With AmI systems, computing will reach a new level of complexity, which poses challenging research efforts for their robust operation. When we develop such systems, we have to face with the following peculiarities:
AmI systems are embedded
This means that they are an integral part of surrounding applications which they control. People using the application are usually unaware of the existence of embedded systems, i.e. an AmI system cannot be accessed by humans in the traditional way by a key board, mouse and screen.
AmI systems are mobile
AmI systems are usually part of a moving application, e.g. a person, a car, a bicycle or a mobile robot. This poses the general problem of continuous electric power supply if the application requires non-stopping operation. It also poses the problem of network connectivity. AmI systems can never rely on a stable network platform with guaranteed connectivity to other network nodes. Instead, AmI nodes will form so called ad-hoc-networks which are dynamically formed by all AmI nodes having direct or indirect connectivity to each other.
AmI systems are distributed
An AmI node receives its intelligence from its interaction with other AmI nodes in its direct neighborhood by exchanging useful information and services with them. As such, all AmI nodes that potentially cooperate to fulfil their mission constitute a distributed system interacting via ad-hoc-networks.
AmI systems heavily rely on environmental information.
| » Back to Introduction: What is Ambient Intelligence? |