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Vision and challenges for realising the Internet of things |
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Vision and Challenges
for Realising the
Internet of Things
March 2010
Edited by
Harald Sundmaeker
Patrick Guillemin
Peter Friess
Sylvie Woelfflé
The meaning of things
lies not in the things
themselves, but in our
attitude towards them.
Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
Editors and Contributors
Book Editors
Harald Sundmaeker, CuteLoop Coordinator
ATB, Bremen, Germany
Sundmaeker@atb-bremen.de
Patrick Guillemin, CERP-IoT Coordinator,
ETSI, Sophia-Antipolis, France
Patrick.Guillemin@etsi.org
Peter Friess, CERP-IoT EC Coordinator,
European Commission, Brussels Belgium
Peter.Friess@ec.europa.eu
Sylvie Woelfflé
European Commission, Brussels Belgium
Sylvie.Woelffle@ec.europa.eu
Foreword
IoT Related Articles
Gérald Santucci, Head of Unit
Several teams stemming from IoT related
DG INFSO Unit D.4; European Commission
research projects and initiatives were sum-
marising their perspectives and experiences.
The authors and their affiliation are listed
SRA Core Authors and
within the separate sections of Chapter 4.
Editor Team:
The editors would also like to thank the re-
view team for their support and contribu-
Ovidiu Vermesan, NO,
tions.
SINTEF, EPoSS
Mark Harrison, UK,
University of Cambridge, Auto-ID Lab,
Project Profiles
BRIDGE, EPCglobal Data Discovery JRG
s
As popular as IoT became recently, as wide
are the research fields distributed. The mem-
ing
Harald Vogt, DE,
h
SAP, SToP
bers of the Cluster of European Research
T
Projects on the Internet of Things (CERP-
t of
Kostas Kalaboukas, GR,
IoT) are outlining their objectives and re-
SingularLogic, EURIDICE
erne
search work. The individual project partners
Maurizio Tomasella, UK,
and contact points are mentioned as refer-
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University of Cambridge, Auto-ID Lab,
ence for future collaboration.
SMART, BRIDGE
on the
cts
Karel Wouters, BE,
e
K.U.Leuven, PrimeLife
Proj
Sergio Gusmeroli, IT,
TXT e-Solutions SpA, iSURF, COIN
archse
Stephan Haller, CH,
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SAP, CoBIS
ean
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For further information:
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Information Desk
European Commission - Information Society and Media DG
Office: BU25 02/59 B-1049 Brussels
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Email: infso-desk@ec.europa.eu
http://europa.eu/information_society
CERP-Io
2
Foreword
Vision and Challenges for
Realising the Internet of Things
It goes without saying that we are very content to publish this Clusterbook and to leave it
today to your hands. The Cluster of European Research projects on the Internet of Things –
CERP-IoT – comprises around 30 major research initiatives, platforms and networks work-
ing in the field of identification technologies such as Radio Frequency Identification and in
what could become tomorrow an Internet-connected and inter-connected world of objects.
The book in front of you reports to you about the research and innovation issues at stake and
demonstrates approaches and examples of possible solutions.
If you take a closer look you will realise that the Cluster reflects exactly the ongoing develop-
ments towards a future Internet of Things – growing use of Identification technologies, mas-
sive deployment of simple and smart devices, increasing connection between objects and
s
systems. Of course, many developments are less directly derived from the core research area
ing
but contribute significantly in creating the “big picture” and the paradigm change.
h T
We are also conscious to maintain Europe’s strong position in these fields and the result be-
t of
ing achieved, but at the same time to understand the challenges ahead as a global endeavour
with our international partners. As it regards international co-operation, the cluster is com-
erne
mitted to increasing the number of common activities with the existing international partners
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and to looking for various stakeholders in other countries.
However, we are just at the beginning and, following the prognostics which predict 50 to 100
on the
billion devices to be connected by 2020, the true research work starts now. The European
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Commission is decided to implement its Internet of Things policy for supporting an economic
revival and providing better life to its citizens, and it has just selected from the last call for
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proposals several new Internet of Things research projects as part of the 7th Framework Pro-
arch
gramme on European Research.
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We wish you now a pleasant and enjoyable reading and would ask you to stay connected with
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us for the future. Special thanks are expressed to Harald Sundmaeker and his team who did a
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remarkable effort in assembling this Clusterbook.
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Brussels, March 2010
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Peter Friess Gérald Santuci
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CERP-Io
3
Europe Direct is a service to help you find answers
to your questions about the European Union
Freephone number (*):
00 800 6 7 8 9 10 11
(*) Certain mobile telephone operators do not allow access to 00 800 numbers or these calls
may be billed.
More information on the European Union is available on the Internet (http://europa.eu).
Cataloguing data can be found at the end of this publication.
Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union, 2010
ISBN 978-92-79-15088-3
doi:10.2759/26127
© European Union, 2010
Reproduction is authorised provided the source is acknowledged.
Printed in Belgium
PRINTED ON WHITE CHLORINE-FREE PAPER
Table of contents
Foreword Vision and Challenges for Realising the Internet of Things ............... 3
Chapter 1 The Internet of Things ................................................................... 9
1.1 The Internet of Things: Between the Revolution of the Internet and the
Metamorphosis of Objects .................................................................................... 11
1
Origin of the concept of "Internet of Things" ................................................................ 12
2
Development of the Internet of Things ......................................................................... 13
3
IoT research and technological development in Europe ................................................ 21
4
Conclusion .................................................................................................................. 23
1.2 A Poor or a Rich Internet of Things; our choice now .......................................... 25
1
A global revolution ...................................................................................................... 25
2
A mental revolution ..................................................................................................... 25
3
A political revolution ................................................................................................... 26
4
A bartering revolution .................................................................................................. 26
5
An educational revolution ............................................................................................ 27
6
A technological revolution ........................................................................................... 27
7
A spiritual revolution ................................................................................................... 27
Chapter 2 The CERP-IoT Cluster .................................................................. 29
Chapter 3 Strategic Research Agenda ......................................................... 39
Executive Summary ....................................................................................................... 41
3.1 Internet of Things Vision ...................................................................................... 43
3.1.1
Internet of Things Common Definition ......................................................................... 43
3.1.2
Internet of Things Vision ............................................................................................. 43
3.2 Internet of Things Application Domains ............................................................. 49
3.2.1
Aerospace and aviation (systems status monitoring, green operations) .......................... 50
3.2.2
Automotive (systems status monitoring, V2V and V2I communication) ........................ 50
3.2.3
Telecommunications .................................................................................................... 51
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3.2.4
Intelligent Buildings (automatic energy metering/ home automation/ wireless
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monitoring) ................................................................................................................. 51
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3.2.5
Medical Technology, Healthcare, (personal area networks, monitoring of
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parameters, positioning, real time location systems) ..................................................... 52
3.2.6
Independent Living (wellness, mobility, monitoring of an aging population) ................. 52
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3.2.7
Pharmaceutical ............................................................................................................ 53
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3.2.8
Retail, Logistics, Supply Chain Management ............................................................... 53
3.2.9
Manufacturing, Product Lifecycle Management (from cradle to grave) ......................... 53
3.2.10 Processing industries - Oil and Gas .............................................................................. 53
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3.2.11 Safety, Security and Privacy ........................................................................................ 54
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3.2.12 Environment Monitoring.............................................................................................. 54
3.2.13 People and Goods Transportation ................................................................................. 54
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3.2.14 Food traceability .......................................................................................................... 55
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3.2.15 Agriculture and Breeding ............................................................................................. 55
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3.2.16 Media, entertainment and Ticketing ............................................................................. 55
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3.2.17 Insurance ..................................................................................................................... 55
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3.2.18 Recycling .................................................................................................................... 56
3.3 Technologies supporting the Internet of Things vision ....................................... 57
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3.3.1
Identification Technology ............................................................................................ 57
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3.3.2
Internet of Things Architecture Technology ................................................................. 59
3.3.3
Communication Technology ........................................................................................ 60
3.3.4
Network Technology ................................................................................................... 61
3.3.5
Network Discovery ...................................................................................................... 61
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3.3.6
Software and algorithms .............................................................................................. 62
3.3.7
Hardware ..................................................................................................................... 62
3.3.8
Data and Signal Processing Technology ....................................................................... 63
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3.3.9
Discovery and Search Engine Technologies ................................................................. 64
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3.3.10 Relationship Network Management Technologies ........................................................ 65
3.3.11 Power and Energy Storage Technologies ...................................................................... 65
3.3.12 Security and Privacy Technologies ............................................................................... 66
3.3.13 Standardisation ............................................................................................................ 67
3.4 Internet of Things Research Agenda, Timelines and Priorities ........................... 69
3.4.1
Identification Technology ............................................................................................ 69
3.4.2
Internet of Things Architecture Technology ................................................................. 69
3.4.3
Communication Technology ........................................................................................ 70
3.4.4
Network Technology ................................................................................................... 70
3.4.5
Software, Services and Algorithms............................................................................... 71
3.4.6
Hardware ..................................................................................................................... 71
3.4.7
Data and Signal Processing Technology ....................................................................... 72
3.4.8
Discovery and Search Engine Technologies ................................................................. 72
3.4.9
Relationship Network Management Technologies ........................................................ 73
3.4.10 Power and Energy Storage Technologies ...................................................................... 73
3.4.11 Security and Privacy Technologies ............................................................................... 73
3.4.12 Standardisation ............................................................................................................ 74
3.4.13 Future Technological Developments ............................................................................ 75
3.4.14 Internet of Things Research Needs ............................................................................... 77
3.5 References .............................................................................................................. 81
Chapter 4 Articles ........................................................................................ 83
4.1 Anti-Counterfeiting and how to deal with it in an IoT ......................................... 85
1
Introduction ................................................................................................................. 85
2
Markets for Counterfeit Products ................................................................................. 86
3
Automatic Identification and Authentication ................................................................ 87
4
Business Process Integration ........................................................................................ 90
5
Summary ..................................................................................................................... 90
4.2 Challenges for Usage of Networked Devices Enabled Intelligence...................... 93
1
Introduction ................................................................................................................. 93
2
Analysed Business Environments ................................................................................. 94
3
Networked Devices Enabled Intelligence ..................................................................... 96
4
The CuteLoop Framework ........................................................................................... 99
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5
Conclusions ............................................................................................................... 102
6
Acknowledgement ..................................................................................................... 102
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References ................................................................................................................. 103
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4.3 NFC Technology and its Application Scenarios in a Future IoT ....................... 105
1
IoT and NFC ............................................................................................................. 105
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2
NFC technology ........................................................................................................ 106
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3
Services and use-cases ............................................................................................... 107
4
StoLPaN project results ............................................................................................. 108
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5
Conclusion and Future Work ..................................................................................... 109
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6
Acknowledgment ....................................................................................................... 110
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References ................................................................................................................. 110
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4.4 RFID-enabled Tracking and Tracing in the Supply Chain Lessons Learnt
from the SMART and TRASER projects .......................................................... 111
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1
Introduction ............................................................................................................... 111
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2
Lessons Learnt from the SMART project ................................................................... 112
3
Lessons learnt from the TraSer project ....................................................................... 117
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4
Discussion and Conclusions ....................................................................................... 122
5
References ................................................................................................................. 123
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Acknowledgements ................................................................................................... 124
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4.5 An EU FP7 Project defining and accommodating international issues
concerning RFID with particular reference to the emerging “Internet of
Things.” ............................................................................................................... 125
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The CASAGRAS Initiative ........................................................................................ 125
2
CASAGRAS Conclusions .......................................................................................... 126
3
Recommendations ..................................................................................................... 128
CERP-
4.6 Standardisation issues challenges on RFID and a future IoT ............................ 129
6
1
Organization .............................................................................................................. 129
2
GRIFS – Architecture and Standardisation ................................................................. 130
3
GRIFS conclusions .................................................................................................... 131
4
GRIFS standard database ........................................................................................... 132
5
GRIFS MOU and GRIFS Forum ................................................................................ 136
4.7 Developing and Piloting the Next Generation of Networked RFID Systems ..... 137
1
Building Radio Frequency Identification Solutions for the Global Environment
(BRIDGE) ................................................................................................................. 137
2
BRIDGE work strands: achievements and outlook ..................................................... 139
3
Enhancing European operations with RFID and fine-grained information sharing ....... 151
4
Conclusions ............................................................................................................... 152
4.8 Open Source Middleware for Networked Embedded Systems towards
Future Internet of Things .................................................................................... 153
1
Internet of Things ...................................................................................................... 153
2
ASPIRE .................................................................................................................... 154
3
Hydra ........................................................................................................................ 158
4
Summary and Future Steps ........................................................................................ 162
5
Acknowledgment ....................................................................................................... 162
6
References ................................................................................................................. 162
4.9 Usage of RFID in the Forest & Wood Industry and Contribution to
Environmental Protection ................................................................................... 165
1
Introduction ............................................................................................................... 165
2
Traceability in the forest and wood industry ............................................................... 166
3
Monitoring environmental performance ..................................................................... 170
4
Conclusion ................................................................................................................ 173
5
References ................................................................................................................. 173
4.10 RACE networkRFID – Stimulating the take-up of RFID in Europe ................. 175
1
Introduction ............................................................................................................... 175
2
The Vision ................................................................................................................. 177
3
Impact ....................................................................................................................... 179
4
Members ................................................................................................................... 180
4.11 Outlook on Future IoT Applications................................................................... 181
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1
Introduction ............................................................................................................... 181
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2
Technology ............................................................................................................... 185
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3
Applications .............................................................................................................. 186
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4
Research Priorities ..................................................................................................... 188
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Future outlook ........................................................................................................... 189
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Chapter 5 Projects in the Cluster................................................................. 191
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AmI-4-SME .................................................................................................................. 193
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ASPIRE ........................................................................................................................ 194
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BRIDGE ....................................................................................................................... 195
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CASAGRAS ................................................................................................................. 196
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CASCADAS .................................................................................................................. 197
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CE RFID ....................................................................................................................... 198
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CoBIs ............................................................................................................................ 199
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CONFIDENCE ............................................................................................................. 200
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CuteLoop ...................................................................................................................... 201
DACAR ......................................................................................................................... 202
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DiYSE ........................................................................................................................... 203
DYNAMITE ................................................................................................................. 205
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EPoSS ........................................................................................................................... 206
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EURIDICE ................................................................................................................... 208
GRIFS ........................................................................................................................... 210
Hydra ............................................................................................................................ 211
IFM Project .................................................................................................................. 212
Indisputable Key .......................................................................................................... 214
IMS 2020 ....................................................................................................................... 215
iSURF ........................................................................................................................... 216
LEAPFROG ................................................................................................................. 217
PEARS Feasibility ........................................................................................................ 219
PrimeLife ...................................................................................................................... 220
RACE networkRFID .................................................................................................... 221
SMART ......................................................................................................................... 223
SMMART ..................................................................................................................... 224
StoLPaN ........................................................................................................................ 225
SToP.............................................................................................................................. 226
TraSer ........................................................................................................................... 227
WALTER ..................................................................................................................... 228
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Chapter 1 The Internet
of Things
1.1 The Internet of Things:
Between the Revolution of the Internet
and the Metamorphosis of Objects
Gérald Santucci
Head of Unit "Enterprise Networking and RFID"
European Commission Directorate General Information Society and Media
"The Internet of Things has the potential to change the world, just as the Internet did.
Maybe even more so."
Kevin Ashton, 2009
"And men got dreaming. Shouldn't there be a network that made all my devices
collaborate at all times, converse spontaneously among themselves and with the rest
of the world, and all together make up a kind of single virtual computer – the sum of
their respective intelligence, knowledge and know how?"
Rafi Haladjian, 2005
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"Society is now created for technological, rather than for human, requirements.
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And that's where tragedy begins."
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C. Virgil Gheorghiu, The Twenty-Fifth Hour, 1950
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"Because of the crisis, doomsday is postponed"
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La Gueule Ouverte, May 1968
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After the World Wide Web (the 1990’s) and the mobile Internet (the 2000’s), we are now
heading to the third and potentially most "disruptive"1 phase of the Internet revolution – the
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“Internet of Things”. The Internet of Things links the objects of the real world with the virtual
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world, thus enabling anytime, anyplace connectivity for anything and not only for anyone. It
refers to a world where physical objects and beings, as well as virtual data and environments,
all interact with each other in the same space and time.
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1
CERP-Io
The term "disruptive technology" was coined by Clayton M. Christensen and introduced in his 1995 article
Disruptive Technologies: Catching the Wave, which he co-wrote with Joseph L. Bower. Ref. Harvard Business
Review, January-February 1995.
11
1
Origin of the concept of "Internet of Things"
1.1
MIT Auto-ID Center
The phrase "Internet of Things" was coined some 10 years ago by the founders of the original
MIT Auto-ID Center, with special mention to Kevin Ashton in 19992 and David L. Brock in
20013. The term "Auto-ID" refers to any broad class of identification technologies used in in-
dustry to automate, reduce errors, and increase efficiency. These technologies include bar
codes, smart cards, sensors, voice recognition, and biometrics. But since 2003 the Auto-ID
technology on the main stage has been Radio Frequency Identification (RFID).
The climax of the Auto-ID Center reputation occurred in September 2003, when the EPC
(Electronic Product Code) Executive Symposium taking place in Chicago (Illinois, USA)
marked the official launch of the EPC Network – an open technology infrastructure allowing
computers to automatically identify man-made objects and track them as they flow from the
plant to distribution centre to store shelves. The Symposium, supported then by more than 90
major companies from around the world – representing food, consumer goods, retail, trans-
portation and pharmaceuticals industries, among others – highlighted RFID deemed to be-
come a key enabling technology for economic growth in the next fifty years. Considering the
Symposium in historic terms, Kevin Ashton foretold a shift from computer information proc-
essing to computer sensing.
A few weeks after the Symposium, in October 2003, the MIT Auto-ID Center was re-
christened as Cambridge Auto-ID Lab when it was closed and split into a research arm – the
Auto-ID Labs – and a commercial arm – EPCglobal, a joint venture between UCC and EAN.
The goal of the Auto-ID Labs is to develop a network connecting computers to objects – not
just the hardware (RFID tags and readers) or the software to run the network, but actually
everything that is needed to create an Internet of Things, including affordable hardware, net-
work software and protocols, and languages for describing objects in ways computers can un-
derstand. It is important to note that the Auto-ID Labs is not seeking to create another global
network but rather to develop the elements built on top of the Internet4 that would enable
tracking items and sharing information over the Internet.
1.2
When Internet of Things leaves the lab to come in broad daylight
Among the first papers of general interest on the Internet of Things, those mentioned below
marked the beginning of a new era for commerce and industry. The Internet of Things is con-
sidered then as the mere extension of Radio Frequency Identification where "RFID is kind of
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the amoeba of the wireless computing world" (Kevin Ashton). But the phrase "Internet of
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Things" points out a vision of the machines of the future: in the nineteenth century, machines
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learned to do; in the twentieth century, they learned to think; and in the twenty-first century,
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they are learning to perceive – they actually sense and respond.
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"The Internet of Things", by Sean Dodson, The Guardian, 9 October 2003.5
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"Toward a Global Internet of Things", by Steve Meloan, Sun Microsystems, 11 November
2003.6 It heralded that "With the official release of the Electronic Product Code Network,
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we are about to see the Internet of Things paradigm enter the big time – the world of main-
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stream commerce". Sun Microsystems argued of course that with its notion that "The Net-
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work is the Computer", it was uniquely positioned to play a leading role in the Auto-ID
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revolution, especially with respect to security, scalability and cross-platform compatibility.
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"A Machine-to-Machine Internet of Things", Business Week, 26 April 2004.
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2
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"I could be wrong, but I'm fairly sure the phrase ‘Internet of Things’ started life as the title of a presentation I
made at Procter & Gamble (P&G) in 1999", Kevin Ashton, RFID Journal, 22 June 2009.
3 David L. Brock, MIT Auto-ID Center, MIT-AUTOID-WH-002, "The Electronic Product Code", January 2001.
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4 More specifically the Electronic Product Code (which gives each item a unique number), the Object Name
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Service (which points a computer to an address on the Internet where information about a product is stored),
the XML-based Physical Markup Language (which enables computers to gather information and act on it), and
the software technology called Savant (which allows to manage and move information in a way that doesn't
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overload existing corporate and public networks).
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5 http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2003/oct/09/shopping.newmedia
6 http://java.sun.com/developer/technicalArticles/Ecommerce/rfid/. This article heralded that "With the official
release of the Electronic Product Code Network, we are about to see the Internet of Things paradigm enter the
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big time – the world of mainstream commerce". Sun Microsystems argued that with its notion that "The Net-
work is the Computer", it was uniquely positioned to play a leading role in the Auto-ID revolution, especially
with respect to security, scalability and cross-platform compatibility.
