The Mirror World: Preparing for Mixed-Reality Living

A new kind of smart space is emerging in which digital, physical, and social layers are strongly intertwined. These spaces extend the classic assistive functionality of ambient intelligence toward more proactive possibilities, where the smart environment not only monitors people as they perform tasks but also influences their plans and intentions. The authors explore this concept of the smart space as a mirror world, looking in particular at how it will affect our cognitive abilities and noting some of the research challenges that will need to be addressed. This department is part of a special issue on smart spaces.