Nick Palmer - Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

179 Pages·2012·2.6 MB·English

by  Nicholas O. Palmer

Smartphones:
A Platform For
Disaster Management
Nicholas Orien Palmer

VRIJE UNIVERSITEIT
Smartphones:
A Platfrom For Disaster Management
ACADEMISCH PROEFSCHRIFT
ter verkrijging van de graad Doctor aan
de Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam,
op gezag van de rector magnificus
prof.dr. L.M. Bouter,
in het openbaar te verdedigen
ten overstaan van de promotiecommissie
van de Faculteit der Exacte Wetenshappen
op woensdag 3 oktober 2012 om 13.45 uur
in de aula van de universiteit,
De Boelelaan 1105
door
Nicholas Orien Palmer
geboren te Lafayette, Indiana, Verenigde Staten
promotor: prof.dr.ir. H.E. Bal
copromotor: Dr.-Ing.habil. T. Kielmann
thesis committee members: Prof.dr. Koen Langendoen, TU Delft
Prof.dr. Frances Brazier, TU Delft
Dr. Marc Shapiro, INRIA
Dr. Patricia Lago, VU
Dr. Spyros Voulgaris, VU
ThisworkwascarriedoutintheASCIgraduateschool.
ASCIdissertationseriesnumber262.
ISBN978-94-6191-397-5
CoverandLayoutbyNicholasO.Palmer
Copyright©2012byNicholasO.Palmer
Thisthesisandtherestofmylifearededicatedtomylove.
Youaremyconstantsourceofinspiration.
Thankyouforeverythingyouareanddo.
TiAmo!

