The Human Experience - IEEE Pervasive Computing

W eiser originated the term ubiquitous computing, creating a vision of people and environments augmented with computational resources that provide information and services when and where desired. Although this vision has excited many technologists, we must realize that the main motivation behind Weiser’s vision is the impact ubicomp could have on the human experience: “Machines that fit the human environment instead of forcing humans to enter theirs will make using a computer as refreshing as a walk in the woods.”1 For the past decade, researchers have worked toward the implicit goal of assisting everyday life and not overwhelming it. Although the names applied to their research efforts vary (pervasive, wearable, augmented, invisible, disappearing, calm, and so forth), almost all share the goal that Weiser so eloquently characterized: