Science Fiction
Dictionary
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
 |
Sentilla Smart Drink Coasters Pervasive Pub Computing
Smart drink coasters are a pervasive computing project form Sentilla. These coasters know when a drink has been placed on top of them, and whether or not that drink is empty. They can even notify the barkeep if you've run out.
(Sentilla smart drink coasters)
In the following Sentilla smart drink coaster video, look for the following behaviors:
- The coasters know when a drink is placed on top of them and when it is removed.
- The coasters notify each other when new things occur (a drink is placed on them, removed, etc)
- The coasters provide "visual feedback" using lights embedded within them.
- The coasters are wirelessly interconnected.
(Sentilla smart drink coasters)
Obviously, you wouldn't create smart drink coasters without first creating a coaster software development platform for building coaster applications.
We fired up our Java development environment and started writing a bunch of coaster libraries (ah, we now have a com.sentilla.coaster.* package to import). All in all, our libraries took a few minutes to write and quickly other Java developers in house were modifying, adding, and refining the libraries. One library, our favorite right now, is called CircleCoaster. Very simply, it sets which lights are on, which ones are off, and then the coaster goes to sleep until the next segment of the circle needs to be lit up, thereby making the LEDs light up in a continually moving circle pattern. We didn't stop with CircleCoaster; we wrote libraries to collaborate (in one case, the coasters all display a single pattern on the LEDs when the majority of coasters have drinks placed on them and a different pattern when they don't) and play games.
Although I can't name any smart drink coasters in science fiction (can you?), this application does make me think of the monoblock dating system, which is another network application running in pubs, from Larry Niven's The Best of All Possible Wars story collection.
Nobody hurries in the Monobloc. If you see someone you like -" My fingers danced over the lighted symbols on the edge of the table. "This gets you a map. Locate where she's sitting, put the cursor on it. That gets you a display...hmm."
(Read more about Niven's monoblock dating system)
If you're not dizzy from watching coaster lights (they are festive, too, this time of year), take a look at how T-Rot Thinking Robot Tends Bar, Chats and Koolio - the Autonomous Refrigerator Robot.
Read more about it at Build your own smart drink coasters at Sentilla blog.
Scroll down for more stories in the same category. (Story submitted 12/8/2007)
Follow this kind of news @Technovelgy.| Email | RSS | Blog It | Stumble | del.icio.us | Digg | Reddit |
Would
you like to contribute a story tip?
It's easy:
Get the URL of the story, and the related sf author, and add
it here.
Comment/Join discussion ( 2 )
Related News Stories - (" Computer ")
Automatic Bot Traffic Is 38 Percent Of HTTP Requests
'there were so many worms and counterworms loose in the data-net...' - John Brunner, 1975
Neuroplatform Human Brain Organoid Bioprocessor Uses Less Electricity
'Cultured brains on a slab.'- Peter Watts, 1999
AI Worms That Spread
'...there were so many worms and counterworms loose in the data-net now' - John Brunner, 1975.
Great. Now AIs Have Access To Hacking Tools
'... when you and the Flatline punch through that ice and scramble the cores.' - William Gibson, 1984.
Technovelgy (that's tech-novel-gee!) is devoted to the creative science inventions and ideas of sf authors. Look for the Invention Category that interests you, the Glossary, the Invention Timeline, or see what's New.
Science Fiction
Timeline
1600-1899
1900-1939
1940's 1950's
1960's 1970's
1980's 1990's
2000's 2010's
Current News
Mechazilla Arms Catch A Falling Starship, But Check Out SF Landing-ARMS
'...the rocket’s landing-arms automatically unfolded.'
A System To Defeat AI Face Recognition
'...points and patches of light... sliding all over their faces in a programmed manner that had been designed to foil facial recognition systems.'
Robot Hand Separate From Robot
'The crawling, exploring object was V-Stephen's surgeon-hand...'
Hybrid Wind Solar Devices
'...the combined Wind-Suncatcher, like a spray of tulips mounted fanwise.'
Is Optimus Autonomous Or Teleoperated?
'I went to the control room where the three other men were manipulating their mechanical men.'
Robot Masseuse Rubs People The Right Way
'The automatic massager began to fumble gently...'
Solar-Powered Space Trains On The Moon
'The low-slung monorail car, straddling its single track, bored through the shadows on a slowly rising course.'
Drone Deliveries Instead Of Waiters In Restaurants?
'It was a smooth ovoid floating a few inches from the floor...'
Optimus Robot Can Charge Itself
'... he thrust in his charging arm to replenish his store of energy.'
Skip Movewear Arc'teryx AI Pants
'...the terrible Jovian gravity that made each movement an effort.'
'Robovan' Name Already Taken - Elon, Try These
There are alternative names that are probably in the public domain by now.
How Old Are Tesla Designs?
You be the judge.
Is Your Autonomous Tractor Safe?
'The field-minder finished turning the top-soil of a two-thousand-acre field.'
Smart TVs Are Listening!
'You had to live -- did live, from habit that became instinct -- in the assumption that every sound you made was overheard...'
Police Drones In China Would Like To Have A Word With You
''OVERRIDE,' the City Fathers said suddenly, without being asked anything at all.'
Oh Great (Part 2), Fence-Climbing Robots
Please, no stingers.
