This week has been quite a good one - to start off with I got my essay mark back and it was a lot better than I was expecting. Which is really good news!

I then spent the weekend waiting to finally start the main course, and this week I got to submit some work that will actually count towards my grades. In an unlikely turn of events, I also managed to get coronavirus (thank you Edd!) and have therefore been trapped indoors going crazy thinking about the future of technology (more of this later...).

This first module is called Global Trends in Computer Science and is essentially an overview of the latest technologies that are prevalent at the moment. If you remember Artificial Intelligence from last week, that is one of them.

There are four assessed pieces of work, along with other extension activities, lectures, seminars and coding practice. Two pieces are a discussion question where we will need to discuss a topic within a forum, one is a group project where we will need to create an academic poster and the last piece of work will be an essay. This week we began the first part of one of the discussion questions where we needed to present a local or regional application of one of the "emerging trends".

Emerging Trends

We'll be focusing on three kinds throughout the module, Artificial Intelligence, Pervasive Computing and Blockchain. All three are things you will have come across, even if you don't realise it. For this week I chose to focus on pervasive computing, but I'll give you a brief description of all three:
 

Blockchain

Securely store and track transactions about anything of value in a transparent and decentralized manner. What this means is that there is no third-party monitoring the transactions. Consider that if you make a payment online, your card contacts the bank, the bank approves this transaction, and the money is sent to the place you are purchasing from. Blockchain is a version of this where the bank doesn't need to be contacted. The most well-known application of Blockchain is Bitcoin, a digital cryptocurrency that does just as described. But it is not limited to just money, blockchain can also be used to securely store data in a similar manner.

Pervasive Computing

Pervasive computing applications (also known as ubiquitous computing or the internet of things) are autonomous applications that run without much human supervision. Some examples of pervasive computing are automatic road toll booths, smart traffic signals, electronic personal fitness devices and individual medical monitoring equipment. Perhaps the most widely popular example of pervasive computing is self-driving cars. Some of these "hidden computers" use AI technology in order to complete the task. The key is that they track a change and then action something based on this change. Alexa is another good example, if you say "Alexa, turn on the light" it perceives this change and then actions the light switching on. The future possibilities are endless - imagine perhaps if we could switch on the light simply by thinking about it.

Artificial Intelligence

You should already be quite familiar with this one by now, but in case you're not, the first word, artificial, means 'made by humans' and 'not natural' and 'not real'. The second word is intelligence which can be explained as the ability to interact with and manipulate one’s environment. Artificial intelligence is a broad field of computer science that aims to create machines that have intelligence very much like human intelligence. Examples that use Artificial Intelligence are things such as map technology, facial recognition etc.

All three of these have different legal, ethical and social issues that affect them. We'll be taking a look at pervasive computing and the advantages and disadvantages around it.
 

Pervasive Computing and Social Care

Pervasive computing has some really cool possibilities. Imagine the computer in Star Trek or even coming home and computers seeing you are tired and brewing you a coffee and playing you relaxing music without even needing to speak or do anything. Some of this technology is quite advanced and far into the future but much of it already exists, as mentioned above. We can think about how we can use existing technology to begin to solve these problems in our homes.

I'll note here that pervasive computing is not limited to being just in our homes, but the rest of this blog will focus on home-based technology.

I work for the Adult Social Care team for Southampton City Council, and I used this as inspiration. Let's go over a theoretical example of how we could create a basic system to solve a problem with existing technology.

Save our leftovers!

When I think of pervasive computing, I can’t help but think of ways in which my own life could be improved. I remember when I got an Alexa and a smart bulb and could finally turn the light off when I’m in bed without needing to get up—amazing! I always like to consider small little things to enhance in day-to-day life.

A prominent problem in the UK is food waste. It is estimated that 6.4 million tonnes were thrown away in 2018 that could have been eaten (Dray 2021). The population of the UK in 2018 was 66 million (Coates, 2018), which works out to just under a tonne per person per year. Currently, food waste seems to be reducing (Dray, 2021) but is still a problem that can be continually improved. A common issue in my household is putting leftovers away in the fridge, forgetting about it and leaving the food to rot. I have tried to solve this problem by writing post-it’s on the outside, but I always get lazy or forget and suddenly the bolognese that I swear I made only a few days ago has already been in there for two weeks creating its own ecosystem. What if pervasive computing could solve this problem?

A study conducted in 2012 investigated if barcode scanning, image, voice, and text recognition to identify products and enter their expiration dates into a phone application that provided notifications was seemingly successful (Rouillard 2012). There are also mobile phone applications in existence that help organise your fridge around expiry dates similarly (MalcolmMielle, 2011).

However, I’d like to discuss taking this a step further as neither of these would help with already cooked leftovers. It needs to be something that doesn’t require thought or time entering data into an application. If it’s late, getting food from the kitchen side to somewhere it won’t perish is quite a mission, anyway. The solution is an automatic scanning and tracking system in addition to visual reminders and cues to remind me there is food that needs eating.

I would design the solution in the following way:

• Create containers or an add on for existing contains that can scan. Each will have a unique code attached to it.
• Create an internal scanner in the frame of the fridge door that scans and monitors the time between the container being added or removed.
• Most leftovers need to be eaten within 3-4 days, so there would then be a system across two, four, and five days that send reminders about the food available and eventually when the food is no good anymore.
• Notifications connect to a phone app and/or smart fridge display. The scanner would need to have an internet connection to relay the tracked time.
• If the container has been out of the fridge for more than a customized amount of time for the person (e.g., two hours), it marks the code as eaten and the notifications would cease.
• Other features could include the existing barcode and image recognition technology for items as they are bought. There is also scope for a more sophisticated phone application with features such as identifying exceptions where the container now contains new leftovers and/or allows set up for meal planning or recipes.

