Intelligent Spaces

Intelligent spaces : the application of pervasive ICT (Computer Communications and Networks) Steventon A., Wright S., Springer-Verlag New York, Inc., Secaucus, NJ, 2005. 438 pp. Type: Book Date Reviewed: Mar 16 2006 Information and communication technology (ICT) has been around for several years. It improves the way we compute and communicate, and yet human lives have remained essentially the same. However, this is about to change. As this book explains, every facet of human endeavor will be affected and changed (for the better, we hope) by pervasive ICT, referred to here as intelligent spaces (iSpaces). The book consists of 24 chapters written by different authors. The topics can be roughly divided into five parts. The first part introduces the basics of iSpaces: what they are, their impact, and the science and technology needed behind them. The second part briefly explains several applications of iSpaces, ranging from supply chain, home, and community environment to the monitoring of highway traffic and glaciers. The third part discusses trust, privacy, and security issues in iSpaces. The fourth part is oriented more toward technology, discussing several implementations of iSpaces. The final part examines the digital infrastructure that will need to be there in order for iSpaces to work. In general, this book is well edited and each chapter is concise. However, 24 chapters are a lot to digest and perhaps the fourth part could have been omitted without affecting the value of the book too much. The intended audience for this book is not clear. If meant for the general public, then the authors could perhaps have focused more on the social impact and changes iSpaces will bring. Color images would also help to engage readers. One final question comes to mind: are iSpaces always good for people? Have any disasters occurred in the past due to pervasive (or some may say invasive) ICT? A chapter or two discussing real examples of the downside of iSpaces would help this book to be more complete and insightful.

• Intelligent Spaces — The Vision,the Opportunities, and the Barriers.- The Socio-Economic Impact of Pervasive Computing — Intelligent Spaces and the Organisation of Business.- No Pervasive Computing Without Intelligent Systems.- The Supply Chain.- Care in the Community.- Pervasive Home Environments.- Traffimatics — Intelligent Co-operative Vehicle Highway Systems.- Mixed-Reality Applications in Urban Environments.- A Sensor Network for Glaciers.- Co-operation in the Digital Age — Engendering Trust in Electronic Environments.- Maintaining Privacy in Pervasive Computing — Enabling Acceptance of Sensor-based Services.- RFID Security and Privacy — Issues, Standards, and Solutions.- Ambient Technology — Now You See It, Now You Don’t.- Integrated Sensor Networks for Monitoring the Health and Well-Being of Vulnerable Individuals.- Segmentation and Tracking of Multiple Moving Objects for Intelligent Video Analysis.- An Attention-based Approach to Content-based Image Retrieval.- Eye Tracking asa New Interface for Image Retrieval.- The Implications of Pervasive Computing on Network Design.- Autonomic Computing for Pervasive ICT — A Whole-System Perspective.- Scale-Free Topology for Pervasive Networks.- NEXUS — Resilient Intelligent Middleware.- Intelligent Data Analysis for Detecting Behaviour Patterns in iSpaces.- xAssist — Inferring User Goals from Observed Actions.- Programming iSpaces — A Tale of Two Paradigms.