UbiComp/ISWC 2015 PDR Challenge

Ubicomp/ISWC 2015 provide a opportunity to make "technical challenge" at the conference site. This year, we decided to have a "PDR Challenge" to promote this technology.

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PDR Challenge Sponsors

    

Time Table

Main Schedule of PDR Challenge

9.7 (room: C03)
11:00-11:15 Opening
11:15-11:35 Introduction of PDR Algorithm Category participants
     Each group shows appeal points of the PDR algorithm briefly. (2 minutes for one group)
11:35-12:15 Presentation of PDR Evaluation Method Category
     Masaaki Abe(Nagoya Univ.): A proposal of PDR evaluation method that takes acount of route complexity
     Takeshi Kurata (AIST): PDR Benchmark: View Models and Case Studies
12:15-12:30 Instruction of data collection for PDR Algorithm Category

9.8 (room: C03)
(After HASCA workshop)
18:00-18:30 PDR Challenge Wrap-up
     Brief progress report of data collection and PDR Algorithm category

9.11 (room: HALL A)
16:00-17:30 Awarding ceremony of PDR algorithm category (in Closing Session)

Schedule of Exivision by RICOH

9.7 9:30-19:00 (room: C07)
9.8 9:30-19:00 (room: C07)

PDR Challenge Outline

Location information is one of the most important contexts in the everyday life. By using smart phones, It is possible to obtain locations using GPS at most places outdoors. However, for indoors where GPS radio wave cannot reach, it is not easy to obtain precise locations, so various approaches are under active developments.

PDR (Pedestrian Dead-Reckoning) can be considerd as a promising approach of the indoor location estimation. Using the acceleration/gyro sensor, built in the mobile terminal, PDR estimates the relative movement. It is not possible to know the absolute location by the PDR alone, but by combining with other location estimation methods, it has the potential to track the absolute location. By using specialized wearable devices, various kinds of PDR-enabled products have been proposed. However, for the current smart phones, it is not well-known about the PDR methods or algorithms with high precision and stability. Moreover, no evaluation method has been established for PDRs from various aspects.

At the opportunity of Ubicomp/ISWC 2015, we decided to make "PDR Challenge". Three categories have been prepared for the participants of this Challenge -- Algorithm, Evaluation Methods , and Exhibition. The participants of Algorithm Category will compete in PDR algorithm. Evaluation criteria of the proposed algorithms are not limited to position estimation accuracy, but including latency and power conservation. The participants of Evaluation Methods Cagetory will compete in the evaluation method of PDR. The participants of Exhibition demonstrate any kind of methods/products which utilize PDR but not limited. So any methods/products that have integration with the absolute location estimation methods and "map matching", using WiFi, etc.l

Additionally, we will collect "Walking sensing corpus" for further development of PDR. We wil publish the corpus in a year. However, participants and sponsors will be able to use this corpus of data before publication.

We are intend to make this Challenge as an "open challenge" and by engaging with all the participants in discussion. If you have any experimental plan or idea for the challenge, please contact us.

Participation Method

Please fill the following information and send email.

Group/Individual Name：
Representative Name：
Affiliation：
E-mail：
Category：(PDR Algorithm Category/PDR Evaluation Method Category/Exhibition Category)

Deadline：2015/7/31 (Extended! 2015/08/10)  
Destination Address: Katsuhiko Kaji（challenge2015.pdr@ubicomp.org）

Additionally, participant should make registration of
Ubicomp/ISWC 2015 Workshop Registration Single Day or Two Days.

Awarding ceremony is held at closing session of Ubicomp/ISWC.
If you want to participate to the awarding ceremony,
you should make another registration of
Ubicomp/ISWC 2015 Main Conference Single Day Passes or
Full Registration(3days).

We can provide detail information about Android skeleton even before registration.
Please feel free to contact us  (challenge2015.pdr@ubicomp.org).
Also, we have a facebook group for supporting participants (https://www.facebook.com/groups/Ubicomp2015PDR/).

Challenge Categories

PDR Algorithm Category

Carrying SmartPhones, subjects(from UbiComp/ISWC participants) will walk in the building, the Grand Front Osaka, which is the Ubicomp / ISWC workshop venue (8th Floor and a part of 7th Floor of Tower C). The floormap is here (10px=1m). Using the sensors that have been built in the SmartPhones, you will carry out PDR. Their results will be evaluated in the competition, based on multiple criteria, such as the precision with which the location has been determined, the robustness and power conservation, etc. We expect to have three types of target routes, each of which is about 100m. They will include movement along level ground, in addition to that toward higher ground, such as stairs, etc.

While walking, each subjects will have an assistant following him. They will enable him to navigate along the route correctly. In addition, the assistant will record the time taken to make each turn and will generate the correct coordinate information, based on that time. As for the method of participation, in addition to the methods for submitting the algorithm codes, we are considering the method for submitting only the position estimation results. We request those who are submitting only location estimation results to submit the correct coordinates, the walking sensing data which gave the information on the correct coordinates for the portion that the management had indicated. Please use the information on the correct coordinates for calibrations, etc. We will determine the winner, based on the precision of the information on the estimated position that has been submitted.

