C haptEr 9 design Environments and systems
334
or for a variety of health delivery reasons. An image of this kind
of environment might be one that first detects and then identifies
specific human users within the space, then tailors specific aspects of
the environment in response to the needs, tasks, or desires of those
specific individuals. Information displays would surely change, but
so might wall colors, chair heights, and temperature levels. The individual might interact or control different actions without any kind
of manual or even voice inputs but with the wave of a hand that is
picked up by a gesture recognition system. Environments with capabilities such as facial or gesture recognition are not just for novelty’s
sake but can potentially help many people with disabilities (witness
the importance of eye-tracking systems for individuals with severe
eye disorders). Section 9.8 reviews interactive, smart, and intelligent
environments in more detail.
These systems invariably involve complex computational infrastructures as well as a host of kinds of sensory and actuation devices.
Nano-based approaches can clearly be used to improve the technical
performance of these various components, but the previously mentioned trends toward smallness and cheapness are highly important
as well. At the moment, interactive, smart, or intelligent environments already use a variety of sensory technologies, but in any given
installation, surprisingly few are actually used. Most needed devices
are surprisingly large and bulky as well as difficult to distribute and
interconnect. The goal of seamless integration into the environment
(see Section 9.7) is difficult to achieve with current technologies. The
use of limited numbers of sensors inherently reduces the information that can be captured and hence reduces response and control
capabilities. The idea of being able to have large numbers of inexpensive sensors based on nanotechnologies distributed throughout
a spatial environment and designed to capture specific kinds of
information (about users, processes, or conditions within a space)
has great appeal for designers and engineers, with perhaps the idea
of nanoelectronic “swarms” of simple but interconnected and collectively intelligent nanoelectronic devices representing a visionary possibility. It is with distributed sensor/actuator systems that
trends toward smallness, high performance, and multifunctionality
in enabling electronic systems intersect with goals of interactivity,
smartness, and intelligence. At the moment, this area remains rather
speculative, but the potential is clearly there.
9.5 light and optiCal EnvironmEnts
Nanotechnologies are renowned for their many potential uses in
connection with light and optical phenomena. Light is intrinsic to
334
or for a variety of health delivery reasons. An image of this kind
of environment might be one that first detects and then identifies
specific human users within the space, then tailors specific aspects of
the environment in response to the needs, tasks, or desires of those
specific individuals. Information displays would surely change, but
so might wall colors, chair heights, and temperature levels. The individual might interact or control different actions without any kind
of manual or even voice inputs but with the wave of a hand that is
picked up by a gesture recognition system. Environments with capabilities such as facial or gesture recognition are not just for novelty’s
sake but can potentially help many people with disabilities (witness
the importance of eye-tracking systems for individuals with severe
eye disorders). Section 9.8 reviews interactive, smart, and intelligent
environments in more detail.
These systems invariably involve complex computational infrastructures as well as a host of kinds of sensory and actuation devices.
Nano-based approaches can clearly be used to improve the technical
performance of these various components, but the previously mentioned trends toward smallness and cheapness are highly important
as well. At the moment, interactive, smart, or intelligent environments already use a variety of sensory technologies, but in any given
installation, surprisingly few are actually used. Most needed devices
are surprisingly large and bulky as well as difficult to distribute and
interconnect. The goal of seamless integration into the environment
(see Section 9.7) is difficult to achieve with current technologies. The
use of limited numbers of sensors inherently reduces the information that can be captured and hence reduces response and control
capabilities. The idea of being able to have large numbers of inexpensive sensors based on nanotechnologies distributed throughout
a spatial environment and designed to capture specific kinds of
information (about users, processes, or conditions within a space)
has great appeal for designers and engineers, with perhaps the idea
of nanoelectronic “swarms” of simple but interconnected and collectively intelligent nanoelectronic devices representing a visionary possibility. It is with distributed sensor/actuator systems that
trends toward smallness, high performance, and multifunctionality
in enabling electronic systems intersect with goals of interactivity,
smartness, and intelligence. At the moment, this area remains rather
speculative, but the potential is clearly there.
9.5 light and optiCal EnvironmEnts
Nanotechnologies are renowned for their many potential uses in
connection with light and optical phenomena. Light is intrinsic to