12
"The Internet of Things", by Neil Gershenfeld, Raffi Krikorian and Danny Cohen, Scientific
American Magazine, October 2004 – "The principles that gave rise to the Internet are now
leading to a new kind of network of everyday devices."
"The Internet of Things: Start-ups jump into next big thing: tiny networked chips", by
Robert Weisman, The Boston Globe, 25 October 2004.7
1.3
International Telecommunications Union (ITU)
The concept of "Internet of Things" came into limelight in 2005 when the International Tele-
communications Union published the first report on the subject8. At that time, Lara
Srivastava, ITU’s Strategy and Policy Unit, said: "It's safe to say that technology today is
more pervasive than we would ever have imagined possible 10 years ago. Similarly, 10
years from now things will continue in this general direction. That's what these new tech-
nologies are telling us."
The ITU report adopts a comprehensive and holistic approach by suggesting that the Internet
of Things will connect the world's objects in both a sensory and intelligent manner through
combining technological developments in item identification ("tagging things"), sensors and
wireless sensor networks ("feeling things"), embedded systems ("thinking things") and
nanotechnology ("shrinking things"). By addressing ICT and nanotechnology together, this
report touches on the concept of "convergent technologies" brought up by the U.S. National
Science Foundation (NSF) in its 2002 report for achieving "a tremendous improvement in
human abilities, societal outcomes, the nation’s productivity, and the quality of life"9 . At the
same time, the ITU report identifies the most important challenges that need to be tackled for
fully exploiting the potential of the Internet of Things – standardisation and harmonisation,
privacy, and socio-ethical issues.
2
Development of the Internet of Things
Today, there are roughly 1.5 billion Internet-enabled PCs and over 1 billion Internet-enabled
cell phones. The present "Internet of PCs" will move towards an "Internet of Things" in which
50 to 100 billion devices will be connected to the Internet by 2020. Some projections indicate
that in the same year, the number of mobile machine sessions will be 30 times higher than the
number of mobile person sessions. If we consider not only machine-to-machine communica-
tions but communications among all kinds of objects, then the potential number of objects to
be connected to the Internet arises to 100,000 billion10! In such a new paradigm, networked
objects are so many that they blur the line between bits and atoms. Several authors have cre-
s
ated new concepts to apprehend the Internet of Things paradigm. For example, Julian
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Bleecker speaks of blogjects to describe objects that blog11, Bruce Sterling speaks of spimes to
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portray location-aware, environment-aware, self-logging, self-documenting, uniquely identi-
fied objects that provide a lot of data about themselves and their environment, Adam
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Greenfield speaks of the "informational shadows" of networked objects, Rafi Haladjian speaks
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of the Pervasive Network connecting any type of machine, permanently and seamlessly, both
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indoors and outdoors, at high speed and at an imperceptible cost, but not with just any-
one/anything.
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All specialists agree that the challenges of the Internet of Things will be manifold and far-
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reaching. We will try here to identify some of these challenges by considering the perspectives
e
of Research, Industry, and Central and Local Government. Obviously, many initiatives involve
Research, Industry and Government at the same time like, for instance, the three-year project,
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announced in February 2010, involving the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) and Mi-
crosoft12.
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7 http://www.boston.com/business/technology/articles/2004/10/25/the_internet_of_things/
8 "The Internet of Things", ITU, November 2005.
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9 NSF/DOC-sponsored Report, "Converging Technologies for Improving Human Performance: Nanotechnology,
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Biotechnology, Information Technology and Cognitive Science", June 2002.
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10
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Source: Rafi Haladjian, inventor of the communicating rabbit Nabaztag, 25 May 2009.
11 Perhaps we could speak as well of twitterjects if we consider that networked objects all around the world will
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be able to share and discover almost instantly what's happening in their environments.
12 The goal of this project is to give American scientific researchers the Cloud Computing power to cope with
exploding amounts of research data.
13
2.1
Research perspective
Today the Auto-ID Labs form an independent network of seven academic research labs on
four different continents13 that develop new technology such as RFID and Wireless Sensor
Networks (WSNs) for revolutionising global commerce and providing previously unrealisable
consumer benefits.
Three of the laboratories – University of St. Gallen, ETH Zurich and MIT – organised in Zu-
rich in 2008 the first Internet of Things Conference14 that brought leading researchers and
practitioners from both academia and industry together to facilitate sharing of applications,
research results, and knowledge. The next conference will be organised at the end of 2010 in
Tokyo around the theme "IoT for a Green Planet"15 – it will explore the technical requirements
and business challenges to address today’s societal challenges with IoT technology: Health
monitoring systems to support the aging society, distributed awareness to help predict natural
disasters and react more appropriately, track and trace to help reduce traffic congestion,
product lifetime information to improve recyclability, transparency of transportation to re-
duce carbon footprint, and more insights into various kinds of processes to improve optimisa-
tion. It is noteworthy that this conference will take place at about the same time as the 27th
TRON Project Symposium on the Ubiquitous Computing Society, which is organised every
year by Professor Ken Sakamura16.
Another research perspective for the Internet of Things is given by Hewlett-Packard which has
launched a ten-year mission, a Central Nervous System for the Earth, to embed up to a trillion
pushpin-size sensors around the globe. By combining electronics and nanotechnology exper-
tise, Hewlett-Packard researchers have developed "smart dust" sensors with accelerometers
that are up to 1,000 times more sensitive than the commercial motion detectors used in Nin-
tendo Wii video game controllers and some smart phones. Potential applications include
buildings that manage their own energy use, bridges that sense motion and metal fatigue, cars
that track traffic patterns and report potholes, and fruit and vegetable shipments that tell gro-
cers when they ripen and begin to spoil.
In China, research in the field of Internet of Things is viewed as essential to foster economic
growth and catch up with the developed countries. Since 2006, several research institutes
have been involved in a far-reaching project, including Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and
Information Technology (SIMIT), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Nanjing University of
Aeronautics and Astronautics, North-western Polytechnical University of China, with strong
support from Chinese government. Researchers in Electrical & Electronic Experiment Demon-
stration Centre of Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics have already developed
s
a wireless sensor network platform of their own intellectual property, which includes ad hoc
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network wireless sensor node, data storage and data remote access terminal.
T
A promising initiative for pushing forward the limits of imagination, creativity and audacity
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with respect to the Internet of Things is "Council" – a loose group of professionals, animated
erne
by Rob van Kranenburg, Media theorist, which includes artists, designers, coders, thinkers
and tinkerers. The members of this open consultancy/think-tank "have been through the full
Int
range of emotions and conceptual breakdown that comes with grasping the territory, the full
logistical, business, social and philosophical implications of the Internet of Things."17
on the
cts
2.2
Industry perspective
e
The first industrial realisation of the Internet of Things, in the sense of RFID tags embedded
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in objects, was actually the Presto network in 199818. Despite this forerunning initiative, dur-
ing ten years, the Internet of Things was more a topic for research, especially in the Auto-ID
search
Labs, than for industry.
Re
ean
13 The goal of this project is to give American scientific researchers the Cloud Computing power to cope with
exploding amounts of research data.
Europ
14 http://www.iot2008.org/
15
r of
http://www.iot2010.org/
te
16 Ken Sakamura is a Japanese Professor in information science at the University of Tokyo, Japan. He is the
"father" of TRON, the real-time operating system architecture which is a dominant and essential part of most
Clus
embedded systems in Japan today. He is also Director of the YRP Ubiquitous Networking Laboratory (UNL)
T –
and the Chair of Japan's T-
p://www.tronshow.org/index-e.html
17 http://www.theinternetofthings.eu/
18 Henry Holtzman, now Chief Knowledge Officer of the MIT Media Lab, did a project back in 1997 involving
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RFID tags put onto Pokemon figures. Along with MIT Lab's professors Andrew Lippman and Michael Haw-
ley, Holtzman created in 1998 a commercial company, Presto Technologies, to output Internet of Things prod-
ucts. See Wired article of February 2000 at http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/8.02/mustread.html?pg=14
14
When in January 2005 Wal-Mart and the U.S. Department of Defence demanded that their
major contractors and suppliers mark their shipments with RFID tags for inventory control,
Kevin Ashton said: "It is an incredible milestone in the development of the technology. We
need to understand that January 2005 is more the end of the beginning than anything else.
When RFID really gets to go to the ball. It has kind of been a Cinderella technology in the
basement of the computer revolution for the last ten years." The explosion of the RFID mar-
ket in 2005 marked the dawn of the thinking about the Internet of Things…
Then, in 2008, an open group of companies launched the IPSO Alliance to promote the use of
Internet Protocol (IP) in networks of "smart objects"19. The IPSO alliance now boasts 53
member companies, including Bosch, Cisco, Ericsson, Intel, SAP, Sun Microsystems, Texas
Instruments, and – since December 2009 – Google and Fujitsu. Several large companies have
already invested in Internet of Things applications such as, among others, ATOS Origin,
AT&T, Cisco, Deutsche Telekom, Ericsson, Fujitsu, Google, Hitachi, IBM, Intel, Motorola,
Oracle, Qualcomm, SAP, Siemens, Telefonica, Texas Instruments, Thales, VeriSign and Veri-
zon.
Furthermore, as the Internet is running out of addresses, in the near future it will be moving
to a new protocol, IPv6. The current system, IPv4, has roughly four billion addresses. The new
address space can support 2128 (about 3.4×1038) addresses, which means, to take a commonly
used analogy, that it provides enough addresses for every grain of sand on every beach in the
world! While it is unlikely that we will be assigning IP addresses to grains of sand, the idea of
assigning them to each of the more or less 5,000 daily objects that surround us, is quite ap-
pealing. With the right technology in each object (e.g., an RFID tag) and the right network in
the surroundings, it will become easy to locate and catalogue items in a few seconds and to
reap the benefits of the vast array of new information that communications among them will
provide. IPv6 is undoubtedly one of the steps to making the Internet of Things a reality. The
IPv6 Forum20, which is based in Europe, is working towards deploying IPv6 in line with the
European Commission Communication of 27 May 200821.
In Europe, SAP has been an early promoter of the Internet of Things along with the Internet of
Services. Noting that the Internet of Things combines the power of ubiquitous networking
connectivity with modern sensor technologies, SAP highlighted the merging of the digital
world with the physical world (i.e. information concerning the identity, location and condition
of physical objects can be made available through the Internet anytime and anywhere), the
capability of objects to communicate with each other and hence become active participants in
s
global business processes, thus leading to tremendous efficiency gains in many industries.
ingh
But over the last few years, beyond sporadic announcements and initiatives from industry, the
T
Internet of Things has been ramping up22. Some specific Internet of Things products have
t of
indeed gained visibility; few examples are given below:
Violet's Nabaztag23 (2005), a cute bunny that can deliver anything from ambient infor-
erne
mation through lights and sounds to verbal information,
Int
ZeroG Wireless (2006), a new paradigm of wireless connectivity through low-cost, small-
size Wi-Fi chips embedded into any system including consumer electronics, smart energy
on the
devices, home and building controls, portable medical sensors, and sensor networks),
cts
and T2TIT (a software solution that enables secure and privacy-friendly communication
e
between objects,
Arduino (2008), an open-source electronics prototyping platform intended for artists,
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designers, hobbyists, and any "tinkerer" interested in creating interactive objects or envi-
arch
ronments,
se
Alcatel-Lucent's Touchatag (2008), a contactless application service for consumers, ap-
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plication developers and businesses, which by using Radio Frequency Identification
ean
19 Smart objects are defined by the IPSO Alliance as being small computers with a sensor or actuator and a com-
Europ
munication device, embedded in objects such as thermometers, car engines, light switches, and industry ma-
r of
chinery. They enable a wide range of applications in areas like home automation, building automation, factory
monitoring, smart cities, health management systems, smart grid and energy management, and transportation.
20 http://www.ipv6forum.com/index.php
21 COM(2008) 313 final.
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22 Top 10 Internet of Things Products of 2009
http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/top_10_internet_of_things_products_of_2009.php
23 Nabaztag, a multipurpose, Internet-connected mini-robot that talks, hears, smells objects, blinks and moves,
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was invented by Rafi Haladjian and Olivier Mével, and manufactured by their company, named Violet. On Oc-
tober 20, 2009, following a long period of technical difficulties, ultimately leading to Violet's bankruptcy,
Mindscape purchased Violet.
15
(RFID), Near Field Communication (NFC) and 2D barcode technology provides users
with one-touch, fast and easy access to, among other things, information, registration,
ticketing and payment,
Arrayent's Internet-Connect System (2009), a turnkey communication system that en-
ables companies to connect their products to smartphones and computers via the Inter-
net,
Usman Haque's Pachube (2009), a service that lets the user tag and share real-time sen-
sor data from objects, devices, buildings and environments around the world,
Haier's Internet of Things refrigerator24 (2010), the world's first refrigerator that can
store food but also be connected to a network, for food management, and be connected
with the supermarket for enhancing consumer experience.
What these first Internet of Things applications point out to is a "metamorphosis of objects"
from artefacts (objects that are simple, hand manufactured one by one at local scale, and acti-
vated by muscular energy) to machines (objects that are complex, gauged, composed of sev-
eral parts, and whose electric power source is neither human nor animal) to products (objects
that are mass manufactured) and finally to gizmos (objects that are unstable, modifiable by
the user, programmable, and short-lived)25.
The emergence of the Internet of Things is likely to provoke industry disruptions and trans-
formations as the latter often originate from major technological breakthroughs. However,
what we observe at this early stage of Internet of Things deployment is that established indus-
try incumbents and new entrants co-exist in the embryonic marketplace. Focusing on compe-
tence enhancement, the former do not seem to have great difficulty crossing the chasm created
by the Internet of Things disruption (e.g., Cisco's Intelligent Urbanization Initiative, IBM's
Smart Planet) while new entrants, favouring competence destroying innovations, rise rapidly
to visibility and significant presence on the market by holding market niches (e.g., Arduino,
Arrayent, Pachube, Violet from 2003 until 2009). This shows that changes in the emerging
Internet of Things industry are likely to come more from the introduction of new business
models (i.e. the organising principles and templates around which a business is built) than
from the seniority and size features of the companies.
2.3
Government perspective
Several countries have recognised the importance of the Internet of Things for future eco-
nomic growth and sustainability. From 2006 onwards the European Commission launched
s
public consultations and stimulated widely open discussions on RFID and the Internet of
ing
Things, especially regarding critical policy issues such as governance, privacy, and resil-
h
ience/security. These initiatives reached their climax in 2008 when the French Presidency of
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the European Union organised a Ministerial Meeting in Nice to address the Internet of Things
t of
within the broader context of the Future Internet. During the same period, the U.S. Govern-
erne
ment commissioned a series of studies that emphasized the strategic importance of Internet of
Things for U.S. relative wealth and economic power. In 2009, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao
Int
himself announced China's intention to push national industry to make a breakthrough in
wireless sensor networking, seen as a key technology in the Internet of Things26.
on the
At the Final Conference of the EU-funded CASAGRAS1 coordination and support action27,
ctse
which took place in London on 6-7 October 2009, the project leaders noted that their work
had proved without doubt that
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"There is the need and will for international co-operation. China, Japan, Korea and the USA
archse
are on board. Europe has taken the lead and now needs to drive the initiative as a truly
global partnership. It has also been shown that governments, industry and business lacked
Re
awareness of the Internet of Things and of what it offered. Awareness and education pro-
ean
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24 Haier is a Chinese company founded in 1984 (adopted current name in 1992), headquartered in Qingdao. It is
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the world's top refrigerator producer.
25 Source: from Bruce Sterling, Shaping Things, 2005.
26 When Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao heralded the Internet of Things as a national imperative for China, it re-
ceived surprisingly little play in the western world, but in Asia it was widely advertised since it was acknowl-
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edged as an important moment signalling that not only government leaders there realise that wireless sensor
networks are critical to China’s future as a manufacturing power, but the Internet of Things will pervade many
other industries where China is, or hopes to become, a global leader.
27
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CASAGRAS was coordinated by AIM UK and included the following non-European partners: YRP Ubiqui-
tous Networking Laboratory (Japan), Supply Chain Innovation Centre (Hong Kong), Electronics and Tele-
communication Institute (Korea), and Q.E.D. Systems (USA).
16
grammes are key requirements in creating a better understanding of the potential and bene-
fits, and these programmes should be especially directed at the SME community."
2.3.1
The European Union
The concept of Internet of Things was adopted by the European Union in the Commission
Communication on RFID, published in March 200728. But it had been beforehand debated at
a workshop organised in Brussels by the European Commission's Information Society and
Media Directorate-General (DG INFSO) on 6 and 7 March 200629.
The Council conclusions of November 2008 on Future Networks and the Internet:
recognised that "that the Internet of Things is poised to develop and to give rise to impor-
tant possibilities for developing new services but that it also represents risks in terms of
the protection of individual privacy",
welcomed the Commission’s intention to "adopt a communication in 2009 on the Inter-
net of Things, presenting architecture and governance issues and identifying a series of
concrete actions to initiate", and
invited Member States and the Commission to "deepen, with respect to the Internet of
Things, the reflection on the development of decentralised architectures and promoting
a shared and decentralised network governance" and "contribute to ensuring the confi-
dentiality, security, privacy and ethical management of the data that will be exchanged
on the Internet of Things, for example by promoting where appropriate the possibility
of deactivating RFID chips or any other way which provides empowerment and user
control."
2.3.2
The United States
In April 2008, the U.S. National Intelligence Council published a report on "Disruptive Civil
Technologies – Six Technologies with Potential Impacts on U.S. Interests out to 2025". These
technologies are: Biogerontechnology; Energy Storage Materials; Biofuels and Bio-Based
Chemicals; Clean Coal Technologies; Service Robotics; The Internet of Things.
The NIC report was prepared by SRI Consulting Business Intelligence30. As regards the Inter-
net of Things, it stressed that
"By 2025 Internet nodes may reside in everyday things – food packages, furniture, paper docu-
ments, and more. Today's developments point to future opportunities and risks that will arise
when people can remotely control, locate, and monitor even the most mundane devices and arti-
s
cles. Popular demand combined with technology advances could drive widespread diffusion of an
ingh
Internet of Things (IoT) that could, like the present Internet, contribute invaluably to economic
T
development and military capability."
t of
erne
Int
Figure 1.1-1: Source: SRI Consulting Business Intelligence
on the
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search
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ean
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Figure 1.1-1: Source: SRI Consulting Business Intelligence
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28 COM(2007) 96 final of 15 March 2007.
29
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ftp://ftp.cordis.europa.eu/pub/ist/docs/ka4/au_conf670306_buckley_en.pdf
30 Appendix on Internet of Things can be consulted at
http://www.dni.gov/nic/PDF_GIF_confreports/disruptivetech/appendix_F.pdf
17
According to SRI Consulting Business Intelligence, the technologies of the Internet of Things
are the following:
Enabling Building Blocks
Synergistic Technologies
These technologies directly contribute to the de-
These technologies may add value to the IoT
velopment of the IoT
Machine-to-machine interfaces and
Geo-tagging/geo-caching
protocols of electronic communication
Biometrics
Microcontrollers
Machine vision
Wireless communication
Robotics
RFID technology
Augmented reality
Energy harvesting technologies
Mirror worlds
Sensors
Telepresence and adjustable autonomy
Actuators
Life recorders and personal black boxes
Location technology
Tangible user interfaces
Software
Clean technologies
A few months later was published the fourth instalment in the National Intelligence Council-
led effort to identify key drivers and developments deemed likely to shape world events a dec-
ade or more in the future31. This report highlighted once again the importance of the Internet
of Things, also named Ubiquitous Computing, i.e. the widespread tagging and networking of
mundane objects such as food packages, furniture, room sensors, and paper documents:
"Such items will be located and identified, monitored, and remotely controlled through ena-
bling technologies – including RFID, sensor networks, tiny embedded servers, and energy
harvesters – connected via the next-generation Internet using abundant, low cost and high-
power computing (…) These technologies could radically accelerate a range of enhanced
efficiencies, leading to integration of closed societies into the information age and security
monitoring of almost all places. Supply chains would be streamlined with savings in costs
and efficiencies that would reduce dependence upon human labour."
