Cloudlet Computing, Communication, and Control, C4

Cloudlet Computing, Communication, and Control or C⁴ (pronounced “See-Forth” J) is my proposed mechanism for Autonomous Vehicles and other Autonomous Objects to share information, create and manage 4-Dimension Global Maps, navigate, etc.

So far I’ve talked mainly about Autonomous Vehicles as participants in C⁴, also allowing for A-Ways, and Traffic Management devices, e.g., smart-signs. However, we need other devices, especially outside A-Ways, both for Autonomous Vehicles and for people navigating.

We need more Points-of-View to get complete and accurate information, and we need devices to retain local 4-Dimension Global Map information even when no Autonomous Vehicles are present (although we allow for that situation by having the last Autonomous Vehicles to leave the local area maintain the 4-Dimension Global Map until “relieved”).

Fortunately there any other types of devices that can serve as Autonomous Objects participating in a Cloudlet, with varying useful characteristics:

• Smartphones travel with you, but they spend a lot time your pocket, so they aren’t always able to have a useful Point-of-View, but they do have location and other functions, and can alert you when there is a message (such as you are about to collide with Gwen and Goldie)
• Computers have lots of processing capacity, storage capacity, communications and they have cameras, but they are usually stationary and may be asleep or turned off
• “Time Machines” are a perfect place to store local 4-Dimension Global Map information, but are often hidden so they don’t help much with other functions
• Tablets are often closed
• Google Glasses are perfect for this: they get a good Point-of-View, have vision sensors, location, communications, processing, and a visual interface to you, in particular they can overlay information from the 4-Dimension Global Map on your view of the environment.

C⁴ may also provide a good model to connect other electronic devices and unify electronic devices – a long-held dream which hasn’t progressed very far. For example, C⁴ can control lights depending on where you are and what you are doing – fits nicely with AutonomousFree-Light, and lights in the ceiling have an excellent view of the floor plan. C⁴ could mute or pause the video / audio / TV / dishwasher when you are out of the room or on the phone. A C⁴ on the collar could track pets, provide an electronic fence, and even call them with your voice – might work with kids too J. C⁴ could help blind people navigate and lots of other functions.

Let’s see how that would look in our sample office.

As you are coming down the hall, in blue, you have a very limited Point-of-View and can’t see Gwen or Goldie who may collide with you if you continue on your course. Gwen and Goldie have good Points-of-View for most of the room, but they can’t see you either. The two computers between them can see the whole room, and may even be able to see you. The ceiling light can see everything. Your smartphone is in your pocket, and your tablet is in your briefcase so they have zero Points-of-View, but they can be participating in the local Cloudlet and give your location electronically, so the local 4-Dimension Global Map could warn you of the impending collision. If there is a C⁴ Ceiling light in the hall you may be covered even without your own electronic devices, although it isn’t clear how they will warn you, unless you are riding an Autonomous Vehicle, or if you are wearing Google Glasses, in which case you would already know about Gwen and Goldie J.

So even when there are no Autonomous Vehicles, and even no people or pets, we have good visual coverage, with communications and storage, and the Ceiling light is probably even looking for motion, so our local Cloudlet is alive and well, ready to provide services when you or someone needs information. 

Note that when there is no motion: Goldie is asleep, Autonomous Vehicles are stopped, computers are asleep, the cloudlet may be quiescent, but it is ready to respond quickly to any request or motion.