Lecture 5 - IoT

Question 1

What is Internet of Things?

Answer 1

A system involving: 
connected devices that 
gather data 
connect with the Internet, generate analytics, and 
adapt behaviour based on the analytics

Question 2

IoT - Layers

Answer 2

1. Sensors - Collecting data
2. Connectivity - Sending data to cloud
3. Data processing - Making data useful
4. User interface - Delivering information to user

Question 3

How do devices gather data?

Answer 3

Through sensors and actuators

Detect the feature quantity of a measurement object and convert this quantity into a readable signal

Question 4

Sensors on smart phones

Answer 4

Accelerometer, gyroscope, magnetometer, GPS, light sensor, barometer, thermometer, microphone, pedometer

Question 5

Communication protocols

Answer 5

Options for connectivity are various

Cellular, satellite, WiFi, Bluetooth, RFID, NFC, LPWAN, zigbee

Question 6

Four models for connectivity

Answer 6

1. Device to Device
2. Device to Cloud
3. Device to Gateway
4. Backend Data sharing

Question 7

Connectivity: Device to Device

Answer 7

Direct communication with each other

• Via IP network, hardwire or bluetooth
• E.g. Smart watch and pacemaker

Lower power consumption
- Ideal for products to have al one battery life

Question 8

Connectivity: Device to Cloud

Answer 8

Via ethernet, WiFi or cellular

• E.g.: Webcams to watch home while on vacation
• Tag on an animal to find where it is

Difficulty for inter product compatibility
- Due to the differences in manufacturer design

Question 9

Connectivity: Device to Gateway

Answer 9

Intermediary between IoT device and a cloud service

• Fitness device connects to the cloud through Nike+ app
• Home appliance connects to a hub like Samsung SmartThings

Question 10

Connectivity: Backend Data Sharing

Answer 10

Extends single device to cloud model
- Sensor data can be accessed by authorised third parties

Export, analyse smart object data fro ma cloud service

• Combine with data from other sources
• Map My Fitness: Data from Fitbit, Adidas, miCoach, etc

Question 11

Trade off Communication Protocols

Answer 11

Tradeoff between:

• Power consumption
• Range
• Bandwith

Question 12

IoT Network Topology

Answer 12

• Point-to-point
• Star
• Mesh
• Hybrid

Question 13

IoT Architecture - Data Processing

Answer 13

Once the sensor data gets to the cloud: software performs processing on data

Numerous algorithms and data processing elements: ultimately become information

Consideration: storage, frequency of updates, desired output type

Question 14

Edge Computing

Answer 14

• The round-trip can take too long
- Sending data, processing, analysing, returning instructions

• Edge computing:

• A smart edge device
• Aggregate data, analyse it and fashion responses if necessary
• All within relatively close physical distance
• Reducing delay

•Edge devices also have upstream connectivity for sending data to be further processed and stored

Question 15

IoT Arhictecture - UI ways to interact

Answer 15

• Alert (email, text)
• Automatic notifications
• Monitoring information proactively
• Controlling system remotely

Question 16

IoT Architecture - UI Considerations

Answer 16

• Connectivity - real time information or not, when the last update was received
• Performance - massive data to be presented, pagination (only a part of the data is loaded)
• Simplicity - what the user needs to see, visualization

Question 17

What is an IoT platform?

Answer 17

Middlemen that connects the hardware to the cloud

Question 18

Elements/Layers of IoT Platform

Answer 18

• Infrastructure level
- Enables the functioning of the platform, internal messaging, orchestration of IoT solution clusters

• Communication layer
- Where devices connect to the cloud

• Core layer for IoT features
- Data collection, device management, configuration management, messaging

• Analytics layer
- Data processing, visualisation, rule engine, reporting

Question 19

Interoperability issues in IoT Platforms

Answer 19

• Over-the-Top Interoperability (App #1 to App #2)
• Platform-enabled Interoperability (horizontal) (App#1 to App #2)
• Platform-enabled interoperability (vertical) (different levels)
• Vendor interoperability - sensor #1 (Vendor A) to Senor #1 (Vendor B)

Question 20

Interoperability Issues in IoT Platforms

Answer 20

•App #1 can improve the performance by using data from
sensor #2
•3 possibilities
•1) App #1 might be able to access App #2
•a) Over-the-top interoperability (horizontal)
•Via an external data exchange
•b) Platform enabled interoperability (horizontal)
•Through the middleware platform
•2) App #1 might be able to access Sensor #2
•Platform enable interoperability (vertical)
•Through the middleware platform

Question 21

IoT Current Issues

Answer 21

• Standards and Regulations
• Privacy
• Security
• Interoperability