Internet – Ubiquitous Computing
Inside the All-Inclusive Network
The Internet as we know it is only the beginning. On the horizon is an all-inclusive network of communicating objects. Computing and communications will then become ubiquitous, indivisible and invisible.
In tomorrow's home, objects will communicate with one another. The refrigerator will talk with the notebook, the chair with the stereo, the sweater with the cleaning robot, and so on
A few years ago in an interview, Mark Weiser, the intellectual father of ubiquitous or pervasive computing—the omnipresent computer—said: "Why shouldn't we obtain digital information from our environment, from things that are familiar to us? I truly believe that soon our clocks, furniture and chairs will all talk with one another over the Internet. The big problem is that today everything still runs through the PC, through this narrow channel between monitor, keyboard and mouse. That's unnatural."
Weiser, who worked as chief technologist at Xerox's Palo Alto Research Center (PARC) in the early 1990s, wanted to be surrounded by "things that think"—as Nicholas Negroponte, one of the guiding intellectual forces at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, once put it. Equipped with microchips, these "things" were supposed to communicate with one another wirelessly. Microchips were to be put in clothing, book covers, light switches, pacemakers, conveyor belts, and just about anything else of value. But Weiser, who died in 1999, made one suggestion that made his "thinking things" scenario particularly elegant: "The best technology," he said, "is invisible."
In the case of wireless communication, we are not very far from achieving Weiser's goal. Technologies such as Bluetooth, DECT, wireless LAN and, for greater distances, second and third generation GSM, GPRS, UMTS mobile networks (see article UMTS and More in Pictures of the Future, Spring 2002) are already here. The Internet is also well on its way to becoming a ubiquitous communications medium. Thanks to the TCP, IP, HTTP and HTML Internet standards, users are able to communicate with one another wherever they are.
But when it comes to a universal network, availability alone is not enough. Equally important is support for the various data streams across the boundaries of individual technologies and providers. Traffic congestion in individual network nodes and errors caused by wireless technology can lead to the loss of data or delays in service. For some applications—such as loading music files—this might be acceptable; for others, such as video telephony, it is not.
An example from telemedicine makes the problem clear. In the future, it is expected that a range of sensors in a "body area network" will record parameters such as blood pressure, respiration and heart rate. As researchers picture it, the data would first be stored in a hospital, retirement home or private home via radio, then processed and transmitted to a control station, doctor or provider through the fixed-line network or via satellite. But all of this presupposes reliable, real-time data transfers.
Online at anytime. In the future, portable and wearable communication devices, computers and displays will ensure convenient mobile connections to our homes, offices and vehicles
Too Many Terminals. An additional challenge is the variety of terminals that are designed only for certain applications and have thus far been able to interact with one another to only a very limited degree. These range from sensors to cell phones, organizers and multimedia computers. "It's a matter of using the existing heterogeneous network technologies seamlessly," says Joachim Sokol of Siemens Corporate Technology (CT) in Munich, Germany, who deals with multimedia applications capable of receiving optimal support through the network, regardless of the terminal used. Sokol primarily sees a need for action in the following areas:
- Today's networks do not provide optimal support for applications. For example, when a user loads a video sequence onto his or her cell phone, the image dimensions should be adjusted automatically. Today they are not.
- Today's information highways lack intelligent traffic control systems that are able to circumvent bottlenecks and guarantee fast data transfer.
- Today's networks are heterogeneous and operate in isolation. This leads to different billing systems and a lack of transparency, among other things.
- Information should be more user-friendly. It would be helpful, for example, if a cell phone owner were informed of the rates or fees charged when moving from one network to another, such as from a cell phone network to a WLAN (wireless LAN).
"We have to create appropriate interfaces to overcome these barriers," says Sokol, who is convinced that "ubiquitous networking will simplify our lives in the future. It won't come all at once, though. Instead, many small developments will lead us there.".
Small but Smart. Microsystems technology can be used to integrate a high level of computing power, as well as sensors and actuators, into even the smallest objects. Full-fledged computers that fit on chips measuring only a few square millimeters and include a few kilobytes of memory—enough for a simple operating system—can now be manufactured at very low cost. This technology is used for chip cards as well as for embedded systems; i.e. processors installed in all types of devices for control function applications. Such systems can be found in driver-assistance systems, digital telephone exchanges and industrial equipment. But in the future, they might also turn up in jewelry, household articles or clothing.
