There is no doubting the impact that the information revolution has had on our everyday lives. How we learn, work, and play has been forever transformed by the always-on connectivity of the Internet. But this information revolution has largely been confined to the online world and, for many of us, we continue to interact with two very separate worlds: the physical world in which we live and the online world of the web. There has been a physical-digital divide. Every second of every day, information is created through naturally occurring events in the physical world but these events go largely unnoticed and the information is lost. In the world of the Sensor Web this is set to change.

The catalyst for this change will come in the form of a new generation of cheap, reliable, and flexible sensor technologies, which will serve as new peripherals for the internet by bringing a whole new world of input data to the wider web. Accordingly, data will no longer just be generated from the keyboards and scanners of desktop PCs. Instead, these new sensor technologies will permit the sensing of diverse events in the physical world, from the traffic congestion in our streets to the pollution in our river systems, and from energy consumption in our cities to recycling in the home. Sensors that can be integrated with garments, and worn on the body, will permit the capture of physiological data as we exercise or recuperate. In short, this unique combination of sensors, software, and the Internet will enable new types of information services across a wide range of sectors from health and the environment to education, retail, and entertainment.

This is the vision of the Sensor Web. Its guiding principle is that better information helps people to make better decisions and that by harnessing the potential of the sensor web we can help people to live healthier, safer, and more productive lives. For example, decade’s worth of studies about energy usage in the home have shown that by simply informing people about the impact of their energy usage in real-time is sufficient motivation for them to cut their energy consumption by up to 15%.

Realising this vision is not without its challenges and so researchers in CLARITY: Centre for Sensor Web Technologies, are addressing this head on (www.clarity-centre.org). CLARITY is a CSET, a Center for Science Engineering Technology funded by Science Foundation Ireland (SFI), and is a partnership between University College Dublin, Dublin City University and the Tyndall National Institute. Comprised of over 100 researchers at the three sites it has investiment from industry partners including IBM, Disney Research, Amdocs, QinetiQ North America, Episensor and Critical Path. Formed in July 2008 it already has funded collaborations with over a dozen other industrial partners in Ireland and abroad. CLARITY focuses on the development of sensor web technologies in areas including health and wellness, environmental monitoring, and digital media.

URL: http://www.clarity-centre.org/

Contact: Prof. Alan Smeaton