The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), which operates the largest and most complex supply
chain in the world, awarded in January 2009 a contract for 429 million dollars in DASH7 in-
frastructure. This represents a major development in terms of global adoption of an ultra low-
s
power wireless sensor networking technology based on a single global standard.
ingh T
2.3.3
China
t of
In the second half of 2009, a number of significant public speeches were delivered about
Internet of Things in China. On 7 August, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao made a speech in the
erne
city of Wuxi calling for the rapid development of Internet of Things technologies. On that oc-
Int
casion, he provided the following interesting equation: Internet + Internet of Things = Wis-
dom of the Earth. This equation suggests that the Internet and the Internet of Things can be
on the
used to help humans understand the consequences of individual actions, and the relationship
cts
between those actions and physical laws ("wisdom of the Earth"). For example, we can choose
e
to let a million vehicles idle on the highway, but in doing so we cannot escape the social conse-
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quences in terms of the environment and health.
archse
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ean
Wen Jiabo followed up with another speech on 3 November at the Great Hall of the People in
Beijing, in which he called for breakthroughs in wireless sensor networks and the Internet of
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Things.
r of
It is expected that in 2010 China will push forward with major policy initiatives to speed up
the development of its national industry. At the same time, Chinese provinces, municipalities
and industrial parks will release supporting policies. In December 2009, Zhou Hongren, ex-
T – Cluste
ecutive vice chairman of the Advisory Committee for State Informatization (ACSI), advised
that Guangdong Province use the Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) first around China, be-
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31 National Intelligence Council, "Global Trends: A Transformed World", NIC 2008-003, November 2008.
18
cause the IPv4 resources will be used up by 2012, which will somehow block the growth of the
Internet of things in China32.
2.3.4
Japan
Japan's involvement in the general field of ICT has been spelled out in the New IT Reform
Strategy (January 2006) and Priority Program 2008 (August 2008) at the Strategic Head-
quarters for the Promotion of an Advanced Information and Telecommunications Network
Society (IT Strategic Headquarters). The goal is "to realise ubiquitous and universal network
society where everyone can enjoy the benefits of IT."
The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) promotes R&D and standardisa-
tion of ICT for enhancing Japan's international competitiveness. The Ministry of Education,
Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) promotes research in important fields such
as life science, information technology, nanotechnology and materials, and the utilisation of
quantum beam. In the field of ICT, one of the main goals is a safe ubiquitous network society,
such as next-generation electronic tags. In January 2010, MEXT has released a White Paper
on Science and Technology 2009.33 The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI)
started in 2008 the Green IT Project aiming at a balance between environment and economy.
In February 2009, Japan's METI and European Commission's DG INFSO concluded a Memo-
randum of Cooperation on RFID, wireless sensor networks and the Internet of Things. Besides
a joint commitment to developing a regular dialogue, the two entities will cooperate on social
acceptance (accessibility, consumer convenience, privacy, etc), networked RFID and future
Internet of Things, health and environmental impact, and harmonisation issues (code system,
definition of messages, development of open global standards and/or harmonisation of re-
gional standards, interoperability between different systems).
Table 1.1-1: Main R&D priorities for MIC, MEXT and METI.
(Source: from the White Paper on Science and Technology 2009)
MIC MEXT METI
Networking
All-packet type, highly
functional network; in-
crease in Internet traffic;
information-communi-
cation infrastructure; all-
optical networks with
ultra-high speed and ex-
s
tremely low power con-
ingh
sumption; sharing of mul-
T
tiple wireless systems with
the same frequency; wire-
t of
less systems in unused
erne
frequency bands; beyond
the next-generation net-
Int
work.
Ubiquitous
RFID tags and sensors
on the
networking
(2004-2007); Ubiquitous
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Platform Technology R&D
(since 2008); digitalisa-
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tion of home appliances;
broadband networks.
archse
Device/
Innovative spin device;
Miniaturisation technolo-
display
large-capacity, high-speed
gies for a 45-nanometer or
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storage to realise high-
smaller technology node;
ean
function and ultra low-
next-generation memory
power consumption com-
with a non-volatile func-
puting.
tion; chip technology to
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reduce power consump-
r of
tion in information house-
hold appliances; 3D inte-
gration technology in a
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32 By September 2008, there had been 66,290 allocated IPv6 addresses worldwide, including 14,729 for the U.S.,
followed by Germany, Japan, France, Australia, and South Korea. While Brazil had then 128 IPv6 addresses,
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the figure was only 54 in China, which is insufficient to meet the demand of advanced applications and re-
strains the steady and sustainable growth of the Internet industry.
33 http://www.mext.go.jp/english/wp/1288376.htm
19
MIC MEXT METI
semiconductor device
(since 2008); Green IT
(router to control power
consumption, etc).
Security
Prevention of information
Visualisation techniques
Bot trapping/analysing
and
leaks; technologies for
for software construction
system; prevention of
software
detecting, mitigating and
status; software for system damage caused by new
preventing BGP prefix
integration and coopera-
types of threats to infor-
hijacking.
tion to realise e-Science.
mation security; manage-
ment techniques for de-
veloping a secure IT envi-
ronment for people; voice
recognition for consumer
convenience.
Human
Super-ultra-high-density
Super-high-performance
Accurate search and
interface
image broadcasting; future database platform soft-
analysis of required in-
and content
3D imaging techniques;
ware enabling the man-
formation from among
network voice translation
agement and utilisation of
large amounts of data and
(one of the Pioneering
huge amounts of data;
infrastructure for futuris-
Projects for Accelerating
software enabling the
tic business (Information
Social Return); believabil-
seamless use of various
Grand Voyage Project).
ity of information among
computers distributed
various types of informa-
throughout Japan.
tion available on networks.
Robotics
Robots with versatile sen-
Industrial robots, service
sors and devices that can
robots, and special envi-
provide services like life
ronmental work robots;
support and wel-
intelligence technologies
fare/caretaking support.
for the rapidly changing
environment of produc-
tion and the living envi-
ronment; standardised
methods to connect and
control various compo-
nents of robots and to
make reusable parts
s
(modules).
ingh
T
t of
2.4
Smart City perspective
The initiatives of IBM (Smarter Planet: "instrument the world's systems, interconnect them,
erne
make them intelligent") and Cisco (Intelligent Urbanization: "using the network as a utility
Int
for integrated city management"), already mentioned, but also General Electric (Ecomagina-
tion: "solve today's environmental challenges and benefit customers and society at large") and
on the
other multinational companies, are typical examples of the contribution of the Internet of
cts
Things to the development of Smart Cities.
e
By 2050, 70% of people on Earth will live in cities, which suggests that more than states, re-
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gions or perhaps even nations, cities are increasingly for businesses the central measure for
success or failure. New Songdo City in Korea is still today the most famous smart city project
search
so far, covering all aspects from infrastructure to architecture, transportation, utilities, den-
Re
sity, open space and parks, in short everything that defines the substance of an urban area.
There has been also the Ubiquitous Network Project of Tokyo University Professor Ken Saka-
ean
mura, which started in 2007 with a field test in Tokyo's Ginza shopping district where more
than 1,200 chips, 270 infrared spotlights, and 16 Wi-Fi stations were placed on lampposts,
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flower beds, stores, and underground subway tunnels.
r ofte
Many other smart city projects have emerged over the last few years in different parts of the
world. They concern the rise of "new cities" – e.g., King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC) in
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Saudi Arabia, (MASDAR) in Abu Dhabi, Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT) in
T
India, the Infocomm Development Authority (iDA) of Singapore – or the modernization of
Io-–
existing cities – e.g., Amsterdam CITYNET in The Netherlands, Borlänge City in Sweden, San
Francisco TechConnect in California, U.S., Yangzhou in China's Jiangsu province, Santander
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in Spain. Using Internet of Things technology that offers wireless communication and real-
time data such as temperature, pressure, vibrations, and energy measurements between the
20
devices which surround us, endless applications are being developed aiming at positioning
cities as attractive global investment nodes for advanced manufacturing and service indus-
tries.
The development of Smart Cities is often – not always – carried out through a partnership
between the local public authorities and the private sector (e.g., Cisco-KAEC, GE-City of Yang-
zhou, IBM-Stockholm). The European Commission, building upon its 10-year old IADS ex-
perience34, intends to support initiatives regarding Smart Cities through the "Future Internet
Public Private Partnership" (FP7, 2011-2012 Work Programme) and the ICT Policy Support
Programme (CIP, 2010 Work Programme).
3
IoT research and technological development in Europe
The debate about Internet of Things in Europe rose at a time when the structure of the 7th
Research Framework Programme (FP7) was already established. It is obvious that the holistic
approach adopted by the "Networked Enterprise and Radio Frequency Identification (RFID)"
unit (DG INFSO/D4) in its initiatives, especially the Communication of June 2009 and its
follow-up, deemed to draw attention in policy makers, academics and industry and to yield
considerable and lasting benefits for the European economy and society, does not fit well the
FP7 structure with its few "Challenges" and associated "Objectives". During the implementa-
tion of the first two ICT-FP7 Work Programmes (2007-2008 and 2009-2010), the networking
and communications aspects of IoT fell clearly within the remit of Challenge 1 (Pervasive and
Trustworthy Network and Service Infrastructures) whereas the hardware aspects (nanotech-
nologies, sensor technologies, solutions bridging nano and micro systems, etc.) matched bet-
ter the contents of Challenge 3 (Components, Systems, Engineering) and the applications
aspects could be found relevant to the contents of Challenge 5 (Towards sustainable and per-
sonalised healthcare), Challenge 6 (ICT for Mobility, Environmental Sustainability and En-
ergy Efficiency), and Challenge 7 (ICT for Independent Living, Inclusion and Governance).
This discrepancy between a vision (Internet of Things), the related technologies (RFID, sen-
sors, wireless sensor networks, nanotechnologies, etc.), and the available policy instruments
(FP7) will unfortunately not disappear rapidly. It would not be advisable indeed to modify the
structure of FP7 for accommodating just one particular vision. But it can be regretted that the
FP5 idea of "cross-programme actions" was abandoned in the next Research Framework Pro-
grammes, and hence the possibility of clustering the projects from different "Challenges" with
respect to their adherence to the IoT vision should be explored. The recommendations put
forward by a number of relevant industry groups, especially the IST Advisory Group (see 3.1
below), go in the same direction.
s
ing
Meanwhile, in 2008, DG INFSO/D4 had taken the initiative of defining the contents of a spe-
h T
cific call for proposals (Call 5 of the 2009-2010 Work Programme) for addressing Internet of
t of
Things in a dedicated and holistic way. The response to this call, which was received at the end
of 2009, was high and the overall quality of the proposals very good or good.
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3.1
Setting the scene
The IST Advisory Group (ISTAG)35, which was set up in 1998 to advise the Commission on the
overall strategy to be followed in carrying out the ICT thematic priority under the European
on the
Framework Programme for Research, stated in a 2009 report36 that "the development of a
ctse
Future Internet with its three components (Internet of services, network architectures and
technologies, Internet of things) [was] a key development for the ICT sector". Referring to the
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Internet of things as "an explosive increase in the number of devices attached to the Internet,
including many machines, sensors and intelligent devices", this report recommended "to
search
support research and development in the area of self-organizing embedded systems and
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autonomic diagnosis to provide the infrastructure for new applications in the coming Inter-
net-of-Things".
ean
Europ
r of
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34 In 1997, under the 4th Research Framework Programme (FP4), the European Commission selected 12 Inte-
grated Applications for Digital Sites (IADS) projects founded on strong private-public sector partnerships and
funded primarily by industry and research bodies. 52 million euro of EU funds were then attributed to the 12
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projects, i.e. an average EU contribution of 4.4 million euro and a total cost per project amounting to an aver-
Io-
age of 11 million euro. Participants in these IADS projects included 43 digital cities and towns and 21 digital
regions.
35
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From 1999 onwards, ISTAG popularized the phrase "Ambient Intelligence" – initially a technology vision for
the timeframe 2010-2020 – that had been coined by Eli Zelkha and Brian Epstein, from Philips, in 1998.
36 ISTAG, "Revising Europe's ICT Strategy", February 2009.
21
According to ISTAG, technical research challenges to turn the vision of Internet of Things into
reality have to be addressed at multiple layers37:
Edge technologies, such as sensors and actuators, passive/active identification tags, em-
bedded systems, which are attached to real-world objects and make them smart enough
to participate in Internet of Things scenarios.
Networking technologies, such as fixed, mobile wired and wireless networks allowing the
highly available bidirectional communication on different levels (between real-world ob-
jects, applications and services offering functionality).
Middleware systems putting real-world data into the context of various Internet applica-
tions.
Platform services that run in the background to support a superior management of all in-
volved technical components in an integrated way ensuring scalability, high availability,
and safety/security.
In its 2009 report, ISTAG goes further, arguing that based on Europe's experience in several
fields – Embedded Systems, Wireless Autonomous Transducer Systems, Robotics, Compo-
nents, and Nano-Electronics/Systems – the Internet of Things could be linked to an Internet
of Services provided that "technology for context-aware, reliable, embedded, energy efficient
and secure distributed networks of cooperating sensors end actuators, as well as the energy
provision for this technology" is made available. Such technology would require a 'total sys-
tem" solution (from systems theory of massive distributed networks through embedded soft-
ware platforms to the development of "more than Moore" nano-system design) as well as new
models of interaction ("beyond the desktop metaphor").
3.2
Call 5 of the ICT theme in the 7th Research Framework Programme
Call 5 of the ICT theme managed by DG Information Society and Media under the 7th Re-
search Framework Programme (FP7) was the first time the Internet of Things community was
invited to submit proposals for collaborative research in the field. It was a test of the ability
and willingness of Europe’s ICT community to deal cooperatively with the Internet of Things
challenges. The description of the work proposed in the Call text was the following:
Architectures and technologies for an Internet of Things
Architectures and technologies using open protocols, which enable novel Internet-based
applications including – but not restricted to – business/enterprise scenarios. They
should use information generated at the periphery of the network from the virtual and
physical worlds with aggregation of those, and allow action on the physical world. Physi-
s
cal world event information are generated by tags, sensors, actuators and wireless de-
ing
vices. Related processes and applications may be object- or location-centric and cover
h
management capabilities of various classes of events, such as real world events (sensor
T
based), behavioural/people events, or business events. For business scenarios, traceabil-
t of
ity networks correlated with logistics and order or billing flows are of particular impor-
erne
tance.
Optimised technologies covering distribution of intelligence between the edge network
Int
and the more centralised business/process information system. This includes service dis-
covery systems as well as scalable, secure, open middleware necessary to put real world
on the
data into the context of various Internet applications with event processing, separation
cts
and filtering. Of particular importance are the integration and interoperability with the
e
mainstream business/process management platforms and tools and the necessary man-
Proj
agement of varying data ownership across the edge device/object life cycle.
Architectural models enabling an open governance scheme of the Internet of Things,
arch
without centralised gatekeeper lock-in of critical business/process functionalities.
se
Re
DG INFSO/D4 organised two information days in Brussels, respectively in February 2009 and
September 2009, to raise awareness of the ICT community about the contents of the Objective
ean
1.3 “Internet of Things and Enterprise Environments” and to facilitate consortium building
among sector actors.
Europ
The call resulted in 45 R&D proposals related to the Internet of Things, including 9 Integrated
r of
Project proposals and 36 Specific Targeted Research Project proposals.
The call attracted 357 partners, including 178 (50%) from industry, 93 (26%) from academia,
69 (19%) from research organisations, and 17 (5%) from the public sector. This underlines the
T – Cluste
strong interest of industry in IoT research and the ability of all stakeholders to build balanced
consortia. Interestingly, small- and medium-sized enterprises (i.e. roughly, independent com-
CERP-Io
37 Source: ISTAG, Working Group on Future Internet Infrastructure, Version 8, 23 January 2008.
22
panies with less than 250 employees) represent a significant 47% of all companies, which is a
good indicator of the dynamism of the emerging IoT industry.
EU organisations represented 86% of all organisations involved in the call, the other 14% in-
cluding countries like Norway, U.S., Brazil, Canada, Israel, and Japan. 53% of the total num-
ber of participating organisations came from only five EU countries, which shows a high de-
gree of concentration. Germany had 49 organisations involved, followed by Spain (46), Italy
(39), the United Kingdom (32) and France (23). Some countries surprisingly scored a rela-
tively low participation figure (France, the Nordic EU countries…); conversely, countries like
Greece, Switzerland, Ireland and Poland scored well in that respect.
The diagrams below give some indication of the leading organisations involved in IoT research
in Europe.
Top 10 organisations represented in proposals
13
14
12
9
10
8
6
6
5
5
5
6
4
4
4
4
2
0
G
fer
es
T
1
OS
ca
za
P A
GS
catel
en
Thal
AT
icsson
TX
SA
Al
Fraunho
Er
Telefoni Sapi
Figure 1.1-2: Top 10 organisations represented in proposals
s
Total EU funding requested
ingh T
14.000.000
t of
12.000.000
10.000.000
erne
8.000.000
6.000.000
Int
4.000.000
2.000.000
on the
0
ctse
G
fer
T
1
OS
TX
za
es
P A
AT
en
catel
GS
Thal
icsson
Proj
SA
lefonica
Al
Fraunho
Sapi
Te
Er
arch
se
Re
Figure 1.1-3: Total EU funding requested.
ean
4
Conclusion
Europ
The Internet of Things is a vision that encompasses and surmounts several technologies at the
r of
confluence of Nanotechnology, Biotechnology, Information Technology and Cognitive Sci-
ences. Over the next 10 to 15 years, the Internet of Things is likely to develop fast and shape a
newer "information society" and "knowledge economy", but the direction and pace with which
T – Cluste
developments will occur are difficult to forecast.
In fact, when considering the spectrum of possibilities for the Internet of Things in the 2020-
CERP-Io
2025 timeframe, little can be said at this stage since the technology is still being refined, the
industry is in a process of reconfiguration, and the market is embryonic. The main uncertain-
23
ties can be grouped around two axes: the timing of developments (slow versus fast) and the
depth of penetration (niches versus ubiquity)38.
In terms of timing, the Internet of Things will grow all the more rapidly if favourable policies,
technological progress and business collaboration prevail. This is actually the sort of "Golden
Triangle" which the European Commission is seeking to harness through its regulatory (Direc-
tives, Recommendations), research (7th Research Framework Programme) and innovation
(ICT Policy Support Programme) instruments.
In terms of penetration, the Internet of Things could permeate the whole economy and society
if the public concerns that generally impede technological change (in particular privacy and
security) are addressed and warranted in such a way that trust and enthusiasm are reflected in
strong market demand. Otherwise, should these demand signals not materialise, the Internet
of Things would remain limited to a few niches (e.g., health care, logistics, manufacturing,
health care, security, transportation).
Overall, much will depend, among other factors, on technological advances in miniaturisation
and energy-efficient electronics, advances in software acting on behalf of people and actually
fusing sensor information from heterogeneous sources, the size and nature of demand in the
private sector (commerce, logistics, etc.) and the public sector (defence, health care, etc.), the
effectiveness of initial waves of IoT in reducing costs/improving efficiencies, the ability of
devices located indoors to receive geolocation signals, and the efficient use of spectrum.
The turn that the debate has taken in 2009 – a year which might be regarded later as the true
beginning of the Internet of Things – with the U.S. and China joining Europe in addressing the
challenges and opportunities of this vision, indicates that a growing number of analysts, not
only in industry and academia but also among public decision makers, have become convinced
that the Internet of Things will ignite fresh demand for a wide range of hardware and software
to store, process and search the trillions of data from tags, sensors and other identification and
location devices to actually create useful knowledge. It does feel almost like the beginning of
the Internet39!
The journey to the Internet of Things will be a long one. Besides some well-known embryonic
applications (Arduino, Nabaztag, Pachube, Touchatag, etc.), today objects can only exchange
information within "intranets of things", i.e. environments within which processes are con-
trolled. These objects cannot yet address any Internet of Things, which by definition should be
open, uncertain and complex. One of the main challenges of the Internet of Things is therefore
to transform connected objects into real actors of the Internet by developing and implement-
s
ing appropriate applicative design methodologies40. This shift of paradigm involves major
ing
societal and ethical challenges that loom ahead and need to be tackled, certainly at European
h T
level but also at global level. The metamorphosis of objects, if left without any regulation or
interference, might give rise to a genuine, extensive surveillance society. Each individual
t of
would spontaneously document his life by complementing factual information on his journeys,
erne
locations and transactions, which are today aggregated, with the micro-events of his day-to-
Int
day intimate life. Besides the technology, an open dialogue must take place on the ethics of the
Internet of Things in order to mitigate the risks of a society which would be transparent for a
few and opaque for all the others.
on the
cts
The Internet of Things fundamental challenges will be addressed in the next ICT-FP7 Work
e
Programme (2011-2012) by inviting multi-stakeholder, multidisciplinary consortia to put for-
ward ambitious proposals on the related technical aspects.
Proj
At the same time, DG INFSO will seek to organise and steer an open debate on the different
search
"lines of action" described in the European Commission Communication on the Internet of
Things.
Re
ean
Europ
r ofte
Clus
38 Source: U.S. National Intelligence Council – "Disruptive Civil Technologies: Six Technologies with Potential
T
Impacts on U.S. Interests Out to 2025", pp39-42.
Io
39
-–
Source: Katharine Frase, vice president for emerging technologies at IBM Research, quoted by The New York
Times in "Smart Dust? Not Quite, but We're Getting There", 31 January 2010.
