The 'Pervasive Computing' Community

Roland Piquepaille writes "Most of us are using computers, but also PDAs and cell phones. And this trend is accelerating in our increasingly networked wireless world. We might use hundreds of computing devices by the end of this decade. Still, we are slaves to our machines. With every new device, we have to learn new commands, languages or interfaces. The Cambridge-MIT Institute (CMI), a strategic alliance between the University of Cambridge in the UK and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the U.S., has enough of it and wants to give back control to the users. So it launched its 'Pervasive Computing' initiative with the intention to tackle this challenge. In particular, the group wants to develop new technologies to make easier for us to interact with all these computers. This overview contains more details and references about this initiative."

Comments

Pervasive, Mobile, Wireless, Usable, P2P Networks

[MrNonchalant]

This is something I'd love to see happen in my lifetime, sort of a life goal if you will. The idea here is like Bluetooth but infinitely scaleable, extendable in all directions, peer to peer, and so drop dead simple grandmother could use it without a manual.

In a perfect system like this each node has about a 10 or so foot wireless range, each node extends the network like a repeater, and these babies are embedded in absolutely everything. Your robotic lawnmower needs to talk to your irrigation system but is 20 feet from it? Simple enough, both devices understand the network physical topology intimately and just route the communication through your SUV. And nobody should have to configure a thing for this to work.

Ummmm...?

[TubeSteak]

not to troll or be considered flamebait
but doesn't anyone else see the irony?

in particular, the group wants to develop new technologies to make easier for us to interact with all these computers (read as 'old' technology)

Now that I've read the article, I like what they're doing. Instead of trying to complicate our lives further, they want to change the way things work; which is good. Longer battery lifespans, secure UIs, ubiquitous communication, etc.

I do think its a waste of time to try and create a 'better' input method. Pretty much the only thing faster than typing is a direct connection to your brain. We can type faster than we speak & read faster than we can listen.

Re:Why do we need pervasive computing?

[neglige]

Honestly, I don't think the question "why we need all this" will be asked. It simply will happen. Primarily to create additional 'benefit' for the users, whatever it may be.

I agree with you that the tools today are not quite there. Laptops are too bulky, PDAs (esp. PocketPCs) drain the battery too quickly. Still, consider that we are pretty much at the beginning of the development, comparable to the 60s or 70s with regard to the PC.

Taking into account the speed of development (and the interest from both the potential users and the industry), considering what cell phones lookes like 5-10 year ago, imagine what will happen over the next 10 years. My personal bet: it will be impressive.

To use another parallel from the early days of the internet, I'm sure nobody saw the immediate benefit of transporting some data packets over a network. Want news? Buy a newspaper. Want music? Buy a CD. You get the idea ;)

Again, I agree with you that todays mobile/pervasive technology can be improved - pen and paper are currently still essential. And I'm sure it will happen. Then we end up with electronic paper which takes your notes and then displays, if requested, the headlines of the major newspapers around the globe.