Invisible Computing

Coined in 1998, at a time when for all intents and purposes it didn't exist, Invisible Computing refers to computers that are effectively invisible, a network of intelligent objects, ubiquitous, but few if any of which conjure images of a traditional computer.

Examples might include an office chair which automatically adjusts itself to the ideal height of it's user, perhaps even before the user sits down. A kettle that starts to boil as the user is elsewhere in the house and has just picked up their coffee mug, a toilet that automatically and discretely samples the urine in it for any signs of ill health on the part of the person who just used it.

All are computing devices with embedded computing apparatus, and share information with other such devices, but none have their computing function readily apparent to the casual user.

See Also: Internet of Things, Pervasive Computing, Ubiquitous Computing, Sensor Net, Context Aware Computing, Weak AI, Smart Appliances, Ambient Intelligence, Everyware, Wearable Computing, Domotics, Technological Nomad, Home Automation, Building Automation, Climotics

Below, we offer a selection of links from our resource databases which may match this term.

Invisible Computing

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Physical Computing: Sensing and Controlling the Physical World with Computers

This book is basically a mixture of electronics guide and augmented reality bible. Not so much about the visual aspects, but about the ubiquitous computing platform, intelligent objects and sensor web.

Death and Taxes
A proposed method of eliminating virtual item trading outside of the world by means of invisible taxation upon trade.

Switch Craft: Battery-Powered Crafts to Make and Sew

Switch Craft is filled with all manner of home stitch and sew projects, imbruing clothes with computing parts, diodes and electropigment systems. Ideal for the computer geek who augments their own clothes for computing ability with style, and augmented living, wearably.

The Esoteric Beat: Augmenting Reality and Invisible Goblins
A short intro to Augmented Reality from the game development perspective.

The Future of Clinical Computing: A Vision from Panasonic
An interview between Medgadget and Panasonic, on Panasonic's 2008 vision for the future of clinical computing.

Large Image Display: AWGate 5.0: Music Appreciation
ActiveWorlds Gate 5.0 launched on November the 26th 2009, in readiness for the launch of ActiveWorlds 5.0 on December the 1st 2009. Here we see one of the rooms off of the main concourse, where the company nods politely to all the independent radio firms that operate within it's platform. Eight platforms are available. To hear the music, just stand in the column-shaped invisible zone on top of each disk, and the music will start streaming, assuming the radio station lives long enough of course. This location brings home another problem the platform is trying to hide - the steady decline of users.

Connected cars
An article from the BBC on the coming convergence of smart grid computing and augmented reality for motoring - cars that know what is ahead and react to changing conditions.

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