Brendan Behan: Video Over an ATM Desk Area Network A PDF file (1.5MB)
Ben Williamson: Netslate - A Handheld Web Browser
ABSTRACT
Radio, television, magazines, newspapers and telephony are all migrating to the Internet, and for very good reasons. Printed media are by nature portable, and handheld radios, televisions and especially telephones are now part of our lives. People are finding more reasons to need access to more information in more places. It is inevitable, then, that handheld access to the Internet and all of the precious information it offers will soon be in high demand.
The most prominent feature in any explanation of why the Internet has experienced such explosive growth in recent times has to be the advent of the World Wide Web. Without warning, the Internet transformed from a notoriously complicated hangout for computer nerds and scientists, into a point-and-click source of information on absolutely everything.
Emerging technologies in multimedia, portable computing and internetworking point to an exciting future for computer systems engineering. There is great competition to build systems that allow non-expert users to conveniently and cheaply access Internet content. This project aims to develop a working prototype of a handheld Web browser, a portable device that connects people to the Internet.
The Netslate is an entry in the race to build a portable computing and communications tool for the masses. It can be compared to the Network Computer concept, which promises to bring the Web into our living rooms and offices for $500 a piece. It also has links with currently available Personal Digital Assistant products, which primarily function as digital diaries but are now clambering to provide all the attractions of handheld Internet connectivity.
Project Goals and Results
There are two goals discussed in this thesis document. The first is a long term goal of a handheld Web browser product that is fully supported with operating system and application software, ready for production. The more immediate goal of the Netslate project is to build prototype hardware and develop low level software that can support this greater goal, to provide a starting point and direction for further development.
Hence the motivation for the design decisions in this project come from a goal more distant than the demonstration day at the end of the project.
The tangible results of this project are:
- the Netslate prototype hardware packaged in a molded case with display, communications interface etc;
- the "nslib" development library of low level functions to drive the Netslate hardware, with a number of demonstration programs;
- this report, providing direction for further development of the Netslate.
Thesis as a PDF file (700KB)
Mark Griffiths: Industry Standard Point to Point Infrared Data Link PDF file (65KB)
Thillainathan Aravinthan: 100 Mbps ATM DAN Switch PDF file (1MB)
Oliver Sharwwod: Design and Review of 3D Audio PDF file (572KB)
Kenneth Hsu: Simulation of Room Acoustics PDF file (800KB)
Cory Prowse: The Active Badge Location System PDF file (990KB)
Electrical and Computer Engineering / marks@elec.uq.edu.au Last Modified November 11, 1996