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- Contextualized ubiquity: a new opportunity for rendering business information and servicesPublication . Cunha, Carlos R.; Peres, Emanuel; Morais, Raul; Bessa, Maximino; Reis, Manuel José Cabral dos SantosStating that information and services are ubiquitous, means that they are available anywhere, anytime. The development of mobile-devices with wireless network-access capabilities, together with the decrease in network-traffic costs and the proliferation of free wireless hotspots, makes the use of mobile-devices, as Internet access tools, increasingly common and attractive. With novel forms of presenting information and to provide new ways to interact with consumers, new business strategies can be boosted, in Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and m-commerce. This paper describes a different approach to the relationship between customers and business-providers, based on contextualization mechanisms located in commercial products, which in turn acts as a gateway to static tag-embedded information as well as web-based information and services. A wine integrated management system, called SIGPV, is presented as a proof-of-concept, enumerating some of possible major business and CRM benefits.
- Perceção dos residentes face ao impacto do turismoPublication . Fernandes, Paula Odete; Pires, Luís; Fontes, Carla; Costa, Carlos Casimiro da; Correia, Ricardo; Carvalho, Aida; Cunha, Carlos R.; Ramalhosa, Elsa; Correia, Alexandra I.; Parafita, AlexandreIn tourism the local community are not only one of the most essential element for the destination offer but also the key for its differentiation. The knowledge about their expectation and satisfaction regarding tourism development is extremely important for the development process itself. Based on that statement it was developed an empirical research where the local community perception emerges as the key element to be considered. Specifically, in this project it was analysed the perception of the local community, in two different small Portuguese villages, regarding the development of tourism as well as their position regarding the side effects that a possible increase in tourism could provide. It was concluded the positive relationship between the perception of the local image and the perception of economic and socio-cultural impacts caused by tourism and an inverse relationship between the perception of the local image and the perception of environmental caused by tourism.
- Combining IoT and users’ profiles to provide contextualized information and servicesPublication . Fernandes, Daniel; Cunha, Carlos R.; Gomes, João Pedro; Santos, ArlindoTechnological evolution has led to the emergence of a set of solutions suitable to support mobility and ubiquity scenarios. Wireless computing and mobile devices together with the miniaturization of sensors and actuators, which are now embedded in physical spaces, are today’s reality. This phenomenon opened the door to a set of opportunities for reengineering how we perceive a given fact or situation and how we act on it. With regard to the delivery of information to users of a given physical space, there is now the possibility of radically transforming the mechanisms of interaction between the space and the user, redesigning the entire experience of interaction. This change allows the user to see the physical space around him adapt to himself and provide him with contextualized and personalized information according to his profile of interest. This approach can improve the way we manage customer relationships in a given business context. This article presents an overview of the state of the art of intelligent spaces and analyzes the potential of indoor positioning systems and techniques, and proposes a conceptual model for the detection of users in physical spaces and the consequent adaptation of an intelligent physical space to provide information aligned with the user's interest profile and in accordance with their privacy rules.
- Reengineering the way tourists interact with heritage: a conceptual IoT based modelPublication . Cunha, Carlos R.; Carvalho, Aida; Esteves, Elsa TavaresTourism is an information-intensive sector and today's tourist is hungry for information about everything that surrounds him and is increasingly demanding about the mechanisms that are made available for access and interaction with information. This new reality requires rethinking many of the existing solutions. In this context, the Internet of Things (IoT) is revolutionizing the way we think, design and implement Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) solutions for the tourism sector, opening up unprecedented opportunities in terms of how we can provide information and services. This new reality is enabling reengineering the interaction-process between tourists and its surrounding space. For heritage spaces, typically visited by countless tourists, there is an opportunity to rethink the entire process of supporting the interpretation and fruition of heritage, carried out by tourists. In order to understand how this reengineering can be carried out, a review of the state of the art is carried out with regard to how the IoT has been applied in the context of tourism. Then, the methodology that governed the creation of a conceptual model based on IoT is clearly defined, capable of transforming the way physical spaces of tourist interest can be interpreted and how their fruition can be improved. Particular importance is given to the contextualization of the experience, since the information provided must be adjusted to the visitor, according to their profile, which may necessarily reflect different types of interest or prior knowledge about the space. Finally, this article presents a conceptual model where its components are described and where it is discussed how the model can transform the experience of visiting touristic spaces and how tourists can access information and services that entities promoters of these spaces wish to make available. In the dissertation carried out, important aspects of the model and the gains it may generate for the revitalization and promotion of heritage are discussed.
