Our cars are becoming more autonomous and more connected. In the next decade, there is the possibility that cars themselves will take over much of the responsibility of driving, moving and communicating with one another in swarms that reduce traffic and save time.
Cars are becoming ever more connected to the web, with social networking and mapping applications being integrated into the cars themselves, and connections over wireless broadband networks.
If the car is able to navigate without a driver at the wheel, perhaps it could park itself, after dropping us off at the entrance to the mall.
Taking this a step further, imagine arriving at the airport, getting ready to depart on a family vacation for a week. Instead of dealing with remote parking lots, shuttle buses, and hundreds of dollars in parking fees, the car pulls away from the curb...and goes home.
The car can then monitor the airline website, watching for your flight information to be updated, taking into account delays, cancellations, baggage wait times, etc.. Planning to arrive at the optimum time, the car pulls itself out of the driveway, drives to the airport, and waits in a holding area until it detects your cell phone's GPS signal approaching the pick-up area.
Monday, July 2, 2012
Why can't we make this happen?
So, I was outside this afternoon, wrestling with hoses and sprinklers, trying to do the calculus in my head to find the combination that would allow me to water my irregularly shaped lawn without multiple trips to move things around, and it hit me: There are robot lawn mowers, why not a robotic lawn irrigation system? So, here's my pitch:
The basic principle is exactly the same as a robot lawn mower (Lawnbott ) - you set the boundaries of your lawn using perimeter wire that the unit can sense.
The Irrigator-inator (TM) fills up a tank from a docking station connected to your hose, moves through your lawn spraying a predetermined amount of water per square foot. It returns to the docking station to refill or recharge as necessary.
You can program the unit to water at specific times of day, or only on certain days. Ideally, the system would also include a sensor that could be inserted into the soil periodically to test the moisture level, reducing the amount of water applied if the ground is already wet.
Add a Wi-Fi connection and a weather app, and the unit could even autonomously skip watering on days that have a certain probability of precipitation.
OK, people, let's get to it!
The basic principle is exactly the same as a robot lawn mower (Lawnbott ) - you set the boundaries of your lawn using perimeter wire that the unit can sense.
The Irrigator-inator (TM) fills up a tank from a docking station connected to your hose, moves through your lawn spraying a predetermined amount of water per square foot. It returns to the docking station to refill or recharge as necessary.
You can program the unit to water at specific times of day, or only on certain days. Ideally, the system would also include a sensor that could be inserted into the soil periodically to test the moisture level, reducing the amount of water applied if the ground is already wet.
Add a Wi-Fi connection and a weather app, and the unit could even autonomously skip watering on days that have a certain probability of precipitation.
OK, people, let's get to it!
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Mind over matter
So, on one front, the ways in which we interface with technology continue to become less and less about typing, and more and more about things like gestures, voice, vision, and even thoughts.
On another front, 3D printers and nanotechnology are continuing to advance in the number of tasks that they can perform.
On a third front, various radio transmission and receiving technologies continue to get smaller and smaller.
So that got me to thinking: If I could control a swarm of nanobots with my thoughts (even with a few simple commands), and those nanobots could manipulate matter at the molecular level - constructing and deconstructing objects out of carbon nanotubes, for instance - I can see a world in which I could remodel my kitchen, just by thinking about it. Or, say a few extra people show up to dinner, I could transform the bed into extra chairs and extend the table by borrowing some matter from the living room sofa.
I'm sure I'm not the first to think this through, but at a certain point, if I can shift my surroundings at will, reality does in fact become virtual. Of course, if everyone in the house doesn't agree on the decorating choices, it could get messy.
On another front, 3D printers and nanotechnology are continuing to advance in the number of tasks that they can perform.
On a third front, various radio transmission and receiving technologies continue to get smaller and smaller.
