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9.8 intEraCtivE, smart,
and intElligEnt systEms
and EnvironmEnts
responsive Environments
The environments previously discussed in this chapter have all
related to fundamental conditions of spatial or surrounding environments (mechanical, thermal, lighting, and so on). There are,
however, many other, more behaviorally based ways designers
use to characterize environments that are useful to briefly address
here. They typically involve the environments already described
but go beyond them and focus on interactive, smart, or intelligent
behaviors.
In the 1920s the well-known architect Le Corbusier described the
house of the future as a “Machine for Living,” with its connotations of automation. Subsequently, the 1953 “All Electric House”
enabled an occupant in a bedroom to turn on a kitchen coffeemaker at the right time in the morning. These general areas have
since evolved into intense and popular areas of study in relation
to what are now commonly described as interactive, smart, or intelligent environments. Typically these environments seek to improve
our experiences in living and work environments in both buildings
and vehicles by providing information, aiding in task performance,
or more generally improving lifestyle quality. Many “smart environments” in recent years have consisted of spaces with multiple
sensors that control lighting and thermal environments and provide ubiquitous communications. Simple commercial systems do
many other things, such as informing homeowners whether the
pet dog has strayed from the area of the house. Far more sophisticated approaches now seek to have automated systems for detecting
and identifying specific human users within a space (e.g., via facial
detection) and adjusting the living or work environment characteristics in response to the needs of that specific individual.
Before looking at nano-based applications in this domain, we
should lay some background. The three key descriptive phrases—
interactive, smart, and intelligent environments—typically mean
quite different things to different people. Do the phrases imply
equivalent concepts? Can something be interactive without being
smart? We already have thermostats for controlling temperature
levels and other sensors for light levels. Is a sensor-equipped automated house that automatically shuts lights off or on, depending
on whether a room is occupied, truly a smart or intelligent environment? Do common sensor-driven actuation and communication
Interactive, Smart, and Intelligent Systems and Environments
9.8 intEraCtivE, smart,
and intElligEnt systEms
and EnvironmEnts
responsive Environments
The environments previously discussed in this chapter have all
related to fundamental conditions of spatial or surrounding environments (mechanical, thermal, lighting, and so on). There are,
however, many other, more behaviorally based ways designers
use to characterize environments that are useful to briefly address
here. They typically involve the environments already described
but go beyond them and focus on interactive, smart, or intelligent
behaviors.
In the 1920s the well-known architect Le Corbusier described the
house of the future as a “Machine for Living,” with its connotations of automation. Subsequently, the 1953 “All Electric House”
enabled an occupant in a bedroom to turn on a kitchen coffeemaker at the right time in the morning. These general areas have
since evolved into intense and popular areas of study in relation
to what are now commonly described as interactive, smart, or intelligent environments. Typically these environments seek to improve
our experiences in living and work environments in both buildings
and vehicles by providing information, aiding in task performance,
or more generally improving lifestyle quality. Many “smart environments” in recent years have consisted of spaces with multiple
sensors that control lighting and thermal environments and provide ubiquitous communications. Simple commercial systems do
many other things, such as informing homeowners whether the
pet dog has strayed from the area of the house. Far more sophisticated approaches now seek to have automated systems for detecting
and identifying specific human users within a space (e.g., via facial
detection) and adjusting the living or work environment characteristics in response to the needs of that specific individual.
Before looking at nano-based applications in this domain, we
should lay some background. The three key descriptive phrases—
interactive, smart, and intelligent environments—typically mean
quite different things to different people. Do the phrases imply
equivalent concepts? Can something be interactive without being
smart? We already have thermostats for controlling temperature
levels and other sensors for light levels. Is a sensor-equipped automated house that automatically shuts lights off or on, depending
on whether a room is occupied, truly a smart or intelligent environment? Do common sensor-driven actuation and communication
Interactive, Smart, and Intelligent Systems and Environments