- Using mobile devices and apps to assist the elder population in rural areas and generate business opportunitiesPublication . Cunha, Carlos R.; Mendonça, Vítor; Morais, Elisabete Paulo; Fernandes, Joana; Letra, IsaíasProviding gerontological cares represents an increased challenge when applied to rural scenarios. This paper discusses the role of technology in gerontology and specifically how technology-based solutions can be developed to assist the elderly population in rural areas. We also characterize the Northeast Portuguese region exposing its rural characteristics and presented some demographic numbers. Finally, a conceptual model and a prototype supported by mobile devices are presented to assist and monitor the elderly and enhance business opportunities. The developed prototype allows not only to assist the elderly in a set of typical elderly population routines - such as those related to health - but also to improve the interaction between the elderly and their relatives and / or caregivers. This work is part of a more extensive effort that has been made in the search for effective solutions to assist the elderly population in rural areas, typically distant from the main health and / or support services; contributing to relieve these deficits.
- Intangible approaches to improve individual health indicators and empower caregiversPublication . Cunha, Carlos R.; Moreira, André Silva; Pires, Luís; Fernandes, Paula OdetePopulations worldwide are ageing at a faster pace than in the past, and this demographic transition will affect almost all aspects of society [1]. The number and proportion of people aged 60 years and more in the population are increasing; in 2019, the number of people aged 60 years and older was one billion; this number will increase to 1.4 billion by 2030 and 2.1 billion by 2050 [2]. Population ageing is an irreversible worldwide trend. This is the inevitable result of demographic transition, the trend towards longer lives and smaller families, which occurs even in countries with relatively young populations. In 2021, one in ten people worldwide was aged 65 and over; by 2050, this age group is forecasted to represent one in six people worldwide [3]. Globally, the number of people aged 80 years and over is increasing even faster than the number of people aged 65 years and over. By 2050, the world will have an estimated 459 million people aged 80 years and over, which is nearly triple the number in 2021, at approximately 155 million [3]. This finding was seen in all regions of the world where the number of older people increased rapidly between 1980 and 2021, a trend that is likely to continue for the next three decades [3]; even in Portugal, the proportion of older people as in other countries has been increasing steadily over the past decades. By 2050, Portugal expects an old-age dependency rate of 68.8%, which is one of the highest ratios in Europe [4]. The North interior of Portugal, namely, Terras de Trás-os-Montes, is following the same behaviour as what is being observed in the world and in Portugal. Since it is a region located in the northern interior of Portugal and is considered a region of low population density, it has been seeing an increase in the ageing index, and the ageing trends are evident. It is highlighted that in 2021, Terras de Trás-osMontes’ region presents an ageing index of 359.0.
- Enhancing tourism through viticulture enterprises in Douro Region: The Inov@Douro modelPublication . Cunha, Carlos R.; Peres, Emanuel; Morais, Raul; Reis, Manuel José Cabral dos SantosThis paper describes a business and technological model proposal, known as Inov@Douro, intended to support and to promote competitive and sustained precision agriculture practices in the Portuguese Douro Region. Our approach is based on a distributed cooperative network, tailored to meet the specific needs of viticulture enterprises which also explore tourism as a valuable national and international business source. We present the Inov@Douro model from the knowledge generation point-of-view, intended to support the multidisciplinary concept of a cooperation approach among regional partners. This model aims to represent a new working style for this unique region. As a guideline to attain the implementation of such a model, information technology and infrastructures tools are discussed in order to promote precision agriculture practices while giving valuable and dynamic tourist information to the general public.