So that got me to thinking: If I could control a swarm of nanobots with my thoughts (even with a few simple commands), and those nanobots could manipulate matter at the molecular level - constructing and deconstructing objects out of carbon nanotubes, for instance - I can see a world in which I could remodel my kitchen, just by thinking about it. Or, say a few extra people show up to dinner, I could transform the bed into extra chairs and extend the table by borrowing some matter from the living room sofa.
I'm sure I'm not the first to think this through, but at a certain point, if I can shift my surroundings at will, reality does in fact become virtual. Of course, if everyone in the house doesn't agree on the decorating choices, it could get messy.
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Brick and Mortar without the Register
So, this afternoon, I had my first experience with a sort of shopping that's been written about for years. I went into a store, picked up the items I wanted to buy, and scanned the barcodes using the camera on my phone. When I was finished, I used my phone to pay by credit card, and walked out without visiting the register.
Well, that's how it was supposed to work, and for the most part, it did. There were a few glitches: some items were not in the database of the application, and so couldn't be purchased using the app. Entering in my credit card and account information took two tries and about 5 minutes. But, all in all, it's something I would like to try again, and see in more places.
This app was available at Magic Beans stores, and can be downloaded for iPhones and Android
(Magic Beans app). There were a couple of reps from the software company on hand, who were very helpful, and explained that the database was incomplete because the app had been backloaded with the store's stock before launch, and newer items were taking some time to get into the system.
I like shopping in the brick and mortar stores, getting the tactile experience of holding the items, but waiting in line, especially at holiday time, can be a chore. So this is a nice app that I will try again, now that the initial setup has been done. I'd like to see if they could link the phone app to the online store, so that I could shop for someone else, pay for the item while I'm in the store, and have the gift automatically shipped to someone else. Or maybe link in to a video chat, so that I could check in with my wife or brother before buying something for the kids. Hey, while we're at it, why not link to Facebook, and see what my friends recommend?
For a long time, I've been reading about the RFID future, where everything in your shopping cart would be scanned as you walked out the doors, and your account would be charged accordingly. They tried it in Germany back in 2007 (see this PC World article). Stop and Shop has their SCAN IT! system, which I've tried. I'm still looking forward to the day when my fridge and cabinets can keep track of what is inside them, and link up with the Food Network site to suggest recipes based on the ingredients I already have, or generate automatic shopping lists once I choose a menu. When I can do that, and then easily pay for my groceries using my phone, I will be a happy camper.
Well, that's how it was supposed to work, and for the most part, it did. There were a few glitches: some items were not in the database of the application, and so couldn't be purchased using the app. Entering in my credit card and account information took two tries and about 5 minutes. But, all in all, it's something I would like to try again, and see in more places.
This app was available at Magic Beans stores, and can be downloaded for iPhones and Android
(Magic Beans app). There were a couple of reps from the software company on hand, who were very helpful, and explained that the database was incomplete because the app had been backloaded with the store's stock before launch, and newer items were taking some time to get into the system.
I like shopping in the brick and mortar stores, getting the tactile experience of holding the items, but waiting in line, especially at holiday time, can be a chore. So this is a nice app that I will try again, now that the initial setup has been done. I'd like to see if they could link the phone app to the online store, so that I could shop for someone else, pay for the item while I'm in the store, and have the gift automatically shipped to someone else. Or maybe link in to a video chat, so that I could check in with my wife or brother before buying something for the kids. Hey, while we're at it, why not link to Facebook, and see what my friends recommend?
For a long time, I've been reading about the RFID future, where everything in your shopping cart would be scanned as you walked out the doors, and your account would be charged accordingly. They tried it in Germany back in 2007 (see this PC World article). Stop and Shop has their SCAN IT! system, which I've tried. I'm still looking forward to the day when my fridge and cabinets can keep track of what is inside them, and link up with the Food Network site to suggest recipes based on the ingredients I already have, or generate automatic shopping lists once I choose a menu. When I can do that, and then easily pay for my groceries using my phone, I will be a happy camper.
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