Introduction to the Special Section: The Social Implications of Embedded Systems

When interacting with any technology that differs significantly from what its users are comfortable and familiar with, there is likely to be an increased risk of undesirable and unexpected effects on their lives. Embedded systems are a prime and timely example of such dramatic change, where computing devices are placed inside everyday objects, thus making them 'smart' by enhancing their capabilities, whilst simultaneously fading their functionality into the background and out of sight. These devices will become connected to different systems and to each other, forming complex networks of smart devices that will ultimately become the core infrastructure of future technologies. The direct form of interaction with existing computer systems stands to be 'turned on its head', where actively and directly interacting with computing technologies will no longer be a necessity. Given the intended wide-scale spread and use of this technology, it stands not only to be embedded in the world in a physical sense, but also become embedded in our social lives as well. This will amplify the potential undesirable consequences of the systems, placing a strong need to understand and measure the social impact of these technologies.