Lecture 1. Systems

The ubiquitous computing vision of Mark Weiser

A world in which computing and applications are embedded in everyday objects, such as cars, televisions, clothes etc. with each person interacting with man interconnected computers to the point where they become indistinguishable from real life.

The trends that make ubicomp possible

Continuously decreasing transistor sizes allow for the miniaturization of electronic components which in turn allows for more easy integration of computing into everyday life.

The waves in computer technology evolution

1st Wave	Mainframe Era
2nd Wave	Personal Computers
3rd Wave	Ubiquitous / Pervasive Computing

The properties of a pervasive computing system

context-aware	uses cameras and sensors
multimodal interaction	screen to show speed, interaction via wheel and gas pedal if the user has to take over the system
behind the scenes	system abstracts away underlying complexities; sensors and camera all interface with a computer and one another
autonomy	self-driving car, in theory, does not need user intervention

The problems and challenges in pervasive computing

Moore's law might come to a close because heat dissipation and quantum effects will become a problem when the chip size approaches the atomic scale.
Acceptance and Trust of pervasive computing also require solutions to legal, ethical and usability challenges.

The main pervasive computing system building blocks

building blocks
- sensors
- actuators
- software agents (controllers)
- communication modules