Rotuaari is a three-year (6/2003 - 5/2006) research project in the University of Oulu, focusing on the development and testing of technologies and business models for mobile multimedia services of the future. Key components include service and testing environments, wireless technologies, new kinds of value chains and numerous field trials.
The multidisciplinary research involves not only technology but also consumer behaviour, human-computer interaction, and information security.
The project consists of three main segments:
- Service system: The service system developed in the project comprises of wireless networks, service platforms and prototype services that are used with different kinds of mobile devices (e.g. PDA devices and mobile phones).
- Field trials: The service system and its services are tested in real usage environment in field trials where the services are used by actual end users. The field trials give valuable information of the technical performance of the service system, the usability of services, real consumer needs, consumer behaviour and the functioning of business models. The services are developed further on the basis of field trial feedback and automatically collected usage information.
- Value networks: Technology players contribute to the research with their opinion on what could be done with the technology of today and the future. Correspondingly shopkeepers, public corporations and users express their opinion about what is essential in view of their (business) activities.
The actual research has been divided into so-called work packages (WP), in which mobile multimedia services are approached from several intercomplementary perspectives.
Researchers:
The Rotuaari project involves researchers from different research groups, units and departments at the University of Oulu. Also one laboratory of the University of Art and Design contributes to the research:
- MediaTeam Oulu
- Oulu University Secure Programming Group
- Department of Marketing
- Media Lab (University of Art and Design, Helsinki)
Intelligent Systems Group (the Department of Electrical and Information Engineering, Faculty of Technology), User Interface and Group Technology Laboratory (the Department of Information Processing Science, Faculty of Science), and Educational Technology research unit (Faculty of Education) have taken part in the research in previous project years.
Project consortium:
- City of Oulu
- National Technology Agency (Tekes)
- Nokia
- OPOY/Finnet
- Oulun Liikekeskus
- Solid Information Technology
- Targetor
- TeliaSonera Finland
Ekahau, Forefront, Healthpoint Technologies, Kaleva Kustannus, Leiki, Mercum Fennica, Osuuskauppa Arina, Saw-You, and Valkeus Interactive have taken part in the project in previous project years.
Rotuaari is part of the FENIX - Interactive Information Technology technology program of Tekes.