Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
16
Ubiquitous Computing,
Spatial Big Data and Open
GeoComputation
Daniel Sui
CONTENTS
Abstract .......................................................................................................................................... 377
16.1 Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 378
16.2 Ubicomp and the Emergence of Ambient Intelligence: From Cardiac
Pacemakers to a Smart Planet .............................................................................................. 378
16.3 Ubicomp and GeoComputation: From the Mirror Worlds to Everyware in the
Metaverse .......................................................................................................................... 382
16.3.1 Location/Position Sensing Technologies in Ubicomp .............................................. 383
16.3.2 Coupling Ubicomp with GC: Ambient Spatial Intelligence and
Decentralised Spatial Computing ............................................................................. 384
16.4 Problems and Prospects: Towards Open GeoComputation .................................................. 387
16.4.1 Ubicomp and Spatial Big Data ................................................................................. 387
16.4.2 Problems and Challenges of Ubicomp and Spatial Big Data ................................... 388
16.4.3 Prospects: Towards Open GeoComputation ............................................................. 390
16.5 Summary and Conclusions ................................................................................................... 391
Acknowledgements ........................................................................................................................ 392
References ...................................................................................................................................... 392
ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the implications of ubiquitous computing (ubicomp) for GeoComputation
(GC). As computing power has gradually embedded itself into the environment of our daily lives,
we have witnessed the emergence of ubicomp and the concomitant growth of ambient intelligence
during the past two decades. Ubicomp has contributed a new sentient environment in which the
virtual and physical world, digital bits and atoms, people and objects can be linked and tracked.
Ubicomp has also led to the spatial big data deluge, characterised by three Vs - volume, variety
and velocity. The next phase of GC development should be conducted in the context of ubicomp
and spatial big data. There are multiple challenges along computational, theoretical, social, politi-
cal, legal and environmental fronts. To better address these challenges, an open GC paradigm is
proposed in this chapter. Open GC calls for open data, open-source software, open standards and
open collaboration.
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