Physical Computing
Physical computing is essential to the everyday interactions with computers and wearable technology, as well as to environments like art museums that combine augmented reality and digital art. It changes the way of interact with and experience technology. It allows engineers to combine hardware and software to interact with the real environment and is a rapidly expanding field in computer science.
Through the perspective of one of the experts, Luis Ángel Arízaga Díaz, this article examines what physical computing means, how it affects the digital world, and how it differs from other computer science terms.
What is Physical Computing?
The field of physical computing creates interactive systems by fusing software and hardware. The software and the real environment communicate with each other in this interactive system. It is the capacity to use hardware and software to create a tangible interactive system.
Microcontrollers, actuators, sensors, and embedded systems engineering are used in physical computing to create interactive devices that facilitate human involvement. It employs a method that enables communication between computers and people. Take an arcade dancing game, for instance, where players can mimic the actions they observe on a computer screen.
To put it simply, it is the process of integrating input and output systems so that they can cooperate in response to communication and interaction between people. Engineers utilise microcontrollers or processing units such as Raspberry Pi and Arduino while constructing a physical computing system.
An Arduino is an open-source platform made up of a physical circuit board (also known as a microcontroller) and software, whereas a Raspberry Pi is a single-board computer. A sensor that measures natural phenomena like temperature, acceleration, pressure, etc., and a microcontroller or processing unit that has been configured to use the sensor’s data to carry out a specific action via an actuator make up the general structure of a fully functional system.
How it Works?
It involves constructing interactive systems that employ hardware and software to perceive and react to the real world. It uses sensors, microcontrollers, actuators, and AI-powered computation for real-world interactions.
- Perceiving the surroundings
Devices use sensors such as these to gather data from the real world:
- Motion sensors (movement detection)
- Sensors for temperature and humidity
- Cameras and microphones (processing audio and images)
- Touch and pressure sensors
- Thinking and Making Decisions
- The sensor data is processed by an embedded artificial intelligence model or microcontroller (such as an Arduino, Raspberry Pi, or ESP32).
- Algorithms and AI evaluate the input before choosing a course of action.
- Some systems handle data locally without using the cloud by utilising edge AI.
- Using the Information
Actuators do the following actions based on the information they have processed:
- Robotic arms propelled by motors
- LEDs that illuminate in reaction to input
- Alerts produced by speakers
- Smart home gadgets with automated adjustments
- Communication & Connectivity
- Many systems transmit data to cloud servers, mobile apps, or other devices via Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or IoT protocols.
- Real-time replies are made possible by AI models operating on edge devices, which eliminate the requirement for continuous internet access.
Why it is important?
Consider how you engage with your smartwatch while working out or at the gym. One aspect of physical computing is the interaction between the user and the smart gadget. Physical computing permeates many facets of the life, and for the following reasons, it is deemed significant:
Improves Innovation
It is a branch of computer science, fosters creativity. This is due to the fact that it incorporates both hardware and software. It actually improves goods and services in a variety of sectors. For example, physical computing has greatly aided in the creation of immersive experiences in the entertainment sector.
Parks and game centres can now design various attractions that let guests respond in real time to technological outputs. Take the incorporation of virtual reality equipment into the gaming sector, for instance. The gaming business has undergone a transformation because to the adoption of VR eyewear and joysticks with sensors and actuators. Real-time interpretation and processing are applied to each gesture the player makes. Both hardware and software engineers now have the basis to create more individualised and captivating user experiences to this technology.
Initiates Computational Solutions
Physical computing is essential for problem-solving and creating solutions through computational thinking in today’s technologically advanced environment. Data structures and algorithms can be used to deconstruct problems into their component parts. Smart home thermostats with sensors or circuits may detect house temperature. The thermostat can be adjusted or programmed to regulate itself at night or when no one is home to save energy and be more efficient.
Enhancing Functionality and Technology
Physical computing may advance technology in many ways. Physical computing boosts productivity in automation, robotics, wearable tech, and the IoT. Physical computing allows robotics devices to communicate and perform tasks.
Physical computing can also enhance the capabilities of technological gadgets. These days, smartwatches may react to human activities and demands. By tracking their health, their integrated sensors help people maintain a healthy lifestyle.
The Effects of Physical Computing on the Digital World
Healthcare, retail, hospitality, entertainment, and many more industries are all impacted by physical computing. By detecting commonly purchased items and effectively managing inventory stock, it improves the retail consumer experience. The purchasing experience can be greatly enhanced by taking these things into account. In the gaming industry, physical computing enables players to employ motion sensors and virtual reality technology to immerse themselves in a more realistic and captivating gaming environment, while in the hospitality sector, it enhances the user experience through interactive customer service solutions.
Embedded systems are a key part of physical computing. A tiny computer that is a component of a programming system is called an embedded system. It combines computer hardware and software to carry out particular functions. It makes it possible for physical computing to exist in many locations. Physical computing is helping to accelerate the development of technology in several economic sectors by increasing the capabilities of technological gadgets.
What distinguishes robotics from physical computing?
Robotics is not the same as physical computing. Physical computing is not robotics, even though it incorporates human contact or response to inputs. Building machines that can carry out tasks on their own is known as robotics.
Human interaction is not necessary in robotics. Robots are designed to function independently without assistance from humans.
Physical computing needs human contact to work well, whereas robots are designed to complete tasks on their own.
What distinguishes computational physics from physical computing?
Computational physics and physical computing are sometimes used interchangeably, but they have different meanings. Physical computing is the study of how people utilise words, symbols, gestures, and actions to communicate with technology. Computational physics is the application of technology and computer science to the resolution of challenging physics issues. It involves utilising a computer to carry out physics computations.
Languages Used for Programming in Physical Computing
In the construction of physical computing systems, microcontrollers are essential components. They serve as these systems’ brains. Small computers having circuits that regulate physical inputs and outputs are called microcontrollers. These microcontrollers are programmed by engineers to communicate with sensors.
The qualified tech specialists required to perform these functions must be taken into account while constructing a physical computer system. The qualified tech specialists required to perform these functions must be taken into account while constructing a physical computer system. Although hardware and software are both components of physical computing, software engineers should be familiar with the programming languages used by the devices they plan to use. C, C++, Python, Java, and other programming languages are utilised in these fields.
To sum up, physical computing is a contemporary branch of computer science that is steadily influencing business and enhancing the functionality of electronic equipment. It bridges the gap between the real world and digital computation by using a hands-on approach to designing solutions for complicated issues.
