Introduction - Ubiquitous Positioning - page 3

detected and perhaps coaching offered to encourage people to walk and climb
stairs rather than to use mechanical travel.
Rapidly aging population demographics are predicted in some regions, so the
cost of care will soar. Whereness can help by monitoring the movements of
elderly, young, and any other vulnerable people, to give them more personal
freedom while offering a high level of care. Automatic tracking will alert care-
givers if anyone is in an unexpected, undesirable position or location. These
people-tracking services extend to animals and other segments of society such as
offenders, who already benefit from more freedom, while authorities ensure
security is tight but with a reduced workforce.
As climate changes and unpredictable weather becomes more common, there
will be an increased need to sense and monitor the environment and to help
emergency services. Very high-quality maps and logistics will be essential and
automatic messages will need to be sent to those in danger. Whereness also has an
important role in managing scarce resources. Transport can become more
intelligent with better quality information, guidance, and automatic payment
systems.
Although the issue of “Big Brother” is generally thought of as an undesirable
aspect of the future, if the threat from terrorism grows we may have to learn to
live with it. Tagging and tracking the innocent (rather than the guilty) could help
greatly in the identification of suspects and the monitoring of unusual physical
movements, particularly in crowded areas.
The negative aspects of Big Brother could be offset, at least to an extent, by
more positive aspects of Whereness used to help deliver fun, games, social
experiences, and culture. Whole new generations of new sports and games are
becoming possible. As new computing diversifies, it is liberating the computer
environment away from the traditional desktop into other environments. Computer
games can, for example, be played on sports grounds and the recent social
networking phenomenon will enter the real world of clubs, pubs, and the great
outdoors generally. New forms of locative 1 media will provide new tools for
conceptual artists to enrich culture and will give new media and performance new
qualities.
To sum up, many important areas of life will be affected by Whereness in the
future. Just as the Internet and mobile phone were disruptive technologies in the
past, and the interactive Web, known as Web 2.0, is disruptive today, so
ubiquitous positioning may be a significant disrupter of the future. Indeed, some
would say it already is!
1 Locative media concerns the delivery of computer multimedia, such as graphics, video, and sound, in
a specific location.