40
CERP
See Philippe Gautier, "Internet des Objets: Objets connectés, objets communicants… ou objets acteurs",
http://www.refondation.org/blog/2385/internet-des-objets-objets-connectes-objets-communicants-ou-objets-
acteurs
24
1.2 A Poor or a Rich Internet of
Things; our choice now
A look into the future and
the meaning of the Internet of Things
Rob van Kranenburg
Fontys Applied Sciences, Lectoraat Ambient Intelligence/Council
The Internet of Things promises dramatic changes, yet in an age of permanent revolution the
word 'revolution' itself becomes decadent, outmoded. Still it is the best word to describe disrup-
tive innovation. It holds a promise of new and something different, alerts proven practices to the
fact they too are historical, and in its most successful forms redefines the dreams and abundance
of youth with the longing for stability and status quo.
1
A global revolution
In Carl Schmitt’s political philosophy he makes a distinction between the real enemy and the
absolute enemy. This latter enemy is the one that negates your own position, questions your
very existence. The real enemy denotes our possibility to act, we can react to challenges and
threats. The absolute enemy appears on thresholds to new realities that are being born out of
revolutions, not out of easy transitions Heidegger foresaw the road that Techne (craft or art in
Ancient Greece) was travelling, yet was articulating the notion of Techne itself. Can we see
technology still as helpful in the current strategies for sustainability, energy infrastructures,
s
and communication protocols?
ingh
In Bandung (Indonesia), artist think-tank Common Room is working with designers hoping to
T
develop a "talking three forest" in within five years. They hope this can develop a new relation-
t of
ship between people and environment. Usman Haque, the founder of Pachube, one of the
defining start-ups in the very young field is "quite excited by a site that Mauj (an artist think-
erne
tank in Karachi) is working with, of unofficially reclaimed mangrove area, that has much po-
Int
tential for analysis, speculation and actual on-site workshop action; involving both social and
ecological issues, environmental as well as economic." He "would love if we could consider
on the
how some kind of citizen-oriented data collection and sense-making process could inform
cts
wider community-oriented activity."
e
Throughout Asia, Africa, Eastern Europe and South America, projects are being considered of
Proj
pushing trials for the inclusion of RFID in banknotes in order to fight corruption and tax eva-
arch
sion that greatly hamper the growth of genuine public space, public institutions and generic
se
infrastructures of energy, transport, IT infrastructure and lifelong education. Maybe it is very
Re
simply because things can only get better in a lot of places in the world. Given the current eco-
nomic situation in Europe, we may have to say that things will probably get worse, not better
ean
in the terms in which we have been defining 'better'. Yet the European Union cannot lead if it
cannot engender and muster a wave of positive interest and a genuine longing for more or
Europ
better connectivity.
r of
2
A mental revolution
Artists have always exploited the conditions for technological change, applications and ser-
T – Cluste
vices, from the pencil onwards. In the move towards ubiquitous computing - from the Internet
to the 'Internet of Things' - the poetic process of making meaning and creating experiences is
no longer only productive at the level of design, but it lies at the heart of the IT architecture of
CERP-Io
the system, its standards and protocols. In a pervasive computing environment, distributed
security – which is the key to digital systems that are focused on control – will halt innovation,
25
emerging uses and services, and launch and learn scenarios. Resonance, not interaction, is the
design principle in environments where connectivity is everywhere yet not always accessible to
individual users.
The Internet of Things (IoT) is a new actualization of subject-object relationships. Me and my
surroundings, objects, clothes, mobility, whatever, will have an added component, a digital
potentiality that is potentially outside of 'my' control. Every generation builds its own add-ons
to the notions of reality, to what it believes are the foundations of the real. What makes this
move so different?
There is a table. On the table a glass. A glass of tea, Jasmine? Jasmine tea. Hmm, good tea. I
reach for the glass in a hurry, I gotta run. My hand, it feels like sweeping it off the table yet
gently grasps it. I am not in a hurry at all. I can take it in my hand and admire the engrav-
ings. I can see drops of condensed water gently not quite sliding over the edge. I am not in a
hurry. I pour you a glass. I offer it to you. Here, a glass of Jasmine tea. There are a great
number of ways to reach out for a glass. And now this glass is the one your grandmother
gave to you on her dying bed. You put it on the table. Pour out Jasmine tea. The affordances
of a lifetime, the scope of a generation, as you reach out for the cup, the gesture itself become
the reality that bridges worlds.41
What is most likely to happen in my opinion? A child will grow up and see a glass on that ta-
ble. She will put her mobile phone/device/cuddle next to the glass. She wants to find out what
it is, what it means. She will for evermore and from the beginning of her time do this with and
through mediating devices. And lo and behold, a movie starts playing on its cuddle, triggered
by the tag embedded in the glass. The movie is scripted by the Jasmine tea providers who tell
the stories they want to tell. Finally the real has become scriptable and the scriptable becomes
the real.
3
A political revolution
The primary claim to data gathering, determining what data is in the first place, what the
status of information is, and how knowledge is to be made operational, is no longer wed to
universities and academic institutions. Neither is its output: essay, report, document - the sole
format through which broadly shared notions on what is acceptable and real can be spread.
Networks of professional amateurs, informed citizens and self-taught experts as well as sci-
ence itself are looking for new trusted formats of transmitting data, information and knowl-
edge. The expertise of designers and artists in designing broadly shared events, conferences,
local workshops, flash mob seminars in streets and neighbourhoods, foregrounding humour,
s
irony, passion and love, is essential.
ingh
Maybe it can be the positive solution, the logical step in the history of outsourcing memory to
T
objects, devices and the environment, for the challenges we all face today of an ever growing
t of
individualization that might tempt citizens into breaking with the existing solidarities (among
erne
race, gender, ethnicity, age…) that are currently harnessed through the nation state. What if
through the Internet of Things we can create a layer of data, open to all, through which indi-
Int
viduals can decide for themselves what they are willing to pay for, get direct feedback from
their voluntary donations, coordinate community spending that has a direct bearing to their
on the
needs through participatory budgeting, negotiate with other people in other parts of the world
cts
how to use their money?
e
Proj
4
A bartering revolution
There is a broad growing consensus that current monetary systems are not working for any of
archse
the stakeholders in the long run, whether it is citizens, lenders, shareholders, investors. They
might all profit maximally at one particular point in the cycle but overall loss and gain seems
Re
to even out. IoT seems to favour micropayments and transparency in transaction. We can en-
ean
visage a definition of IoT identity as an ever-changing mix of relations between the physical
body of a person, his or her objects and a ‘smart’ environment: privacies. Monitoring mecha-
Europ
nisms will be built into devices themselves. It is unproductive to attempt to isolate old con-
r of
stants in such an environment. The privacy of objects is just as relevant or irrelevant as the
privacy of persons in this fluid ecology that is called ‘identity’.
T – Cluste
CERP-Io
41 Rob van Kranenburg, 5 February 2010, http://www.newtechacademy.eu/
26
5
An educational revolution
What is the role of a museum in a world of cloud computing? What is the function of making
quality decisions on what to keep and what to throw away if the Facebook generation does not
delete anything anymore? Not on their mobiles, not on their laptops. Serious debating all over
the world is taking place on the function of our current educational systems. In a world where
hardware is becoming cheap, one can imagine a learning situation that consists of rapid proto-
typing skills on the one hand and making scenarios through storytelling on the other.
6
A technological revolution
Research into quick and dirty applications of soft biometrics and innovative ways of gaining
biofeedback in intuitive and non-invasive ways are of paramount importance. Taking into
account as much of the granularity of experience as input into our systems, may lead to not
only an acceptance of ambient intelligence, but an embracing of it by people who realize that
this could actually help them gain more agency – individual and collective – through getting
real-time feedback on real actions and real needs.
7
A spiritual revolution
In Separating and containing people and things in Mongolia, Rebecca Empson writes: "... the
doing involved in making things visible or invisible makes relations. In this sense 'vision' be-
comes the tool by which relations are created."
The komuso, a wandering monk, plays a central part in the history of Japanese Shakuhachi
music. From behind their wicker visors these men wearing straw hats have "viewed the flow of
Japanese life from the seventeenth century to the present", as Charles P. Malm writes. The
ranks of the komuso were filled with conspirators or antisocial groups such as Ninja and
Ronin. In Kyoto, a group of komuso called themselves the Fukeshu. Malm writes: "The Bud-
dhist shogun government, which had smashed all Christian inspired opposition after the bat-
tle of Shimabara, was very suspicious of any form of organisation that contained these samu-
rai whose allegiance was doubtful." The Fukeshu secretly purchased a building that belonged
to one of the larger Buddhist temples. By faking a number of papers claiming their historical
origins as coming from China via a priest named Chosan, the Fukeshu tried to secure their
position. They also produced a copy of a license from the first Edo Shogun, Ieyasu, giving
them the exclusive right to solicit alms by means of Shakuhachi playing. When a samurai be-
came Ronin he could no longer wear his double sword. So these wandering monks redesigned
the Shakuhachi. The flute became a formidable club as well as a musical instrument. The
s
Fukeshu asked for official recognition of their temple. The government demanded the official
ing
document. The Fukeshu claimed it was lost. The shogun granted their request on the condition
h T
that they act as spies for the government. The Fukeshu accepted, playing soft melodies and
overhearing intimate conversations. If we read these steps backwards there always seems to be
t of
one more mask.
erne
The final layer is nonexistent, the essence never material, the object ever empty. It is very hard
Int
to debate this. At one particular point, somebody decides to give meaning to some data, any
data. This is an act of will. Any society entering an ontologically different frontier needs strong
stories to actualize its promises through and with the people.
on the
ctse
Conclusion: poor or rich; a choice to be made
Proj
We can safely assume that the above trends will take place or grow to be effective in the com-
archse
ing years. There are many possible futures forming a continuum with at one end a 'poor' and
Re
at the other a 'rich' potential actualization. The decision is up to us now and could not come at
a worse time. For the trend is towards not taking risks but having safety and security and
ean
nothing-happening-that-is-not-in-my-to-do-list as a default for decision-making. The respon-
sibility of the entire field - from policy to programming - is to show leadership in feeling com-
Europ
fortable in more insecure times, in trusting the inherent traits for collaboration and friend-
r of
ship, and in combining Europe's strong human rights and democratic tradition with the new
balances required by the IoT between the "individual" and the "collective".
T – Cluste
CERP-Io
27
Chapter 2 The CERP-IoT
Cluster
Cluster Description
Cluster of European Research Projects
on the Internet of Things
nologies such as “Future Internet” and
“Internet of Things” targeting the future
ERP-IoT: Cluster of European global society.
Research Projects on the Inter-
C net of Things
Today, 10 per cent of all the mobile phones
sold in China are smart phones, and this is
http://www.rfid-in-action.eu/cerp-iot
growing at annual rate of 28 per cent. China
The Internet is based on a layered, end to end is speeding up on development of “Internet of
model that allows individuals at each level of Things”, making it a new engine for economic
the network to innovate free of any central growth and an opportunity to catch up with
control. By, placing intelligence at the edge of the developed countries. China has started
the network rather than control in the middle exploring the ‘Internet of Things’ (IoT) con-
of the network, the Internet has created a cept where objects, equipped with wireless
platform for innovation.
identifying devices, are able to communicate
with each other to form, a self configuring
The advances in technology create the basis network. The areas of application would be
of high rate of change and progress of Inter-
public assets/facilities management, envi-
net functions and applications. In the world ronmental surveillance, disaster manage-
there are many more “things” than “people” ment, and remote monitoring of health.
and the integration of the Internet with the
physical world will be a challenge for the fu-
In order to leverage IoT successfully the
ture Internet technology and propagate the global cooperation between Europe, US, In-
coming of a new paradigm shift in informa-
dia and Asia (China, Japan, Korea, etc.) is
s
tion processing.
essential in order to clearly identify the tech-
nology research and development needs and
ingh
Today the world of the Internet and the work out a clear structure for different stake-
T
physical world are almost two standalone holders to work together.
t of
worlds with “people” being the interface be-
tween the two and the development of the A number of technologies, functionalities and
erne
future Internet of Things will make that these many functions implemented by a diverse set
Int
two worlds will get significantly intertwined.
of systems and technologies are behind the
IoT that includes aspects of electrical engi-
The ultimate vision, is an “Internet of things” neering, computer science, sensors technol-
on the
linking tens of thousands of sensor networks ogy, management research, and psychology.
cts
using a convergence of technologies that will
e
let companies and individuals keep track of In the context of the evolution of integrated
Proj
every physical item on earth at every mo-
information systems, the IoT vision will offer
ment, while addressing the privacy and secu-
a new quality of integration, which is no
arch
rity concerns.
longer limited to the information flows of the
se
digital world but also directly links processes
Re
The development of Internet of Things de-
in the physical world as well as the associated
ean
pends on dynamic technical innovation in products (e.g., objects, home appliances) and
number of important fields from wireless means of production (e.g., equipment, tools),
sensors to nanotechnology, software to em-
Europ
which means that the scope of integration
bedded systems.
crosses the boundaries of information sys-
r of
The world is increasingly merged into a tems and pervades the world of physical ob-
global market economy, and one of the main jects and processes.
pillars of European information and commu- The management of processes in manufactur-
T – Cluste
nication technology policy is stimulating ing, logistics, sales, and services, mainly de-
technological innovation and global coopera-
pends on accurate information on the avail-
tion with the United States, Japan, China,
CERP-Io
ability of parts, the status of machines and
South Korea, and other countries for enhanc- tools, the correct execution of workflows,
ing competitiveness and developing tech-
customer behaviour on the production/sales
31
floor, and other things happening in the INDISPUTABLE KEY: Usage of RFID in
physical world.
the wood environment and contribution to
The objective of this book on the Internet of
environment protection European
Things is to present the activities of the pro-
RACE networkRFID: Stimulating the take-
jects financed by the European Commission
up of RFID in Europe
in order to develop the enabling technologies
for IoT, while fostering the discussion in aca-
ETP EPoSS: Outlook on future IoT applica-
demia, research and industry on the devel-
tions
opment of a future Internet of Things.
A brief description of the results from a se-
The projects that are addressing the under-
lected number of the projects participating in
ling technologies for the development of IoT the Cluster is presented below.
have a common platform offered by the ac- CuteLoop project has identified innovative
tivities of the Cluster of European Projects on features based on the requirements analysis
the Internet of Things
in food chain and craftsmen business envi-
The European Research Cluster on the Inter-
ronments. Those features were seen as en-
net of Things is part of Europe’s ambition to ablers to decentralise the intelligence from
shape a future Internet of Things (IoT) for its central entities in the overall ambience to
businesses and citizens.
networked devices, representing decentral-
ised things in the integrated enterprise.
The research cluster (CERP-IoT) goal is to Therefore, was envisaged a contribution to an
bring European research projects together to evolution from classical client-server archi-
define and promote a common vision of the tectures towards the Internet of Things. A
Internet of Things with the main objectives framework was developed, combining a
to:
multi-agent system for usage on networked
Facilitate networking of different IoT pro-
devices and using both a service oriented and
jects in Europe
an event driven architecture for dynamic
interaction of distributed actors. Further-
Coordinate research activities in IoT
more, decentralised mechanisms for ensuring
security and trust were addressed as well as
Leverage expertise, talents, and resources
an infrastructure for supporting basic interac-
and maximise impact
tion models of the integrated enterprise.
Establish synergies between projects and
AMI-4-SME project has elaborated three
ensure international collaboration
Building Blocks for realising innovative AmI
During the last years 32 EU-funded projects as well as human centred solutions:
s
and initiatives were actively involved in the
ing
RFID based sensor system, mobile readers
h
Cluster activates. A table with a short descrip-
& middleware, highly compatible for inte-
T
tion of each project is presented in annex of
gration with SME infrastructures.
t of
this section.
Speech recognition system, for implement-
erne
The projects address different technologies
ing configurable natural human interaction
and a short overview of the topics covered is
Int
given below:
on mobile devices; easy to generate &
maintain; using standard interfaces.
on the
STOP: anti counterfeiting and how to deal
AmI system adaptor for mobile device,
cts
with it in an IoT
e
service & system integration. Enabling a
CuteLoop: Challenges for usage of Intelli-
flexible, secure & efficient configuration,
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gent Networked devices
mapping & interfacing of legacy systems,
AmI services as well as mobile devices.
arch
STOLPAN: NFC technology and its appli-
se
cation scenarios in a future IoT
Moreover, the AMI-4-SME Software Platform
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was realised to easily set-up the required
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SMART, TRASER: Usage of RFID in track-
runtime environment as well as software
ing and tracing - lessons learnt and outlook infrastructure to provide a cost and time effi-
towards IoT
cient realisation of a human centric turn-key
Europ
solution.
r of
CASAGRAS, GRIFS: Standardisation is-
sues challenges on RFID and a future IoT
ASPIRE project elaborated three parts for
realising innovative SME oriented solution:
BRIDGE: Specific solutions for RFID and
T – Cluste
outlook towards a future IoT
ASPIRE Middleware Architecture and so-
ASPIRE, HYDRA: Open source Middle-
lution introduces a new approach to RFID
ware and for embedded systems for SMEs
middleware through a two-tier filtering:
CERP-Io
with respect to RFID and outlook to a fu-
Conventional filtering (e.g., EPC-ALE
ture IoT
paradigm): Open Source Tools
32
(Stored/Save, Edit, Delete Filters) com-
A middleware based on a service-oriented
pliant to ALE specifications
architecture (SOA). The middleware allows
Filtering of business events (i.e. based
the deployment of business logic in the
on the paradigm of BEG module):
form of services to the edge of the network.
Combination of filtered data with busi-
CoBIs provided the basic SOA framework
ness metadata according to declared/
as well as the tools to monitor and manage
configured processes
the network.
Specifications for mapping sensor
reading events into business events
A new service description language called
CoBIL (CoBIs Language) to describe ser-
Filtering of many types of sensors other
vices for wireless sensor networks, their in-
than RFID, like ZigBee (IEEE 802.15) and
terface, their composition and dependen-
HF sensors.
cies as well as technical constraints regard-
ASPIRE Low-cost hardware and Tools
ing their deployment.
ASPIRE Trails: The trails are being per-
A set of reusable collaborative services that
formed in the areas of Logistics, Textiles-
were applied in a set of demonstrators and
Apparel, Cold Chain Management, Process
application trials.
Management and Retail to lower SME en-
Hardware adaptation and integration of
try cost barrier and Total Cost of Owner-
three different sensor network platforms,
ship (TCO) for RFID technology solutions
namely Particles, Nodes and Sindrion,
Provide efficient inventory and smart ser-
through a common abstraction layer.
vices.
Application trials were conducted to show
Moreover, the ASPIRE Middleware Platform how the technology developed can be applied
will be user-friendly especially focusing on to a real-world setting.
SME demands
Euridice is an integrated project where the
The BRIDGE project delivered innovative basic concept is to build an information ser-
hardware and software products. It also is-
vices platform centred on the individual cargo
sued several important contributions to stan- item and on its interaction with the surround-
dard bodies in the areas of sensors, security ing environment and the user. The Euridice
and Discovery services. The lessons learned Platform will allow addressing simultane-
from the multiple pilot implementations will ously the logistics, business and public policy
be inspiring for many companies in various aspects of freight transportation, by dynami-
sectors. Finally, a considerable set of educa-
cally combining services at different levels of
tion material has been made publicly avail- cargo interaction:
s
able. The BRIDGE project has contributed to
ing
the development of new solutions for all Immediate proximity services, for direct
h T
businesses, from small to large. Improving
interaction with cargo items on the field,
skills and expertise on RFID technology and
like individual shipments or packages:
t of
network information sharing is leading to
RFID-based identification services, mobile
erne
enhanced competitiveness of European com-
user services, vehicle services, site services
panies and to benefits to customers and citi-
supporting freight interaction with fixed
Int
zens.
structures such as terminals, warehouses
and intermodal facilities;
CASCADAS goal was to provide an auto-
on the
cts
matic component-based framework that can
Supply chain services for interaction with
e
support the deployment of a novel set of ser-
the actors responsible of shipping, carrying
vices, via distributed applications, which can
and handling the goods, as well as produc-
Proj
cope with dynamic and uncertain environ-
ers and consignees of the goods them-
arch
ments, i.e. having Self-Configuration, Self-
selves;
se
Healing; Self-Optimization; Self-Protection
Re
(self-CHOP) capabilities. CASCADAS toolkit
Freight corridor services managed by au-
thorities and operators in charge of infra-
ean
has been successfully used to build a proto-
type system to suit a potentially industrial
structures efficient operation, security and
future scenario, called Behavioural Pervasive
safety control, such as land and port ter-
Europ
Advertisement, which takes a crowded venue,
minals, railways and motorways for re-
r of
with many public screens. The advertising
sources allocation and traffic control, cus-
screens display information independent of
toms agencies and other entities in charge
the context. Smart services could then gather
of safety and security checks on the goods.