Acknowledgements
Firstandforemost,Ihavetothankmypromotor,Prof.dr.irHenriBal,forgivingmean
interestingproject,andenoughropetohangmyselfwithwhileworkingonit. WhenI
cametoyoulookingforaPhDpositionyoutookmeunderyourwingandgaveme
amoreinterestingprojectthanIevercouldhaveimagined. Itwasanewresearch
lineforyou,andyougavemeagreatdealoffreedominlookingforatopictoexplore
withinthebigsandboxof“distributedmobile”. Thankyouforplacingsomuchtrust
inmeandmyabilitytopioneeranewresearchline,andthankyouforgivingmesuch
aninterestingsandboxtoplayin. Youalsogavemeagreatdealofyourtime,always
findingenoughtoreadandcorrectmypapersandthisthesis, havemeetings, sign
forms,andotherwisegetthingsdone. IknowthatIwillneverfindakinder,more
generousboss,andcertainlynotonewhomanageshisverybusyscheduleaswellas
youdo.
Iwouldalsoliketothankmyco-promotor,Dr.-Ing.habil. ThiloKielmann. You
playedanexcellent“badcop”whenitwasnecessarytodoso,andalwayspushedme
tobemorescientificaboutwhatIwasdoing,despitesecretlybeingasweethearted
teddy-bear.Iwillmissallthehumorwesharedinourweeklymeetings,nottomention
discussionsaboutthequalitiesofgoodbreadandbeer,orlackthereofintheDutch
cuisine. WithoutthesupportyouandHenrihavegivenmeIcertainlywouldnothave
started,muchlessfinishedthischallengingjourney.
Tothereadingcommittee: Prof.dr. KoenLangendoen,Prof.dr. FrancesBrazier,
Dr. MarcShapiro,Dr. PatriciaLago,andDr. SpyrosVoulgaris,Ioweyoualldebtof
gratitudeforallofthetimeandattentionyouhavepaidtothismanuscript. Thankyou
allforsocloselyreadingthismanuscript,formakingsuchdetailedcomments,andfor
pressingmetoimprovetheendresult. Yourcommentshavemadethepresentationof
myworksomuchstrongerthaninmyinitialdraft,andevenledmetoperformsome
new,andverysatisfyingresearchpresentedinChapters6andtheendof7.
Next,IoweahugedebtofgratitudetomyparanymphandclosecolleagueRoelof
Kemp. Iwouldhaveaccomplishedfarlessandcertainlywouldnothavehadthetime
toexploreasmanyinterestingareasofmobilecomputingwithoutyourcollaboration.
Imostassuredlywouldn’thavemynameonsomanypapers! Youareaverygood
teacher,engineer,writer,andthinker. Ihaveverymuchenjoyedworkingtogether,
beitatthewhiteboard,behindEclipse,writingapaper,talkingovercoffee,giving
demonstrationstodutchstudents,orsleepingfoot-to-footonan“Lcouch”inLondon.
Bestofluckfinishingyourthesis,whichIverymuchlookforwardtoreading,andin
whateveryoudecidetodonext.
IwouldliketoalsothankmyotherparanymphMattDobson. Ithasbeengreatto
haveafellowAmericantodiscussvariousissueswith: fromAndroid;tocomplexity;
toissueswithworkandcolleagues;tofilmsgamesandTVshows;tomixednationality
relationships;andonandon. Therewasneveralackofthingstotalkabout. Icertainly
enjoyed our many coffees, lunches, parties, and vacations, especially crushing the
slopes on “Team Hard Cock”. I will always be proud not to have been on “Team
ix
Flaccid”,andIowepartofthattoyourboardingadviceandencouragement,sothanks
forthat. Iwishyouallthebestinfinishingyourthesis. Trynottoslacktoomuch,lest
ittakeanextrayear. AskmehowIknowhowthatcanhappen,Idareyou!
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Inaddition,IneedtothankRobvanNieupoortandJasonMaassenfortheirwork
onIbis. WhenIwaslookingatmastersprograms,seeingIbismademenotonlywant
to come to the VU to get the chance to work with it, but also made me sure that
I would fit in reasonably well here. I would also like to thank Niels Drost for his
contributionstoIbis, forsharingafantasticqueensdaysellingjunk, forbeingthe
group’sNespressodealer,allthefunatlowlands,andforpushingmetothinkmore
simplyaboutvariousaspectsofdistributedcomputing. Yourpragmaticapproachand
creativityshinethroughinallthatyoudo.
IwouldalsoliketothankProf. AndyTanenbaum. AfterthesecondvictoryofBush
Jr.,theadvertisementaboutthePDCSmastersatthebottomofelectoral-vote.com
broughtmetoAmsterdam. Iwillalwaysbethankfultoyoufortheveryinteresting
website,fortheadvertisement,andforputtingtogethersuchaninterestingmasters
program. I loved the PDCS masters, and I have loved my time here in beautiful
Amsterdam,evenifIdidn’tloveBushJr. gettingasecondterm.
I,ofcourse,wouldalsoliketothankallofmyothercolleaguesattheVU,both
withinHenri’sgroupandinothergroups. Ienjoyedourcoffeeandborelldiscussions
immensely. Theymadetimepassfartooquickly,butatleastitwasenjoyable. Thanks
especiallytoFrankfortheadviceonguidingacareerinacademia,toHerbertforbeing
aresearchrock-star,toMaartenforthemanyinterestinglecturesanddiscussions,and
toAndyformakingmedefendmystanceonvariousissuesagainstthegaleforceof
youropinion. AspecialthanksalsotoTimoandJacopoforbeinggreatofficemates,
andalwayshavingaNespressocapsuleformewhenIwasout. Ialsooweahugedebt
ofgratitudetothedepartmentsecretaries,especiallyCarolineWaij,whorepeatedly
wentaboveandbeyondthecallofdutyeverytime,includingtranslatingthesummary
forthisthesis. IdoubtIwilleverworkwithabettersecretary.
TothemanyfriendsIhavemadehereinAmsterdamwhohelpedtomakemylife
inAmsterdamenjoyable,andthethelongtimefriendswhoIkeepintouchwith,I
oweyoualladebtofgratitude.
ThankstoKim,Marcus,andmyfavorite“nephew”,RusselforhostingusinSan
Francisco,andespeciallytoKimforpushingmetograbthehappinessinmylifeand
holdontight. ThankstoErikandChiaraforallthegreattimestogether,bothinSF
andAmsterdam,andespeciallyforhostingafantasticBBQwhenwelastvisited. To
Erik,thanksforalwaysbeingmygotoguyfortechnologyquestions,andforturning
meontosomuchcoolstuff. Ilookforwardtomoregametime,andbeingexposedto
evenmorecoolstuffintheyearstocome. ToGabe,thanksforcomingtoCanadato
seeme,andsharecigars,finewine,andfantasticseafood,andforshowingmeitis
possibletobearesponsibleadultandabigkidatthesame-time. Iamsuperexcited
tobemovingclosertoallofyou.
TomyAmsterdamcrew,thanksingeneralforallthegreattimestogether. Iwill
missyouallimmensely. ThankstoConstantinouToursforthewintersportvacation
arrangements,lettingmeplaytopchef,manyBBQs,lovelydinners,andnever-ending
white-wine-fueled shenanigans. Thanks to Kate for the amazing haircuts, never
endingpartyspirit,andteachingmeallthatJagercandoforagirl! Ihavenoidea
whowillcutmyhairnext, butIamsureIwilllookfarlesship, andnotnearlyso
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