The system would work with minimal human interaction and track the rough status of the food within the fridge. This could be taken one step further and have technology that monitors the levels of bacteria within the food also, but possibly this would be too much monetary investment to save some old pasta salad.

It is important to note, technology like this could help others who have genuine memory issues with keeping track or have a sensory impairment that prevents them from identifying rotten food. Often, what is considered as an overkill enhancement, may help others who struggle with things taken for granted. Going back to my original example, having to get up to turn the light off is a luxury, but for someone disabled or in great pain, a smart bulb would make their home far more accessible (Patel, 2017). Because of the benefits of this technology, I find pervasive computing exciting, and I look forward to seeing how it develops. ‌

Smart Homes for Social Care

Now that we have explored a theoretical idea about how we can use technology in our homes, let's look at a real one. I looked at a pilot scheme in Dorset which is set to be rolled out by mid-September for the discussion question this week, below is an extract of what I went over in my post.

For people who already need human support, having supportive technology could have many benefits. By mid-September, Dorset Council will roll out a test scheme where sensors are placed in the homes of social care patients. The sensors will track movement in the home to monitor patient improvements and detect unusual behaviour such as excessive bathroom trips and will reduce the number of support visits. (Baraniuk, 2021).

Care after hospital discharge has a strong emphasis on prioritising reablement. Reablement is an approach to care that promotes encouraging patients to do more things for themselves within their homes. It has many benefits for patient wellbeing and is the responsibility of the patient’s Local Authority according to the Care Act 2014 (SCIE, 2020). Technology such as this gives more hidden support to patients and allows them to better develop their independence.

However, there are concerns this will cause health visits to be replaced which would mean patients experiencing less socialisation and could lead to loneliness (Baraniuk, 2021). Although conducted in a senior care home, a study published by the Journal of Public Health Research (Sya’diyah et al. 2020) found a strong relationship between more caring nurses and reducing the likelihood of loneliness developing, which strengthens these concerns. Thus, finding a balance is crucial to uphold the Care Act 2014 that states “the general duty of a local authority…is to promote that individual’s well-being.” (Legislation.gov.uk, 2014).

There is additionally a potential legal concern if practitioners depend on the tracking, and something goes wrong. For example, bathroom usage might appear normal but does not track the actual success of bowel movement and a patient may have hidden struggles that lead to medical complications. It is unclear where accountability lies, but over-reliance on the technology may lead to consequences that harm the patient.

In conclusion, in-home monitoring could provide for patients a quicker route to independence, but thorough testing is needed to ensure the safety of these vulnerable people. Auditing the data and decisions and using a combination of human and computer tracking will be required to support a patient's welfare and ensure their safety.

To conclude

Pervasive computing is one of the more tangible technologies within our grasp as we can use existing technology to begin to implement it.

Here are some questions to leave you with:

Is pervasive computing worth the effort?

What would be the negative impacts? What would be the positive impacts?

What other ways can we improve our lives?

In what ways could we help those who struggle?

What would be your ideal paradise of having computer/robot helpers in your home?

Do you think total autonomous smart homes could be our future?

This week overall has been really interested and involved researching a lot of different sources in order to support statements. I am more or less recovered from corona now, so I am looking forward to getting back to work with a clearer head. 

I've included a reference list this week, the first is a link to the new articles about the pilot scheme in Dorset, and there are a few other places of interest.

References

Baraniuk, C. (2021). Sensors and AI to monitor Dorset social care patients. Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-58317106 (Accessed: 28 Aug. 2021).

Coates, S. (2018). Overview of the UK population. Available at: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/populationandmigration/populationestimates/articles/overviewoftheukpopulation/november2018 (Accessed: 31 Aug. 2021)

Dray, S. (2021). Food waste in the UK. House of Lords Library. Available at: https://lordslibrary.parliament.uk/food-waste-in-the-uk/ (Accessed: 31 Aug. 2021).

Legislation.gov.uk. (2014). Care Act 2014. Available at: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2014/23/contents/enacted (Accessed 28: Aug. 2021)

MalcolmMielle (2011). Fridgify: Food/Leftovers Tracker, Recipes & More. Available at: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.fridgify.fridgify&hl=en&gl=US (Accessed: 31 Aug. 2021).

Patel, V (2017). 7 Most Useful Smart Home Devices for People With Disabilities. Available at: https://www.rollingwithoutlimits.com/view-post/7-Most-Useful-Smart-Home-Device-for-Individuals-with-Disabilities (Accessed: 31 Aug. 2021).

Rouillard, J. (2012). ‘The Pervasive Fridge: A Smart Computer System Against Uneaten Food Loss’. Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/229071826_The_Pervasive_Fridge_A_Smart_Computer_System_Against_Uneaten_Food_Loss (Accessed: 31 Aug. 2021).

Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE). (2020). Reablement: a guide for carers and family. Available at: https://www.scie.org.uk/reablement/what-is/carers-family (Accessed: 28 Aug. 2021).

Sya’diyah, H., Nursalam, Mahmudah and Wicaksono, W.P. (2020). ‘Relationship between caring nurses and elderly loneliness.’ Journal of Public Health Research, 9(2), pp.152–155.