T – Cluste
publicly information on Users and advertise PEARS Feasibility project study the feasi-
their particular interests.
bility for an improved RFID system based on
CoBIs project main results can be summa-
Silent Tags; providing increased privacy, se-
CERP-Io
rized as follows:
curity, affordability, reliability and perform-
ance. On the side of technical feasibility, sev-
33
eral solutions have emerged, either with ex-
and revenue, the required financial in-
isting technologies. Moreover, advanced
vestments to counterfeiting, and the return
simulation software created within the pro-
on investment,
ject demonstrated that current technology
capabilities (e.g. bandwidth) suffice to sup-
Novel product authentication approaches
port a polling-based tracking system, even in
based on ambient intelligence technolo-
the most complex retail environments. On the
gies, in particular RFID technology and the
side of the commercial feasibility, the added
analysis of tracking data,
security and privacy at a lower device cost has
Innovative smart tagging technologies
opened the possibility of countless applica-
suitable for authentication,
tions, particularly in the fashion, library and
jeweller industries.
The product verification infrastructure, a
software prototype that supports enter-
SMMART has addressed an innovative ap-
prises manufacturing and delivering au-
proach of logistic and maintenance services
thentic products to customers and allows
based on ubiquitous availability of “in ser-
consumers and supply chain participants
vice” product data for air, road, rail and ma-
to check the authenticity of products with a
rine transport. The results are reported on
combination of various approaches,
both technology and system integration:
Integration concepts for various industries
Technology:
that help organisations to seamlessly inte-
RFID tag system operating in the harsh,
grate solutions into their products as well
metallic, cumbersome environment of
as their business process landscape,
engines
Wireless, auto adaptive sensor networks
Real-world application trials that assessed
RFID tag systems for track and trace in
the feasibility and performance of the solu-
Maintenance workshops
tions.
End to end data security and trust sys-
The present cluster book includes a CERP-
tem
IoT Strategic Research Agenda (SRA) intro-
Innovative, high added value software
ducing a common IoT definition, a vision of
features as configuration control, trou-
Future Internet with 18 main IoT Application
ble shooting, strategic forecasting and
Domains. The SRA proposes a list of research
optimisation.
fields and a roadmap on future R&D until
System Integration:
2010, before 2015 and beyond 2020. This
2 demonstrations, on truck and on heli-
roadmap forms the basis for the research
copter engine successfully validated the
priorities presented and 13 IoT enabling
s
end to end integration.
technologies
ingh
SToP has addressed the complex issue of The CERP-IoT SRA is part of a continuous
T
understanding and combating the problem of IoT community dialogue initiated by the
t of
product counterfeiting by using ambient in- European Commission (DG Information So-
telligence based solutions. The project’s re-
ciety and Media) for the European and inter-
erne
sults can be summarised as following:
national IoT stakeholders. The SRA has been
Int
largely discussed in the projects and with
An analysis of the structure, the mecha-
relevant stakeholders in Europe and overseas.
nisms, and the extent of the illicit market
CERP-IoT is fostering of the International
on the
and the supply- and demand-side drivers
IoT co-operation. In 2009 and 2010, the clus-
ctse
of trade with counterfeit products,
ter collaborated with Japan, Korea, US and
China and cluster stakeholders foresee IoT
Proj
A business case framework to assist gov-
ernments and companies (especially small collaboration with India, Russia and Latin
arch
and medium sized enterprises) to calculate America regions.
se
the impact of illicit trade on brand name
Re
ean
Europ
r of
T – Cluste
CERP-Io
34
The projects involved in CERP-IoT http://www.rfid-in-action.eu/cerp-iot are listed in the
following table.
Acronym Project
Title
Coordinator
AMI-4-SME
Ambient Intelligence Technology for Harald Sundmaeker
Systemic Innovation in Manufactur-
sundmaeker@atb-bremen.de
www.ami4sme.org
ing SMEs
ATB, Germany
Advanced Sensors and lightweight
ASPIRE
Programmable middleware for
Prof.Dr. Neeli R.Prasad
www.fp7-aspire.eu
Innovative RFID Enterprise applica-
np@es.aau.dk
tions
CTIF Aalborg, Denmark
BRIDGE
Building Radio frequency Identifica-
Henri Barthel
www.bridge-project.eu
tion solutions for the Global Envi-
henri.barthel@gs1.org
ronment
GS1
CASAGRAS
Coordination and Support Action
Ian Smith
www.rfidglobal.eu
(CSA) for Global RFID-related Ac-
ian@aimuk.org
tivities and Standardisation
AIM UK
Component-ware for Autonomic
Antonio Manzalini
CASCADAS
www.cascadas-project.org
Situation-aware Communications,
antonio.manzalini@telecomitalia.it
and Dynamically Adaptable Services Telecom Italia - Future Centre
CE-RFID
Coordinating European Efforts for
Dr. Gerd Wolfram
http://www.rfid-in-
Promoting the European RFID
gerd.wolfram@mgi.de
action.eu/
Value Chain
METRO Group, Germany
Stephan Haller
CoBIs
Collaborative Business Items
stephan.haller@sap.com
www.cobis-online.de
SAP,Switzerland
Igone Velez
CONFIDENCE
Ubiquitous Care System to Support
ivelez@ceit.es
www.confidence-eu.org
Independent Living
CEIT, Spain
Customer in the Loop: Using Net-
Harald Sundmaeker
CuteLoop
worked Devices enabled Intelligence
www.cuteloop.eu
for Proactive Customers Integration
sundmaeker@atb-bremen.de
as Drivers of Integrated Enterprise
ATB, Germany
s
ETP EPoSS
European Technology Platform on
Alessandro Bassi
ing
www.smart-systems-
alessandro.bassi@Hitachi-eu.com
h
integration.org
Smart Systems Integration
Hitachi Europe
T
t of
Dr. Christoph Thuemmler
DACAR
Data Capture and Auto Identifica-
c.thuemmler@napier.ac.uk
erne
www.dacar.org.uk/
tion Reference Project
Chelsea and Westminster NHS
Foundation Trust, London
Int
DiYSE
DiY Smart Experiences, Creating
Marc Roelands
smart experiences on the Web of
marc.roelands@alcatel-lucent.com
on the
www.dyse.org/
Things
Bell Labs, Alcatel-Lucent, Belgium
ctse
Dynamite
Kenneth Holmberg
kenneth.holmberg@vtt.fi
Proj
dynamite.vtt.fi/
Dynamic Decisions in Maintenance
VTT, Finland
archse
EU-IFM
Interoperable Fare Management
John Verity
compliance@itso.org.uk
Re
www.ifm-project.eu
Project
ITSO Limited
ean
EURIDICE
European Inter-Disciplinary Re-
search on Intelligent Cargo for Effi-
Paolo Paganelli
www.univiu.org/projects/
paolo.paganelli@insiel.it
Europ
cient, Safe and Environment-
euridice/
Friendly Logistics
Insiel, Italy
r of
FIA/RWI
Alex Gluhak
Future Internet Assembly: Real
a.gluhak@surrey.ac.uk
www.rwi.future-internet.eu
World Internet
University of Surrey, UK
T – Cluste
Stephane Pique
GRIFS
Global RFID Interoperability Forum stephane.pique@gs1eu.org
www.grifs-project.eu
for Standards
CERP-Io
GS1, Belgium
35
Acronym Project
Title
Coordinator
Markus Eisenhauer
HYDRA
Heterogeneous physical devices in a
markus.eisenhauer@
www.hydramiddleware.eu
distributed architecture
fit.fraunhofer.de
Fraunhofer FIT
IMS2020
Intelligent Manufacturing System
Dr. Dimitris Kiritsis
www.ims2020.net
2020
dimitris.kiritsis@epfl.ch
EPFL, Lausanne
INDISPUTABLE KEY
Intelligent distributed process utili-
Richard Uusijärvi
www.indisputablekey.com
zation and blazing environmental
richard.uusijarvi@sp.se
key
SP, Sweden
An Interoperability Service Utility
iSURF
for Collaborative Supply Chain
Asuman Dogac
asuman@srdc.metu.edu.tr
www.isurfproject.eu
Planning across Multiple Domains
Supported by RFID Devices
METU, Turkey
Dieter Stellmach
LEAPFROG
Leadership for European Apparel
dieter.stellmach@ditf-
www.leapfrog-eu.org
Production From Research along
Original Guidelines
denkendorf.de
euratex, Belgium
PEARS Feasibility
Privacy and Security Ensuring Af-
Humberto Moran
www.friendlytechnologies.
fordable RFID System: Technical
hmoran@friendlytechnologies.eu
eu
and Commercial Feasibility
Friendly Technologies
PrimeLife
Bringing sustainable privacy and
Dieter Sommer
www.primelife.eu
identity management to future net-
DSO@zurich.ibm.com
works and services
IBM Zurich
Marit Hansen
PRIME
Privacy and Identity Management
for Europe
prime@datenschutzzentrum.de
ULD,Germany
PROMISE
Product orientated manufacturing
Dr. Dimitris Kiritsis
www.promise.no
systems including RFID technology
dimitris.kiritsis@epfl.ch
EPFL, Lausanne
ICT PSP European RFID Thematic
RACE net-workRFID
Network (Call2) : Raising Aware-
Philippe Rohou
philippe.rohou@ercim.org
s
www.race-networkrfid.eu
ness and Competitiveness on RFID
ERCIM, France
ing
in Europe
h T
Intelligent Integration of Supply
Dr. Antonis Ramfos
t of
Chain Processes and Consumer
antonis.ramfos@intrasoft-intl.com
SMART
Services based on Unique Product
Intrasoft, Belgium
erne
www.smart-rfid.eu
Dr. Katerina Pramatari
Identification in a Networked Busi-
Int
ness Environment
k.pramatari@aueb.gr
Athens University
Jean-Louis Boucon
on the
SMMART
System for Mobile Maintenance
jean-louis.boucon@turbomeca.fr
cts
www.smmart.eu
Accessible in Real Time
e
TURBOMECA, France
Proj
StoLPaN
Store Logistics and Payment with
András Vilmos
www.stolpan.com
NFC
Vilmos@stolpan.com
arch
Motorola, Hungary
se
Harald Vogt
Re
SToP
Stop tampering of products
www.stop-project.eu
harald.vogt@sap.com
ean
SAP, Germany
Zsolt Kemeny
Europ
TraSer
Identity-based Tracking and Web-
www.traser-project.eu
Services for SMEs
kemeny@sztaki.hu
r of
SZTAKI,Hungary
Franck Le Gall
WALTER
Wireless ALliances for Testing,
www. walter-uwb.eu
Experiment and Research
F.le-gall@inno-group.com
Inno
T – Cluste
CERP-Io
36
CERP-IoT collaborates with the Future Internet Enterprise Systems (FInES) cluster
http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/ict/enet/ei_en.html, the European Technology Platform on
Smart Sensors (ETP EPoSS) http://www.smart-systems-integration.org and the Future Inter-
net Assembly http://rwi.future-internet.eu (FIA/RWI). In 2010 the objective are to elaborate
common taxonomies and IoT reference model.
In the "Project Profiles" section of this book, the members of CERP-IoT are outlining their
objectives and research work. The individual project partners and contact points are men-
tioned as reference for future collaboration.
Patrick GUILLEMIN - ETSI
Peter FRIESS - European Commission, DG
Patrick.Guillemin@etsi.org
Information Society and Media
Peter.Friess@ec.europa.eu
Ovidiu Vermesan - SINTEF
Harald Sundmaeker - ATB Bremen
Ovidiu.Vermesan@sintef.no
sundmaeker@atb-bremen.de
s
ingh T
t of
erne
Int
on the
ctse
Proj
archse
Re
ean
Europ
r of
T – Cluste
CERP-Io
37
Chapter 3 Strategic
Research Agenda
Executive Summary
s a part of future trends and de- As a result the main outcomes could be sum-
velopments the coming Internet marized as follows:
A of Things will shape the world
and the society – yet sound research The Internet of Things is an integrated part
work and applicable recommendations
of Future Internet and could be defined as
are necessary to guide Europe on its
a dynamic global network infrastructure
way and to make it beneficial for all
with self configuring capabilities based on
citizens.
standard and interoperable communica-
tion protocols where physical and virtual
In order to reply to this challenge the Cluster
“things” have identities, physical attrib-
of European Research Projects on the Inter-
utes, virtual personalities and use intelli-
net of Things (CERP-IoT) developed in 2009
gent interfaces, and are seamlessly inte-
its Strategic Research Agenda (SRA), taking
grated into the information network.
into account its experiences and the results
from the ongoing exchange among European
The vision of Future Internet based on
and international experts.
standard communication protocols consid-
ers the merging of computer networks,
The present document proposes a list of re-
Internet of Media (IoM), Internet of Ser-
search fields and a roadmap on future R&D
vices (IoS), and Internet of Things (IoT)
until 2010, before 2015 and beyond 2020.
into a common global IT platform of seam-
This initial CERP-IoT SRA version is part of a
less networks and networked “things”. This
continuous IoT community dialogue initiated
future network of networks will be laid out
by the European Commission (EC) DG IN-
as public/private infrastructures and dy-
FSO-D4 Unit for the European and interna-
namically extended and improved by ter-
tional IoT stakeholders. The result is a lively
minals created by the “things” connecting
one and will be updated with expert feedback
to one another.
from ongoing and next calls for proposals We envisage that the Internet of Things
within the FP7 Framework Program on Re-
will allow people and things to be con-
search and Development in Europe.
nected Anytime, Anyplace, with Anything
The SRA for the Internet of Things is the re-
and Anyone, ideally using Any
sult of a four-step collaboration between the
path/network and Any service.
members of the cluster research projects:
The concept of Internet of Things can be
Elaboration of an IoT common definition
regarded as an extension of the existing in-
about the meaning of "Things" and IoT vi-
teraction between humans and applica-
sions, introducing the IoT concept and
tions through the new dimension of
presenting the underlying vision,
“Things” communication and integration.
Identification of IoT Application Domains
The main identified IoT application do-
exploring the application domains for the
mains are:
future IoT,
Aerospace and aviation,
Automotive,
Identification of Technologies that will
Telecommunications,
drive the IoT development and supporting
Intelligent Buildings,
the IoT vision,
Medical Technology, Healthcare,
Formulation of an IoT Research Agenda,
Independent Living,
presenting the research challenges and
Pharmaceutical,
priorities, the standardization issues and
Retail, Logistics, Supply Chain Man-
the security and privacy concerns that have
agement,
to be addressed and solved over the next
Manufacturing, Product Lifecycle Man-
decade.
agement,
Oil and Gas
41
Safety, Security and Privacy,
SRA Coordinators:
Environment Monitoring,
People and Goods Transportation,
Patrick Guillemin,
Food traceability,
CERP-IoT Coordinator,
Agriculture and Breeding,
ETSI
Media, entertainment and Ticketing,
Insurance,
Peter Friess,
Recycling.
CERP-IoT EC Coordinator,
European Commission
The main IoT technologies presented allow
identifying the research and development
challenges and outlining a roadmap for future
research activities to provide practical and SRA Core Authors and
reliable solutions.
Editor Team:
This roadmap forms the basis for the research Ovidiu Vermesan, NO,
priorities presented and these IoT enabling SINTEF, EPoSS
technologies are:
Identification Technology,
Mark Harrison, UK,
Internet of Things Architecture Tech-
University of Cambridge, Auto-ID Lab,
nology,
BRIDGE, EPCglobal Data Discovery JRG
Communication Technology,
Harald Vogt, DE,
Network Technology,
SAP, SToP
Network Discovery,
Software and algorithms,
Kostas Kalaboukas, GR,
Hardware,
SingularLogic, EURIDICE
Data and Signal Processing Technology,
Maurizio Tomasella, UK,
Discovery and Search Engine Technolo-
University of Cambridge, Auto-ID Lab,
gies,
SMART, BRIDGE
Relationship Network Management
Technologies,
Karel Wouters, BE,
Power and Energy Storage Technologies, K.U.Leuven, PrimeLife
Security and Privacy Technologies,
Sergio Gusmeroli, IT,
Standardisation.
TXT e-Solutions SpA, iSURF, COIN
Stephan Haller, CH,
SAP, CoBIS
s
ing
The authors would appreciate any sharing of
h
thoughts from the interested reader and con-
T
structive feedback on the CERP-IoT Strategic
t of
Research Agenda.
erne
Int
Contact:
on the
Patrick.guillemin@etsi.org
ctse
Peter.FRIESS@ec.europa.eu
Proj
archse
Re
ean
Europ
r of
T – Cluste
CERP-Io
42
3.1 Internet of Things Vision
3.1.1 Internet of Things Com-
tocols where physical and virtual “things”
mon Definition
have identities, physical attributes, and vir-
tual personalities and use intelligent inter-
The meaning of “things”
faces, and are seamlessly integrated into the
information network.
Defining things and recognizing what a par- In the IoT, “things” are expected to become
ticular thing is and represents in the context active participants in business, information
of Future Internet requires a careful analysis and social processes where they are enabled
of what philosophers like Aristotle and Philo- to interact and communicate among them-
ponus had to say and how their philosophical selves and with the environment by exchang-
thoughts can transcend into the future.
ing data and information “sensed” about the
Aristotle, in his work “The Categories” gives a environment, while reacting autonomously to
strikingly general and exhaustive account of the “real/physical world” events and influenc-
the things that are (ta onta) - beings. Accord-
ing it by running processes that trigger ac-
ing to this opinion, beings can be divided into tions and create services with or without di-
ten distinct categories. They include sub- rect human intervention.
stance, quality, quantity, and relation, among Interfaces in the form of services facilitate
others. Of these categories of beings, it is the interactions with these “smart things” over
first, substance (ousia), to which Aristotle the Internet, query and change their state and
gives a privileged position.
any information associated with them, taking
Aristotle is distinguishing things that are by into account security and privacy issues.
nature from those that are from other causes.
Philoponus, commenting on this distinction, 3.1.2 Internet of Things Vision
first divides things that are by nature into The vision of Future Internet based on stan-
those that have soul and those that do not.
dard communication protocols considers the
The proper nature of “besouled” things (i.e., merging of computer networks, Internet of
plants and animals) is their form, which, Media (IoM), Internet of Services (IoS), and
Philoponus says is properly identified with Internet of Things (IoT) into a common
soul, their intrinsic mover.
global IT platform of seamless networks and
networked “things”.
From the “philosophical definition” of
”things” one can conclude that the word is IoS is denoting a software based component
not restricted to material things but can apply that will be delivered via different networks
to virtual things and the events that are con-
and Internet. Research on SOA,
nected to “things”.
Web/Enterprise 3.0/X.0, Enterprise Interop-
erability, Service Web, Grid Services and Se-
In the context of “Internet of Things” a mantic Web will address important bits of the
“thing” could be defined as a real/physical or IoS puzzle, while improving cooperation be-
digital/virtual entity that exists and move in tween service providers and consumers.
space and time and is capable of being identi-
fied. Things are commonly identified either IoM will address the challenges in scalable
by assigned identification numbers, names video coding and 3D video processing, dy-
and/or location addresses.
namically adapted to the network conditions
that will give rise to innovative applications
Internet of Things
such as massive multiplayer mobile games,
digital cinema and in virtual worlds placing
Internet of Things (IoT) is an integrated part new types of traffic demands on mobile net-
of Future Internet and could be defined as a work architectures.
dynamic global network infrastructure with
self configuring capabilities based on stan- This future network of networks will be laid
dard and interoperable communication pro-
out as public/private infrastructures and
43
dynamically extended and improved by edge and data synchronisation techniques, as well
points created by the “things” connecting to as network-connected endpoints for virtual
one another. In fact, in the IoT communica-
representations of the connected things and
tions will take place not only between people devices, which can be used for monitoring
but also between people and their environ-
their location, condition and state, as well as
ment.
sending requests and instructions to them.
Communication will be seen more among The Internet of Things will bring tangible
terminals and data centres (e.g. home data business benefits, such as the high-resolution
centres, Cloud computing, etc) than among management of assets and products, im-
nodes as in current networks. Growth of stor-
proved life-cycle management, and better
age capacity at lower and lower costs will collaboration between enterprises; many of
result in the local availability of most infor-
these benefits are achieved through the use of
mation required by people or objects. This, unique identification for individual things
coupled with the enhanced processing capa-
together with search and discovery services,
bilities and always-on connectivity, will make enabling each thing to interact individually,
terminals gain a main role in communica- building up an individual life history of its
tions.
activities and interactions over time.
