Design Computing and Digital Media: An Analysis about Sensated Environment commonly known as Pervasive Computing

Design Computing and Digital Media: An Analysis about Sensated Environment commonly known as Pervasive Computing

 

The growth of technological advancement is fast emerging and many people have relied to the used of this. The rapid growth of computer has been thought to become a device that would extend and amplify human thought (1945).  As part of this, computing devices nowadays were seen primarily as engines that could reduce loaded laboratory works and calculations. And through the World Wide Web which serves as a collective device for the society, mechanisms such as personal files, bookmarks can be easily done. These devices are scattered into the world and become one of the most needed tool for every human. People today are fortunate that everyone have known and experience what it is like to live in a world where the physical is being inhabited by the digital.

 

More and more, the digital will permeate the physical space in a seamless manner. It is expected that computing will be everywhere. Hence, this paper will discuss about sensated environments, also known as intelligent rooms, smart spaces and, more generally, pervasive computing.  It will tackle the definition of sensated environment, its purpose and where does it is commonly used.  It will also view the description of the software, hardware and network infrastructure require operating a sensated environment.  Furthermore, this paper will have an in-depth investigation about Agent architectures for controlling sensated environment and new methods of interaction between humans and computers in sensated environments.

 

Computing revolution has begun to affect the lives of every individual in ways that they don’t even notice. Through great imaginations that became reality, technologists have produced a computing device that is very useful in this new generation. Such computing device is the pervasive computing or the sensated environment.  Pervasive Computing or sensated environment is a term that signifies several new elements of computing. One element involves pervasive computation computers and sensors “everywhere” in devices, appliances, equipment, in homes, workplaces and factories, and in clothing. Another element involves pervasive communication which is a high degree of communication among devices and sensors through a ubiquitous and secure network infrastructure with a wired core and wireless adjuncts that communicate with the core. Because computation will become so integrated into our lives and activities, natural forms of human-computer interaction, such as spoken dialogue with computers, will become more important. Pervasive computing or sensated environment encompasses the dramatically expanding sphere of computers embedded within and intrinsically part of larger devices.

 

 The current phase of pervasive computing or sensated environment, in which computers are already being embedded in many devices has been perceived to have its purpose. Making the computer disappear is the main purpose of sensated environment or pervasive computing.  In the last two decades personal computers and mobile technologies did spread through out the world making people to be forced in adapting these devices’ stiff interfaces. Sensated environment aims at making devices to adapt to human behavior and environment, sharing and managing information anytime and anywhere.

 

 Also pervasive computing provides convenient access to relevant information and applications through a new class of ubiquitous, intelligent appliances that have the ability to easily function when and where needed ( 2004). Another role of sensated environment is to help human beings in laboratory works and calculations that requires a greater used of cognitive thinking. Consider how devices have been organized in a highly demanding cognitive environment such as space shuttles control room and even those on a nuclear submarine’s control room.  The total volume of raw data available in these setting would overwhelm a human operator because his cognitive thinking will not meet the expected cognitive functions for such calculations. Through pervasive computing or sensated environment in which sensing and context awareness are the key aspects ( 2004) and which are essential to any system that can selectively alerts the user it enables the user to easily understand his obligations.

 

Sensated Environment goes beyond the realm of today’s personal computer to ubiquitous devices that are becoming smaller and more powerful with embedded technology and connectivity. It concerns the idea that almost any device, from clothing to appliances to cars to homes and to the human body, can be imbedded with chips to connect the device to an infinite network of other devices. Pervasive computing or sensated environment combines current network and wireless technologies with progressively smaller computing devices, voice recognition, artificial intelligence, and Internet capability, to create an environment where the connectivity is unobtrusive and always available ( 2004). Sensated environment envisions a world of communicating small and potentially portable devices, sensors, and actuators.

 

The current phase of sensated environment, in which computers are already being embedded, can be installed in many devices.  There are four aspects that sensated environment can be perceived.  These are computing which are spread throughout the environment.  Today humans are facing the end of the dominance of the traditional personal computer. Computing is already embedded in more places than just the grasp of desktop computers at hand. Computers make cars run properly with antilock braking systems and power steering. These examples illustrate what seamless computing should be, it can provide wonderful functionality without requiring that the user understand its inner workings.

 

Also, pervasive computing or sensated environment is installed in aircraft cockpit and those that are used in factories, chemical laboratories and even in hospitals and health care systems. Next, sensated environment has been installed in mobiles which makes information accessible from any mobile position.  Through the installment of sensated environment devices have been able to recognize the profile of the users through remembrance agents, internet information storage or other means.  Furthermore, sensated environment can be installed also in information appliances which have human-computer interfaces (1999).

 

Computing addresses the issues of making human life easier, but in true sense in today’s computing the users have to follow computing rather then other way around.  With the advance of mobile computing and wireless communication technologies, pervasive computing has emerged as a feasible technology for “human-centered” computing. Sensated environment creates a ubiquitous environment that combines processors and sensors with network technologies (wireless and otherwise) and intelligent software to create an immerse environment to improve life, in which computers have become an embedded intrinsic part of a sophisticated, networked, pervasive and ubiquitous computing environments around humans.

 

Moreover, sensated environment or pervasive computing do not run as simple as it is, there are certain characteristics that are required to a software, hardware and network infrastructure in order for this to function well and to bring satisfaction to all the users.  Sensated environment comprises a computing universe populated by a rich variety of heterogeneous computing devices: toasters, home heating systems, entertainment systems, smart cars, etc. This trend is likely to lead to an explosion in the number of devices in local environments – from dozens of devices to hundreds or thousands of devices.

