learning from Las Vegas and sensor city; promise or peril
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Deconstruction in the Desert
In 1972 architect Robert Venturi and colleagues published a monograph titled Learning from Las Vegas. This controversial and influential manifesto celebrated the Strip’s garish signs and over – the – top architecture. Want to quantify the temperature, color, weight, pressure, presence or absence of something, if there is electrical current flowing, whether a substance is wet or dry, if it contains a particular chemical, and accomplish this without actual hands on measurement? This is what sensors do, and they’re getting smaller cheaper and more ubiquitous. They can be embedded in everything from cars to bridges, agricultural fields, to household objects. They may also someday be inserted in us and our food. Imagine a whole world of these things communicating remotely from wherever they are and linked in networks. This all sounds pretty geeky but the implications are both exciting, and potentially scary. I’ve already written about the Smart Grid and how in the not too far future a series of devices, from home appliances and equipment at the consumer end, to a combination of conventional and renewable solar and wind energy sources at the production source, will be linked together. The Smart Grid, relying heavily on sensors, will match power supply and demand, potentially saving vast amounts of energy and money. Commercial building automation systems, using a network of sensors throughout a structure, monitor not only temperature and humidity but also lighting levels, carbon dioxide and other substances, to maintain healthy air quality levels and a comfortable, productive environment. Public spaces can also be protected from chemical and explosive threats with the introduction of sensors. Soon some supermarkets will employ shelving and freezer compartment systems equipped with sensors to alert managers and distributors when a particular stock item is low so that it can be automatically reordered and delivered. Light sensing eyeglasses have been around for years but advanced versions of this technology can be applied to windows and building cladding materials so that transparency can be modified to respond to changing weather and or privacy needs. Roadways can sense traffic flows and adjust lane usage accordingly. Bridges can report on wear and alert engineers for maintenance, avoiding dangerous failures. Farmers will use inexpensive sensors in fields to assess water and fertilizer needs for precision farming, not wasting precious resources and the energy needed to deliver it. Researchers are working on tiny sensors embedded in our bodies that report on the status of various systems and organs, providing early warning of problems and hopefully facilitating repairs. Some people already have tiny chips implanted in their pets to identify them in the event of loss or theft. These aren’t sensors but they suggest a pathway for the future, as nanotechnology delivers more easily implantable devices. The rosy scenario for sensors sketches a world of intelligent objects communicating to optimize energy use, maintain vital infrastructure and monitor the health and welfare of humans, organisms and the communities in which we live. Sensors will be one of the building blocks of the Green Economy. A darker picture is one of intrusive devices observing and reporting on our every activity with a concomitant loss of privacy and freedom. When and if we cross the threshold by allowing sensors within our bodies the mind begins to boggle at the consequences. However, most of us already carry around a piece of gateway personal sensing technology. Depending on the model, and the permission we assign to them, our cell phones can identify our whereabouts with considerable accuracy. Not surprisingly, the ACLU is concerned about the looming privacy and liberty issues surrounding these expanding sensor and communication technologies. Who knows where this issue leads?
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