Terminals will be able to create a local com-
Improved sensor and device capabilities will
munication network and may serve as a also allow business logic to be executed on
bridge between communication networks the edges of a network – enabling some exist-
thus extending, particularly in urban envi-
ing business processes to be decentralized for
ronments, the overall infrastructure capacity. the benefit of performance, scalability, and
This will likely determine a different view of local decision-making. For example, algo-
network architectures. The Future Internet rithms could be used for intelligent decision-
will exhibit high levels of heterogeneity making based on real-time readings from
(“things” – physical/real, cyber physical, web sensors that are used to monitor the health of
enabled, digital and virtual, devices and de- patients or the condition of vehicles, in order
vice models, communication protocols, cogni- to detect the early signs of problems or dete-
tive capabilities, etc.), as totally different rioration of condition.
things, in terms of functionality, technology
and application fields are expected to belong
to the same communication environment.
The Internet of Things will create a dynamic
network of billions or trillions of wireless
s
identifiable “things” communicating with one
ing
another and integrating the developments
h T
from concepts like Pervasive Computing,
Ubiquitous Computing and Ambient Intelli-
t of
gence. Internet of Things hosts the vision of
erne
ubiquitous computing and ambient intelli-
gence enhancing them by requiring a full
Int
communication and a complete computing
capability among things and integrating the
on the
elements of continuous communication,
ctse
identification and interaction. The Internet of
Things fuses the digital world and the physi-
Proj
cal world by bringing different concepts and
technical components together: pervasive
archse
networks, miniaturization of devices, mobile
communication, and new models for business
Re
processes.
ean
Applications, services, middleware compo-
Figure 3.1-1: Internet of Things.
nents, networks, and endpoints will be struc- The Internet of Things allows people and
Europ
turally connected in entirely new ways. Rec- things to be connected Anytime, Anyplace,
r of
ognising that initially there will be commer- with Anything and Anyone, ideally using Any
cial and physical challenges to establishing path/network and Any service. This implies
global ubiquitous network connectivity and addressing elements such as Convergence,
T – Cluste
that initially the many connected things and Content, Collections (Repositories), Comput-
devices may have limited ability to engage in ing, Communication, and Connectivity in the
2-way network connectivity, it is important context where there is seamless interconnec-
CERP-Io
that the architectural design for the Internet tion between people and things and/or be-
of Things supports effective two-way caching tween things and things so the A and C ele-
44
ments are present and addressed. The Inter-
dal/heterogeneous network that can be de-
net of Things implies a symbiotic interaction ployed also in inaccessible, or remote spaces
among the real/physical, the digital/virtual (oil platforms, mines, forests, tunnels, pipes,
worlds: physical entities have digital counter- etc.) or in cases of emergencies or hazardous
parts and virtual representation; things be- situations (earthquakes, fire, floods, radiation
come context aware and they can sense, areas, etc.,). In this infrastructure, these dif-
communicate, interact, exchange data, in- ferent entities or “things” discover and ex-
formation and knowledge. Through the use of plore each other and learn to take advantage
intelligent decision-making algorithms in of each other’s data by pooling of resources
software applications, appropriate rapid re-
and dramatically enhancing the scope and
sponses can be given to physical phenomena, reliability of the resulting services.
based on the very latest information collected
about physical entities and consideration of The “things” in the Internet of Things vision
patterns in the historical data, either for the will influence each other depending their
same entity or for similar entities. These cre-
functional capabilities (e.g. computational
ate new opportunities to meet business re-
processing power, network connectivity,
quirements, create new services based on real available power, etc.) as well as on context
time physical world data, gain insights into and situations (time, space etc.) and will be
complex processes and relationships, handle actively involved in different processes. Some
incidents, address environmental degrada-
of their attributes, actions and involvements
tion (pollution, disaster, global warming, etc), are clustered under five domains and pre-
monitor human activities (health, move- sented in Table 1.
ments, etc.), improve infrastructure integrity In the IoT architecture, intelligent middle-
(energy, transport, etc.), and address energy ware will allow the creation of a dynamic map
efficiency issues (smart energy metering in of the real/physical world within the digi-
buildings, efficient consumption by vehicles, tal/virtual space by using a high temporal and
etc.).
spatial resolution and combining the charac-
Everything from individuals, groups, com- teristics of ubiquitous sensor networks and
other identifiable “things”.
munities, objects, products, data, services,
processes will be connected by the IoT. Con- In the physical world, things respond to
nectivity will become in the IoT a kind of stimuli from the environment in a consistent
commodity, available to all at a very low cost manner. When white light is shone on a red
and not owned by any private entity. In this object the dye absorbs nearly all the light
context, there will be the need to create the except the red, which is reflected. At an ab-
right situation-aware development environ-
stract level, the coloured surface is an inter-
s
ment for stimulating the creation of services face for the object, and the light arriving at
ing
and proper intelligent middleware to under-
object can be a message sent to the thing, and
h
stand and interpret the information, to en-
T
accordingly its reflection is the response from
sure protection from fraud and malicious the thing. The consistency in responses re-
t of
attack (that will inevitably grow as Internet ceived from the interfaces for each message,
erne
becomes more and more used) and to guar- enables things to interact with their sur-
antee privacy.
roundings. Hence to make the virtual world
Int
Under this vision and making use of intelli-
comprehensible, there needs to be consis-
gence in the supporting network infrastruc-
tency in messages and their responses. This is
on the
ture, things will be able to autonomously enabled through standard interfaces, which
cts
in turn facilitate interoperability.
e
manage their transportation, implement fully
automated processes and thus optimise logis-
Proj
tics; they might be able to harvest the energy
arch
they need; they will configure themselves
se
when exposed to a new environment, and
Re
show an “intelligent/cognitive” behaviour
ean
when faced with other things and deal seam-
lessly with unforeseen circumstances; and,
finally, they might manage their own disas-
Europ
sembly and recycling, helping to preserve the
r of
environment, at the end of their lifecycle.
The Internet of Things infrastructure allows
combinations of smart objects (i.e. wireless
T – Cluste
sensors, mobile robots, etc), sensor network
technologies, and human beings, using differ-
ent but interoperable communication proto-
CERP-Io
cols and realises a dynamic multimo-
45
Table 3.1-1: Characteristics and attributes clustered under functional domains.
“Things”
can be “real world entities” or “virtual entities”
have identity; there are means for automatically identifying
them
Domain 1
are environmentally safe
Fundamental
(and their virtual representations) respect the privacy, secu-
characteristics
rity and safety of other “things” or people with which they
interact
use protocols to communicate with each other and the infra-
structure
are involved in the information exchange between
real/physical, digital and virtual worlds
“Things”
Domain 2
Common characteristics of
can use services that act as interfaces to “things”
all things, even the most
would be competing with other “things” on resources, ser-
basic (applies to all higher
vices and subject to selective pressures
classes too)
may have sensors attached, thus they can interact with their
environment
“Things”
Domain 3
Characteristics of social
can communicate with other “things”, computing devices
things (applies to all higher
and with people
classes too)
can collaborate to create groups or networks
can initiate communication
“Things”
Domain 4
can do many tasks autonomously
Characteristics of
can negotiate, understand and adapt to their environment
considerate autonomous
can extract patterns from the environment or to learn from
things (applies to all higher
other “things”
classes too)
gs
can take decisions through their reasoning capabilities
inh
can selectively evolve and propagate information
f T
Domain 5
oet
Characteristics of things
“Things”
that are capable of self-
tern
can create, manage and destroy other “things”
n
replication or control
e Ih tn
cts o
roje P
esearch Rn
ropeau
f E
ster olu C
T –
P-Io
Figure 3.1-2: Internet of Things - a symbiotic interaction among the real/physical, the digital,
RE
virtual worlds and society.
C
46
In the vision of Internet of Things, it is fore- Many “things” will be able to have communi-
seeable that any “thing” will have at least one cations capabilities embedded within them
unique way of identification (directly by a and will be able to create a local communica-
“Unique Identifier” or indirectly by some tion network in an ambient environment
“Virtual Identifier” techniques), creating an together with other “things”. These ad-hoc
addressable continuum of “things” such as networks will connect with other communica-
computers, sensors, people, actuators, refrig- tion networks, locally and globally and the
erators, TVs, vehicles, mobile phones, functionalities of the “things” will be influ-
clothes, food, medicines, books, passports, enced by the communications capabilities
luggage, etc. Having the capability of address-
and by the context. “Things” could retrieve
ing and communicating with each other and reference information and start to utilize new
verifying their identities, all these “things” communication means based on their envi-
will be able to exchange information and, if ronment.
necessary, be deterministic. It is also desir-
able that some “things” have multiple virtual
addresses and identities to participate in dif-
ferent contexts and situations under different
“personalities”.
gsinh
f T oet
ternn
e Ih tn
cts o
roje P
esearch Rn
ropeau
f E
ster olu C
T –
P-IoREC
47
3.2 Internet of Things
Application Domains
he concept of Internet of Things Hence, and in order to think of the possible
can be regarded as an extension applications for the Internet of Things, we
T of the existing interaction be- need to identify the main application do-
tween humans and applications mains, a proposal of which is illustrated in
through the new dimension of “Things” Figure 3.2-1.
communication and integration. IoT
will add value and extend the capabili-
ties of traditional and localised exploi-
tation of automatic identification and
data capture (AIDC) and other inter-
facing ‘edge’ technologies and exam-
ples of envisioned IoT applications will
be given in in the following sections.
The term “Things” can be perceived in a dif-
ferent way and depending on the domain in
which it is used. In Industry, the “Thing” may
typically be the product itself, the equipment,
transportation means, etc; everything that
participates in the product lifecycle. In Envi-
ronment this might refer to the trees, a build-
ing, condition measurement devices, etc.
Lastly, in the whole society the “Thing” may
s
be related to devices within public spaces or
Figure 3.2-1 IoT Applications Domain.
ing
devices for Ambient Assisted Living, etc.
h
The characteristics of each domain and some
T
indicative examples are presented in Table
t of
3.2-1.
erne
Table 3.2-1: IoT Application Domains - Description and Examples.
Int
Domain Description
Indicative
examples
Activities involving financial or
Manufacturing, logistics, service
on the
commercial transactions between
sector, banking, financial govern-
cts
Industry
e
companies, organisations and other
mental authorities, intermediaries,
entities
etc.
Proj
Activities regarding the protection,
Agriculture & breeding, recycling,
arch
Environment monitoring and development of all
environmental management ser-
se
natural resources
vices, energy management, etc.
Re
ean
Governmental services towards citi-
Activities/ initiatives regarding the
Society
zens and other society structures (e-
development and inclusion of socie-
participation), e-inclusion (e.g. ag-
Europ
ties, cities, and people
ing, disabled people), etc.
r of
Since we cannot isolate any of the above do-
itself, but also has societal implications that
need to be taken into consideration.
T – Cluste
mains, we need to think in terms of develop-
ing new applications and services that apply Therefore, in the Internet of Things para-
at intra- and inter-domain level. For example, digm, we can refer to Applications (in the
CERP-Io
monitoring of the food chain, or dangerous sense of a whole system/ framework/ tool
goods, has not only to do with the industry that supports one or more of the above do-
49
mains) and isolated Services that cater for a Safety - the challenge of sustaining the confi-
specific functionality/ need of the intra- inter dence of both the passenger and society that
domain level. While these applications do-
commercial flying will not only remain ex-
mains have different objectives/goals, they tremely safe, notwithstanding greatly in-
don’t have significantly different require-
creased traffic, but will reduce the incidence
ments with regard to IoT and applications of accidents and enhance efficiency. In this
that would be deployed on that platform.
context, wireless identifiable systems will be
developed using:
3.2.1 Aerospace and aviation
RFID tags correlated with luggage in con-
(systems status monitoring,
tainers, RFID tag based passen-
green operations)
ger/crew/luggage/cargo tracking concepts,
The Internet of Things can help to improve
RFID tags and sensors on conveyors; cost
safety and security of products and services
effective reading systems linked to over-
by protecting them from counterfeiting. The
arching security database; CCTV and data
aviation industry, for example, is threatened
imaging software.
by the problem of suspected unapproved
parts (SUP). An SUP is an aircraft part that is 3.2.2 Automotive (systems
not guaranteed to meet the requirements of status monitoring, V2V and V2I
an approved aircraft part (e.g., counterfeits, communication)
which do not conform to the strict quality
constraints of the aviation industry). Thus, Applications in the automotive industry in-
SUPs seriously violate the security standards clude the use of “smart things” to monitor
of an aircraft. Aviation authorities report that and report everything from pressure in tyres
at least 28 accidents or incidents in the to proximity of other vehicles. RFID technol-
United States have been caused by counter-
ogy is used to streamline vehicle production,
feits [1]. Apart from time-consuming material improve logistics, increase quality control
analyses, verifying the authenticity of aircraft and improve customer service. The devices
parts can be performed by inspecting the attached to parts contain information related
accompanying documents, which can be eas-
to the name of the manufacturer and when
ily forged. This problem can be solved by and where the product was made, its serial
introducing electronic pedigrees for certain number, type, product code, and in some
categories of aircraft parts, which document applications the precise location in the facility
their origin and safety-critical events during at that moment. RFID technology provides
their lifecycle (e.g., modifications). By storing real-time data in the manufacturing process,
s
these pedigrees within a decentralised data-
maintenance operations and offers a new way
ing
base as well as on RFID tags, which are se-
of managing recalls more effectively.
h
curely attached to aircraft parts, an authenti-
T
cation (verification of digital signatures, The use of wireless identifiable devices helps
t of
comparison of the pedigree on RFID tags and the stakeholders to gain insight into where
everything is so it is possible to accelerate
erne
within the database) of these parts can be
performed, for example, prior to installing assembly processes and locate cars or com-
Int
them within an aircraft. Thus, safety and ponents in a fraction of the time. Wireless
security of an aircraft is significantly im-
technology is ideal in enabling real-time lo-
on the
proved.
cating systems (RTLS) and connecting with
cts
other IoT sub networks, improving vehicle
e
The ‘on-condition’ wireless monitoring of the tracking and management and supporting
aircraft by using intelligent devices with sens-
Proj
automotive manufacturers better in manag-
ing capabilities available within the cabin or ing the process of testing and verifying vehi-
arch
outside and connected to the aircraft moni-
cles coming off the assembly line while track-
se
toring systems is another emerging applica-
ing them as they go through quality control,
Re
tion area that forms the basis for ubiquitous containment and shipping zones.
ean
sensor networks [19].
Dedicated Short Range Communication
The nodes in such a network will be used for (DSRC) will also give the possibility of higher
Europ
detecting various conditions such as pressure, bit rates and reduce the possibility of inter-
r of
vibrations, temperature etc. The data col-
ference with other equipment. Vehicle-to-
lected gives access to customized usage vehicle (V2V) and vehicle-to-infrastructure
trends, facilitates maintenance planning, (V2I) communications will significantly ad-
allows condition-based maintenance, reduces vance Intelligent Transportation Systems
T – Cluste
maintenance and waste and will be used as (ITS) applications such as vehicle safety ser-
input for evaluating and reducing the energy vices and traffic management and will be fully
consumption during aircraft operations.
integrated in the IoT infrastructure.
CERP-Io
50
The vehicle itself is also considered as a frauds (that will inevitably going to grow as
‘thing’, enabling it to make automatic emer- Internet becomes more and more used),
gency calls or breakdown calls when appro-
guaranteeing privacy. In this context, ser-
priate, collecting as much data as possible vices will be composed from different provid-
from surrounding ‘things’, such as the vehicle ers, stakeholders, and even end-users’ termi-
parts itself, the supporting transportation nals.
infrastructure (road/ rail/ etc.), other vehicles
in the vicinity, sensors in the load it is carry-
Services will cross different administrative
ing (humans, goods, etc).
domains and users will be able to compose
and mash them up freely; moreover they will
There is an extensive range of complementary readily adapt in order to provide the better
AIDC technologies (microdotting, matrix functions according to computing and com-
coding, etc) with attributes that can often be munication environment.
successfully matched to needs and applied to
satisfy particular applications. Microdotting 3.2.4 Intelligent Buildings
is a technology designed in the 40’s for mili-
(automatic energy metering/
tary use and has become a technology of
choice in the automotive industry to prevent home automation/ wireless
theft.
monitoring)
Today other techniques, such as the use of Building and home automation technologies
motes, which consists of a set of extremely have usually been deployed only in high-level
small microprocessors with some communi- offices and luxury apartments. Much research
cation capabilities are currently also being has been done on the benefits and possibili-
considered because they offer additional ad-
ties of “smart homes” [15]. As the technolo-
vantages. This is an emerging field [16], gies mature and cheap wireless communica-
which might well replace classical microdot- tion becomes abundant, the range of applica-
ting technologies.
tions is becoming much broader. For exam-
3.2.3 Telecommunications
ple, smart metering is becoming more popu-
lar for measuring energy consumption and
IoT will create the possibility of merging of transmitting this information to the energy
different telecommunication technologies provider electronically. In conjunction with
and create new services. One example is the modern home entertainment systems, which
use of GSM, NFC (Near Field Communica-
are based on general-purpose computing
tion), low power Bluetooth, WLAN, multi hop platforms, they could easily be combined with
networks, GPS and sensor networks together other sensors and actors within a building,
s
with SIM-card technology. In these types of thus forming a fully interconnected, smart
ing
applications the Reader/tag is part of the environment. Sensors for temperature, hu-
h
midity provide the necessary data to auto-
T
mobile phone, and different applications matically adjust the comfort level and to op-
t of
share the SIM-card. NFC enables communi-
cations among objects in a simple and secure timize the use of energy for heating or cool-
erne
way just by having them close to each other. ing. Additional value is provided by monitor-
ing and reacting to human activity, such that
Int
The mobile phone can therefore be used as a
NFC-reader and transmit the read data to a exceptional situations could be detected and
central server. When used in a mobile phone, people can be assisted in everyday activities,
on the
the SIM-card plays an important role as stor-
thereby supporting the elderly in an aging
cts
society.
e
age for the NFC data and authentication cre-
dentials (like ticket numbers, credit card ac-
Autonomous networked wireless identifiable
Proj
counts, ID information etc).
devices with physical sensors that combine
arch
Things can join networks and facilitate peer- advances in sensor miniaturisation, wireless
se
to-peer communication for specialized pur- communication, and micro-system technol-
Re
poses or to increase robustness of communi- ogy will form the ubiquitous sensor networks
ean
cations channels and networks. Things can that can make accurate measurements of
form ad-hoc peer-to-peer networks in disas- environmental parameters (temperature,
humidity, light etc.) in buildings and private
Europ
ter situations to keep the flow of vital infor-
mation going in case of telecommunication homes. Building energy control systems are
r of
infrastructure failures.
merely the next application of wireless identi-
fiable devices by bringing the possibility of
In the long term, the borders between IoT accurate climate control for all buildings
and classic telecommunication networks will down to the level of individual houses. Web-
T – Cluste
blur: a situation-aware service environment based smart energy metering and localisation
will be pervasively exploited (crossing differ-
and mapping of energy consumption will be
ent domains) for supporting the creation of
CERP-Io
one of the IoT applications.
services and understanding of information, at
the same time ensuring protection from
51
In this scenario, autonomic technologies and tion, it is expected that the sensor technology
architectures will represent the enabling solu-
will become available and at much lower cost
tion: an autonomic home network will be and with built-in support for network connec-
intelligent and capable of sensing and adapt-
tivity and remote monitoring.
ing to environment changes whilst perform-
ing self-* capabilities (e.g. configuration, Implantable wireless identifiable devices
healing, optimization, protection). Autono- could be used to store health records that
mics will make home network architecture could save a patient's life in emergency situa-
highly dynamic and distributed enabling the tions especially for people with diabetes, can-
interworking of several devices and systems. cer, coronary heart disease, stroke, chronic
Interworking of home networking systems obstructive pulmonary disease, cognitive
and devices with other systems and devices impairments, seizure disorders and Alz-
external to the intranet will be achieved via heimer's as well as people with complex
Personal Virtual Private Networks (VPN). medical device implants, such as pacemakers,
Use of Personal VPN also for home network-
stents, joint replacements and organ trans-
ing will become more and more popular due plants and who may be unconscious and un-
to inexpensive, high capacity Internet con- able to communicate for themselves while in
nectivity: secure, inexpensive, Personal VPN the operating theatre.
solutions will be used to share files between Edible, biodegradable chips could be intro-
home, office computers, people on the move, duced into the body and used for guided ac-
etc.
tion. Paraplegic persons could have muscular
Any device or thing that has human input stimuli delivered via an implanted “smart
controls can be used to securely interface thing” controlled electrical simulation system
with the building’s services to monitor status in order to restore movement functions.
and change its settings. Using home automa- Things are more and more integrated within
tion devices with wireless communication the human body. It is expected that body area
technologies (i.e. ZigBee, 6LoWPAN, etc.) all networks can be formed and that they will
of building’s “things” can have two-way communicate with treating physicians, emer-
communication with each other. For example gency services, and humans caring elderly
the touch screen monitor on the fridge can be people. An example showing the current state
used to change the thermostat’s settings. Or a is the completely automated internal Cardio-
mobile phone entering the building can acti-
verter-Defibrillator, which is built into the
vate that person’s preference profile setting human heart, can autonomously decide on
for the home. Or the washing machine can when to administer shocks to defibrillate, and
autonomously order replacement parts while is fully networked such that a MD can follow
s
under warranty. Personal mobile devices will up on his patient.
ing
be automatically detected and integrated
h
when within range of the home network.
