This semester through lectures, demos, and readings we will become acquainted with a variety of technologies that enable the computer to be aware of the physical environment persistently, without human intervention. And we'll see how people can interact with this technology in intuitive, almost subconcious ways. We'll review many applications of this technology, from assistive devices for the handicapped to surveillance for law enforcement.
A paradigm shift is occuring. Computers, imbued with human-like senses, will begin to acquire human-like qualities of perception and autonomous action. The pervasiveness of computers, networks, and sensors in our society will create an information space around us where our actions will be constantly monitored, and often acted upon. Increasingly this will occur without us being aware of it.
In many aspects of our lives this will bring great benefits. In terms of the economy, new markets, products, and occupations will be created, and productivity gains will be seen. Students will have educational opportunities never before imagined. The blind may "see", and the deaf may "hear". Our dwellings will function more as servants than mere shelters. New forms of entertainment will emerge.
At the same time, challenges for society will emerge in the wake of widespread adoption of this powerful technology. Traditional notions of privacy, community, and identity will change. More and more aspects of our lives will pass from tangible forms to virtual ones.
Your task is to extrapolate the course of these new technologies a decade from now, here at Brooklyn College, and imagine their impact on campus and student life.
Over the course of the semester we will cover a number of application areas:
Education
Entertainment / Art & Music / Performance
Sensory augmentation
Computer Supported Collaborative Work
Commerce
Telepresence
Robotics
Business and Home Automation
Security/Law Enforcement
You may choose to focus on any one or group of these applications to write about in addressing topics raised by the following questions:
Guidelines:
Papers should be approximately 5 pages, including bibliography. Please hand in a hard copy in class on the due date.
The style of the paper is up to you, but it should have a title, your name, and a bibliography where you cite your references (you are expected to develop your own sources apart from the material presented in class). But if you wanted to, for example, write it in a narrative format ("A Day in the Life of a Brooklyn College Student, 2015") that is OK.
A few more ground rules:
This is not a creative writing exercise, and it's not a screenplay for "The Matrix". It's a research paper. Since you need to defend your predictions it would be wise to be somewhat conservative. (Bear in mind 10 years ago many pundits predicted that the advent of the Internet would mean the end of higher education, retail sales, and so on).
Although it is likely that advances in other technologies (like bioengineering) will have a multiplier effect on the technologies we're studying, don't go off on a tangent. In this instance, think about wearable computing as opposed to embedded microchips in our brains.
In some cases illustrations would be appropriate and appreciated. Of course illustrations do not contribute to the page count.
Although this is not an English paper, points will be deducted for misspelling, poor grammar, etc., just as points should be deducted from a project that has an illegible interface.
You are free to discuss your topics with me at any time and I encourage you to do so. I may be able to point you in the direction of helpful resources.