Palo Alto Ventures Roel Pieper Digital Living Room Keynote Speech Brainstorm

The Coming Revolution zThis is not a convergence zThis is an EXPLOSION of functionality into the environment Cost Networks Late Adopters

Ambient Intelligence zDistributed adaptive intelligent objects vs. one God-like PC. zAmbient Intelligence is: yPervasive yBackground yAdaptive and responsive to people yLife-enhancing zMore than just PC vs. TV, it’s a total restructuring of the way we build, sell and use computing devices.

Lessons about the future from past and present zUse yhistorical and psychological lessons ysignificant prototypes and experiments zThorough investigation of Philips should reveal other examples: these are placeholders

1985: Game Consoles vs. Home Computers z1985 was watershed in how public bought electronic games zPre-1985 general purpose home computers with tape drives (Commodore, Tandy etc.) zPost 1985 single purpose game consoles capture market zDedicated box better fulfilled customers needs which were: yPrice xPrice / performance of dedicated box better than general purpose device which is inevitably a compromise ySimplicity xSIMPLE IN CONCEPT: Fulfilled a SINGLE, compelling customer need xSIMPLE IN OPERATION: On/off switch, joystick, cartridge yReliability xCartridges loaded instantly and reliably. xIt was impossible for a user to mis-adjust the machine so it wouldn’t work. yStability xNew incompatible home computers launched every year xConsole lifecycle deliberately slowed to 5 years, allowing customers to protect investment in software xChange is good, but too-rapid change is bad. zLesson: Dedicated machine better served consumer needs.

Significant Prototypes (1): Tokens zSWATCH-funded research zTokens are small physical iconic devices that embody: yA web-site yA CD yA Limousine service zWe are used to handling tokens - adding intelligence is natural zTokens can be given zLesson: The virtual can become embedded in the environment

Significant Prototypes (2): Anchored Displays zPARC has tried general-purpose ‘pads’ zMIT student created ‘anchored displays’, multiple small displays scattered throughout house yweather near bedroom closet ytraffic news near coat-rack (push update) ybaby monitoring in parents bedroom zLesson: Information available where most useful

Significant Prototypes (3): Control Wands zConsumer Electronics today like DOS before Windows zLacks unifying control system zPhilips Visions of the Future Project zSimple control wands are yPersonalized yAdaptive to new devices zLesson: Unifying control principle needs discovering

Significant Prototypes (4): Smart Materials and Wearables zPenny Tags for identifying cheap or disposable objects - chips too expensive zMIT research discovered that passive materials can encode information zOther materials can detect and communicate heat, humidity etc. zLesson: Network nodes display range of intelligence

Significant Prototypes (5): HYPHOS yMIT: How to make low cost, high density network suitable for home. ySelf-organizing, self-healing yTotally decentralized - each node is its own router yLow range radio better than high-range xconserves power xconserves spectrum zLesson: The future has no center

Everything Works with Everything zThese prototypes are not amazing of themselves zBut the aggregate possibilities of embedding this functionality everywhere imply right function for right user at right moment zExample: yThe Creative Alarm Clock

The Creative Alarm Clock: A quintessential Example zPlays new tune each day chosen from my past preferences by collaborative filtering zTune is further appropriate to my calendar today zResponds to voice commands zI can carry it to new places zSubscription to music service can be given as a token

Human-centric viewpoint of Ambient Intelligence zSingle most important movement today in all areas of computing is human-centric zMake machines know us better so that they fade from view zNOT user-friendly IT’S user-subliminal zNOT feature-orientated IT’S need-orientated zNOT attention-demanding IT’S life-enhancing

What is value of technology? zCurrent view: value = functionality zAmbient Intelligence says: value = functionality attention required

Attention Span Zero: Riding a Bicycle zWhen a child begins to ride a bicycle they are learning to operate a machine. zWhen the skill has been fully assimilated, you just go places. zTechnology truly empowers when used unconsciously zAn unconscious tool becomes an extension of the user zThe unmediated fulfillment of needs

Immersion in life, not technology zAmbient Intelligence is the way for us to re-immerse ourselves in life, and not in technology zHeroes