@Prabhakar, I understand your point, however, I think the benefits of sensor at present out weighs the disadvantages. For example, law enforcement agencies already apply sensor to speed cameras, to cut down on road accidents and other related road issues.
In homes or outside in public toilets, sensors are readily available in most places. This to me helps more when using public toilets, where physical contact is minimized to reduce cross contamination etc.
Whether we like it or not, all the concerns you've raised already applies. We are not just going to be "guinea pigs"; we have gone past this stage, as technology innovations have reached all these areas.
FLYINGSCOT, In Health care sector sensors are used for wide variety of applications. We can say sensors are the input or contact points with human body. For human behavioral sleep study, normally sensors are embedding in matrix and pillows, along with the cameras. Am not sure about sensor pills, but normally an electric die is used for the study of internal organ movements and behavior.
We have seen a "sensor in a pill" that is swallowed and then measures a particular chemical transmitting data to the host PC as it passes harmlessly through the patient's body. Heart patients routinely depend on embedded sensors to either control their heartbeat or defibrillate their heart when something goes awry. These sensors have to be tiny, ultrareliable and extremely low power. Companies with the expertise to cover all the necessary technical bases in house using a top down systems design approach will have a definite advantage.
Freescale challenge is something every engineer would dreams of. Designing new capabilities and keep minimal power. Truly new capabilities are buried in nano-devices. Some phenomenas within nano-devices are totally out of this planet. Wikipedia has a good writeup on nanosensors. If Freescale would combine nano-devices with digital interface it would give them industry lead.
On the negative note, it is quite alarming that there will be sensors everywhere , in your mobile, in your appliances, in your sofa and toilet seats, in your automobiles and where not. You as a person are going to become a guinea pig for all those marketing reserach firms, scientists, law enforcement agencies and the private detectives. You will never come to know what parameter of your body physics and chemistry was measured by whom and to what advatange that uinformation was put to use. You won't know which detective agency monitored your location and movements. You won't know how your school going kid is tracked by a potential hijacker for a hefty ransom.
In the name of offering some advanced technology solutions to your simple daily life these sensors are going to bring more hazards to all of us withput being even aware of them. What do you say?
Michell, sensors are playing a vital role for both electronic equipment and appliance manufacturing. They are widely used in medical imaging technology also. Most of the sensors are of transducer types, which can convert the sensed signal to some other forms of energy, which can cater the input requirements for processing. When devices are becoming smarter and automatic, sensors are becoming the key components. The roles of sensor are at par with the functionality of gyroscope in unmanned aerial flightier.
After the tsunami in 2005, sensors are much using for early warning systems and disaster management centre. Sensors deployed in different parts of the sea, detect the variation in ocean/sea currents and sent alert to the disaster management centre for processing. This will help the team for sending an early alert or warning. Now a day’s sensors are also used for creating applications in ubiquitous computing system.
This is why at the recent Google I/O developer conference google was promoting the use of Android within non-phone/non-tablet markets.
Google is attempting to be first off the mark with a system that will allow them to gain in-depth details on the daily activities of people utilizing the Android O/S.
Plus we have seen the recent examples related to smart 'E-cigarettes', again with integral sensors that allows the device and its 'pack' to track other smokers as well as retail outlets selling refills for the device.
The issues related to all these smart sensors being deployed is one of personal privacy, currently there are no laws that prevent say a sensor that 'collects DNA' materials as you pass by the device, or sensors to evaluate the content of toilet water shortly after the toilet has been used.
Potentially we are entering dangerous times, in which companies such as Google will be leveraging the internet and closed software such as Android purely for the purposes of turning a profit at the expense of private individuals, yes there are two sides to any coin ,but it just seems that in todays society most profit can be gained from invading other peoples privacy then selling the details to the highest bidders.
Currently it seems as if Apple is not to interested in this area, specifically because it would require them to either give access to their closed OS or for them to enter into the Home appliance market, unfortunately google does not see this as a major barrier and I suspect that once they have all their chess pieces correctly in place then it is going to be a case of 'check mate'
This is a very interesting topic to me, Michell! One more thing to think about: as we truly get to the point of "sensors, sensors, everywhere" there's going to be an overload of data available.
I think there are some fascinating opportunities for companies to step in and figure out ways for consumers and businesses to organize and analyze all this new and detailed information that was previously unavailable to them.
Think about it, if all your appliances have sensors, each individual appliance could be collecting hundreds of different pieces of data (perhaps I'm being a bit excessive there, but still), but to truly get a complete picture of your home's electrical use you'd probably need something that brings all that data together, preferably in an easy to decipher way.
Anyhow, just one more thing to consider... I'm very curious to see how sensors impact our lives in the future.
Sensors are even built into today's high efficiency washing machines. They are designed to sense how much water is needed and at what point the water rinses clean.
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