- The use of mobile devices with multi-tag technologies for an overall contextualized vineyard managementPublication . Cunha, Carlos R.; Peres, Emanuel; Morais, Raul; Oliveira, Ana A.; Matos, Samuel G.; Fernandes, Miguel A.; Ferreira, Paulo Jorge S.G.; Reis, Manuel José Cabral dos SantosThis paper describes a Viticulture Service-Oriented Framework (VSOF) which turns around context elements or tags that are placed in the field and which can be decoded by mobile devices such as mobile phones or PDAs. The tags are used to automatically associate a field location to the relevant database tables or records and also to access contextual information or services. By pointing a mobile device to a tag, the viticulturalist may download data such as climatic data or upload information such as disease and pest incidence in a simple way, without having to provide coordinates or any other references, and without having to return to a central office. This work is part of an effort to implement a large-scale distributed cooperative network in the Douro Demarcated Region in Northeast Portugal, a region in which the effort makes particular sense due to the extremely variable topography and mesoclimates. The possibility of exchanging contextualized information and accessing contextualized services in the field, using well-known devices such as cell phones, may contribute to increase the rate of adoption of information technology in viticulture, and contribute to more efficient and closer-to-the-crops practices.
- Do conhecimento tácito ao conhecimento baseado em IA Insights: uma reengenharia em curso?Publication . Cunha, Carlos R.Na evolução das organizações e dos seus Sistemas de Informação sempre se considerou que o seu ativo mais importante eram as pessoas. Que a tecnologia, per si, era um “mecanismo” ao serviço das pessoas – um instrumento que as permite tomar melhores decisões, desde as operacionais às estratégicas. Continuamos hoje a pensar o mesmo, e bem. No passado, tal como hoje, o conhecimento tácito que reside nas pessoas, fruto da experiência acumulada, intuição e pensamento crítico, são uma força motora do crescimento das organizações, da inovação e do seu sucesso, em especial nos momentos mais difíceis, onde este conhecimento parece irradiar dos visionários. O presente, em parte, e o futuro, com toda a probabilidade, é espaço de geração de dados em quantidades massivas onde a Internet das Coisas (IoT) e a Internet Industrial das Coisas (IIoT) dará um novo significado à palavra "massiva". Será que o conhecimento tácito, centrado nas pessoas, terá no futuro o mesmo papel que teve até hoje? A inteligência humana deixará de conseguir acompanhar o futuro que se vislumbra? Será capaz de assimilar alterações significativas, e por vezes radicais, às rotinas quotidianas, impulsionadas pelas Tecnologias? Teremos uma nova tipologia de infoexclusão? A resposta, se é que ela já existe, parece estar na Inteligência Artificial (IA) que, curiosamente, parece estar num processo de democratização – deixou de ter apenas uma perspetiva meramente empresarial e de BackOffice, para, em parte, se centrar nas pessoas, em todas as pessoas. Muito se tem dissertado sobre IA, sobre o seu potencial e os seus perigos. Da razão à ficção, todos temos uma opinião mais ou menos sustentada sobre IA. Contudo, os fenómenos mais recentes, cuja ChatGPT ou Bard são exemplos, mostraram um outro lado da IA, um lado mais centrado nas pessoas e na ajuda às pessoas, em todas a suas atividades. Num exercício de redução destes exemplos de IA: serão estes os novos assistentes, que permitirão às pessoas, no futuro, sem medo, continuarem a ser o ativo mais importante das organizações? Será esta uma reengenharia centrada nas pessoas? Uma reengenharia societal? São três questões importantes, cuja resposta deveremos formar. Nós, as pessoas.
- A bibliometric analysis of the first decade of gamification in tourismPublication . Gomes, João Pedro; Cunha, Carlos R.; Pinho, Anabela; Mendonça, VítorEste estudo faz uma análise bibliométrica da produção científica relacionada com a gamificação aplicada ao turismo desde o seu início, em 2013, até finais de 2023. Os documentos foram identificados a partir de duas das principais bases de dados de indexação, Scopus e Clarivate Web of Science (WoS). Após a remoção dos duplicados os documentos foram triados, tendo sido selecionados para inclusão na análise bibliométrica os metadados de 282 artigos relevantes para o estudo. Ao longo do artigo identificam-se as fontes com mais publicações, os principais autores e afiliações, e os artigos mais citados. É traçada a evolução temporal das principais palavras-chave dos documentos e estas são agrupadas tematicamente, para se identificar tendências e lacunas de investigação na área. Por último, são identificadas as principais redes de colaboração de autores e de instituições. Verifica-se um crescimento sustentado do interesse pela área ao longo dos anos e os resultados parecem mostrar que há bastante espaço para explorar e interligar diversas áreas temáticas.