Ambient contextuality: Transforming our interaction with technology through IoT

by Karl P. Mobile App Developer

Sophisticated technologies like virtual assistants or smart speakers have already made an appearance in the regular discourse of the average middle to higher class families. These devices have transformed the way that we communicate with technology. An act that would earlier require specialized expertise in a complex computer language and the rendering of numerous long-winding set of instructions can now be carried out by simple voice commands. The face of technology is no longer a blank screen with a blinking cursor, waiting for instructions to be keyed in. The receivers in the new era are screen-less sensors that are capturing all of our direct as well as indirect instructions. As technology is advancing, so are our habits & preferences as well as our needs & requirements. Aloha Technology, with their unique digital services, help develop such advanced technology with efficient performance and dependable service experience.

Putting ‘Ambient Contextuality’ in context

Ambient Intelligence refers to the ability of certain devices or systems to be aware of their electronic environments. These devices may also be aware of the human element in these environments. With the development of voice-sensors, communicating with these virtual entities has become extremely simple and straightforward. It has introduced a layer of human-quality within the virtual sphere. People are able to have long conversations with Siri or Cortana effectively. There are however certain limitations to the scope of the virtual assistants that we are able to interact with. There is also a different kind of limitation when we attempt to replace certain human functions with the functions of virtual assistants. That is when ambient contextuality comes into the picture.

Understanding certain connotations, complicated & often grammatically incorrect statements or a few very human tendencies like sarcasm are a tad beyond the scope of our digital assistants. These things can be received and understood effectively only among humans. Ambient contextuality taps into this ‘unsaid’, ‘invisible’ information in the midst of an interaction that has to be picked up for a message to go across. The current inability of virtual assistants or sensor-enabled devices to recognize, grasp and deal with this ‘grey’ area is what holding the technology back from completely penetrating the mainstream. Perhaps when a virtual assistant could pick up on the easy, informal conversation between humans and in turn interact with them in the same manner, we would be able to have a breakthrough in this space.

Impact on end-user behavior

The ability to ‘converse’ with technology has definitely transformed the relationship between three aspects- technological devices, the end-user as well as the surrounding. These three aspects are constantly manipulating one another for the ultimate goal of human-convenience. Voice commands have enabled a sense of increased control for users in terms of manipulating their electronic devices. There is no longer a certain amount of expertise that is required to effectively handle a smart device. All that end users have to do now is interact with it as they would with a human. This has generated a massive impact on the usability and practicality in using devices like Smart Homes and Digital Assistants.

Impact on Business

The internet of things (IoT) has had a shattering impact on various business processes. Business leaders around the world have awoken to the immense potential of this relatively nascent sensor technology. Having large amounts of operations being regulated via sensors has had its ripple effect on productivity, accuracy and efficiency. It has reduced downtime considerably. The number of resources lost due to human errors has shrunk and the sheer amount of time that is saved due to the advanced performance of IoT-powered devices in the industry is unmatched. The services extended by Aloha Technology in relation with IoT can help organizations move toward the path of digital transformation.

What the future looks like

Based on the strides that IoT is making across the technological sphere, it is safe to assume that the ‘grey’ area between natural human interaction and rigid interaction that we currently carry out with technology will be wiped out. Virtual assistants would one-up users with sarcastic comments and the overall experience of interacting with technology would be smoothened out. The Internet of Things would have a wider ambit, with many more objects connected to the virtual sphere. In terms of business, digital machinery would become much more compatible with the human experience. Communication with technological aspects in a business setting would improve dramatically. And all this is bound to create a long-lasting impact on the relationship between humans and technology.

Check out this video how Aloha Technology can help your enterprise by Internet of Things