1
edit
Changes
→Essay Draft
One of the main key points of ubiquitous computing is to make the machine adjust to the human world. To make machines a part of daily life without people noticing it.
Some of the devices that we use with the ubiquitous computing model are cell phones, mp3, GPS and interactive whiteboards. These are great examples that demonstrate the ubiquitous computing model. People use all of these devices daily. However, they don’t think about the fact that those are actually machines. It’s integrated in our lives.
This essay will elaborate further on Ubiquitous computing. Ubiquitous computing is the future of computer products. Moreover, consumers will likely to purchase something that is familiar to them and seems less like a machine. Users are forcing a paradigm shift that demands consumer products to embrace the principles of ubiquitous computing.
The paradigm shift is important in the sense that technology is being integrated into our daily lives in a manner that encourages human/machine interaction. A lot of the technology that people take for granted is seldom even considered as something separate but rather as an extension of ourselves. Also people place a great level of trust in the technology; often without thinking they are doing so. Whether it is a GPS directional system, a self-parking car, an iPad with important information on it ubiquitous computing is becoming a key factor in our society. The average person does not really consider the computing power of the technology that they incorporate into their daily lives; rather they seem to simply integrate the technology into their lifestyles. This is a natural human reaction to advances in technology once they become used by everybody and accepted in our environment.
Like in the early 20th century the car was first used and understood by very few people. Now we drive our cars, take the bus, etc. without giving it a second thought and usually with very little thought as to how the car operates, aside from the need to put gas into it. The same is happening with iPads, phones etc. We simply incorporate them into our daily lives and they help us with our routine and they don’t seem amazing anymore, just a natural tools for us to use. iPad’s, GPS screens, controller free video games, car interfaces, voice command technology, cell phones have all helped to remove some of the artificial interfaces from traditional technology usage. When we think about it for a moment we see that this technology has become a key part of our daily lives in a way that did not exist even 20 years ago. In both our work and entertainment technology has become a standard part of our daily lives.
'''Natural user interface'''
People prefer computers that conform to them rather than conforming to computers. A Natural and easy process in learning how to use a device is crucially important in a product. If the learning process is too complex or take too much time; the users won’t want to use the product and will search alternatives for it. The purpose of Natural user interface is to make the user feel like a natural.
User-friendliness and natural input are of key importance in this area. Rather than reading through manual software devices are designed in such a way as to allow the user to discover the functions of the product, through minimal experimentation. In this sense the technology teaches us how to use it through interaction. Simply exploring the functions of a cellphone or an iPad may serve as an example of this, as do cars that can park themselves.
For instance, the technology now exists on the market that allows a computer to park a car by sensing the surrounding area and acting accordingly. The luxury car giant Lexus currently markets such a model and this serves as an excellent example of easy natural user interface. Many north Americans can drive a car, but giving control to a computer to move the car while the person is actually in it, in other words trusting the computer to safely park the car without damage is a strong example of the level of trust that people have placed in technology and how far the paradigm shift has come. In terms of ease of use in this interface no special training is required to make use of this feature and it is presumed that any driver will be able to make use of this feature in a comfortable way since the car is on the market. This is a good example of a natural user interface since the only skills needed are the ability to drive in the first place a have only the causal acceptance and awareness of technology usage that most people have these days.
'''Context Awareness'''