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Open Standards for the Internet of Things

The Internet of Things, commonly abbreviated as IoT is a novel paradigm that describes the idea of everyday physical objects being connected to the Internet. This includes everything from mobiles, vehicles, air conditioners, headphones, wearable devices and almost anything. Unquestionably, the IoT idea has a high impact on several aspects of everyday life and behavior of potential users. Consequently, companies have started to introduce numerous IoT based products and services and several consortiums have been formed to define protocols and standards for the IoT. 

The article  “Open Standards for the Internet of Things” aims to provide a brief revision of the state of the art in the IoT field (5G IoT Standards, FIWARE), and a summary of some of the research proyects related to the IoT concept in which the Audio and Communications Signal Processing Group and the Multimedia Communications Group of the ITEAM UPV are currently involved (MAtchUP project and SSEnCe Project on Acoustic-aided IoT) . 

MAtchUP is an EU-funded Smart City project involving three lighthouse cities (Valencia-Spain, Dresden-Germany and Antalya-Turkey) and four follower cities (Ostend-Belgium, Herzliya-Israel, SkopjeFYROM and Kerava-Finland). It started on September 2018 and will finish on September 2023. During this period, MAtchUP partners will create and adopt solutions that can turn urban problems into smart opportunities to improve the citizens’ quality of life and boost the local economies, mainly in the areas of energy, mobility and ICT (information and Communications Technologies). The final aim is to create a prosperous and more liveable urban environment for communities.

The SSEnCe project (Sound-Aided Smart Environments for the City, Home and Nature) aims to encourage the dissemination and develop of real and practical prototypes focused on the Global concept of Intelligence in the IoT, particularly the applications are based mainly on the acoustic information of the environment. The main objectives of this project are the creation of an Observatory and the development of three technological demonstrators of immediate practical application.

Read the full publication here.

The IoT will improve your holidays

Maybe it’s just a matter of days before you close your laptop and drive to the airport or maybe there are still a few days to go before you can say “Goodbye everyone, see you when I’m back!”. In either case, you have long been waiting for your. Hotel chains, airlines, museums and restaurants are taking advantage of modern technologies to make sure their guests enjoy unique experiences. No doubt, the technology that’s currently having the biggest impact on the travel and hospitality sectors is the Internet of Things, i.e. a newtwork of wifi connected devices infusing connectivity into everyday objects and enabling users to manage them at a distance.

Here are different ways the IoT will contribute to making your holiday a unique experience.

  • Luggage Tracking

The Bluesmart suitcase has a built-in GPS chip that lets you track it anywhere in the world, so you don’t need to worry about your luggage going missing anymore. It’s controlled by a smartphone app, which is great as long as your phone doesn’t run out of battery. 

Other option is the use of Urban Tracker, recently, major brands and luggage retailers have started to implement luggage tracking systems into their products.

 

  • The information you need on your smartphone

Beacons technology allows businesses, as well as town councils and tourist centres, to send tailored information to travellers and help them find their way to the nearest museum, hotel or store.

 

  • Leave the concerns at home with chatbots

Thanks to Chatbots, we might never know. Chatbots(also known as Talkbots or Bots) are voice-activated, smart and easy to use applications making all human-to-machine interactions (HMI) much faster and speeding up daily-life tasks. Installed on smartphones and mobile devices, chatbots enable users to activate and operate connected devices at a distance. Chatbots allow users to perform their every day tasks and take care of their home, wherever they are in the world.

 

  • A connected SD card

Mobi have created a great solution for transferring photos from one device to another – an SD card with built in WiFi, which you can connect to an app on your smart device. The Eyefi Mobi SD card functions like a regular SDHC card, works on most cameras and thanks to the built-in WiFi, it pairs your camera to your phone, tablet or laptop where the images appear instantly.

 

  • A smart bikini

The Neviano UV Connect smart bikini includes a built-in UV sensor that connects to an app on your smartphone. The app can tell you when you’ve been in the sun for too long, allowing you to take a break. It even allows you to send a message to a partner or friend to let them know they need to reapply sunscreen.

