Our way of interacting with our communicating world is clearly going to change in the near future. The environment (the real world) will become more conscious, adaptive and aware in relation to the user. The interfaces, by being anchored in the real world (the physical world) will be more natural and intuitive.

"Communicating objects" (equiped with localization functionalities and direct physical interfaces with the environment) can play the role of mediator. These objects will communicate among themselves, wirelessly, thanks to short-reach (about ten meters) radio-frequency technologies like Bluetooth.

For an operator, what a revolution between a network enabling dialogue between two people and a network that supports dozens or hundreds of communicating objects in offices, apartments and the streets.

So, will the telephone and other means of communication disappear? No, but their environments will be enriched with all these new devices.
Communicating objects, the idea being that we put components everywhere, but what will they be used for? This opens a universe of possibilities.
These new communication environments will enable the emergence of simple and natural services. Le Studio créatif is exploring new uses.

The communicating object concept was imagined at Medialab, a laboratory at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology around 1995. France Telecom R&D's Studio créatif is now associated with the work of this laboratory – known throughout the world for its technology-oriented futurology projects – through its participation in the Tinks That Think consortium.