Ensemble Computing

There is a nexus of technologies that is currently the subject of intense interest in the research community. The explosion of Internet and wireless connectivity, the miniaturization of components, and the diversification of computer-based devices is fueling research in areas such as ubiquitous computing (Gellersen, 1999; Thomas & Gellersen, 2000; Weiser, 1991), pervasive computing (Husemann, 2000), situated computing (Gershman, 1999), and personal technologies (Frohlich, Thomas, Hawley, & Hirade, 1997). The common theme in these research directions is a shift from personal computing to a model of computer and information use that is further embedded—both physically and in metaphor—in people’s everyday experience. Around this theme a growing technology space is being explored in search of useful paradigms, including tangible user interfaces (Ishii & Ullmer, 1997), ambient media (Wisneski et al., 1998), information appliances (Norman, 1998), context awareness (Schmidt, 2000), invisible computing (Weiser & Brown, 1996), and the disappearing computer (European Commission, 2000). In this article we introduce the term ensemble computing to describe technologies that extend this space. Ensemble computing technologies are those that can be brought together in ad hoc but coherent ways to allow functionality to emerge,