Former experiences with mobile and wireless technologies - like WAP - have already demonstrated that user-oriented approaches to technology design are required. It is not because wireless multimedia and interactive applications are built, that people will automatically accept and use them. We experience more and more a reversal order of the value chain, where we first need to investigate user context and needs before developing and introducing new applications.

Therefore the goal of this research project is to conduct a user-oriented assessment of (future) wireless applications and services within a large-scale living lab environment from an interdisciplinary approach. These technological applications are being put to the test of social value, market relevance, legal preconditions, usability and interface requirements as well as quality of experience performances. The living lab environment set up in Hasselt by i-City provides a unique opportunity to do so.

Steps of ROMAS

An interdisciplinary research framework, combining social, legal, economical and technical expertise, within the i-City living lab environment is set up consisting of three main research phases.

• Prospectus of relevant and applicable applications: On one hand we will identify trends in consumer behaviour and on the other the socioeconomic feasibility of possible services and applications will be investigated within the i-City test panel.
• Prospectus -perform a cross application research on a selection of mobile applications which are then running on the i-City living lab platform-
  This research will be performed on a horizontal layer were it will look at market-oriented, sociological, usability, legal, technological and social networking issues.
• Validate the results: On different wireless city applications, which are being developed within the project, to identify possible strategies for service innovation.

The living lab environment is set up in Hasselt by i-City and provides a unique opportunity to do achieve the persuaded goals.

Results of ROMAS

• A set of cross-application research findings (from social science as well as technological research) that optimise the integrated development process of new digital products and services.
• Insights on different domains of mobile applications in a broadband environment.
• A interdisciplinary research methodology framework for pre testing and co-develop new and innovative applications.

Date: 1 Sep 2006 - 31 Aug 2008