In 1991, Mark Weiser, then head of Xerox’s PARC computer science laboratory, wrote an article in Scientific American about what he called “ubiquitous computing.” He was describing a technology whereby computers fade into the background of our awareness while still benefiting us – technology that’s invisible but useful.
Weiser’s concept has grown into what many today call Ambient Computing. However, it can be known by other names as well – ambient intelligence and pervasive computing are among the more common. It is a broad concept to describe an environment of smart devices, powered by AI and ML, working together to deliver a specific result without the need for human intervention or command.
“The most profound technologies are those that…weave themselves into the fabric of everyday life until they are indistinguishable from it.” – Mark Weiser
To get a better understanding of ambient computing, consider the technologies and paradigms that encompass it:
- Zero UI – Currently, most of our interaction with computers involves clicking, typing, or touching a screen. Zero UI (user interface) is a paradigm where we instead interact with our voices, eyes, or body movements. For example, Amazon’s voice-activated Alexa or Magic Leap’s immersive Augmented Reality devices. Eventually, we may even be able to interact with nothing more than our thoughts.
- The Internet of Things – Ambient computing happens in the interaction between us and our connected devices, IoT is the framework for those devices. Indeed, ambient computing is probably not possible without IoT. There are currently 15 billion IoT-connected devices, though that number will nearly double by 2030.