Hardware as a Software Service

2nd International Workshop on Software Research and Climate Change at ICSE 2010

Position paper

Hardware as a Software Service Reducing hardware production thanks to software interoperation

Sebastián González∗ Kim Mens Computing Science Engineering Department ICTEAM, UCLouvain, Belgium {s.gonzalez,kim.mens}@uclouvain.be 3 May 2010

1 Context Manufacturing of electronic appliances has a strong impact on the environment, because of the industrial process required for their production: raw material extraction, material processing, part manufacturing, assembly, use, maintenance and disposal. Furthermore, the transportation needed among all these stages increases such impact. In the case of electronic appliances, the situation worsens due to their relatively short life cycle: many appliances become waste after just a few years, continuously stimulating the production of new ones. Currently we witness an explosion in the offer of electronic devices: media players, digital photo frames, smartphones, portable game consoles, laptops, netbooks, and so on. For the reasons outlined previously, the increased demand for such devices can only be in detriment to the environment —an uncomfortable truth for all technology lovers. Given the sheer size of the market, even simple improvements in the production process of consumer electronic goods could have an enormous impact on the environment. But far better than producing many products with improved processes is simply to produce less products altogether âĂŞ–that is, to reduce the number of manufactured components. There are ways in which computer scientists can contribute from a software perspective to this end. ∗

This work has been supported by the VariBru project of the ICT Impulse Programme of the Institute for the encouragement of Scientific Research and Innovation of Brussels (ISRIB).

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2 Position Many devices commonly available in private and professional settings are made of the same hardware modules: screens, speakers, keyboards, 2-dimensional input devices (mice, trackpads), digital cameras, and so on. If these components could be reutilised among different devices, then each single device would not need to embed one of its own. For example, instead of having a set of speakers both in a TV and in a Hi-Fi system, the set of speakers could be a separate module that could be reused by whatever appliance that needs to emit sound. What matters is not the physical, monolithic piece of hardware that we call a “TV”, but rather the service it delivers through a mixture of components. In the case of a TV, this service consists primarily in the synchronised presentation of audio and video streams, together with channel management and a few optional services such as teletext. It is irrelevant whether the hardware components that are able to deliver the required functionality are physically bundled together in a plastic box or not. From a software perspective, the challenge is to expose hardware modules as software services, and enable the communication and interoperation of different modules through a wired or wireless network. The modules can be standalone or be embedded as part of some monolithic device. What is needed from a software perspective is service discovery and seamless interoperation of software services. The shift in vision from monolithic hardware black boxes to open hardware modules exposed as services would result in a reduced demand for hardware components. For instance, to obtain a TV service, users who already had a good screen would be able to buy only a set of speakers and a TV receiver. If they already had a Hi-Fi (which includes speakers), then a TV receiver is all they would need. Furthermore, a smartphone could be used as remote control of the TV (screen + sound system). The extraction of materials, energy consumption, and waste associated to the production of those components would be avoided. Compare the impact of producing just a TV radio receiver as opposed to a screen, a set of speakers, and a remote control, in addition to the receiver.

3 Limitations Technically, the limitations are mainly related to network bandwidth (but communication does not have to happen wirelessly; some components could be connected with a USB or Gigabit Ethernet link), and in some cases to battery power (although usually big components are not mobile and are thus plugged to the wall). Regarding human factors, this “sparse hardware” concept could imply exposure to increased microwave radiation levels due to wireless communication. Regarding the political arena, the reduction in production of components means in the end less consumption. Here we enter the debate between those who regard economic growth positively as “development”, and those people who strive for an economy slowdown (degrowth).

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