 

  • An intelligent umbrella

Wezzoo’s smart umbrella – Oombrella, will make sure you never step out into the rain unprepared again. It comes with a little capsule attached to the end of the handle, which has four sensors to measure temperature, humidity, air pressure and sunlight. The sensors communicate with your phone via Bluetooth and will send you an alert if it’s going to rain.

 

Enjoy your holidays!

Read more here and here.

 

 

Fourth meeting MAtchUP project (Valencia, June 2019)

The last week of June, the fourth meeting of the MAtchUP project was held in Valencia. The three lighthouse cities (Valencia, Dresden and Antalya), together with the follower cities (Herzlyia, Kerava, Ostend and Skopje), have met to share the advances obtained. 

The agenda of the event included among others:  5 parallel sessions, 15 video interviews and  the Valencia Study Tour, the goal is to help cities to integrate environmental and social needs in their urban plans, and to pave the way towards energy transition.

In the parallel sessions the MAtchUP partners discussed the main pillars of the project: energy, mobility, ICT and non-technical actions. The three cities showed their developments and results about the city platforms, such as open data portals, representations of data sets and dashboards.

The first stop in the Valencia Study Tour was in the Traffic Management Centre: the visitors could saw, how the real time city traffic information, provided by over 3000 detectors installed all over the city; is processed and controlled, for an efficient and safe traffic for all road users. 

Continuing with the visit, the city council presented two of the main projects of the Valencia smart city strategy. One of them, is “Decidim València” citizen participation project; the first dedicated department, created to put in place tools and mechanisms for citizens participation through dialogue and digitalization, decentralisation, co-design working groups. And the second one, is València App, it provides real time information and integrates all services from the open governent projects as a one stop shop at citizens disposal.

Later, the partners visited de García Lorca Public School, which participates in the 50/50 programme about enerty efficiency. Thanks to this activity, students, parents and teachers are now more aware about the environmental, economic and social impact of their consumption.

The meeting was closed with a visit to the Albufera Natural Park of Valencia. The following plenary meeting will be in one of the follower cities, Skopje, in December of this year.  See you soon!

Good teams make the success of a project. @matchupEU

Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT)

The industrial internet of things (IIoT), also known as Industry 4.0 is the use of smart sensors and actuators to enhance manufacturing and industrial processes.  While IoT focuses on consumer usage, IIoT is used for industrial purpose.

Resultado de imagen de iiot vs iot

 

One of the top touted benefits the industrial internet of things affords businesses is predictive maintenance. IoT can greatly improve your operational efficiency while reducing overhead costs, many decision-makers have questions about the available technology, how to introduce it and how it can benefit their business.

Here are some of the most common IIoT questions:

      1. What’s a Smart Building?

      2. What Are Best Practices for Introducing Smart Buildings?

      3. Why Is Lighting a Key Part of IIoT?

      4. How Do I Use the Data Generated From IIoT Devices?

      5. Can My Business Afford to Implement an IIoT System?

To answer this questions click here.

 

 

What Is The “Internet of Things”? Part I

Smart Systems and the Internet of Things are driven by a combination of:

The interactions between theses entities are creating new types of smart applications and services.

SENSORS & ACTUATORS 

We are giving our world a digital nervous system. Location data using GPS sensors. Eyes and ears using cameras and microphones, along with sensory organs that can measure everything from temperature to pressure changes.

CONNECTIVITY

These inputs are digitized and placed onto networks.  Read more 

How to Improve Cybersecurity in a Smart City

The smart city began as a science fiction dream, but it’s very quickly becoming a reality. Municipal infrastructure, integrated with smart technology, will transform the aesthetics, utility, and sustainability of urban landscapes from here on out. 

The scale and complexity of smart cities render them particularly susceptible to cyberattacks. The vast array of interconnected systems makes weak points and oversights almost inevitable, a problem that reliance on unsecured IoT devices and potentially vulnerable cloud networks only compounds. What’s really driving this problem, however, is the overconfident tech visionaries who are boosting smart cities.

 These strategies should be follow to prepare (and protect) any city for the future:

  • Begin Building a Smart Workforce
  • Start Forming Security Partnerships
  • Work Within the Rules

Read more.

Alexa, Google Assistant, and Apple Homekit: Your Guide to Smart Home Ecosystem Options

Devices can work together for a seamless smart home experience. In today’s IoT world, there are smart home devices for security and privacy, energy, cooking, entertainment, and pets.

