"Living in a Smart Environment - Effects of Ubiquitous Computing"
Chair: Professor Dr. Friedemann Mattern, Technical University (ETH), Zürich
Symposium
The Computer in the 21st Century
The Computerization of Everyday Life
Perspectives, Technologies, Effects
Scientific Director: Prof. Dr. Friedemann Mattern
March 21-22, 2005
Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zurich, Rämistrasse 101,
Main Building, Auditorium Maximum
The long-term trend in information technology is phenomenal: computers are becoming smaller, cheaper and more numerous all the time. Equipped with sensors, they can now monitor their environment and communicate with each other via wireless technology. They will soon be an integral and virtually invisible part of all kinds of "smart” everyday objects; sensor networks will keep a discreet eye on their environment and robots will go about their work with no need for human intervention.
Where are these developments taking us? How far advanced is this science already? And, above all: What will it be like living in a totally computerized world? Whilst we may be able to foresee some of the technical possibilities of future technology, we can only speculate as yet on its economic and social impact. Specialists from a variety of disciplines will report on this issue and give their views and opinions at the symposium. Curious about the future? Then come and join us!
The symposium will be hosted by the FIT Zurich as part of its 150th anniversary celebrations in conjunction with the Ladenburg Collegium "Living in a Smart Environment - Effects of Ubiquitous Computing” of the Gottlieb Daimler and Karl Benz Foundation.
For further information and the full program please consult
www.comp21.ethz.ch
You can download a PDF file (1.3 MB) with details of the program here ...
The Collegium
Since April 2002, the collegium has been analyzing the possible effects of the new technology called "Ubiquitous Computing" on society and economy. This world is ruled by computers. Everyday appliances fulfilling professional as well as private needs are equipped with the smallest imaginable computers. They can navigate objects or appliances on their own and can activate them without any human input. Computer scientists, social scientists and legal experts are participating in a three year interdisciplinary collegium concerning this topic. Chairman is Professor Dr. Friedemann Mattern, computer scientist at the Technical University in Zürich.
The collegium will be sponsored by the Foundation as a central topic for three years with an annual budget of 470.000 EUR. Seven different research projects are conducted by a group of computer scientists, psychologists and legal experts from universities and independent research institutions. The chances and benefits of this new technology will be evaluated by looking at new concepts and systems for the infrastructure of smart environments. Prototypical programs and objects will be developed and tested in diverse scenarios. Among other things, projects will be concerned with the interface design of smart objects, will follow the life cycle of such devices and will develop concepts for extended functions of presently used mobile equipment. For example, the focus will be on energy use, data security and the development of memory aids.
A legal project concerning data security will accompany the entire collegium intersecting all the topics. Data security is the most fundamental requirement for the development of infrastructures and the functionality of smart objects. At the same time, the project integrates the collegium with the general discussion on the modernization of the data security law. It is the intention of the collegium to influence this public discussion. A film documenting the research and its results is planned to reach the concerned public.
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Projects
The project is presently projected for a time frame of three years and for the first year the following partial projects are planned:
Links and Contact
Further information about "Living in a Smart Environment" see http://www.smart-environment.de
Links and further information about "Ubiquitous Computing" see http://www.inf.ethz.ch/vs/res/ubicomp.html
Download a press release of the foundation concerning the collegium here.
The online publication "xChange" carries an interview with Professor Alexander Roßnagel on data security and ubiquitous computing. Alexander Roßnagel is the chairman of the legal project on data security of the collegium. Download the interview here.
Contact the Collegium:
Vlad Coroama
Phone: +41-1-632-0687
e-mail: coroama [at] inf.ethz.ch