Embedding the Internet
Available from www.isi.edu
Page 1
Embedding the Internet
I N T E RN E T L O OKUP
Embedded computing devices are
steadily becoming an invisible part of
our daily lives. Some of them are
here today, others are on the way—A
generation of ubiquitous computers
designed to go completely unnoticed.
Can you spot any such devices in this
street scene?
1. Smart building materials:
• Sense vibrations, temperature,
moisture • Monitor premises for
intruders • Cancel street noise
2. Bridge deck erected with smart
building materials:
• Senses, reports traffic, wind loads
• Monitors structural integrity
3. Autonomous robosweeper
4. Wireless communication, including
links to GPS satellites, Net access
5. Smart sensor pills:
• Programmable delivery vehicles for
pharmaceuticals • Internal sensing
applications
6. Embedded automobile devices:
• Antilock brakes • Air bags
• Evaluate performance • Provide
Net access
7. Fire hydrant measures water flow,
senses heat, offers security
mechanisms.
8. Autonomous robomailbot performing
nominally manual labor.
9. Street light senses foot and motor
traffic, polices area.
10. Banking/business:
• ATM machines, cash registers,
bar-code readers, credit card devices
• Security devices offer personal IDs,
but also sense vibrations and (body)
heat and motion and monitors
premises for intruders.
11. Home networks:
• Most electrical appliances, including
dishwashers, toasters, cable TV
set-top boxes, toys, phones,
thermostats, PCs
12. Smart building materials:
• Smart paint • Smart gels • Smart
concrete
13. Smart cement detects earthquake
activity.
14. Collar on dog for wireless location
via GPS link. • Clothes on man
(personal cybernetics) offer similar
abilities, as well as networking and
heat sensors.
15. Window with film of smart dust.
ILLUSTRATION BY PETER HOEY
38 May 2000/Vol. 43, No. 5 COMMUNICATIONS OF THE ACM
Embedded computing devices are
steadily becoming an invisible part of
our daily lives. Some of them are
here today, others are on the way—A
generation of ubiquitous computers
designed to go completely unnoticed.
Can you spot any such devices in this
street scene?
1. Smart building materials:
• Sense vibrations, temperature,
moisture • Monitor premises for
intruders • Cancel street noise
2. Bridge deck erected with smart
building materials:
• Senses, reports traffic, wind loads
• Monitors structural integrity
3. Autonomous robosweeper
4. Wireless communication, including
links to GPS satellites, Net access
5. Smart sensor pills:
• Programmable delivery vehicles for
pharmaceuticals • Internal sensing
applications
6. Embedded automobile devices:
• Antilock brakes • Air bags
• Evaluate performance • Provide
Net access
7. Fire hydrant measures water flow,
senses heat, offers security
mechanisms.
8. Autonomous robomailbot performing
nominally manual labor.
9. Street light senses foot and motor
traffic, polices area.
10. Banking/business:
• ATM machines, cash registers,
bar-code readers, credit card devices
• Security devices offer personal IDs,
but also sense vibrations and (body)
heat and motion and monitors
premises for intruders.
11. Home networks:
• Most electrical appliances, including
dishwashers, toasters, cable TV
set-top boxes, toys, phones,
thermostats, PCs
12. Smart building materials:
• Smart paint • Smart gels • Smart
concrete
13. Smart cement detects earthquake
activity.
14. Collar on dog for wireless location
via GPS link. • Clothes on man
(personal cybernetics) offer similar
abilities, as well as networking and
heat sensors.
15. Window with film of smart dust.
ILLUSTRATION BY PETER HOEY
38 May 2000/Vol. 43, No. 5 COMMUNICATIONS OF THE ACM
Page 2
COMMUNICATIONS OF THE ACM May 2000/Vol. 43, No. 5 39
Add reliable wireless communications
and sensing functions to the billions of
physically embedded computing devices
around the world for a new universe of
ubiquitous networked computing.
T
o most people, today’s Internet is an aston-
ishing technological marvel. But future net-
worked computing systems will achieve a
degree of sophistication and functionality
that will make today’s Internet appear prim-
itive in comparison. While the Internet cre-
ates a new cyberspace separate from our physical
world, technological advances will enable ubiquitous
networked computing in our day-to-day lives. The
power of this ubiquity will follow from the embedding
of computation and communications in the physical
world—that is, embedded devices with sensing and
communication capabilities that enable distributed
computation.
With this ability, we will begin to see the application
of computing technologies in settings where they are
unusual today: device and appliance networking in the
home; faithful capture of scientific experiments in the
laboratory; and automated full-time monitoring of
patient health. We already see the elements of the tech-
nological advances necessary for such applications:
faster, smaller, power-conserving processors; larger and
cheaper computer memory; and early software tailored
for such devices. Some of these technologies are, unbe-
knownst to us, already ubiquitous in our lives; an
astounding 98% of all processors on the planet are not
in traditional desktop computer systems but in house-
Deborah Estrin, Ramesh Govindan,
and John Heidemann, Guest Editors
EMBEDDING
THE INTERNET
Add reliable wireless communications
and sensing functions to the billions of
physically embedded computing devices
around the world for a new universe of
ubiquitous networked computing.
T
o most people, today’s Internet is an aston-
ishing technological marvel. But future net-
worked computing systems will achieve a
degree of sophistication and functionality
that will make today’s Internet appear prim-
itive in comparison. While the Internet cre-
ates a new cyberspace separate from our physical
world, technological advances will enable ubiquitous
networked computing in our day-to-day lives. The
power of this ubiquity will follow from the embedding
of computation and communications in the physical
world—that is, embedded devices with sensing and
communication capabilities that enable distributed
computation.
With this ability, we will begin to see the application
of computing technologies in settings where they are
unusual today: device and appliance networking in the
home; faithful capture of scientific experiments in the
laboratory; and automated full-time monitoring of
patient health. We already see the elements of the tech-
nological advances necessary for such applications:
faster, smaller, power-conserving processors; larger and
cheaper computer memory; and early software tailored
for such devices. Some of these technologies are, unbe-
knownst to us, already ubiquitous in our lives; an
astounding 98% of all processors on the planet are not
in traditional desktop computer systems but in house-
Deborah Estrin, Ramesh Govindan,
and John Heidemann, Guest Editors
EMBEDDING
THE INTERNET
Sign up today - FREE
Mendeley saves you time finding and organizing research. Learn more
- All your research in one place
- Add and import papers easily
- Access it anywhere, anytime
Start using Mendeley in seconds!
Readership Statistics
7 Readers on Mendeley
by Discipline
14% Engineering
by Academic Status
14% Student (Master)
14% Student (Bachelor)
14% Other Professional
by Country
29% Germany
29% Mexico
29% United States