Proposed SAINT2004 Workshop 3 : Internet to Support Social Welfare

Over the past few years, the Internet has been revolutionizing the 
way we communicate by technical advances such as fiber optic networks, 
high-speed IP switching, DSL and CATV broadband accesses, along with 
the increasing performance of PCs and workstations. This growth has 
helped to identify the need for the Internet to support a broader 
scope of communications. 

The use of tele-health, tele-rehab and pervasive computing (e.g., 
to create smart homes) in support of aging, disability and independence 
is the first topic of the proposed workshop.  A large conference 
named ICADI (Int'l Conf. on Aging, Disability and Independence) will 
be held December 4, 2003 in Washington DC on this topic See 
http://www.asaging.org/icadi/03/index.cfm).

This workshop is to organize a post ICADI Workshop (which will be 
almost 2 months after the ICADI conf is held), with the objective of 
addressing the Asian respective on the same topic and to also ensure 
follow up and continued dialogue.

On the other hand, recent events have shown that the way of 
communication via the Internet can be more effective in natural 
disasters, power outages, fiber cable cuts, etc. where telephone 
services may not work.

E-mails and WWW-based information exchange can be robust and invulnerable 
due to the Internet's flexible routing and information transfer. The 
Internet is also expected to improve lifeline communications. As an 
example, emergency calls conveyed by e-mails or instant messages can 
also include locations, based on GPS, and the time they occur, by which 
ambulance and hospitals may advance their treatment.

Areas of particular interest include:

   - tele-health, tele-rehab, etc.
   - pervasive computing (e.g., to create smart homes) 
   - lifeline communications
   - emergency preparedness

Papers should be sent to the Organizers no later than October 7.  Please
not that, according to the SAINT2004 Organizing Committee, the Workshop 
is subject to cancel when paper presentations will not be enough.

Organizers:
   Sumi Heral (University of Florida) <helal@cise.ufl.edu>
   Hideki Sunahara (NAIST) <suna@wide.ad.jp>
   Katsuyuki Yamazaki (KDDI Labs.) <ymzk@kddilabs.jp>

Program Committee for Paper Review:
   Kimberly S. King (Science Applications International)
   Masaya Nakayama (Univ. of Tokyo)
   Yoshitaka Shibata (Iwate Prefectural Univ.)
   Others...