Could OPML cook my dinner?

Kosso is playing with a 'time machine in OPML' and proposing applications based around the principle, which could orchestrate and choreograph events in time, with an mp3 file or movie or any time based media for that matter.

But why restrict the idea to media? Why not deliver cooking instructions to a OPML/RSS enabled and SSE controlled microwave oven using the same format? Something like this -

- Delicious dinner instructions
--- 00:00:00:00.000
------ Defrost
--- 00:15:00:00.000
------ Cook at full power
--- 00:35:00:00.000
------ Cook at medium power
--- 00:50:00:00.000
------ Power off

Ok, you can tell I don't cook dinner much but that should be good enough for illustration purposes ;-)

The point is Kosso's idea could be applied in all sorts of places. Taking the principle further, with an SSE capable mobile phone (and oven) you could determine the status of the microwave during the cooking cycle and intervene remotely if necessary. Don't want it 'well done' afterall? Just press a few buttons on your cell phone.

One thing about time based OPML concerns me though. As far as I can see OPML is about the representation of structure, relationships and static (largely) unchanging entities. I know that OPML based reading lists will of course be dynamic in nature but aren't change, motion and action better respresented in RSS?

Nevertheless, thinking about controlling home appliances with OPML/RSS/SSE has me wondering if this technological trinity could be the hammer to crack the nut of numerous proprietary formats? I don't know much about home automation (or monitoring) systems (eg X10) but from what I understand they're dominated by incompatible interfaces. Wouldn't it be great if you could choose from a variety of interfaces for your monitoring system of choice?

To illustrate: The electrical appliances in a house might be respresented in OPML as follows -

- Our house
--- Master bedroom
----- Alarm clock radio
----- TV
--- Kids bedroom
----- TV
----- Playstation
----- Hi-fi
--- Guest bedroom
--- Sitting room
----- Electric heater
----- TV
----- Hi-fi
----- Corner reading light
--- Kitchen
----- Microwave
----- Kettle
----- Toaster
----- Fridge
----- Dishwasher
--- Utility room
----- Clothes Washing machine
----- Freezer
--- Bathroom
----- Shower
----- Electric heater
--- Hallway
----- Chandelier

Each OPML item would be an RSS feed representing the current state for the corresponding appliance which is being constantly polled and reported by the control unit. With SSE you'd be able to synchronize your mobile phone based control interface and and edit the RSS 'post' to change the state which would then be synchronized back to the home unit.

What are the advantages? Well, if you don't like the phone GUI because it doesn't support cool 3D flythrough and live animated rendering of lights turned on or washing machines spinning you can just ditch it in favour of the latest and greatest. Everthing talks OPML/RSS/SSE so another proprietary nut has been cracked.

Now, why is this meat so tough? Hmmmm....

Comments

[Bill Seitz]

I think this is an example where a hierarchy is a bad/limiting idea. Something based on fields (or even tags), where you can see different groupings of items based on some criteria that's relevant at the moment seems more friendly. E.g. "all TVs", "all media devices", "all water-related items"

[James Corbett]

You make a good poin Bill but we've had similar issues in determining 'the correct' categorisation methodology for the Open Irish Directory and what we've done is to duplicate entries in several hierarchies when it makes sense.

My point is that I would see the above hierarchy as being useful for the mobile client interface in the sense of it being rendered into a 3D flythough. We don't think of our houses as collections of items I think but as a collection of rooms. We walk into rooms and see what they contain and whether the TV or light is on. That's what the above hierarchy represent.

But of course it may be better for the underlying logic to use the hierarchy you mention. I don't see any problem with duplication of entities among different representations?