PickMe : task allocation in mobile crowdsensing

Abstract

I am eternally grateful to a lot of people who, in no particular order, have helped me get through the tough times during the course of this dissertation. I have no words to thank my lovely parents who have always taught me to be independent and live a happy life. My father, Mr H C Bajaj, has forever believed in me and continues to encourage me to open my wings to fly. His trust for me overshadows his overprotecting nature, which is the reason I had the courage to pursue higher studies. While my father’s belief gave me wings to fly, my mother, Mrs Anju Bajaj, always motivated me while keeping me grounded. She is my mentor, my guardian angel, my friend, my support-system who has taught me to deal with reality. My parents have worked together to shape me as a philomath while teaching me the importance of being available for the family. I would also like to express my gratitude to my forever angry (read “hulk”) brother Kush and my soul sister Asha, who deserve a special mention for always reminding me that it’s okay to fail sometimes, but it’s equally important to have fun and laugh at those failures.

I have no words to thank my advisor, Dr. Pushpendra Singh, who invested his time in training me as a researcher and believed in me more than myself. As a guide, his knowledge and his ability to deal patiently with all my questions and doubts (no matter how silly), has not only eased my learning but also taught me that it’s important to ask questions and define priorities. On the personal front, he has always encouraged all members of CoDes lab, irrespective of their gender, to stay strong and not give up anything because of any sort of societal pressures. He has truly led us all by example. His thought process and societal outlook is something that I admire, and I hope to follow in his footsteps.

I would also like to thank MiMove team at Inria, Paris, especially, my mentors, Dr. Animesh Pathak and Dr. Rachit Agarwal. Animesh left no stone unturned to teach me the importance of “fail-fast” approach. He showed me the limitless possibilities that technology brings forth. His passion to quickly define problems and find solutions is something that inspires almost every researcher that he comes across. I am equally indebted to the other members of MiMove team and friends from Paris who truly helped me enjoy the European experience while learning new things. And, thank you, Ashish! You have no idea how good a friend you are. If not for ‘Apna Punjab’, my brain and heart would have never got the Indian food they needed to keep going there!

My friends and colleagues have been no less than family during this long journey. Starting with my M.Tech. days, everyone here has been a mentor for me in one way or the other. I learned a lot of traits from people around me: professionalism from Parikshit and Deepika, discipline from Haroon, dedication from Alvika and Samy, commitment from Milan and Dheryta, hard-work from Samy, smart-work from Siddhartha and Nipun, and the way of living from Anupriya and Jasmeet. I am fortunate to have these people around me. They made this the most enjoyable and memorable time of my life.

Lastly, to the latest addition in my life - Ravi Maggon, thank you for being there! Thank you for believing in me, and thank you for helping me stay calm during the toughest phase of this journey. I am glad you are here to stay forever now.

Because of these special people, it took years to write this thesis. Without them, it would have taken decades...if not forever.