The Background - Artificial Human Sensors: Science and Applications - page 24

both cases is to present complementary information to the individual before any
possible contamination got in contact with the body and may result in collateral
damage. The distance examination of the most important food on earth should be
in consideration to the diversity of the population. The variety of power of resis-
tance does exhibit different levels of thresholds of contamination in the drinking
water in a population, e.g., infants, patients and aged people.
The shown example illustrates a simple aspect, but however focuses on an
emerging solution regarding an artificial sensor system for human assessment. The
illustration is able to provide a safety concept in relation to an individual and is
designed to operate in both proximity and remote levels. Indeed, this example
would if applicable in almost every home, provide a safety concept for the whole
family, by probable reduction of a major health problem or illness arising from
contaminated drinking water.
As water is essential to life and health, it is therefore improbable that it is esti-
mated that water affects one third of the world's population, by causing approxi-
mately two billion infections a year. According to (www.water.org), estimates that
320 million productive days in ages between 15-59 years, 272 million school at-
tendance days, in addition to 1.5 billion healthy days for children under five years
old illustrates only the seriousness to be taken, caused by contaminated drinking
water (World Health Organization, WHO).
The use of artificial sensor system to prevent people from suffering from the
most important, essential and basic food on earth — drinking water — seems
therefore necessary. The effort to implement additional sensors that complement
the human ability to survive and improve living conditions make for sure an aug-
mented quality in life. This illustration is an excellent example of how artificial
human sensors in the future may complement the individual's perception and
hopefully be able to reduce these enormous numbers of illness that is caused by
drinking water.
A question that arises concerns whether ancient man would have recognised
chemical or biological contamination in greater extent than the man of today?
Have the probable reduction of perceptual performance made us more vulnera-
ble today than a couple of thousands (or even hundreds) of years ago? Are the
obvious and present perceptual degradation problems of the population indirectly
becoming a serious health problem?
The above questions, as illustrated in the example, indicate the quality of
drinking water, certainly call for attention to the primary issue if there is a need
for technical support systems. A complementary system that is in coherence with
humans and interacts with the needs and expectations of a specific individual
seems without doubts, an obvious and indeed an attractive solution. There are
indications, however, that the emerging trends of future social behaviours will
have the need for further extending the human capabilities. One of the major
technical developments in the coming decades is foreseen to have a great demand
for the direction toward artificial human supportive systems. These highly tech-
nical systems will effectively complement the individual based perceptual sensing