High-performance computers will be placed in ever device, appliance, and piece of equipment leading to an era of Pervasive Computing and smart spaces. - Martin Herman

The original vision of Pervasive Computing being a world where computers are everywhere and being used in a passive way is something that is becoming a reality. Small computer chips called RFID (radio-frequency identification tags) are already being used in retail stores across the country. These tags have the ability to let vendors know a plentitude of information about a product. They are there for the purposes of tracking an item, letting a manager know when a product is out of date, what other products that product has come in contact with and so on.

RFID tags are only the beginning of what pervasive computing is capable of and clothing is only the start of where computers will be found.

The above preview for the film Minority Report gives a quick example of where Pervasive Computing might be heading for in the future. In Steven Spielberg's version, the advertisements on the walls can coform to the individual walking past it at a specific moment. When Tom Cruise's character walks past one ad, it changes to an advertisement for Guiness beer and actually says "It look like you could use a Guiness." So, in this version of Pervasive Computing computers are even embedded into the walls and can gauge a person's emotions and beer preference as soon as that person walks past a hidden sensor.

It's this vision for the future that is driving the push to further improve new technologies. In this film, there's a generally negative opinion of what these technological advancements will bring, however, the opportunity for the positive is enormous.

Computers will eventually be found inside of human bodies as a way to guaruntee better care and a better way to monitor health. Instead of a nurse needing to come by every hour to take a patient's temperature or a diabetic needing to prick a finger to check glucose levels, a quick scan of a forearm will transmit all of this data directly to a computer for analysis and that computer will immediately be able to send that information into a person's medical history folder at the doctor's office.

Pervasive computing is already found inside of some clothing items. These clothing items have the ability to communicate only with a select few number of computers or people. Once advancements are made, everyone will have the ability to walk into a store, scan an item and read about all of the information associated with it. If someone sees someone wearing a shirt that he likes, he can easily quickly scan the item with a PDA and receive all relevant information like where the shirt is from and how much it costs. He'll even be able to purchase the item on the spot and have it delievered to his home.

Once he gets the item at home and decides he wants to wash it, he won't even have to look at care instructions because his washer/dryer will also be able to read the chip embedded in the shirt and figure out exactly on which cycle it needs to be set to in order to keep the shirt intact. (Bohn et. al., 763-766)

Instead of being deaf, dumb, and blind sitting on our desks or in our pockets, our computers might be able to observe what we do all day, understand what is important to us, and act as a virtual assistant who helps us on a second-by-second basis. -Thad Starner

Sensors and microchips will also be applied to bags or jacket pockets. This sensors will be able to interact with the internet to look up a weather report. If the weather calls for rain, and you're walking out the door without an umbrella, the coat you're carrying will have the ability to remind you to take your umbrella. (Irvine)

What these developments ultimately lead to is "smart" technology or technology that can interact with human beings in a way that makes them seem human. "Smart" objects will be able to communicate with people and with other "smart" objects. This ability for your clothes or body to be able to communicate directly with the rest of your home or with the building you just walked into will allow for a heightened amount of personalization when it comes to your surroundings. (Bohn et. al., 766)