniffing software for iPAQ 5550 finally delievered viewable outputs. Localization is done with a very cheap algorithm using the location of the room hosting the reachable access points. From this, I could, for example, trace a small walk on the EPFL campus. This development is part of the researches @ CRAFT.