(CNN) -- Serious
couch potatoes may soon have sofas that order take-out, turn lights off
automatically and tune the TV to their favorite programs, without them ever
having to lift a finger.
The
"smart sofa" being developed by scientists at Trinity College in
Dublin, Ireland, contains programmable microchip sensors on each leg that determine
who's sitting down based on the person's weight.
So
far, the sofa can only deliver a personalized greeting to the person who plops
down on it, but researcher Mads Haahr says students in his distributed-systems
group envision a day when it will do a lot more: switch on household
appliances, set the temperature in a room based on an individual's comfort
level or even prompt the stereo to play the style of music that whomever is
sitting prefers.
"The
greater context is that you can build functionality into computers that allow
them to be part of everyday objects and help us in ways that we won't even
notice," Haahr said.
Computers everywhere?
The
concept is known as ubiquitous computing. The new wave of technology -- after
the eras of the mainframe and the desktop -- envisions embedding tiny
microprocessors into hundreds of objects and seamlessly linking them into
networks. In theory, the wired gadgets could interact to meet and even predict
a user's needs, constantly and invisibly tuning in to one's desires.
Researchers
are having a hard time coming up with the killer application that can link
devices and improve users' lives without creating huge disruptions or violating
their privacy. But with appliance companies already introducing refrigerators and
microwaves that serve up the Internet, and microchips getting smaller and
cheaper, scientists are increasingly asking themselves, "What does it make
sense to network?"
Their
research continues to move technology away from the personal computer and into
mobile gadgets. Take, for example, the smart watches introduced this year by
Fossil Inc. Via a tiny, built-in FM receiver chip, they can display weather,
headlines, instant messages and, oh yeah, the time.
The
watch was conceived of by Microsoft's Smart Personal Objects Technology, or
SPOT, initiative. Microsoft chairman Bill Gates believes SPOT could eventually
power a whole slew of gadgets, but for now the software giant has developed
only the smart watch, and prototypes of souped-up alarm clocks and refrigerator
magnets.
"The
potential for all these exciting devices, smart objects and services to enrich
and enhance the way we live is truly amazing," Gates told participants in
the International Consumer Electronics Show in January.
A
Colorado professor who has wired his house to automatically adjust heating and
lighting as needed says the key to the success of ubiquitous computing will be
getting consumers to see the value in it.
At
first some people questioned the sense of having the lights in his "adaptive
house" adjust automatically, said University of Colorado at Boulder
computer science professor Mike Mozer. But in time, Mozer said, his home, which
is wired with dozens of sensors that monitor temperature, sound, motion, and
door and window openings, conserves more energy and offers more convenience
than regular houses.
"You
do get used to it very quickly, and you really feel weird to have to turn on a
light yourself," he said. "I kind of like this feeling of somebody
watching me."
Beyond whims
"Smart
sofa" researcher Haahr admits that at first glance it doesn't appear to
have much use beyond fulfilling the whims of the extremely lazy. But he said
the team working on the sofa hopes to one day use the technology to help
elderly and disabled people.
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![Mike Mozer's 'Adaptive house' has sensors that control the temperature and lighting based on residents' habits.]()
Mike
Mozer's "adaptive house" has sensors that control the temperature
and lighting based on residents' habits.
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The same technology also could, for example, let
staff in assisted-living facilities know when an Alzheimer's patient wanders
away from his or her bed.
"We'll
see more of these objects coming into our lives," Haahr said. "It's
not going to happen overnight."
And
for those who are worried that all this convenience will cause humans to become
even more sedentary and get fatter, Haahr said his team is prepared to consider
the problem.
"We're
hoping that people's weight won't vary so quickly," he said. "But it
is something we'll have to deal with."
