hewgill.com Real-World Computing Search

Real-World Computing

Computers are fun to play with in their own right, but they're best used as a tool to interface with the real world. I use the term "Real-World Computing" to refer to the use of a computer in some kind of real-world situation. This could involve data collection, prediction, controller functions, or anything.

Some of the real-world applications that I've played with are:

• Time - make your computer clock sync up with the world's most accurate atomic clocks
• Weather - real-time weather warnings, forecasts, and information
• GPS - accurate position information anywhere on the planet
• Radio - software defined radio and audio signal processing
• Earthquakes - when the earth moves, you can hear about it
• Astronomy - watching the skies
• Photography - capturing the real world
• Random numbers - sources of pure entropy

Other applications that fall into this category:

• Home automation - X10 and other power-line networking protocols
• Automotive diagnostics - OBD-II and related protocols
• Lego MindStorms - robotics with the popular toy