 

Also, these devices are likely to be quite heterogeneous, requiring special considerations in terms of their physical resources and computing power. Developing software, hardware and network infrastructure for sensated environment becomes quite challenging. Users will expect to interact with the environment to support them in every-day tasks, no matter where they are ( 2004). Not only will they expect this, but if pervasive computing is to succeed and be accepted by the community at large, the instantiation of these tasks will need to be achieved with minimal support from a user.

 

To be successful in a pervasive environment, components of the software, hardware and network infrastructure need to exhibit the following characteristics: Mobility: As a user moves from one environment to another, they will expect their tasks to logically “follow” them around so that they are available when needed. Such mobility requires a refocusing of a software system from large, monolithic applications to collections of components cooperating to achieve a user’s task. Next is adaptability, in a sensated environment, it is highly likely that the resources available to a user in an environment will change as resources and users move in and out of that environment. The software, hardware and network infrastructure should adapt to take advantage of these new resources. And lastly, resource awareness, in order to effectively achieve mobility and adaptability, a sensated environment will need to make optimal use of the available resources to support user tasks. For this to happen, components will need not only to publish their interfaces and protocols for interaction, but also make known their resource requirements such as required bandwidth, computing power, memory and battery consumption ( 2004). Development of pervasive computing systems requires new tools, most notably in the form of debuggers and monitors. A pervasive computing system may consist of a number of autonomous computing devices interconnected in networks. It is well known that debugging of distributed applications is a difficult task. Debugging of pervasive computing applications will be even more difficult. A major reason for this is that a number of small and wireless devices may be involved. Some pervasive computing systems may also require constant monitoring.

 

After knowing the definition of sensated environment and discussing its purpose and understanding the description of software, hardware and networked infrastructure required operating a sensated environment, this paper will then investigate some of the most important issues attached to sensated environment. First thing to investigate is about the application sensated environment or pervasive computing. Pervasive computing or sensated environment technologies do more than connect these devices to the Internet. Not only can users view content through their WAP phone, but domestic devices, consumer electronics, and other devices, such as cars and planes, can access specialized services and provide services to other devices and users. Pervasive computing creates a universal network that will include business models such as e-commerce and home networks. It is the basis for the next generation of the Internet.

More and more devices contain computer chips and pervade every fabric of life. The concepts are not new; in the early nineties, many companies created visions of this future. The extension of the existing Internet is also often called the universal network.  Moreover, the greatest role of pervasive computing or sensated environment is that it helps this generation in everyday living, it provides people the opportunity to use the technology everywhere in the environment may it be for business that provides goods and services or even just at homes.  Through their pervasiveness, these new technologies can collect a lot of data about the users and their habits. Most people are concerned that this data will be misused by the companies collecting the information. To make the most out of pervasive computing or sensated environment technologies, information must be collected and shared among partners. Certain information about customers’ online behavior, preferences, and so on will have to be shared between supply chains either explicitly or implicitly, to allow customers to navigate seamlessly around their information and services “universe.” Without technology that can reassure customers about service providers’ adherence to privacy policies, regulators may inhibit the sharing of such information ( 2001).

 

 Sensated environment as I view it can have many applications.  But for me, I proposed that the sensated environment may be applied also to education.  It is very important that the education system must merge on the changes that are happening to the world technologically. Authorities should implement rules allowing pervasive computing to be used in the education so as to help all the staff, teachers, faculty, parents and most especially all those students who are the hope of the nations.  I suggest that education authorities must be able to maximize the use of this technology for improving students’ performance. In addition, e-learning through the use of sensated environment must be promoted as soon as possible. And since, sensated environment provides tools to manage information easily this will be helpful for parents and teachers to coordinate easily because teachers can easily communicate to the parents by means of this technology.  Using sensated environment in education system will not only improve the procedures of the system but will also improve the performance of each and everyone in such environment.

 

Lastly, this paper will investigate the and new methods of interaction between humans and computers in sensated environments. The world today is facing rapid changes, emergence of new technologies to be used have made it easy for people to interact with the computers. There are new methods of interaction between humans and computers that are arising all over sensated environments. The vision of sensated environment is to interconnect all people by a globally integrated, ubiquitous network promises greater empowerment for the individual. Recent advancements in sensated environments technologies promise the arrival of a new era in sensated environment, marked by the emergence of high-speed, multilayer, in-home networks that will integrate traditional home automation and control technologies with real-time, media-rich applications like voice and video conferencing.

 

Most importantly, these new technologies also involve new deployment strategies that will bring broadband internetworking applications to the domestic mass market. As part of these new methods of interactions between humans and computers, more individuals have been dependent on the electronic creation, storage and transmittal of personal, financial and other confidential information which demands highest security.  People rely mostly on computers because it provides them with complete access to time sensitive data, regardless of physical location. These devices includes mobile phones, office PCs, and home entertainment system that helps humans to access that information and work together in one seamless, integrated system.

 

All in all sensated environment aims to enable people to accomplish an increasing number of personal and professional transactions by using a new class of intelligent and portable devices. It gives people convenient access to relevant information stored on powerful networks, allowing them to easily take action anytime, anywhere. These new intelligent appliances, or “smart devices,” are embedded with microprocessors that allow users to plug in to intelligent networks and gain direct, simple, and secure access to both relevant information and services. These devices are as simple to use as calculators, telephones, or kitchen toasters. In addition, sensated environment simplifies life by combining open-standards-based applications with everyday activities. It removes the complexity of new technologies, enables people to be more efficient in their work, and leaves more leisure time. Computing is no longer a discrete activity bound to a desktop; pervasive computing is fast becoming a part of everyday life.

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