A Very Short Introduction to Pervasive Computing

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DTU Informatics

Department of Informatics and Mathematical Modelling

A Very Short Introduction to Pervasive Computing

Nicola Dragoni

Embedded Systems Engineering Section DTU Informatics

Technical University of Denmark

These slides have been found on the Web and adapted for this talk. Most of the original material is by Dr Andy Hunt, Electronics Department, University of York.

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What’s in this Room?

• Anything electronic which processes information

Typically we find

‣ Mobile Phones

‣ PDAs

‣ Laptop computers

‣ Games consoles (hopefully turned off...)

‣ Mp3 players

• Any other info processing devices?

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What Else is Here?

• Passive information storage

‣ Bank cards with chip-&-pin

‣ Products with RFID tag

• Anyone got a device inside?

‣ Pacemaker

‣ Diabetic insulin release

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Energy Processing

• Humans used own energy

‣ Helped by animals

‣ and devices

• Industrial revolution

‣ Energy was harnessed or generated (e.g. steam engines)

‣ Expanding human physical power

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Energy Processing (2)

• Energy decentralised

‣ Power stations

‣ National Grid – distributed power

‣ Individual engines – mobility

• Energy made pervasive

‣ Application-driven devices

‣ Battery power

‣ Miniaturisation

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Information Processing

• Humans used own brainpower

‣ Helped by paper

‣ and devices

• Computer revolution

‣ Information was harnessed

‣ Expanding human mental power

‣ 1940s: IBM president

Thomas J Watson

1946: ENIAC: Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer

I think there is a world market for about 5 computers.

MAINFRAME

ERA

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Information Processing (2)

• Computing Decentralised

• Bill Gates (early 1970s)

• PCs

• Laptops

PERSONAL COMPUTING

ERA

IBM 360 mid 1960s

PDP-11: early 1970s

IBM PC (DOS) 1981 IBM PC Convertible 1986

Sub-notebooks mid-2000s One Laptop

per Child: 2007

Wireless Self-powered

Multimedia

< £70

A computer on every desktop and

in every home

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Information Processing (3)

• Devices which do NOT look like computers, but :

‣ Process data

‣ Store information

‣ Connect to: other devices and/or the Internet

• Pervasive Computing

‣ Focus on the application

‣ Often portable, low-power, always connected

PERVASIVE COMPUTING

ERA

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Computing Eras

• Mainframe

‣ Many people, one computer

‣ Fixed, central location

• PC

‣ One person, one computer

‣ Fixed location, decentralised

• Pervasive (Ubiquitous)

‣ One person, many computers

‣ The same computer is used by many users

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The Trends...

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New User Model!

• From

‣ M:1 [MAINFRAME ERA]

‣ .. to 1:1 [PERSONAL COMPUTING ERA]

‣ .. to M:N [PERVASIVE COMPUTING ERA]

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Pervasive Computing: One Person, Many Devices

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Pervasive Computing: One Device, Many Users

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The Father of Pervasive Computing

• 1990s: Mark Weiser (Xerox PARC)

• First to talk about Ubiquitous Computing

• Weiser’s principles (source Wikipedia)

‣ The purpose of a computer is to help you do something else

‣ The best computer is a quiet, invisible servant

‣ The more you can do by intuition the smarter you are

‣ Technology should create calm

• Please read “The Computer for the 21st Century” (1991)

http://www.ubiq.com/hypertext/weiser/SciAmDraft3.html

• More information here: http://www-sul.stanford.edu/weiser/

Mark Weiser: 1952-99

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Principles of Pervasive Computing

• Decentralisation

‣ Mainframe → PDAs and Embedded Computers

‣ Distributed, Peer-2-Peer, Mobile, Small, Powerful

• Diversification

‣ Universal → (Task) specific devices

‣ Huge number of new ‘Clients’

• Connectivity

‣ Data exchanged between (always-on) devices

‣ Wireless connection / internet

• Simplicity

‣ Seamless interfaces, intuitive, “calm”

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Scenario: Smart Home

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Scenario: Pervasive Healthcare

• Biological monitoring

• Pervasive computing in hospitals

• Assistive technologies

• Eldercare

• Homecare and treatment

• Medicine compliance

• ...

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Scenario: Environmental & Green Computing

• Monitoring energy consumptions in homes and buildings (sensor network)

• Visualizing & Awareness

• Pollution monitoring

• Garbage handling

• Environmental Monitoring

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Scenario: Smart Spaces

• Device intensive environments

‣ i-LAND

‣ GAIA

‣ iSpace / Stanford

‣ Classroom 2000

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Scenario: Automotive Computing

• On-board Computers & In-Vehicle Networks

‣ GPS Navigation

‣ Infotainment

‣ Telematic

‣ Services

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In General... Smart Objects!

• The MediaCup first presented at HUC 1999

• Embed “intelligence” in everyday objects

• Sensors, cpu, ...

• Wireless connectivity

• Now: Internet of Things (IoT)

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Internet Of Things (IoT)

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“The most profound technologies are those that disappear.

They weave themselves into the fabric of everyday life until they are indistinguishable from it.”

[Mark Weiser: 1952-99]