Detailed information:

Device: Android smartphone with following sensors(Android Skelton is provided).
Sensors: Accelerometer, gyro, magnetic, air pressure
Device Position: in hand
Subjects: Student volunteers and participants of UbiComp/ISWC2015
Venue: Grand Front Osaka (around Workshop area: Tower C 8th and 7th floor)
Calibration: Calibration data is provided for each sensing data. The calibration method is linear walking, and the length is 14.4 meter.
Ground truth: Time and coordinates are provided.The coordinates start with (0,0,0) and the vector is (1,0,0).
Coordinate system: 3D coordinates. When a subject turns left after starting, the value of Y-axis will be plus.
Evaluation method: Average of errors. Error is calculated for every 1 second.
Error calculation method: Euclidean distance.
Sample data: sample.zip (2015.9.2)

We ask the participants of the Algorithm Category to submit a block diagram, showing an overview of the algorithm. If they are submitting only the location estimation results, the walking sensing data that gave the first half of the information on the correct coordinates will be presented to them before the opening of the session. We ask each participant to use PDR on these data and submit the estimated position of the second half to which no correct coordinates have been given. Moreover, the data obtained by collecting the walking sensing data of the participants of Ubicomp/ISWC, scheduled for September 7, will be presented on the same day. We ask each participant to submit the estimated position of these data, by applying PDR in the same way, by the deadline.

For those who are submitting algorithm, we will provide "app skeleton" for android. The participants will submit those source codes implemented, in accordance with the "skeleton". We in management will implement the algorithm by applying it to the "skeleton" and based on the precision achieved, we will determine the winner. Moreover, we plan to make available for viewing these results of PDR that are in the real time when the walking sensing data were collected by the Ubicomp/ISWC participants.

We ask those who are submitting algorithm to submit the source codes that have been implemented in accordance with the "skeleton". Since we in the management will calculate the accuracy with which the algorithm has been implemented, there is no work for them to carry out during the session.

Schedule
July mid.: Android app skelton and sample data is provided.
2015/8/14( Extended 2015/8/21 ): Deadline of abstract submission (as 1-2 pages slide).
2015/8/28( Extended 2015/9/4 ): Deadline of algorithm submission (as JAR file).
2015/9/7 PM - 9/8: Data collection and demonstration at Ubicomp/ISWC workshop venue.
2015/9/11: Awarding ceremony at closing session of Ubicomp/ISWC. 

We can provide detail information about Android skeleton even before registration.
Please feel free to contact us  (challenge2015.pdr@ubicomp.org).

PDR Evaluation Method Category

The method of evaluating PDR has not yet been established at this time. Therefore, we will have the participants of this category to give presentations at the workshop day(Sep. 7th） by bringing with them their evaluation methods. The evaluation items are not limited to the position estimation accuracy. We are looking for the evaluation methods that have integrated multiple items, such as latency and power conservation, etc., as well as the evaluation methods, based on completely new criteria, etc. We will determine which evaluation method is the superior one, based on the votes of the Challenge Executive Committee and the participants of the workshop.

Requirements for patriticapnts:
We request the participants in the Evaluation Category to submit the abstract of their evaluation methods. In addition, we ask them to submit their slide materials that they will present at the workshop scheduled on that day, so that we could publish them on our website after the Challenge.

Schedule
2015/8/14 ( Extended 2015/08/21 ): Deadline of abstract submission (as 1-2 pages slide).
2015/9/7 AM: Presentation at PDR Challenge Workshop
2015/9/11: Awarding ceremony at closing session of Ubicomp/ISWC. 

Exhibition Category

Exhibition Category is looking for any position estimation methods/products which are not limited to PDR. They include the methods that integrated the absolute position estimation methods, using WiFi and iBeacon, etc., as well as the methods that adopted "map matching", etc.
Due to the wide variety of the evaluation criteria, Exhibition participants will not be eligible for awards, but they will be able to demonstrate their position estimation methods.

If you want to perform such as environmental survey in advance, please let us know.

Schedule
2015/8/7 ( Extended 2015/08/10 ): Deadline of abstract submission (as 1 pages slide).
2015/9/7 PM, 9/8: Demonstration at Ubicomp/ISWC workshop venue. 

UbiComp/ISWC2015 PDR Challenge Corpus

After the PDR Challenge, We are planning to put together the walking sensing data, collected in this Challenge and the detailed coordinate information, etc. and to publish them as "UbiComp/ISWC 2015 PDR Challenge Corpus" in a year. To the Challenge participants and the sponsors who have applied for "data option", we will provide the corpus immediately.

Schedule

PDR Challenge Committee

PDR Challenge is currently managed by the follwing committee. We welcome researchers/industry members to join our committee.

Lead Planner:

 Nobuo Kawaguchi (Nagoya University / Lisra)

Managing Chair:

Katsuhiko Kaji (Aichi Institute of Technology)

Committee Members:

Nobuhiko Nishio (Ritsumeikan University)
Kaori Fujinami  (Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology)
Daniel Roggen (University of Sussex)
Sozo Inoue (Kyushu Institute of Technology)
Susanna Pirttikangas (University of Oulu)
Hisakazu Hada (Tokyo University of Technology)
Juan Antonio Álvarez García (University of Seville)
Kazuya Murao (Kobe University)
Kei Hiroi (Nagoya University)
Ren Ohmura (Toyohashi University of Technology)
Shigeyuki Miyagi (The University of Shiga Prefecture)
Takeshi Kurata (National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology:AIST)
Yasuyuki Sumi (Future University Hakodate)
Yu Enokibori (Nagoya University)

Supported Community / Workshop

Sponsoring PDR Challenge

We are inviting sponsors for UbiComp/ ISWC 2015 PDR Challenge. By sponsoring PDR Challenge, you can get wide range of recognition from researchers and industries of ubiquitous computing area.

Contacts