T
3.2.6 Independent Living
t of
3.2.5 Medical Technology,
(wellness, mobility, monitoring
erne
Healthcare, (personal area net-
of an aging population)
Int
works, monitoring of parame-
IoT applications and services will have an
ters, positioning, real time loca-
enormous impact on independent living and
as support for an aging population by detect-
on the
ing the activities of daily living using wear-
cts
tion systems)
e
able and ambient sensors, monitoring social
The IoT will have many applications in the interactions using wearable and ambient
Proj
healthcare sector, with the possibility of using sensors, monitoring chronic disease using
arch
the cell phone with RFID-sensor capabilities wearable vital signs sensors, and in body
se
as a platform for monitoring of medical pa-
sensors.
Re
rameters and drug delivery. The enormous
advantages are to be seen firstly in prevention With emergence of pattern detection and
ean
and easy monitoring (and having therefore an machine learning algorithms, the “things” in
essential impact on our social system) and a patient’s environment would be able to
Europ
secondly in case of accidents and the need for watch out and care for the patient. Things can
r of
ad hoc diagnosis.
learn regular routines and raise alerts or send
out notifications in anomaly situations. These
The combination of sensors, RFID, NFC (near services will be merged with the medical
field communication), Bluetooth, ZigBee, technology services, mentioned above.
T – Cluste
6LoWPAN, WirelessHART, ISA100, WiFi will
allow significantly improved measurement Attention should be given to the nature of the
and monitoring methods of vital functions problem that needs to be solved. Not all hu-
CERP-Io
(temperature, blood pressure, heart rate, man needs can be met with technology alone.
cholesterol levels, blood glucose etc). In addi-
Caring for elders is a social issue; hence the
52
technology should foster a community re-
data, collected in the real world directly by
sponse, such as facilitating communication (or also retrieved with the help of) some of
between individuals, instead of attempting to the “things” (such as trucks, pallets, individ-
attend to the issue with technology alone.
ual product items, etc., depending on the
case).
3.2.7 Pharmaceutical
In the shop itself, IoT offers many applica-
For pharmaceutical products, security and tions like guidance in the shop according to a
safety is of utmost importance to prevent preselected shopping list, fast payment solu-
compromising the health of patients. Attach-
tions like automatically check-out using bio-
ing smart labels to drugs, tracking them metrics, detection of potential allergen in a
through the supply chain and monitoring given product, personalized marketing if ac-
their status with sensors has many benefits: cepted, verification of the cool chain, etc.
Items requiring specific storage conditions, Commercial buildings will of course benefit
e.g. maintenance of a cool chain, can be con-
from smart building functionalities as de-
tinuously monitored and discarded if condi-
scribed above.
tions were violated during transport. Drug
tracking and e-pedigrees allow for the detec-
3.2.9 Manufacturing, Product
tion of counterfeit products and keeping the Lifecycle Management (from
supply chain free of fraudsters. Counterfeit-
ing is a common practise in this area as illus-
cradle to grave)
trated by [20], and affects mostly developing By linking items with information technology,
countries.
either through embedded smart devices or
The smart labels on the drugs can also di- through the use of unique identifiers and data
rectly benefit patients, e.g. by storing the carriers that can interact with an intelligent
package insert, informing consumers of dos- supporting network infrastructure and in-
ages and expiration date, and being assured formation systems, production processes can
of the authenticity of the medication. In con-
be optimized and the entire lifecycle of ob-
junction with a smart medicine cabinet, that jects, from production to disposal can be
reads information transmitted by the drug monitored. By tagging items and containers,
labels, patients can be reminded to take their greater transparency can be gained about the
medicine at appropriate intervals and patient status of the shop floor, the location and dis-
compliance can be monitored.
position of lots and the status of production
machines. The fine grained information
3.2.8 Retail, Logistics, Supply
serves as input data for refined production
schedules and improved logistics. Self-
s
Chain Management
organizing and intelligent manufacturing
ingh
Implementing the Internet of Things in Re-
solutions can be designed around identifiable
T
tail/Supply Chain Management has many items.
t of
advantages: With RFID-equipped items and As an object and the attached information
erne
smart shelves that track the present items in processing component may be inseparable,
real time, a retailer can optimize many appli-
from production to the end of the lifecycle,
Int
cations [2], like automatically checking of the history of an item and its current status
goods receipt, real time monitoring of stocks, can be continuously monitored and stored on
on the
tracking out-of-stocks or the detection of the tag or in the information system. The data
cts
shoplifting. The savings potential in a retail
e
reflects a product’s usage history which in-
store is large. For example, sales losses that cludes valuable information for product de-
Proj
occur when shelves go empty are estimated to sign, marketing and the design of product
be 3.9% of sales worldwide [3]. Furthermore, related services, as well as end-of-life deci-
arch
the data from the retail store can be used to
se
sion-making for safe and environmentally-
optimize the logistics of the whole supply friendly recycling, remanufacture or disposal
Re
chain: If manufacturers know the stock and of the product.
ean
sales data from retailers, they can produce
and ship the right amount of products, thus 3.2.10 Processing industries -
Europ
avoiding over-production and under-
production.
Oil and Gas
r of
The logistic processes from supply chains in The Oil and Gas industry is using scalable
many industry sectors can profit from ex-
architectures that consider possibilities for
changing RFID data, not only those in the plug-and-play new ID methods combined
T – Cluste
retail sector. Moreover, environmental issues with sensing/actuating integrated with Inter-
can be better tackled, e.g. the carbon foot-
net of Things infrastructure and integrate the
print of logistics - and supply chains more wireless monitoring of petroleum personnel
CERP-Io
generally – processes can be optimized based in critical situations (onshore/offshore), con-
on the availability of dynamic, fine-grained tainer tracking, tracking of drill string com-
53
ponents pipes, monitoring and managing of RFID tags in order to distinguish themselves
fixed equipment.
from the crowd, such as illustrated by a im-
plant for VIP customers of the Baja Beach
A review of high-cost chemical/petrochemical Club in Barcelona. On the other side of the
accidents in the UK [4] observed common spectrum, we acknowledge that there exist
features in these disasters, such as lack of valid usability reasons to implant such a chip,
understanding as well as poor management e.g., for chips that can determine the blood
of storage, process, and chemical segregation. sugar level (diabetics), or internal cardio-
The Internet of Things could help to reduce verter-defibrillators for certain patients, cur-
accidents in the oil and gas industry. For ex-
fewed offenders, etc.
ample, containers with hazardous goods can
be made intelligent by equipping them with Another issue is the ‘things’ that a govern-
wireless sensor nodes.
ment imposes on its citizens to give them
access to certain facilities, such as healthcare
A possible scenario is that these nodes peri-
insurance (wireless medi-cards), the ability to
odically send information messages about the travel (passports with built-in chips) or iden-
chemical that is inside the container they are tification (eID cards or eID/RFID implants).
attached to as well as the maximum storage For each of these technologies, the privacy
limit of this chemical in the current location. and security impact should be evaluated. On
As the nodes have access to a list of incom- a consumer level, it remains to be investi-
patible chemicals, they can send out alert gated how much information can be extracted
messages as soon as they receive an informa-
from consumer electronics with sensors, and
tion message from another node that is at- to which extent this can be regulated by law.
tached to a container with an incompatible In any case, there’s an enormous potential for
chemical. These alert messages can be then enhancing the user experience, based on the
forwarded to a back-end system that, for ex-
‘things’ in his possession/surrounding.
ample, informs the plant manager about the
critical situation.
3.2.12 Environment Monitoring
3.2.11 Safety, Security and Pri-
Wireless identifiable devices and the utiliza-
vacy
tion of IoT technologies in green related ap-
plications and environmental conservation
Wireless identifiable devices are used in dif-
are one of the most promising market seg-
ferent areas to increase safety and security. ments in the future, and there will be an in-
Some of these are:
creased usage of wireless identifiable devices
in environmentally friendly programmes
Environment surveillance: earth quakes,
worldwide.
s
tsunami, forest fires, floods, pollution (wa-
ing
ter and air).
Standardisation efforts for RFID and WSNs
h T
are considering data rates of up to 1Mb/s,
Building monitoring: water leaks, gases,
t of
heterogeneous sensor integration and differ-
vibrations, fire, unauthorised entry, van-
ent frequencies. This will open up new appli-
erne
dalism.
cations with positive impacts on society, such
Int
Personnel: mugging alarm, equipment
as remote data monitoring in disaster scenar-
surveillance, payment systems, identity se-
ios, ubiquitous connectivity for health moni-
curity.
tors in body area networks, and wireless
on the
broadband for rural areas. Secure communi-
cts
When using wireless identifiable smart de-
e
cations are also a concern of end users. In the
vices, opportunities and threats could arise meantime, operators are looking beyond the
Proj
from the proliferation of data, the sharing of capital expenditure costs of running RFID
the data, and from the possibility of snooping
arch
networks to minimising operational costs
se
via radio. Deciding a common strategy and a such as power consumption and site costs
policy for future Internet of Things is a prior-
Re
(installation, integration, maintenance).
ity for the European Commission, which con-
ean
siders that each datum itself in its integral 3.2.13 People and Goods Trans-
parts is not a threat but this could become a portation
Europ
threat when associations are built via ac-
r of
cessed databases such that sensitive relation- The IoT offers solutions for fare collection
ships are revealed or discovered, resulting in and toll systems, screening passengers and
damage or potential for damage.
bags boarding commercial carriers as well as
The privacy of citizens has always been in the goods moved by the international cargo
T – Cluste
sharp contrast with making humans traceable system that support the aim of governments
by tagging them. Despite this, we see some and the transportation industry, to meet the
increasing demand for security in the world.
CERP-Io
tendencies coming up, where people allow
themselves to be tagged with implantable
54
Every day millions of people move using air, animal diseases can be controlled, surveyed,
sea and ground transportation systems, tak- and prevented. Official identification of ani-
ing millions of bags with them. Global trade mals in national, intra community, and inter-
transports huge quantities of goods through national commerce is already in place, while
our seaports, airports and railroad stations
at the same time, identification of livestock
that are vaccinated or tested under official
Monitoring traffic jams through cell phones disease control or eradication is also possible.
of users and using intelligent transport sys- Blood and tissue specimens can be accurately
tems (ITS) will improve and make the trans- identified, and the health status of herds,
portation of goods and people more efficient. regions, and countries can be certified by
Transportation companies would become using IoT.
more efficient in packing containers when
those containers can self scan and weigh With the Internet of Things, single farmers
themselves. This would reduce resource con- may be able to deliver the crops directly to
sumption by optimizing the flow of goods in the consumers not only in a small region like
transport.
in direct marketing or shops but in a wider
area. This will change the whole supply chain
Applying IoT technologies for managing pas-
which is mainly in the hand of large compa-
senger luggage in airport and airline opera-
nies, now, but can change to a more direct,
tions enables automated tracking and sorting, shorter chain between producers and con-
increases per-bag read rates, and increases sumers.
security.
3.2.14 Food traceability
3.2.16 Media, entertainment
and Ticketing
This means tracing food or ingredients across
the partially or entirely reconstructed supply Ad-hoc news gathering using the IoT, based
chain, so that recalls can be issued when on location. In a future scenario, it can be
quality problems arise. In Europe, food trace-
envisaged that news gathering could happen
ability is enforced through EU regulation by querying the internet of things, to see
178/2002, and in the U.S. it is enforced by which multi-media-capable devices are pre-
the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). sent at a certain location, and sending them a
Furthermore, efficient food traceability can (financial) offer to collect multimedia footage
save lives: In the U.S. for instance, food- about a certain event. Near field communica-
borne pathogens are estimated to cause 76 tion tags can be attached to posters and pro-
million illnesses and 5,000 deaths each year vide more information by connecting the
[5] and societal costs are estimated between reader to an URI address, which provides
s
$2.9 and $6.7 billion per year [6].
more information related to the poster.
ingh
The Internet of Things can aid implementing
T
3.2.17 Insurance
food traceability, e.g., if RFID is attached to
t of
items (item-level tagging) then tracing infor- Often the introduction of IoT technology is
mation can be stored and updated on the
erne
perceived as a grave invasion of privacy.
items itself. However, producers have con- However, sometimes people are willing to
Int
cerns about their industrial privacy when trade privacy for a better service or a mone-
using RFID, since competitors could use the tary benefit. One example is car insurance. If
on the
information on the RFID tag to gain insight insurance clients are willing to accept elec-
cts
into the supply chain. Therefore, appropriate tronic recorders in their car, which are able to
e
security methods have to be implemented. An record acceleration, speed, and other parame-
Proj
example of such a method is given in [7].
ters, and communicate this information to
their insurer, they are likely to get a cheaper
arch
3.2.15 Agriculture and Breeding rate or premium [8]. The insurer can save
se
costs by being involved very early when an
Re
The regulations for traceability of agricultural accident happens and can trigger the most
ean
animals and their movements require the use economic actions. A part of the savings can be
of technologies like IoT, making possible the given to the customers through discounts on
real time detection of animals, for example
Europ
insurance premiums.
during outbreaks of contagious disease.
r of
Moreover, in many cases, countries give sub- The same applies for other assets such as
sidies depending on the number of animals in buildings, machinery, etc. that are equipped
a herd and other requirements, to farms with with IoT technology. In these cases the tech-
cattle, sheep, and goats. As the determination nology mostly helps to prevent maintenance
T – Cluste
of the number is difficult, there is always the or allows for much cheaper predictive main-
possibility of fraud. Good identification sys-
tenance before an incident occurs.
CERP-Io
tems can help minimize this fraud. Therefore,
with the application of identification systems,
55
3.2.18 Recycling
IoT and wireless technologies can be used to
advance the efficiency and effectiveness of
numerous important city and national envi-
ronmental programmes, including the moni-
toring of vehicle emissions to help supervise
air quality, the collection of recyclable mate-
rials, the reuse of packaging resources and
electronic parts, and the disposal of electronic
waste (RFID used to identify electronic sub-
components of PCs, mobile phones, and other
consumer electronics products to increase the
reuse of these parts and reduce e-waste).
RFID continues to provide greater visibility
into the supply chain by helping companies
more efficiently track and manage invento-
ries, thereby reducing unnecessary transpor-
tation requirements and fuel usage.
s
ingh T
t of
erne
Int
on the
ctse
Proj
archse
Re
ean
Europ
r of
T – Cluste
CERP-Io
56
3.3 Technologies supporting the
Internet of Things vision
As the technology advances, communication changed during the usage phase or lifetime of
and processing capabilities are becoming the object. These parts may also have their
more and more accessible and versatile; the own unique identifiers and it is important
opportunity for even tighter interconnectivity that the information models for the IoT allow
is fuelling the desire to make use of these changes of identifier, changes of configura-
possibilities.
tion and associations between identifiers to
be recorded and queried, both in terms of
In this context, this Section will present the keeping track of changes to parent-child rela-
technology areas enabling the Internet of tionships as well as old-new relationships
Things and will identify the research and (e.g. where a new part is installed to replace
development challenges and outline a road-
an old part that is worn or faulty). Further
map for future research activities to provide examples of associations between identifiers
practical and reliable solutions. This roadmap include the breakdown of large quantities of
will form the basis for the research priorities bulk product (e.g. a specific batch of food
presented in Chapter 3.4.
product) into a number of individual prod-
3.3.1 Identification Technology ucts or packages for retail purposes, repack-
aging and relabelling of products, aggregation
The function of identification is to map a of ingredients, components and parts to form
unique identifier or UID (globally unique or composite products and assemblies or kits,
unique within a particular scope), to an entity such as medical kits.
so as to make it without ambiguity identifi-
Combinations of things will create “family
able and retrievable. UIDs may be built as a tree” identification schemes where parts and
s
single quantity or out of a collection of attrib- components that are incorporated within
ing
utes such that the combination of their values composite/complex products such as com-
h T
is unique. In the vision of the Internet of puters, vehicles, and buildings have many
Things, things have a digital identity (de-
t of
different components, each with their own
scribed by unique identifiers), are identified unique ID and life history. This is also re-
erne
with a digital name and the relationships ferred to as a serialised Bill of Materials. This
among things can be specified in the digital
Int
is necessary in order to track sets of different
domain.
objects (e.g. parents or children of the origi-
A unique identifier for an object can translate nal object) and the framework for expressing
on the
to a single permanent assigned name for the data sharing rules needs to be able to support
ctse
life of an object. However, IoT will face the this.
need to accommodate multiple identifiers per
Proj
By assigning each thing participating in the
objects, as well as changes to those identifi-
Internet of Things a unique identity (UID) or
arch
ers. For example, many objects will have a potentially several unique identities, it is pos-
se
unique identifier assigned by their manufac-
sible to refer to each thing as an individual,
Re
turer. Some may also have network ad-
each having its own characteristics, life his-
ean
dresses (such as IPv6 addresses), as well as tory and information trail, its own flow pat-
temporary local identifiers within transient tern through the real world and its own se-
ad-hoc clusters of objects. Objects may also
Europ
quence of interactions with other things. It is
have sensors and actuators physically at-
important that such unique identifiers for
r of
tached to them, with each of these sensors things can be globally unique and can have
and actuators also being individually ad-
significant consistency and longevity (ideally
dressable; their identifiers may be con-
for the life of the thing), independent of the
T – Cluste
structed as extensions of the ID of the object current location of the thing or the current
or perhaps associated with the object's identi-
network connectivity available to the thing, in
fier via a lookup in a registry. Many objects order that it is possible to gather information
CERP-Io
may be composite objects or products that about a thing even when that information is
consist of replaceable parts that are ex-
collected and owned by a number of different
57
entities and fragmented across a large num-
applications in uniquely identifying the medi-
ber of databases and information systems.
cation that a patient is carrying, especially
when using wireless identification technolo-
Many things can be considered to be (at least gies that lack adequate privacy measures.
at the time of their creation) near-identical
replicas of each other, perhaps belonging to We recognise that many industry sectors have
the same product type and sharing a number already begun assigning unique identifiers to
of properties common to all instances within objects and that significant investment has
the same class of things. Often, a request or been made in information systems and collec-
order for a particular thing might not always tion of information about various kinds of
specify the exact unique ID that must be re- things, using those existing unique identifiers
trieved; instead the request can be satisfied as keys to lookup and retrieve that informa-
by any thing that is a member of a particular tion. Such established UIDs are difficult to
class. It is therefore important that the displace and it is therefore critical for suc-
Internet of Things can support unique identi-
cessful deployment that IoT technology can
fiers in a way that it is also possible to refer to support such existing UIDs, using mapping
a particular class of things as well as individ-
processes where necessary.
ual things within that class, in order to be
able to retrieve or refer to class-level informa- Furthermore, as indicated in ISO 15459, mul-
tion and services provided for the class of tiple established name issuing authorities
things as well as serial-level information and exist and it is important that the Internet of
services provided for each individual thing.
Things recognises their legitimate but non-
exclusive involvement in the construction of
It is also important that citizens, companies unique identifiers for things and in helping to
and other organisations can construct unique manage delegation of uniqueness of the iden-
identifiers for things as easily, affordably and tifiers created by their members, each of
autonomously as they can create unique iden-
whom is thereby granted the autonomy to
tifiers for web pages and other internet re-
create unique identifiers within their own
sources, while ensuring that no two entities namespace; it should also be possible for
can claim to be the authoritative creator of anyone to use Uniform Resource Identifiers
the same unique ID. In the existing Internet, (URI) as unique identifiers for things.
this is typically achieved through hierarchical
identifier structures, in which each tier of the It is important to understand that identifiers
hierarchy is only responsible for ensuring can refer to names and addresses, but since
uniqueness among the members of the tier there can be multiple addresses of informa-
below. Familiar examples of such hierarchi-
tion and services related to an individual
cally structured identifiers include telephone thing, it is probably more helpful to ensure
s
numbers, URIs, Internet hostnames and sub that each thing is given a unique name and to
ing
use lookup mechanisms and referral services
h
domains, handles, digital object identifiers
T
etc. It would be important to accommodate to obtain addresses of information and ser-
vices, including those provided authorita-
t of
more than a single hierarchical name space;
perhaps some classes of “things” would have tively by the thing's creator and those con-
erne
their own namespace, such as the World tributed by others who have interacted with
the thing at some time in its life. In the case
Int
Wide Web using the class “IN” [17] whose
namespace is managed by ICANN. Other of the existence of multiple identifiers for a
ways that a namespace can be described single object due to different reasons a
on the
would be as a dominion or a realm.
scheme for ID data translation and dynamic
ctse
compatibility/interoperability check is neces-
However, there can be good reasons why the sary.
