by Matt Bohn
May 11, 2009
One of the exciting new additions coming in Windows 7 is the Windows 7 Sensor and Location Platform. The Windows 7 Sensor and Location Platform is an API built into Windows 7 that will allow application developers to interact with sensors in a standard way, and it allow a standard way for hardware vendors to create their sensor interfaces. Hence, it allows hardware and software developers to speak a common language. Application developers will be able to create enviromentally aware applications much easier by using these standard API interfaces built into Windows 7, instead of writing code for each specific piece of sensor hardware they want to use. The APIs are provided primarily as native code interfaces using C++ and COM. However, a lightweight .NET Interop Library has been published for .NET development.
Sensors could include GPS devices, accelerometers, light sensors, temperature sensors, or logical sensors (logical sensors are software based sensors). An application could easily interact with GPS data to plot your current location on your laptop as you are driving. An application might use a logical sensor to detect your location based on your current IP address. Or, if you go from a bright office setting to a dark conference room environment, your application might adjust your display brightness and decrease your laptop volume to better fit the change in environment. These are just a few examples, the platform is flexible in that it will allow hardware vendors to create and publish new categories and types of sensors.
For more information on the Windows 7 Sensor and Location Platform check out these links: