Integration in the Urban Fabric and in the Lives of People: Week 8
Looking at this week and the mock review coming up on Tuesday, I have been looking at the implications and knowledge that surrounds the benefits of further advancing the human-computer interactions within everyday life and the integration into the place in which we live. I have been very interested in the way in which this concept can be employed into the hands of people at a more rapid pace than it would be to create new technology to accommodate the growing needs of the city.
Earlier in my research, I looked into the idea of being able to push out software-related improvements to people so that people then already were living with the technology and power needed just from their smartphones. The development money can then be spent at developing the digital systems rather than making physical objects to test. This research and thought are also utilized in the project “Mobile Edge Computing Potential in Making Cities Smarter”. The authors encourage the development of systems in the digital world that can transfer to the devices that everyone carries around. This idea of utilizing what we already have is essential for the continued retrofit of the existing city people live in and to truly integrate and connect sensors, systems, services, etc. The cities are rapidly growing for the need to innovate how the urban fabric functions within the world and how its impact on the Earth can be more efficient and those that live there can live an easier life.
The world is run through a vast architecture of the digital realm that everyday people do not get to see. The integration of technology also means a total integration of people. The Smart City concept is about the “quality of life” of the people that live there and everyone deserves this same experience. I Have been researching the positive impacts that this could bring on the people that would benefit from the integration. One source looked at how the IoT (Internet of Things) and its integration can help advance independence and improved accessibility for a growing portion of the population. This concept is looking at the use of augmented reality to experience objects that are not within an arms reach and how this can help to make those people more independent rather than dependent on others. Information can be displayed at a glance, real-time data can be monitored, of a person that needs that, and layouts of an urban fabric that make it easier to navigate for those with mobile impairment disabilities. From this research, it is building my understanding about how this technology can be widespread in helping different groups of people that may need specialized help or those that use it for extended experience as shown in “Engaging citizen communities in smart cities using IoT, serious gaming and fast markerless Augmented Reality”.
This project uses the concept of serious gaming which is the idea that people are dedicated more to accomplishing a goal while playing a game. The projects aim to build awareness and understanding of climate issues that are apparent in today’s urban environments. The games are played through the lens in the camera and through the capability and software of an app. The technology is already in the devices that we use every day, which takes from the idea of “Mobile Edge Computing”.
Looking back on this week’s research and continuing forward, I am interested more in the different ways that technological retrofitting can impact different people with different types of needs and wants as well as experiments that are being done in small portions to test the validation of the technology in the physical environment. People interact with the Internet of Things on a two-dimensional level and it helps to benefit and run our lives in a more efficient means, but how can the interaction with the computer be beneficial in a three-dimensional digital environment in the realm of the physical environment?