Interoceptive Objects: opportunistic harnessing of internal signals for state self-monitoring

DOI

Interoception is the sense of the internal states of the body. We propose to render objects capable of interoceptive awareness by harnessing the unintended acoustic or electromagnetic emissions they generate while operating. An interoceptive-aware "thing" would be able to opportunistically gather information about its internal states and perform continuous and automated state monitoring without the need for internal switches or other ad-hoc sensing mechanisms. These are replaced by simple generic sensors such as a MEMS microphone or a single ultra-wideband (UWB) trace antenna integrated on the PCB. In unmodified appliances, we achieve over 90% accuracy in state recognition using a single microphone. We also demonstrate the feasibility of real-time state recognition using embedded hardware and describe prototypical scenarios such as state monitoring and preventive maintenance. Artificial, opportunistic interoception may have the potential to (1) combat obsolescence by enabling appliances to function properly, if not completely, by recognizing and bypassing critically faulty states; (2) support for preventive maintenance through continuous state monitoring; (3) improve user guidance during device malfunction via detailed feedback; and in the future (4) it could pave the way for cheaper manufacturing by relaxing the need for stringent mechanical specifications - mirroring how biological organisms function despite individual variations.