[SUNW] Sun Microsystems Laboratories Unveils Sun(TM) Small Programmable Object Technology
Monday March 6, 8:00 am ET
Project Sun SPOT Opens New Frontier for Java Application Developers
SANTA CLARA, Calif., March 6 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Sun Microsystems (Nasdaq: SUNW - News) today announced Project Sun Small Programmable Object Technology (Sun SPOT), an innovative, battery operated platform for development of wireless sensor networks, robotics and personal consumer electronics. Project Sun SPOT, which will be demonstrated at Sun's 2006 Worldwide Education & Research Conference this week, opens the door for Java(TM) developers, educators, researchers and hobbyists to build creative applications for the next era of computing -- programming the real world. Powered by a small Java 2 Platform, Micro Edition (Java ME(TM)) virtual machine written almost entirely in Java, Project Sun SPOT provides a way to easily, affordably and quickly build Java-based sensor applications that run directly on the central processing unit (CPU) without any underlying operating system.
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"Sun released Java to the public in 1995, and today, Java powers more than 1.5 billion cell phones, 700 million PCs and millions of other devices. However, computing is no longer just about PCs, laptops or even cell phones, but rather about the promise of pervasive computing -- which will largely be enabled by sensors," said Glenn Edens, senior vice president for Communications, Media and Entertainment, Sun Microsystems. "This announcement will allow Java -- just as it did with cell phones and the Internet -- to play a pivotal role in enabling the coming wave of sensor driven computing." He added, "We are extremely pleased with the research team's progress since we first previewed Project Sun SPOT at the Sun Labs Open House in April 2005, and we are now excited to be able to share this advanced technology with the education, research and hobbyist community."
Project Sun SPOT will dramatically extend the reach of the Java programmer, enabling sensor application developers to move beyond the traditional development realm of keyboard, mouse and screen, to build applications limited only by the imagination. Near term applications already under development include medical monitoring, package tracking, and interactive home automation. Applications include explorations of swarm intelligence, experimentation with and deployment of mesh networks, custom robotics and the development of new types of gestural interfaces. Educators are already using Sun SPOTs and Java technology for classes on embedded programming, as well as in design classes for new consumer electronics.
The Sun Labs Project Sun SPOT technology evaluation kit will include three Sun SPOTs: two stand-alone devices and one base station. All three Sun SPOTs include a processor board with 32-bit ARM9 CPU, 512 KB RAM and 4MB Flash memory, 2.4 GHz radio and USB interface. Each stand-alone Sun SPOT also includes a 3D accelerometer, temperature and light sensors, 8 tri-color light emitting diodes (LEDs), six analog inputs and 8 general purpose I/O ports for controlling relays, stepper motors and servos. The kit also includes a Java ME virtual machine, NetBeans(TM) 5.0 and a USB cable. Despite the long list of features, the combined sensor and processor boards fit in the palm of your hand, and are designed for maximum developer design creativity and flexibility. Developers can collaborate, learn and share ideas at SunSPOTWorld.com, a website designed specifically to support the Sun SPOT community.
Scheduled for release in May 2006, Project Sun SPOT will initially be sold to universities, research organizations and hobbyists to allow them to experiment with the myriad of possible applications for this new technology. For more information about Project Sun SPOT, please visit: sunspotworld.com .
Sun's small programmable object technology will also be present at the JavaOne conference in San Francisco, May 16-19, 2006. For more information on JavaOne, please visit: java.sun.com .
About Sun Microsystems, Inc.
A singular vision -- "The Network Is The Computer" -- guides Sun in the development of technologies that power the world's most important markets. Sun's philosophy of sharing innovation and building communities is at the forefront of the next wave of computing: the Participation Age. Sun can be found in more than 100 countries and on the Web at sun.com .
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Carrie Motamedi
Sun Microsystems, Inc.
650-257-4020
carrie.motamedi@sun.com
Whitney Burk
Bite Communications for Sun
415-365-0399
whitney.burk@bitepr.com
allpress@sun.com
650-786-7737
NOTE: Sun, Sun Microsystems, the Sun logo, Java, NetBeans and The Network Is The Computer are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sun Microsystems, Inc. in the United States and other countries. |
