I
n the past decade, the transformation of computing
environments and the evolution of
communication technologies have brought
about a revolution in the way we approach the
Internet, making it possible to rely on great numbers
of connected mobile devices exchanging data
and information. Cloud computing has certainly
had an enormous impact on the Internet, but the
advancements in sensor technologies and embedded
systems are likely to produce another crucial
step forward, allowing us to interconnect larger
and diverse numbers of physical items into cyberphysical
systems. Humans, computers, physical
objects, software agents, and communication networks
will become interconnected in a “swarm”
that encompasses our future activities. This swarm
will be the technological container, but what kind
of content will we be manipulating using this new
human intranet?