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The Emerging Domain of Cooperating Objects (CONET Roadmap 2011)
Ref: CISTER-TR-131108       Publication Date: 2011

Abstract:
A number of different system concepts have become apparent in the broader context of embedded systems over the past couple of years. First, there is the classic concept of embedded systems as mainly a control system for some physical process (machinery, automobiles, etc.). More recently, the notion of pervasive and ubiquitous computing started to evolve, where objects of everyday use can be endowed with some form of com- putational capacity, and perhaps with some simple sensing and communication facilities. However, most recently, the idea of Wireless Sensor Networks has appeared, where en- tities that sense their environment not only operate individually, but collaborate together using ad hoc network technologies to achieve a well-defined purpose of supervision of some area, some particular process, etc.
We claim that these three types of systems (i.e. embedded systems, pervasive and ubiquitous computing and wireless sensor networks) that act and react on their environment are actually quite diverse, novel systems that, on the one hand, share some principal commonalities and, on the other hand, have some different aspects that complement each other to form a coherent group of objects that cooperate with each other to interact with their environment. In particular, important notions such as control, heterogeneity, wireless communication, dynamics/ad-hoc nature, and cost are present to various degrees in each of these types of systems.

Mário Alves

,

Björn Andersson

,

Anis Koubâa

,

Nuno Pereira

,

Paulo Gandra de Sousa

,

Eduardo Tovar