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Global Neighbourhood Watch via the Internet |
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Score
32%
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8 votes,
Feasibility
0%
Originality
0%
Humour
0% |
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People from the other side of the world can watch your street for crime during the night, by using video cameras and the internet. Such a system will allow people working on their computer in other countries to alert that particular neighbourhood of any ongoing crime. By using video cameras with motion detectors, the cameras will only transmit digitised output when something is actually happening. Then the video can be put online, once the neighbourhood's computers are linked to the internet. Meanwhile, in the UK or Australia, while the crime-ridden neighbourhood in America sleeps, the computer user could be alerted when something is moving on screen. If the movement is innocent (a stray cat, a piece of litter in the wind), a green button could be clicked on; if a crime is in progress, a red button could be clicked on which sounds an alarm on the American's computer to wake him up. The reverse could happen during nighttime in Australia or the UK while they sleep.
'The street (or streets) in question would have to be in a neighbourhood with several computer-owning households'
Obviously, this idea relies on a few important factors. Firstly, the street (or streets) in question would have to be in a neighbourhood with several computer-owning households. Secondly, the people taking part in the scheme would have to have their computers on all the time, unless some sort of shift system could be devised. Thirdly, connection failures and poor visual images could lead to communication problems, although as hardware and software continues to improve, this will be less of a problem. Finally, the people watching have to be completely trustworthy, not just jokers who enjoy waking you up every five minutes.
The potential in the idea is clear, though. If enough people in enough countries were interested in taking part, the concept of a 'Global Neighbourhood Watch' could become reality. Rather than peeking out of the windows at home at anyone suspicious, we could soon be looking into the Windows on the screen.
Summarised from an article by Neal Stephenson, entitled 'Global Neighbourhood Watch', in Wired Magazine (Wired Scenarios issue; to subscribe, call 1 (415) 222 6200, or e-mail subscriptions@wired.com). This item was monitored for the Global Ideas Bank by Roger Knights.
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