« Special thank you to the Design Club | Main | Is Ambient Technology the Opposite of Virtual Reality? »
January 15, 2006
Pervasive vs. Ubiquitous vs. Ambient
It may seem like a silly inquiry, but I've been doing some researching to find full definitions of Pervasive Computing, Ubiquitous Computing, and Ambient Intelligence in order to understand the difference between the three. It seems to me that people use all of these terms interchangeably, but I don't know if that is because the fields are relatively new and still defining themselves, or just because I'm relatively new and don't know anything.
I have been under the impression that Pervasive computing refers to embedding technology into everyday devices/areas in such a way that people interact with the technology directly. For example, the computer screen on the refrigerator that helps you keep track of what food items are in stock, or perhaps things like Dynamo where a high-tech item is placed in a shared space.
In contrast, I thought that Ubiquitous Computing refered to technology embedded in objects around us in such a way that we interact with them indirectly. Several Ubiquitous projects describe, “making the computer disappear,” which really only allows for indirect interaction. Most of the good examples I can think of in this domain involve RFID and remote sensor technologies. For example, look at the smart pantry, in contrast with the smart fridge. With the smart fridge, the interfaces is directly on the front of the device, people can touch buttons on the screens, read information, make selections, etc. With the smart pantry however, the system is using RFID tags to log the existance of all the goods available. The user never knows what is happenening, never tells the system what to do or how to do it, but when they go to the grocery there is a nice shopping list waiting.
I know that the difference I describe is subtle but I have not found anything that compares these areas directly by describing how one technology may be EITHER ubiquitous OR pervasive. Lets look at the definitions of the words themselves...
- Pervasive: spread throughout
- Ubiquitous: Being or seeming to be everywhere at the same time; omnipresent.
Besides these two terms, there is Ambient Intelligence, which may just be a newer way of saying Ubiquitous Computing. I've looked at several products claiming to be Ambient Device Technologies, but several of the examples include things like the Nabaztag or "Ambient Bunny.” It seems to me that this is a novel communications interface, but is it an ambient technology? What is the definition of ambient?
- Ambient: Surrounding; encircling.
Hmm.... All of these definitions seem to mean the same thing according to the dictionary, but the question is, do they mean the same thing in terms of Human-Computer Interaction? There are a few websites that offer some definitions, but I don't know when the definition becomes official. There is a bit of one for ubiquitous computing here. And, this site seems to have some nice projects, but are these, or are they not, seperate domains?
Posted by whazlewo at January 15, 2006 5:44 PM
Comments
Posted by: Erik at January 16, 2006 5:24 AM