In the beginning of 1990 Nicholas Negroponte, MIT, foreseen a switch in the distribution of electronic media. Everything utilizing cable distribution should go wireless and everything that was utilizing wireless distribution would switch to cable distribution. This was before the wide introduction of mobile phones and broadband internet. It is amazing to see how accurate his predictions were. The same forces behind this switch are still active driving for systems with smaller and smaller radio cells providing higher and higher capacity. A well known example is the 3G mobile telephone systems. We are convinced that this trend will continue and there is a growing market on wireless communications over short distances.
Technology functions that mimic real life
A global use of internet and broadband communication reduces the distances for our mind and senses, which drastically increase the globalization. The bottleneck is no longer the long distance communication, but rather related to the access points. The cost for installations of access points is decreasing, but it is still one of the limiting factors for new application areas.
New technology is needed to provide better interfaces between humans and the communication infrastructure available. The real experience in a meeting between people involves more than what can be captured by a simple web camera. In fact, the limiting factor is not only the capacity of the information channel, but it is also to a large extent limited by the technology at the access point, such as camera resolution, audio system performance etc.
There is large interest in development of Things that Speaks Digital in order to use the same habits developed when using the computer. When using a computer we initiate actions by clicking and dragging things on the screen. This functionality has been developed to mimic real life. However, in the computer additional functionality has been added to these virtual ‘real life’ actions. For example, automatic setup of software can be done by dropping a configuration file on a certain icon representing a digital function (software or hardware). We foresee that new technology will be developed that would allow drag and drop of digital files, records or images (what ever we would like to call it) in real life. Thus it would be possible to transfer data from our computer desktop to a printer by simply picking it up by a pointer and dropping it on the printer (3D mouse in real life). We might transfer files between computers in the same way (wireless USB stick with mouse functionality). In toys and games such technology already exists where digital characters can be given to a friend for training. Later when the character is returned it has learned new things and developed a higher status within the game (natural since it has been in a new digital environment). Everything around us may learn to speak digital. Such a development is logical since more and more information that we are producing and using is digital.
Low-cost technology that integrates in everyday products
In order for Things to Speak Digital new technology for efficient low cost integration of electronics in everyday products are needed. A strong market driver is also necessary in order to speed up the development process. One such driver has been the mobile phones. However, this application will not reach the really low cost segment. Another application area, logistics, seems to take the position as market driver.
The globalization increases the demands on our transport and logistic systems. Internet provides a model for efficient packet switching structures that could also be implemented for transport of real packages. One enabling technology for this is RFID and the initiative for a global Electronic Product Code (EPC). The RFID tags in such system needs to be extremely low cost and a successful introduction of this technology will in a second step provide various types of ambient intelligence. Access to low cost wireless sensor solutions will be very important in such systems.
Alien Technology, Silicon Valley, US, one of the world leaders within RFID technology has recently developed a chip packaging solution based on a revolutionizing self assembly technology with the capacity of producing 2 billions of chip attachments per year. The estimated yearly consumption of RFID tags when fully integrated in all logistic supply chains all over the world is approximately 20 billions per year. For the first time there is a production method including chip attachment and printed antennas that allows optimization of the silicon technology to reach the 5 cent level targeted by retailers. Simultaneously there is a strong development of fully printed electronics (no-silicon) solutions that has a great potential for printed sensors and displays. Wireless solutions developed using fully printed solutions is still a challenge but we are convinced that such technology will emerge and dominate the low cost segment of disposable electronic intelligence.
In order to reach such solutions, there is a strong need for research and development targeting new manufacturing technologies (utilizing roll-to-roll methods similar to printing) and new electronic materials (printable, environmentally friendly, low cost). However, existing technologies and current know-how can be utilized much more efficiently in many different applications and services. In this case the effort should be directed towards functional design and new service concepts.
Wireless solutions where it was not possible before
Another market driver is the need for wireless sensors in industrial applications. RFID has to large extent reach the current technology level due to industrial applications related to automation. The broadband communication infrastructure allows implementation of completely new service concepts based on embedded intelligence in industrial equipment. Wireless solutions allow quality control surveillance at a sensible price level where it was not possible before. Additional values can be added in new business models promoting a closer relationship between business actors.
Sensible Things that Communicate (STC) is a research program targeting the development of low cost technology for wireless sensors in business to business applications. The research is conducted in close cooperation with our industrial partners. The research results can also be applied to the consumer market and in fact we are focusing on technology families that can be widely used in many different application areas. Our research is targeting both technology and design issues, integrating functionality and technology research with a focus on wireless sensor solutions and ambient intelligence. We believe that technology and design should be integrated together in order to provide the best possible research environment.