MIT’s long-range ubiquitous-computing project, Project Oxygen, is beginning to produce results, including a new microprocessor architecture for handheld computers, an indoor location system, and an intelligent meeting room.Developments include:
Raw Architecture Workstation (Raw), a more flexible, less power-intensive programmable microprocessor designed to power handheld devices, including Oxygen’s Handy 21, which will integrate voice recognition, wireless communications and video.
Cricket Indoor Location System, a network of wireless transmitters that provides mobile devices with information about their physical location, which they can use to find devices such as printers or exits as well as other people or parts through a warehouse.
The Intelligent Room, allowing meeting participants to interact with projected computer displays via voice, light pen, gesture, or touch panel. The ceiling has an array of 32 microphones, two video cameras and two stereoscopic video cameras. The system allows a computer to determine who to pay attention to and which displays to use for optimal viewing by tracking where the user is looking.