An example of ubiquitous computing is the intelligent toaster developed by Siemens researchers at Roke Manor Research in the UK. Equipped with a Web server with only a few kilobytes, it can be switched on and off via the Internet by means of a simple browser. Although some critics have dismissed the toaster as a pointless exercise, "It actually stands for something else," explains Sokol. "Our colleagues at Roke Manor have demonstrated that you can make any everyday object Internet-compatible, no matter how small it is. All you need is an IP address." This means that, for instance, a hot plate left on at home could be turned off from the office. But not every appliance needs to be supplied with an Internet address. It would be sufficient to have one for each house, apartment or housing cluster. Access to individual equipment could be managed through a gateway.
Common Language. All of this isn't quite as easy as it sounds, however. "New standards are needed to define how devices communicate with one another," points out Holger Küfner, an embedded systems expert with Siemens CT. Küfner is referring not only to household appliances, but also to the larger field of industry, where Siemens researchers have to slog through a maze of processors, memory chips, bus types and operating systems, many of which have their own software solutions. Furthermore, these components are subject to performance increases and expanded functions, all of which adds up to increased complexity. "The problem with all of this is that we don't have a common embedded-systems language," notes Küfner.
But that's not all. Security questions will loom larger than ever as embedded components become part and parcel of our lives. After all, interlinked sensors and processors make it possible to record more and more information from the personal environment.
No joke: This toaster has a built-in Web server
Ubiquitous computing would, in principle, make it possible to create detailed pictures of each person's interests, affinities and weaknesses. Today, "IT monitoring" can provide only snapshots of what we do, where we go and what we buy. But in a world of ubiquitous computing, the picture could be far more complete. The distinction between online and offline would fade to insignificance. Could people opt out of the ubiquitous network? How can abuse be prevented? How can effective identification and authentication be achieved without compromising privacy? According to Sokol, providers, manufacturers and service companies will have to overcome these challenges together over the next few years.
Evdoxia Tsakiridou
Presenting a Remote Control Conference Room
Munich, Germany. Jochen Sauter of Siemens Corporate Technology (CT) has invited several people to a presentation. The researcher from the Software and Systems Architecture department holds a PDA in his hand, welcomes guests and taps briefly on the display. Immediately, the blinds are lowered, the lights dimmed, and the display wall lights up. Sauter begins his talk, while his audience looks around in surprise. The furnishings of the room are perfectly conventional. However, participants appear to be on the receiving end of what can only be described as an object lesson in ubiquitous intelligence. Who turned the lights off and the air conditioning system on? Where is Sauter's notebook? Where is his PowerPoint presentation stored? And where's the projector?
A little later Sauter reveals his secret. "You are in our smart conference room," he announces. With his PDA, which has an integrated radio module, he can control the presentation server in the next room. He had saved his electronic documents on that server beforehand, along with a list containing participants' e-mail addresses and other communications-related data . By pressing a button, Sauter can therefore easily transfer all of the documents to the participants' computers wirelessly. In addition, a presentation scenario (lights out, blinds down, display wall on) and a discussion scenario (lights on) are stored on the server. The room itself is wired with an Instabus system. This data line for building services makes it possible to turn on the heat, operate the blinds, regulate the air conditioner, or create the appropriate lighting mood from a PDA. His conclusion: "Furnishing a room in this manner is already possible with today's technology. In fact, it's affordable even for a medium-sized company."
Networked Seniors
The concept of "smart homes" has probably been taken farthest by Elite Care Oatfield Estates, a luxurious retirement facility in Milwaukie, Oregon. Here, the vision of the ubiquitous computer has become reality. According to Elite Care, the company "provides help for older people and an early warning system that can prevent accidents." Each of 120 apartments is outfitted with memory chips and sensors. If a resident reaches for water, the action is registered by sensors on the glass. The time and the quantity of water taken are transmitted to a central office in order to protect the person from dehydration. Residents wear electronic tags, so their locations can be determined on a digital floor plan in emergency situations. Beds have sensors too, monitoring weight and movement. When a resident gets up, the lights go on. Beds can also be programmed to wake a person with a weak bladder during the night so that he or she can go to the bathroom. And the principle of comprehensive monitoring applies to what is excreted as well. Toilet lids measure pulse and temperature and determine whether the user has had enough to drink.
www.elite-care.com