Technology’s magic elf

Embedded technology is the brain inside many of the smart devices that drive our automated existence. Ajay Chamania explains the capabilities, the market potential and the future of embedded technology-powered devices

Who controls the temperature of your refrigerator? Who pours just the right amount of coffee into your cup from the coffee vending machine? What makes your remote control switch a channel with the simple push of a button? Who makes the microwave heat your food to just the right temperature?

It’s a little known and not too talked about techy genie that goes by the name of embedded technology. Just as an actor steals the show in a film where the director/editor and other technicians deserve the maximum credit, similarly the device takes the limelight and the role of the embedded technology is always underplayed.

As a definition, embedded technology is software and hardware that is embedded in a large device or system. It typically refers to a device, which runs general-purpose applications. It performs a specific repetitive task and is typically, instructions on a microchip. Embedded technology is not the new kid on the block. It’s been around ever since the term technology was coined. We are surrounded by it and have been for decades now. The thousands of devices that form the fabric of everyday life, as we know it, use embedded technology.

Historically, embedded technology existed in independent devices like refrigerators and coffee machines that performed specific tasks. With the advent of the Internet era and the creation of the global village, the potential of embedded technology has grown to mammoth proportions. Today, it’s not so much about what devices do on their own, but about what functionalities they offer when they’re connected to each other. Technology now enables you to connect devices that can talk to each other. For instance, the PDA is quite redundant unless it offers interoperability between your computer, mobile phone and other devices.

The highest utility sectors for embedded technology are the telecom, consumer electronics, industrial automation and the automobile industry. The embedded technology industry thrives on creating cutting-edge technology, which gives companies an advantage over competitors. We have reached the peak of device innovation; embedded technology will now be accountable for new technology. The average cost of designing and developing a simple embedded system can be about $100,000 but the market potential is enormous. In India, leading industry players like TCS, Wipro, HCL and Patni have calculated the potential and are taking initiatives focused in this direction.

For example, one firm has developed handheld devices to provide a traceability solution for the animal farming industry. Using these devices, farmers can collect all data related to various animal events, such as their birth details, vaccination, weight, body temperature, etc., from a RF ID tag with a unique identification number embedded in each animal’s ear. All this information is later published on the Internet for easy retrieval.

When the animal is sent to the abattoir, the RFID tag gets converted into a bar code. This bar code ID is then transferred on meat packages.

After the consumer buys the meat package from the market, the bar code allows the consumer to obtain the complete animal history based on the information available on the Internet and take a cooking decision. This solution is being used extensively for controlling Foot-And-Mouth Disease (FMD) and the Mad Cow Disease.

According to Nasscom, the worldwide market for embedded software was worth $21 billion in 2001. With software becoming an important source of functionality enhancement and differentiation in many traditionally non-computing devices such as PDAs, mobile phones and consumer electronics, the embedded software and system market offers a huge opportunity for Indian companies.

From a consumer’s viewpoint, the day is not too far off when your refrigerator will take stock of your groceries and order supplies for you directly or you can dial home from the airport and automatically set your room temperature, heat your food, turn on the TV to your favourite channel and open the door for you after a long holiday; all using the power of good old embedded technology. Going forth, imagination will be one of the key drivers of embedded technology. The possibilities are innumerable and we might soon live a life straight out of a Steven Spielberg flick.

The author is manager,-Embedded Technology Solutions (ETS), Patni. He can be contacted at ajay.chamania@patni.com