We have reached a new age of human-computer interaction. Computers play a role in our everyday lives, whether you are aware of it or not. In simple terms, ubiquitous computing is like the body. The human body has thousands of things it does automatically, such as healing itself. If you have a cut on your finger, the body knows to shed dead cells and create new ones. Another example would be if you were wearing something that has a chip of some sort in it when you walk into a room, and a system of domestic ubiquitous computing environment will connect lighting and room temperature, so when you walk in, the system changes the temperature and lighting to your personal settings.
Mark Weiser is said to be the father of ubiquitous computing. Mr. Weiser was a chief technologist at Xerox PARC (Palo Alto Research Center Incorporated), the place where WYSIWYG, Macintosh interface, Ethernet, and many other things were invented. It's basically the birthplace of personal computing as we know it. Mr. Weiser came up with three forms for ubiquitous computing devices (very well known as smart devices.) The first is Tabs; wearable centimeter sized devices, Pads; hand-held decimeter sized devices, and Boards; meter sized interactive display devices. With these simple forms, they were described as macro sized, consisting of a planar form and incorporate visual displays. If we expand on these forms, we could break it down into three more forms, which could be implemented in the near future.
The earliest ubiquitous system was invented by Natalie Jeremijenko, an artist and engineer. While Mr. Weiser was at Xerox PARC, she installed in the office a 3D, real-time network traffic indicator. It basically measures activity in cyberspace. Plugging into a local area network, it shakes with the amount of traffic on the net. With each data package it convulses and sets up some waves. This is considered a "calm technology."
This is very exciting to me. Computers already have enhanced our lives 100 fold. Imagine when your house responds to you when you walk in, or your car. When you go to the store, you can just grab stuff and walk out, no waiting in the checkout lane. Sure, it seems like science fiction, but it's only reality now.
