The Internet of things: when things are connected

A new trend in research seeks that objects used in everyday life get interconnected so that they act for the benefit of their owners. University of Antioquia hosted “Casagras2: Internet of Things” an event that brought together international experts in the emerging Internet of Things.

Picture yourself getting home and opening the door by using a swipe card. When entering the living room a sensor identifies you and measures your body temperature. If the sensor reads a low temperature then heater is automatically switched on and the smell coming from the coffee maker permeates the environment.

One may think this is a scene of a sci-fi movie but actually this is part of an emerging type of research known as the Internet of Things. In this regard, the School of Engineering, University of Antioquia held an event called Casagras2: Internet of Things Workshop Colombia, where international experts shared their experience on this emerging issue which has been widely implemented in countries like China.

According to José Roberto de Almeida, a professor at the University of Sao Paulo, the Internet of Things is based on the basic conception of Internet, which refers to digital contents stored in servers around the world.

The Internet of Things ─ IOT – involves the interconnection of objects. "So a table, for example, becomes a virtual object on the Internet. This is the basis for the development of applications that will allow objects to act in benefit of their owners”, explained professor Almeida.

This research model has been used to develop prototypes that allow ambulances equipped with intelligent interfaces collect information on the patient's condition and send it to the hospital by means of the Internet. This will provide the physicians with a much more detailed clinical history that will allow them to know which procedures should be followed before the patient's arrival.

A global commitment
While in China the Internet of Things is a widely developed issue, in Colombia this has not been sufficiently addressed yet, though the government considers it a major subject. "The Chinese built a whole research complex with the support of some universities and computer companies", said professor Almeida.

While Europe has invested 50 million Euros in research on this subject, China has invested about 2 billion. Japan has also made some progress and invested in infrastructure. Tokyo has Internet-based applications four tourists that also allow the blind to fend for themselves. In February this year, Casagras2 was also held in Malaysia, a country that committed to promote research related to this issue.

Also Brazil started working on the Internet of Things two years ago and several companies and institutions are focused on this subject. "Actually Brazil had already made some progress on this issue but those in charge didn’t know it was related to the Internet of things", said Almeida. One of Brazil’s achievements has to do with a precision farming system that measures moisture and chemical conditions of soils. An interconnected system uses this information to determine the proper amount of irrigation water and other elements that should be used.

Getting acquainted

Casagras2 involved the participation of experts like professor José Roberto de Almeida; Ian Smith, chairman of AIM UK Ltd.; and IOT specialist Anthony Furness. Experts addressed issues such as IOT's technical, economic, and social standards and other subjects related to governance, service development and introduction of such a technological advance.

"This is a very interesting opportunity to bring telecommunications, computing and electronics into health and energy saving projects, which are very important issues. This is a long range project and we are honored to be the first institution that addresses this subject in the country", said Ana Maria Cardenas, coordinator of the Master of Electronic Engineering and Telecommunications at the University of Antioquia.

Casagras2: Internet of Things Workshop Colombia represents a new opportunity to network with other Latin American universities in order to design a project intended for the research and development of the Internet of Things in the region, taking into account the economic and social features of Latin American countries.