A position paper for 2012 NSF Workshop on Social Networks and Mobility in the Cloud

Mobility is efficient, safe and affordable travel in our cities, towns and other places of interest [52]. Mobility services, e.g., routing and navigation, are a set of ideas and technologies that facilitate understanding the geo-physical world, knowing and communicating relations to places in that world, and navigating through those places. The transformational potential of mobility services is already evident. From Google Maps [17] to consumer Global Positioning System (GPS) devices, society has benefited immensely from mobility services and technology. Scientists use GPS to track endangered species to better understand behavior, and farmers use GPS for precision agriculture to increase crop yields while reducing costs. We’ve reached the point where a hiker in Yellowstone, a biker in Minneapolis, and a taxi driver in Manhattan know precisely where they are, their nearby points of interest, and how to reach their destinations.