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home / programmes / research associates / 2002 / living city / m2m
Richard Hartshorn & Edward Goodwin / Industrial Design Engineering
perception, presence, prediction: intelligent vehicle services that address user needs
Research and development of applications for a new sensor-based technology, resulting in scenarios to make living and travelling in the city safer and less stressful.
M2M (Machine to Machine) is a new sensing technology that enables machines to communicate with one another and with people via digital networks. Japanese company Omron is a leader in this field. Until now most M2M applications have been technology-driven rather than user-centred. This project, based on research in London and Tokyo, set out to investigate opportunities and solutions that could benefit people right across the spectrum of age and ability, resulting in the design of business models for a trio of vehicle-based services.
A key aspect of the study was to find a new way to explain and explore the potential of M2M. This was described using 'the three RPs': Remote Perception, the ability to perceive things without being present; Remote Presence, the ability to affect things physically without being present; and Remote Prediction, the ability to spot patterns in dispersed data and thus make predictions on the future. This framework was used to generate 32 design concepts in the context of the human experiences of fear, memory loss and stress. The final phase of the project looked in more detail at three vehicle-based service applications for M2M that: locate useful facilities tailored to the individual in tandem with a satellite navigation system; alert the emergency services and other cars to accidents; and monitor conditions inside and outside the car.
Research partner: OMRON