Ubiquitous Computing

Ubiquitous computing, also known as calm computing, ambient intelligence, and pervasive intelligence, is the integration of our computing environments into the real world. Human-computer interaction can occur through various devices, in different locations, and through different mediums.

There are several systems that support ubiquitous computing in modern society, to include the Internet, operating systems, both mobile and otherwise, sensors, user interfaces, networks, microprocessors, and location and positioning software.

History

Mark Weiser

The founder of ubiquitous computing is Mark Weiser , who was of the chief scientists at Xerox PARC in Palo Alto, California. He officially introduced this topic to the world in his 1991 paper, The Computer for the 21st Century.

Examples

Within his initial paper in 1991, Weiser introduces three different forms of devices to be used in ubiquitous systems. These are tabs, pads, and boards.

Tabs are on the scale of centimeters, which can be worn on one's person. The are the smallest components of what Weiser terms as embodied reality. Some of his examples include clip-on computers the size of an ID for scanners and receivers, which are modernly represented as RFID tags.

The second device introduced by Weiser is the pad, which range between a standard 8.5" by 11" sheet of paper. Their main potential, according to Weiser, comes from their being able to be used anywhere, much like scrap paper.

The board, now at a scale of about a yard, serve multiple purposes. Placed in different rooms, casual computer interaction can enhance different rooms in a building. Additionally, these can share information between and within different areas, interconnecting buildings and rooms. One benefit of boards is that they can serve to display personalized, public information.

Some notable modern examples of ubiquitous computing can be seen in the form of sensors such as Radio-frequect Identification (RFID) Tags. These perform different actions upon being scanned, and can hold data in the form of links and pre-programmed activities.

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