Palo Alto Ventures Roel Pieper Digital Living Room

Palo Alto Ventures Roel Pieper Digital Living Room Keynote Speech Brainstorm

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

Ambient Intelligence z Distributed adaptive intelligent objects vs. one God-like PC. z Ambient Intelligence is: y. Pervasive y. Background y. Adaptive and responsive to people y. Life-enhancing z More 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 z Use yhistorical and psychological lessons ysignificant prototypes and experiments z Thorough investigation of Philips should reveal other examples: these are placeholders

1985: Game Consoles vs. Home Computers z 1985 was watershed in how public bought electronic games z Pre-1985 general purpose home computers with tape drives (Commodore, Tandy etc. ) z Post 1985 single purpose game consoles capture market z Dedicated box better fulfilled customers needs which were: y Price x Price / performance of dedicated box better than general purpose device which is inevitably a compromise y Simplicity x SIMPLE IN CONCEPT: Fulfilled a SINGLE, compelling customer need x SIMPLE IN OPERATION: On/off switch, joystick, cartridge y Reliability x Cartridges loaded instantly and reliably. x It was impossible for a user to mis-adjust the machine so it wouldn’t work. y Stability x New incompatible home computers launched every year x Console lifecycle deliberately slowed to 5 years, allowing customers to protect investment in software x Change is good, but too-rapid change is bad. z Lesson: Dedicated machine better served consumer needs.

Significant Prototypes (1): Tokens z SWATCH-funded research z Tokens are small physical iconic devices that embody: y. A web-site y. A CD y. A Limousine service z We are used to handling tokens - adding intelligence is natural z Tokens can be given z Lesson: The virtual can become embedded in the environment

Significant Prototypes (2): Anchored Displays z PARC has tried general-purpose ‘pads’ z MIT 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 z Lesson: Information available where most useful

Significant Prototypes (3): Control Wands z Consumer Electronics today like DOS before Windows z Lacks unifying control system z Philips Visions of the Future Project z Simple control wands are y. Personalized y. Adaptive to new devices z Lesson: Unifying control principle needs discovering

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

Significant Prototypes (5): HYPHOS y. MIT: How to make low cost, high density network suitable for home. y. Self-organizing, self-healing y. Totally decentralized each node is its own router y. Low range radio better than high-range xconserves power xconserves spectrum z Lesson: The future has no center

Everything Works with Everything z These prototypes are not amazing of themselves z But the aggregate possibilities of embedding this functionality everywhere imply right function for right user at right moment z Example: y. The Creative Alarm Clock

The Creative Alarm Clock: A quintessential Example z Plays new tune each day chosen from my past preferences by collaborative filtering z Tune is further appropriate to my calendar today z Responds to voice commands z I can carry it to new places z Subscription to music service can be given as a token

Human-centric viewpoint of Ambient Intelligence z Single most important movement today in all areas of computing is human-centric z Make machines know us better so that they fade from view z NOT user-friendly IT’S user-subliminal z NOT feature-orientated IT’S need-orientated z NOT attention-demanding IT’S life-enhancing

What is value of technology? z Current view: value = functionality z Ambient Intelligence says: value = functionality -------attention required

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

Immersion in life, not technology z. Ambient Intelligence is the way for us to re-immerse ourselves in life, and not in technology z. Heroes