Editing Sentient computing (section)

{{short description|Form of ubiquitous computing which uses sensors to perceive its environment and react accordingly}}
'''Sentient computing''' is a form of [[ubiquitous computing]] which uses [[sensor]]s to perceive its environment and react accordingly. A common use of the sensors is to construct a [[world model]] which allows [[location awareness|location-aware]] or context-aware applications to be constructed.

One famous [[research]] prototype of a sentient computing system was the work at [[Olivetti Research Laboratory|AT&T Laboratories]], [[Cambridge]] (now defunct). It consisted of an [[Ultrasonic sensor|ultrasonic]] indoor location system called the "[[Active Bat]]s" which provided a location accuracy of about 3&nbsp;cm. The world model was managed via the  SPIRIT database,<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20040607034055/http://www.uk.research.att.com/spirit/M</ref> using [[CORBA]] to access information and [[Spatial index|spatial indexing]] to deliver high-level events such as "Alice has entered the kitchen" to listening [[context awareness|context-aware]] applications. The research continues at the [http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/Research/DTG/ Digital Technology Group] at the [[University of Cambridge]].

Some example applications of the system include:
* A "follow-me phone" which would cause the [[telephone]] nearest the recipient to ring.
* Teleporting desktops via [[Virtual Network Computing|VNC]] just by clicking their Active Bat near the computer.
* Spatial buttons which were activated by clicking the Active Bat at a particular spot (such as a poster).
* Measuring and surveying buildings.
* [[Location-based game]]s