@iotforalll

Smart homes used to be the stuff of science fiction. Moviegoers watched as Tony Stark controlled his mansion with nothing more than his voice, and we’ve all wished we could have the type of technology that made Batman’s life so amazing. These days, you don’t have to be a billionaire business owner or an eccentric crime fighter to create the ultimate smart home. Tools like Amazon’s Alexa, Google Assistant, and the Apple Home Kit have put home automation within reach for nearly anyone.

Smart home technology uses artificial intelligence (AI) to talk to you, respond to commands, and answer questions. For instance, you can ask Alexa to “add bananas to the grocery list” or “tell me the score from last night’s game.” Smart hubs can also communicate with other internet devices, allowing you to control all your smart home gadgets simultaneously. They can turn down the thermostat, turn on the lights, scare away burglars, and even make coffee.

Home automation is not only cool, but it’s practical, sustainable and can even save you money by reducing your utility bill. When looking to automate your home, it’s important to consider the different types of smart home ecosystems, devices and how they will work together to create a seamless experience.

To know what are the best Smart Home Ecosystems, read more 

How will 5G impact IoT?

Year 2020 will be a key date for the deployment of the fifth generation of mobile networks, the 5G, whose capabilities promise to change the way we understand the Internet today. But 5G is much more than just fast downloads; its unique combination of high-speed connectivity, very low latency, and ubiquitous coverage will support smart vehicles and transport infrastructure such as connected cars, trucks, and buses.

 


All this will facilitate the implementation of the internet of things. By increasing the number of devices that can be managed in real time and remotely, as well as the response time of the network, the capabilities of multiple industrial applications will be revolutionized. In this way, 5G will have a key role to play- not just in the evolution of communication but in the evolution of businesses and society as a whole. Here is a look at a few industries where 5G and IoT together can benefit:

  • Self-driving cars.
  • Healthcare.
  • Logistics.
  • Smart cities.
  • Retail.

Read more about What 5G Means for The Future of Internet of Things.

3 Resources for the Smart Classroom

Using IoT to collect data and increase classroom interactivity can make learning more interesting for students and help teachers manage them. @iotforall  https://www.iotforall.com/

Voice Assistants like Alexa and Siri definitely have a place in the classroom. As the market for voice assistants continues to grow, more and more applications will be built for voice to supplement the classroom experience. Even in their current state, voice assistants can provide immense value to classrooms. Take a simple use case, such as a teacher setting a reminder to discuss higher-level lesson points the following week. Often times, teachers may not find the time or even remember to review difficult material, so using voice assistants to set reminders in real time can greatly enhance the classroom processes and therefore help students to learn more and continue to build their knowledge base. 

Connected whiteboards or smartboards are another great tool to make a classroom “smart.” Now, anything a teacher writes up on the board can be recorded.  Another resource for the smat classroom is the digital textbook. Besides the obvious value behind these textbooks—easier to carry from class to class, less space, more cost-effective and environmentally friendly—digital textbooks are also interactive and thus can connect to a smart classroom. 

Students can highlight information and collaborate on difficult sections in textbooks, an individual student’s textbook and notes can connect to a classroom’s smart board to be shared with the class. 

Read more about  3 Resources for the Smart Classroom

 

The “Things” in the Internet of Things (IoT)

The “things” that make up the emerging “Internet of Things” range from tractors to thermostats to shipping containers. The internet changed the world when we brought computers online and then again with the dawn of smartphones. Imagine what’s possible when the other 99 percent of objects that pervade our everyday life are connected?

Illustration: © IoT For All

You may be familiar with how the internet works. And you’ve probably heard of how the “Internet of Things,” or “IoT,” is igniting the next industrial revolution. But you may be wondering, what do “things” represent in the Internet of Things? What makes these “things” different from, say, a computer or a smartphone that connects to the internet?

  • IoT for Healthcare: Our Bodies as “Things” connected to the Internet
  • IoT for Logistics: Packages and Containers As “Things” Connected to the Internet
  • IoT for Agriculture: “Things” as Tractors, Soil Sensors and Irrigation Systems

Read more about the Value of Connected “Things” in Healthcare, Logistics and Agriculture  @iotforall

 

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