Vision and Challenges for Realising the Internet of Things

3.3.6 Software and algorithms
One of the most promising micro operating
systems for constrained devices is Contiki
[12]. It provides a full IP stack (both IPv4 and
IPv6), supports a local flash file system and
features a large development community and
a comprehensive set of development tools.
One of challenges in building IoT applications
lies in the lack of a common software fabric
underlying how the software in the different
environments can be combined to function
into a composite system and how to build a
coherent application out of a large collection
of unrelated software modules. Research and
development is focusing on service oriented
computing for developing distributed and
federated applications to support interoperable
machine to machine and “thing” to
“thing” interaction over a network. This is
based on the Internet protocols, and on top of
that, defines new protocols to describe and
address the service instance. Service oriented
computing loosely organizes the Web services
and makes it a virtual network.
Issues to be addressed:
Open middleware platforms
Energy efficient micro operating systems
Distributed self adaptive software for self
optimization, self configuration, self healing
(e.g. autonomic)
Lightweight and open middleware based
on interacting components/modules abstracting
resource and network functions;
Bio-inspired algorithms (e.g. self organization)
and game theory (to overcome the
risks of tragedy of commons and reaction
to malicious nodes)
Self management techniques to overcome
increasing complexities
Password distribution mechanisms for
increased security and privacy
Energy-aware operating systems and implementations.
3.3.7 Hardware
The research on nanoelectronics devices will
be used for implementing wireless identifiable
systems with the focus on miniaturization,
low cost and increased functionality.
Polymers electronics technology will be developed
and research is needed on developing
cheap, non-toxic and even disposable electronics
for implementing RFID tags and sensors
that include logic and analogue circuits
with n and p type Thin Film Transistors
(TFTs), power converters, batteries, memories,
sensors, active tags.
Figure 3.3-1: IoT Devices.
Silicon IC technology will be used for systems
with increased functionality and requirements
for more non volatile memory used for
sensing and monitoring ambient parameters.
Research is needed on ultra-low power, low
voltage and low leakage designs in submicron
RF CMOS technologies, on high-efficiency
DC-DC power-management solutions, ultra
low power, low voltage controllable nonvolatile
memory, integration of RF MEMS
and MEMS devices. The focus will be on
highly miniaturised integrated circuits that
will include:
Multi RF, adaptive and reconfigurable
Front Ends
HF/UHF/SHF/EHF
Memory –EEPROM/FRAM/Polymer
ID 128/256 bits + other type ID
Multi Communication Protocols
Digital Processing
Security, including tamper-resistance
countermeasures, and technology to
thwart side-channel attacks.
Based on this development two trends are
emerging for wireless identifiable devices for
IoT applications:
Increasing use of “embedded intelligence”
Networking of embedded intelligence.
CERP-IoT – Cluster of European Research Projects on the Internet of Things
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