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| The steady technological progress in the fields of microelectronics, microsystems, sensorics, and communications, signifies one of the main driving forces for the realization of ubiquitous computing. While some technologies such as electronic paper or flexible displays are still several years away from market, others such as Bluetooth or RFID-tags can already be found in consumer articles. |
| We use these technologies as ready-to-deploy building blocks in a wide variety of prototype systems, allowing us to rapidly implement our visions of ubiquitous computing and research corresponding use and deployment issues. After a slow start into the market, today the Bluetooth wireless-radio technology is integrated into many consumer producs. Bluetooth provides a standard wireless-communication interface and can carry data and voice over short ranges with relatively low power. Because of these properties Bluetooth appears to be particularly valuable as an enabeling communication technology for smart collaborating objects. In our research, we analyze Bluetooth to suggest improvements and deduce requirements for emerging wireless-communication standards suitable for Ubiquitous Computing.
For research into applications of smart collaborating objects we have designed and built a prototype of an object computer, The BTnode is a small, autonomous computing device combining computation, Bluetooth wireless communication and sensing. With the form factor of a tag, the BTnode can be attached easily and unobtrusively to real-world objects. Augemented with BTnodes, collections of objects gain new functionality, novel interaction patterns, and intelligent collaborative behavior. In other words, augmentation of regular real-world objects with BTnodes turnes them into smart collaborating objects. |
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