Rapid progress in ubiquitous computing technologies is expected to broaden the scope of computer systems which will cover almost all the domains of railway engineering. By the word "ubiquitous," we usually imagine a world in which computing resources are available throughout the physical environment although they may be invisible to users. Considering the significance and future possibilities of ubiquitous computing technologies, we carried out a survey to identify their applicability to railways and clarify their advantages and disadvantages. This report covers the survey of the state-of-the-art ubiquitous computing technologies as well as an overview of research areas in railways where there are great chances of improvement by using ubiquitous technologies.

Copyright (c) 2004 Railway Technical Research Institute