A Very Short Introduction to Pervasive Computing

Nicola Dragoni Embedded Systems Engineering SectionDTU ComputeTechnical University of Denmark

Some of 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.

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?

2

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

3

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

4

Energy Processing (2)

• Energy decentralised

‣ Power stations

‣ National Grid – distributed power

‣ Individual engines – mobility

• Energy made pervasive

‣ Application-driven devices

‣ Battery power

‣ Miniaturisation

5

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 Watson1946: ENIAC: Electronic NumericalIntegrator and Computer

I think there is aworld market forabout 5 computers.

MAINFRAME ERA

6

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) 1981IBM PC Convertible 1986Sub-notebooks mid-2000s

One Laptop per Child: 2007

WirelessSelf-poweredMultimedia

< £70

A computer onevery desktop and

in every home

7

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

8

Computing Eras

• Mainframe

‣ Many people, one computer

‣ Fixed, central location

• PC

‣ One person, one computer

‣ Fixed location, decentralised

• Pervasive (Ubiquitous)

‣ One person, many devices

‣ The same device can be used by many users

9

The Trends...

10

New User Model!

• From

‣ M:1 [MAINFRAME ERA]

‣ .. to 1:1 [PERSONAL COMPUTING ERA]

‣ .. to M:N [PERVASIVE COMPUTING ERA]

11

Industry 4.0

12

Internet of Things (IoT)

• From Online Oxford Dictionary:

The interconnection via the Internet of computing devices embedded in everyday objects, enabling them to send and receive data

Embed

intelligence

and

connectivity

in everyday objects

13

Internet Of Things (IoT)… in Numbers!

14

World Population As of March 2016, estimated at 7.4 BILLION

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

15

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”

16

Scenario: Smart Home

17

Scenario: Pervasive Healthcare

• Biological monitoring

• Pervasive computing in hospitals

• Assistive technologies

• Eldercare

• Homecare and treatment

• Medicine compliance

• ...

18

Scenario: Environmental & Green Computing

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

• Visualizing & Awareness

• Pollution monitoring

• Garbage handling

• Environmental Monitoring

19

Scenario: Automotive Computing

• On-board Computers & In-Vehicle Networks

‣ GPS Navigation

‣ Infotainment

‣ Telematic

‣ Services

20

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)

21

The Power of Mobile Convergence

22

“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]

23