One of the newest technological buzzwords in Silicon Valley is ambient Computing. It refers to technologies that allow people to use a computer without realizing they’re doing it.
Computing You Can’t See
Technology companies have been working to further integrate computing platforms into our daily lives over the past few years. One of their goals is to assimilate computers into our surroundings so that we don’t notice we’re using them.
These technologies, often known as “ambient computing,” carry out computations for you without your explicit instruction. These gadgets are meant to be seamlessly incorporated into the surroundings that you are no longer aware of since ambient refers to “in your environment.” This is significantly different from smartphones and smartwatches we must actively check to use.
The majority of computing systems rely on user input. For instance, you would enter the title of the movie and the theatre, where it would be shown in the Google search box to look up the movie schedule on your phone. You may use a remote control or mobile app to manually adjust the air conditioner’s temperature to make your house a bit cooler.
Ambient Computing aims to reduce resistance between you and the computer. You would interact with your environment, and the gadgets would react to your actions rather than explicitly setting or dealing with them. For example, an ambient smart thermostat analyses the space and your interactions with it to determine the appropriate temperature setting.
To do this, ambient Computing uses a range of technologies, such as motion tracking, speech recognition, gestures, wearables, and artificial intelligence.
The IoT
One should look into the concept of the IoT, or the Internet of Things, to better understand ambient Computing.
The Internet of Things (IoT) connects several technologies, which combine to provide customers with a smart experience. Consider a smart building with sensors, memory, and ability. When you enter the building with your pass, the smart building remembers your preferred lighting and temperature, the time your morning meeting is scheduled to begin, and the way you drink your coffee.
The Internet of Things (IoT) is now in use worldwide, even though it may seem expensive to some and hopelessly futuristic to others. An ambient computing environment is being created in our homes by the multitude of smart, app-connected household items now available, including cat flaps, coffee makers, smart lighting, and alarm clocks that mimic natural sunlight. These devices include smartphones, laptops, tablets, smart TVs, smartwatches, and voice-activated digital assistants. What about in our places of work?
Many firms are still exploring the full potential of ambient Computing and the IoT; therefore, it’s possible that how various companies intend to use the idea may vary greatly depending on the sorts of sectors they operate in.
With the capacity to gather analytics and actively learn from them, ambient Computing may help a business function to its fullest potential by removing several stages from working procedures and fostering the development of stronger routines.
Ambient Computing in the workplace
The relationship between a computer and an employee in the workplace has traditionally been straightforward: The employee uses Computing to gather information, but with ambient Computing, the computer (or rather, a collection of internet-enabled devices) gathers the information for us, as soon as we indicate we need it, or possibly even before. This should be possible for any straightforward office operation, thanks to devices’ convergence and capabilities.
For most of us, smartphones, computers, and tablets are now common in the office. In 2019 and beyond, it’s expected that voice-activated digital assistants and smart technologies for the workplace, including lighting, will increase.
Ambient Computing will become commonplace as we progress toward the fully integrated smart workplace, and we won’t think of the average workday as beginning when we get to the office, log on to the computer, and open our email (then head to the kitchen to make a cup of coffee).
Ambient Computing will ensure that our surroundings and gadgets are always one step ahead of us, which will help us in many ways, including cost savings for company executives and decision-makers, improved teamwork, and enhanced employee flexibility.
What is the future of ambient Computing?
There will probably be even more ambient Computing in the future. Numerous gadgets can already detect when you wake up. Smart technologies may one day be able to open your curtains so you may wake up to natural light rather than an alarm.
When you enter the living room, a room sensor may alert your speakers to your presence, and they might begin telling you the day’s news. These are instances of ambient Computing, which is already present all around you in various intelligent products that seamlessly integrate the computer into your surroundings.
Several hardware manufacturers are using ambient Computing in their marketing and design philosophies. The smart home operating system used by Samsung, a leader in the field of smart technology, is referred to as “Project Ambience.”
Google has been eager to become involved with ambient Computing. The business is probably going to increase the number of hardware products in its lineup so that they better match its present selection of integrated services.
About Author
