The Future of the Semantic Web
Moving from the Digital to the Physical
Although the current Web exists mainly in a digital format in the online world, could we see the future Web moving into our physical environments?
The answer should be a resounding yes, as the next logical step of the Web is moving from the digital into the physical, and the SemWeb offers the appropriate technology for this to happen. If we are to talk about connecting all 'things' on the World Wide Web, Radio-frequency identification (RFID) is the key.
What is RFID?
Radio-frequency identification (RFID) is an automatic identification method, relying on storing and remotely retrieving data using devices called RFID tags or transponders. To some people, it may sound new. But in fact, RFID is used in everyday business and retail settings. Every GAP clothing store is a forest of RFID’s. RFID is an object that can be imbedded into almost any product, animal, or person for the purpose of identification using radio waves. Some tags can be read from several meters away and beyond the line of sight of the reader.
The technology savvy consumer today not only wants to find the best value for money in terms of product cost and features but also wants to know about how these features work. Several major manufacturers and retailers are planning to implement RFID tags in managing the supply chain, from manufacturing to shipping to stocking store shelves, including Gillette, Home Depot, The Gap, Proctor & Gamble, Prada, Target, and Wal-Mart.
Libraries and RFID
In an information world, libraries are far ahead of the game. More than 300 libraries around the world that have already outfitted their books with RFID tags, including the Santa Clara City Library, the Maricopa County Library in Arizona, the University of Nevada, Las Vegas Libraries, the Independence Township library in Michigan and the National University of Singapore Libraries. Even the Vatican Library's vast collection is getting “chipped.” When the tags embedded in copies of "iRobot" and "War and Peace" pass within 18 inches of the library's RFID readers, they'll come to life, revealing a unique identification number specific to each individual copy.
Unified Resource Identifiers (URI)
However, things are vastly different in 2008 as pieces are in place for the SemWeb and RFID take thanks to URI’s. When we use a uniform system of identifiers in order to mark each item identified as a "resource," we call these identifiers "Uniform Resource Identifiers" or URIs for short. We can give a URI to anything, and anything that has a URI can be said to be "on the Web". (Think of it as a barcode). While nearly every other part of the Web can be replaced, the URI cannot: it holds the rest of the Web together. The URI is the foundation of the Web. While the SemWeb is about connecting all things “digitally” on the World Wide Web, RFID can potentially connect all things “physical” to the internet.
Highly Dynamic Systems (HDS)
The technology now, coupled with the possibilities of the SemWeb infrastructure make it a very exciting time for businesses and organizations that deal with high end information services. One technology that has been talked discussed quite a bit in technology circles that could come into play is Highly Dynamic Systems (HDS), which collect context data to provide advanced services. The consumer context data is collected by the businesses to find hidden information that can be used to boost marketing and sales figures. Integrated RFID data, consumer personal and context information and semantic web data can be used to provide comparative deals.
Inside an HDS-ready store, the consumer physical location context data is combined with RFID data of nearby objects to provide price discounts, related product information and detailed consumer goods. The detailed information could be anything – manuals for the product, or product reviews themselves, or even the information of sales representatives. This information is then stored in a local database catalogued by the RFID tag ID (using URI that connects it to the SemWeb). The information is then displayed either on the mobile phone or personal digital assistant.
When the customer purchases an item, he or she can enter the name of the object in a HDS device and find the shelf location of the item in the store and other information. Once an RFID tag contains an embedded semantic web resource URI of the item, the customer will have additional advantages as having the ability to connect to the URI and find the standard information related to the object. Through the SemWeb, product comparisons can be launched to find a best deal from another store that has an integrated database implementation.
Information Organizations: All Aboard on the SemWeb Express
But this isn’t just theorizing. Businesses with foresight are already working on the technology to make this happen. Nokia is one such organization, as it has already maintained long-standing Semantic Web research and development activity. It presented in 2007 of a prototype of a GPS sensor, a compass and accelerator to the smart phone. The camera and GPS navigation system were used to identify the place of presence as well as the identity to use and find the information related to the physical location of the product. Integrated with idea of the SemWeb, and we are close to having consumers finding the best deals among stores in a close proximity.
The Future of the SemWeb
The pieces for the SemWeb are in place. We don’t necessarily need to reinvent the wheel for it to work. Putting together the right pieces in place will be the greatest challenge for the realization of the SemWeb, and RFID and URI’s are but two pieces of the puzzle to moving the Web beyond the digital and into the physical.
Semantic Web Founder Tim Berners-Lee
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