The Physical Web Could Change the Way We Interact with the World

Let’s Get Physical

Although smartphones are a great invention, perhaps an even greater invention is the mobile application. The average smartphone owner uses about 27 different mobile apps each month. These applications range from mobile games to music services, productivity tools, and shopping apps. And though mobile apps are incredibly useful and entertaining, there’s also a limit to the number of applications one can install on their phone or tablet at any given time.

This isn’t really a problem for now, but as our homes, cars, and the environment around us become more interactive, the number of apps needed to connect with them will also increase. But what if there was a different way to approach this? What if we could move beyond the mobile app?

The Web Is Where It’s at

Google has started a project called the Physical Web in an attempt to remove this app/device ratio barrier. The idea is that smart devices (parking meters, smart refrigerators, vending machines, etc.) won’t need a dedicated mobile app to interact with them. They’ll simply direct you to their website, which is accessible from a standard web browser.

Here’s how it works. A physical/smart device contains a Bluetooth low-energy (BLE) beacon that sends out a signal detectable by our smartphones. The “low energy” means these beacons could run for years off a small battery. The beacon itself is configured with a URL, and that URL link is displayed on our phones through a notification. The user then taps the URL link and is taken to the devices’ website.

At the very least, the website could provide instructions to the user (bus routes, movie times, nutritional information, etc.), but the more exciting scenario is that the website allows the user to interact directly with the physical device

Stop Toyin’ Around

A simple example found on the web is a BLE-enabled toy. The toy sends out a URL for its website through the beacon. The user clicks on the URL and is taken to the website. The website displays several buttons, each assigned its own color. When the user taps a button, the website tells the toy to change the color of its LED through the Bluetooth signal.  

This might not seem cutting edge, but remember this is all happening through a web browser—not a mobile app installed on your phone. It’s an easy detail to overlook, but this means anything with a browser and Bluetooth (laptops, desktops, and gaming systems) could potentially be gateways to our smart appliances, cars, lights, and a host of other devices. Let’s also not forget another point—these websites will all operate regardless of whether you’re on an iPhone, Samsung Galaxy, or Nexus. Or at least they should in theory.

Gimme Gimme Gimme

One thing to keep in mind is this is all very new, and support is very limited. Connectivity from a website via Bluetooth is only supported by Chrome and/or Chrome OS, and even then functionality is dependent on a variety of factors. The other issue is that in order for your phone to detect the BLE beacons on Android, you will need to download an app. But hey, one app is better than five. 

So where does this leave us? As of right now, the Physical Web is an experiment, so there’s no guarantee it will take off. But an even more connected world is coming, and with it, a need to interact in a new way.