On Distributed Embedded Systems

Thinking of distributed embedded systems (DES)—let alone the more general area of embedded computing—as a unified topic is difficult. Nevertheless, it is a vastly important topic and potentially represents a revolution in information technology (IT). DES is driven by the increasing capabilities and ever-declining costs of computing and communications devices, resulting in networked systems of embedded computers whose functional components are nearly invisible to end users. Systems have the potential to alter radically the way in which people interact with their environment by linking a range of devices and sensors that will allow information to be collected, shared, and processed in unprecedented ways.