Ubiquitous Computing

Over the course of the 21st century, thanks to the widespread implementation of wireless networks, artificial intelligence and cloud-based systems, digital technology became increasingly intuitive, seamless, and capable of anticipating human needs. The development of smart PDAs (Personal Data Assistants), along with AI-driven services and a planetary ecosystem of networked smart devices, has created UbiComp spaces in which virtual servants identify and assist you with whatever you’re trying to do, without the need for pushing any buttons or physically connecting any devices. People today refer to this ubiquitous network as “the net” or “the fog” – when they consider it at all. But back in the 21st century it was commonly known as the IoT: the Internet of Things.

Ubiquitous computing, also called pervasive computing, is the result of embedding sensing, transmission, display, storage and processing technologies into all devices, vehicles, buildings, roads, personal accouterments and consumer products – even into human bodies. It's what you get when there are digital systems inside all the objects you interact with on a daily basis, and all these objects can communicate with one another.

In UbiComp zones, smart devices and AI-driven systems perform useful tasks in a way that minimizes your need to interact with computers as computers; in a sense, the computers become invisible and the whole world becomes “smart.” The UbiComp world is faster, simpler, and often capable of anticipating your needs. AI systems interpret your words and communicate with you in natural language; Augmented displays are placed on every available surface, visible to anyone with the right hardware; Interfaces are visual, verbal, or gestural; computing devices are network-connected and constantly available. From the standpoint of anyone living prior to the 21st century, it's a magical world populated by benevolent invisible genies. Another way to look at it might be living inside a giant computer, with a wide variety of data and services available to you at all times, “out of thin air” so to speak.

Pervasive computing systems handle not only the day-to-day activities of UbiComp citizens, but also industrial and municipal concerns such as energy, defense, health and safety, security and law enforcement, emergency response, consumer rights and education, healthcare, entertainment, transportation, waste management and logistics.

Your Own Devices
Computing devices are everywhere: not just in the form of PDAs, tablets and smartphones, but also in home appliances, wearable devices, tools, toys, jewelry, clothing, prosthetics and cyber-body mods, bots, drones, vehicles, lighting systems, life support and comfort systems, building components, pipeline components and fleet controllers, as well as monitors and sensors of all kinds. Advanced devices may feature voice recognition, speech emulation, and artificial intelligence as well.

In the ubiquitous computing environment, wireless communication and networking technologies connect all these devices and systems with other systems, networks, RFID tags and software agents. By communicating with each other as you move through the world, these devices can pass tasks, data and identifying codes from one to another, allowing your entire “softspace” to move with you.

The Fog
see CyberSpace

The nebulous “Fog” that surrounds the planet is an effectively limitless public pool of virtual machines in which computing resources are provisioned as needed, allowing users from anywhere on Earth to gain access to the systems and data they need. Within the Fog reside all manner of public apps, systems, archives and data. Thanks to the Fog, your processing and storage capability is not limited by your hardware.

Fog-based computing can occur via any device, at any time, in any place and in any data format across any network, and can even allow these devices to hand tasks off to one another.