Proj
Internet of Things should also support
'opaque' identifiers and pseudonyms, in Furthermore, it is important that identifiers
arch
are not constrained by current choices of
se
which the internal structure of hierarchy is
not readily apparent; this is particularly im-
technology for storing and communicating
Re
portant when unauthorised parties are able to unique identifiers or their current limitations,
ean
read the class information (e.g. product type since we should expect that the data carrier
or object type) and could jeopardise the pri-
technology will evolve over time and current
limitations (such as those on memory capac-
Europ
vacy of a citizen or the safety and security of ity available for identifiers) will become more
r of
supply chains, subjecting them to discrimina-
tory treatment or targeted attack, on the basis relaxed.
of what the identifier reveals about the things Today various unique identifier schemes exist
which are being worn, carried or transported. and interoperability is required between ap-
T – Cluste
There could be an opaque identifier name-
plications using different schemes when
space that is not part of the hierarchical those applications are operated in the Future
namespace structure and reveals absolutely Internet environment.
CERP-Io
no information about the object that it is
identifying. For example, this could have
58
The traffic in the Internet of Things networks with additional semantic information that
for queries about unique identifiers will be expresses the context in which each event
many times higher than that for DNS queries happened, to explain why something oc-
in the current Internet.
curred, such as why a thing was observed at a
location or how and why it interacted with
In this context the Internet of Things de- another thing. There is considerable scope
ployment will require the development of for further research and innovation regarding
new technologies that need to address the novel methods of automatically interpreting
global ID schemes, identity management, events, adding semantic annotation and even
identity encoding/encryption, authentication predicting what will happen next and what
and repository management using identifica- precautionary measures should be taken.
tion and addressing schemes and the creation Architecture standards for the IoT should
of global directory lookup services and dis-
support the unambiguous communication of
covery services for Internet of Things applica-
events and additional semantic information,
tions with various unique identifier schemes.
without prescribing the implementation de-
3.3.2 Internet of Things Archi-
tails of how they are generated.
tecture Technology
The decentralised and heterogeneous nature
of things and the entities with which they
In Service Oriented Architectures (SOA) it interact requires a scalable, flexible, open,
becomes imperative for the providers and layered, event-driven architecture of stan-
requestors to communicate meaningfully dards that minimises or eliminates any bias
with each other despite the heterogeneous towards any single programming language,
nature of the underlying information struc- operating system, information transport
tures, business artefacts, and other docu- mechanism or other technology and makes
ments. This requirement is termed as seman-
efficient use of available network connectivity
tic interoperability. Often technology is per- and energy, where required.
ceived to be the biggest impediment to effec-
When architecting the Internet of Things, it is
tive collaboration and integration between important to remember that many things will
requestors and providers; however it is usu- not have permanent network connectivity -
ally the problem of semantic interoperability indeed some things may have no intrinsic
which is the root cause. Semantic interopera- network connectivity, but rely on supporting
bility can be achieved between heterogeneous intelligence in their local environment or in
information systems (service providers and remote information systems. Things will
service requestors) in a multitude of ways. On therefore need the ability to communicate
one extreme, development of comprehensive their location, state and requirements to in-
s
shared information models can facilitate se- formation systems that have more permanent
ing
mantic interoperability among the participant
h
or more reliable network connectivity.
T
applications and businesses. However, the Through such information systems, a digital
problem with this approach is its rigidity,
t of
counterpart of the thing can be monitored or
which translates to inflexibility when it comes even displayed in a virtual representation,
erne
to business processes leveraging SOA. On the such that remote authorized entities could
Int
other extreme, semantic interoperability can query or update the state of an individual
be achieved by providing appropriate seman-
thing or influence its destiny. There is there-
tic mediators (translators) at each partici- fore a need for the IoT architecture to provide
on the
pant’s end, to facilitate the conversion to the effective caching and synchronisation of in-
ctse
information format which the participant formation updates in both directions, to sup-
understands. Most often systems use a com- port things and application scenarios that
Proj
bination of context independent shared in-
lack reliable permanent network connectivity.
formation models, coupled with context spe-
arch
For example, there may be environments
se
cific information specialization approaches to (such as the interior of an aircraft cabin)
achieve semantic interoperability.
Re
where network connectivity is not available
ean
Scalability, modularity, extensibility and in-
either because of non-availability, electro-
teroperability among heterogeneous things magnetic interference or concerns about po-
and their environments are key design re-
tential disruption to other mission-critical or
Europ
quirements for the Internet of Things, in or- safety-critical systems, such as the flight con-
r of
der to ensure an open playing field for solu-
trol system and internal communications
tion providers and developers, while users infrastructure of an aeroplane.
also benefit from a competitive marketplace Handheld devices might be used by mainte-
T – Cluste
of solutions, from which applications can be nance mechanics and inspectors for retriev-
assembled.
ing lifecycle history information about an
As things move and interact with their envi- individual aircraft part, especially when it is
CERP-Io
ronment, events are automatically generated. mounted behind a panel or in an otherwise
These events can subsequently be enhanced inaccessible plate. Handheld devices might
59
also be used by cabin crew during aircraft Process, workflow, choreography etc. in-
turnaround operations, to rapidly check that
cluding exception handling
all required safety equipment (life jackets,
oxygen masks, fire extinguishers) are present
Contracts, trust, roles, permissions etc.
and correct and not misplaced. In such sce- The third truly dynamic category of business
narios, one can envisage pre-positioning onto processes in SOA fall under the dynamic
the handheld device the information about category. Dynamic SOA based business proc-
the expected manifest of safety equipment or esses operate on the “publish-find-bind”
details about the complete maintenance his-
paradigm principle, where business processes
tory of each part known to be installed on may dynamically involve business partners
that specific aircraft, such that the pre-cached and associated applications. The problem of
information is immediately available at the semantic interoperability is far more acute in
time and place of interaction with the object. such dynamic situations involving service
The memory of the handheld device can also brokers, due to the lack of prior business
be used to temporarily record any updates, relationships between the enterprises.
such as modifications to the parts, symptoms
observed, missing safety equipment, etc., so Industry practitioners have suggested lever-
that those updates can be synchronised to the aging work in the semantic web to devise
network as soon as the hand-held device re-
comprehensive and open ontologies to ad-
turns within range of network connectivity, dress the issue of semantic interoperability
such as WiFi or a docking station.
for dynamic binding based SOA.
The architecture for the IoT should support Issues to be addressed:
distributed ownership of data, in which enti-
Distributed open architecture with end to
ties (and things) can control which informa-
end characteristics, interoperability of het-
tion to share with other things and entities.
erogeneous systems, neutral access, clear
Subject to authorisation controls, the archi-
layering and resilience to physical network
tecture should also support mechanisms for
disruption.
gathering fragments of distributed informa-
tion from a variety of sources, even when Decentralized autonomic architectures
those sources are not known a priori, in order
based on peering of nodes.
to achieve comprehensive end-to-end trace-
ability as far as is permitted.
Cloud computing technology, event-driven
architectures, disconnected operation and
In the context of SOA, many practical ap-
synchronization.
proaches to semantic interoperability have
been proposed and used with different levels 3.3.3 Communication Tech-
s
of success. We shall be concerned primarily
ing
nology
h
with the following four practical approaches:
T
Vertical domain cantered business vocabu-
The applications of Internet of Things form
t of
laries,
an extensive design space with many dimen-
sions that include:
erne
Horizontal Canonical Cross-Vertical
Int
frameworks like ebXML, UBL etc.,
Deployment – onetime, incremental or
random
Semantic Web based ontological frame-
on the
works, and
Mobility – occasional or continuous per-
cts
formed by either selected or all “things” in
e
Semantic mediators.
the selected environment.
Proj
Each vertical domain of business applications
Cost, size, resources, and energy – very
arch
has various types of peculiarities specific to
resource limited to unlimited
se
the domain warranting the development of a
Heterogeneity – a single type of “thing” or
Re
specialized shared vocabulary of business
diverse sets of differing properties and hi-
ean
processes and documents. At the same time,
it is also observable that various types of
erarchies
business concepts and data types are com-
Communication modality – Electromag-
Europ
mon across multiple verticals necessitating
netic communication - radio frequency,
r of
the development of cross-domain vocabular-
optical, acoustic, inductive and capacitive
ies and processes so that they can be captured
coupled communication have been used
in a domain-independent manner. Common
artefacts falling into this category are:
Infrastructure – different applications
T – Cluste
exclude, allow or require the use of fixed
Business concepts, data and documents
infrastructure
like purchase orders, shipping no-
CERP-Io
tices/dispatch advice, etc.
Network topology – single hop, star, mul-
tihop, mesh and/or multitier
60
Coverage – sparse, dense or redundant
between devices, without intermediate proto-
col translation gateways. Protocol gateways
Connectivity – continuous, occasional or
are inherently complex to design, manage,
sporadic
and deploy and with the end to end architec-
Network size – ranging from tens of nodes
ture of IP, there are no protocol translation
to thousands
gateways involved.
Lifetime – few hours, several months to
New scalable architectures designed specifi-
many years
cally for the ubiquitous sensor networks
communications will allow for networks of
Other quality of service requirements –
billions of devices. Improvements in tech-
real time constraints, tamper resistance,
niques for secure and reliable wireless com-
un obtrusiveness.
munication protocols will enable mission-
An extensive design space complicates IoT critical applications for ubiquitous sensor
application development in various ways. networks based on wireless identifiable de-
vices.
One could argue that designing for the most
restrictive point in the design space, e.g. Issues to be addressed:
minimum “thing” capabilities, highly mobile,
etc. might be a solution. However, often there
Network technologies (fixed, wireless, mo-
is no such global “minimum” and it will be
bile etc.),
desirable to exploit the characteristics of the
Ad-hoc networks.
various points in the design space. This im-
plies that no single hardware and software 3.3.5 Network Discovery
platform will be sufficient to support the
whole design space and heterogeneous sys-
In the IoT the network will dynamically
tems will be used.
change and continuously evolving and the
things feature varying degrees of autonomy.
Issues to be addressed:
New “things” will be added and existing net-
Internet of Things energy efficient com-
work topologies will be moved around. In the
munications
context of IoT automated discovery mecha-
nisms and mapping capabilities are essential
Multi frequency radio front ends and pro-
to network management and needed for
tocols,
overall communication management. With-
Communication spectrum and frequency
out it the network management capabilities
allocation
cannot scale, be accurate or efficient since ti
needs to automatically assign roles to devices
s
Software defined radios (SDRs)
based on intelligent matching against pre-set
ingh
templates and attributes, automatically de-
T
Cognitive radios (CRs)
ploy and start active, passive or performance
t of
Energy efficient wireless sensor networks
monitors based on assigned roles and attrib-
with inter protocol communication capa-
utes, start, stop, manage and schedule the
erne
bilities (hybrids i.e, ZigBee-6LoWPAN-
discovery process and make changes to any
Int
WiFi, etc.).
role or monitoring profile at any time or cre-
ate new profiles as required
on the
3.3.4 Network Technology
They enable interaction between devices that
cts
is not pre-configured and hard coded as far as
e
The IoT deployment requires developments
in network technology which is essential for the addresses or service end-points are con-
Proj
implementing the vision reaching out to ob-
cerned, but allows for dynamic, run-time
configuration of connections. This allows the
arch
jects in the physical world and to bring them (potentially mobile) devices to form collabo-
se
into the Internet. RFID, short-range wireless rative groups and adapt to changing context.
Re
technologies and sensor networks are ena-
bling this, while for example IPv6, with its Examples for protocols for discovery on LAN
ean
expanded address space, allow that all things level are WS-Discovery [9] (as part of WS-
can be connected, and can be tracked.
DD), Bonjour [10] and SSDP [11] (as part of
Europ
UPnP).
In the IoT security, scalability, and cross plat-
r of
form compatibility between diverse net-
Passive or dynamic discovery mechanisms
worked systems will be essential. In this con-
exist today and technologies are developed to
text the network technologies has to offer implement both active and passive real time,
dynamic network discovery data.
T – Cluste
solutions that reduced costs that can offer the
viability of connecting almost anything to the Discovery services must nevertheless be
network, and this ubiquity of access will based on authentication mechanisms to ad-
CERP-Io
change the way information is processed. IP dress privacy or security issues.
provides today end to end communication
61
3.3.6 Software and algorithms
(TFTs), power converters, batteries, memo-
ries, sensors, active tags.
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 interoper-
able 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
Figure 3.3-1: IoT Devices.
Energy efficient micro operating systems
Silicon IC technology will be used for systems
Distributed self adaptive software for self
with increased functionality and require-
optimization, self configuration, self heal-
ments for more non volatile memory used for
ing (e.g. autonomic)
sensing and monitoring ambient parameters.
Research is needed on ultra-low power, low
Lightweight and open middleware based
voltage and low leakage designs in submicron
s
on interacting components/modules ab-
RF CMOS technologies, on high-efficiency
stracting resource and network functions;
ingh
DC-DC power-management solutions, ultra
T
Bio-inspired algorithms (e.g. self organiza-
low power, low voltage controllable non-
t of
tion) and game theory (to overcome the
volatile memory, integration of RF MEMS
risks of tragedy of commons and reaction
and MEMS devices. The focus will be on
erne
to malicious nodes)
highly miniaturised integrated circuits that
Int
will include:
Self management techniques to overcome
increasing complexities
Multi RF, adaptive and reconfigurable
on the
Front Ends
cts
Password distribution mechanisms for
e
increased security and privacy
HF/UHF/SHF/EHF
Proj
Energy-aware operating systems and im-
Memory –EEPROM/FRAM/Polymer
arch
plementations.
ID 128/256 bits + other type ID
se
Re
3.3.7 Hardware
Multi Communication Protocols
ean
The research on nanoelectronics devices will
Digital Processing
be used for implementing wireless identifi-
Security, including tamper-resistance
Europ
able systems with the focus on miniaturiza-
countermeasures, and technology to
r of
tion, low cost and increased functionality.
thwart side-channel attacks.
Polymers electronics technology will be de-
veloped and research is needed on developing Based on this development two trends are
emerging for wireless identifiable devices for
T – Cluste
cheap, non-toxic and even disposable elec-
tronics for implementing RFID tags and sen-
IoT applications:
sors that include logic and analogue circuits
Increasing use of “embedded intelligence”
CERP-Io
with n and p type Thin Film Transistors Networking of embedded intelligence.
62
IoT will create new services and new business seen widespread adoption. A case in point is
opportunities for system providers to service the adoption of XBRL, the standard for busi-
the communication demands of potentially ness and financial reporting. It has been
tens of billions of devices. Three main trends popularly adopted by many corporations in
are seen today:
addition to financial and reporting software
companies.
Ultra low cost tags with very limited fea-
tures. The information is centralized on
Initiatives such as International Standard for
data servers managed by service operators. Metadata Registries (ISO/IEC 11179) and
Value resides in the data management.
implementations of it, such as the Universal
Data Element Framework (UDEF) from
Low cost tags with enhanced features such
OpenGroup aim to support semantic interop-
as extra memory and sensing capabilities.
erability between structured data that is ex-
The information is distributed both on cen-
pressed using different schema and data dic-
tralized data servers and tags. Efficient
tionaries of vocabularies, by providing glob-
network infrastructure. Value resides in
ally unique cross-reference identifiers for
communication and data management, in-
data elements that are semantically equiva-
cluding processing of data into actionable
lent, even though they may have different
information.
names in different XML markup standards.
Smart fixed/mobile tags and embedded
ebXML is an end-to-end stack proposed un-
systems. More functions into the tag bring-
der the aegis of UN/CEFACT (United Nations
ing local services. Smart systems (sens-
Centre for Trade Facilitation and Electronic
ing/monitoring/actuating) on tags. The in-
Business) and OASIS, aimed at standardizing
formation is centralized on the data tag it-
B2B collaborations. The stack of ebXML de-
self. Value resides in the communication
rives its fundamentals from Electronic Data
management to ensure security and effec-
Interchange (EDI), the existing de-facto
tive synchronisation to the network.
technology for conducting e-business be-
Smart devices enhanced with inter-device tween multiple business partners. It is envi-
communication will result in smart systems sioned to enable enterprises of any size, any-
with much higher degrees of intelligence and where, to find each other electronically and
autonomy. This will enable the more rapid conduct business by exchanging XML mes-
deployment of smart systems for IoT applica-
sages. It builds on earlier semantic ap-
tions and creation of new services.
proaches to business vocabularies like XML
Common Business Library (xCBL) from
3.3.8 Data and Signal Pro-
Commerce One, and business object docu-
ments (BODs) from Open Applications
s
cessing Technology
Group.
ingh
Different industry bodies in vertical domains
T
ebXML offers an open XML based framework
have realized the utility of XML as the under-
for enterprises to conduct business electroni-
t of
lying language for standardization of business cally with other enterprises or with custom-
erne
artefacts. Each vertical industry has come up ers. In effect it is a collection of standards for
with standards bodies to develop XML stan- conducting e-business. The semantics in
Int
dards for the specific vertical. The basic idea ebXML stack are handled at two levels: Core
is to express the contract, trust, process, Components at the data dictionary level and
on the
workflow, message, and other data semantics UBL for the standardized business docu-
cts
in terms of XML nodes and attributes for the ments level.
e
nodes. These XML vocabularies are then pub-
A Core Component (CC) is a generic term
Proj
lished as generalized Document Type Defini-
tion (DTD) or XML Schema for consumption referring to a semantic data item that is used
arch
by members of that vertical industry. Since all as a basis for constructing electronic business
se
members follow the same DTD or schema the messages. The Core Components specifica-
Re
semantic interoperability is achieved.
tion addresses the need for capturing data
ean
items common across multiple businesses
The OASIS (Organization for the Advance- and domains. A layered approach is taken
ment of Structured Information Standards) with provision of specialization of compo-
Europ
site [13] or the XML cover pages [14] site nents based on context (Context refers to the
r of
provides a comprehensive list of XML vo-
environment in which the data item is used).
cabularies. Some of the prominent vertical There are two basic types of Core Compo-
vocabularies are ACORD for insurance, OTA nents: (a) Basic Core Component – A simple,
for travel, GovML for Government, FpML for
T – Cluste
singular Core Component that has an indi-
financial derivatives, HL7 for healthcare do- visible semantic meaning like an item code,
main, STPML for financial straight-through an ID, etc., and (b) Aggregate Core Compo-
CERP-Io
processing, etc. Some of these standardized nent – A collection or packaged Core Compo-
vocabularies are already in action and have nent like an address.
63
On the other hand, Universal Business Lan-
Issues to be addressed:
guage (UBL) is an output of OASIS to address
the development of reusable semantic busi-
Semantic interoperability, service discov-
ness documents for interoperability across
ery, service composition, semantic sensor
multiple businesses and verticals. Core Com-
web,
ponents specifies two broad categories of Data sharing and collaboration,
elements, the Core Components and the
Business Information Entities (BIE). UBL is
Autonomous agents,
concerned with only the BIEs (both Basic Human machine interaction
BIEs and Aggregate BIEs).
Finally, semantic web based standards from
Edge processing, filtering and aggregation,
W3C like DAML (Darpa Agent Markup Lan-
Quality of service, stream processing.
guage), RDF (Resource Description Frame-
work) and OWL (Ontology Working Lan- 3.3.9 Discovery and Search
guage) are useful in providing semantic foun-
Engine Technologies
dations for dynamic situations involving dy-
namic discovery of businesses and services.
Information and services about things will be
The intelligent decision-making algorithms fragmented across many entities and may be
will need to trigger activities not on the basis provided at class-level (i.e. common informa-
of a single event (such as an individual obser-
tion and services for all instances of things
vation or sensor reading) but often also con-
having the same class) or at serial-level (i.e.
sidering correlations among events and often unique to an individual thing), as well as be-
requiring transformation of the raw sensor ing provided authoritatively by the creator of
data. Toolkits and frameworks already exist the thing or contributed by other entities such
for complex event processing, such as ESPER as those who have interacted with an individ-
and DROOLS - and are likely to play a useful ual thing at some stage in its life.
role in formulating machine-readable rules The Internet of Things requires the develop-
for how a particular sequence of events ment of lookup / referral services to link
should trigger a particular activity or process. things to such information and services and
It may be necessary to evaluate multiple rules to support secure access to such information
in parallel, to consider various possible and services in a way that respects both the
causes and appropriate responses or out-
privacy of individuals and confidentiality of
comes. Sensor data in particular may require business information, such that matching
some pre-processing, to reduce noise, assess between requesters and providers of informa-
tion services can be founded on trust rela-
s
whether or not to consider outlying data tionships. As a thing moves through the real
ing
points, perform smoothing, averaging (possi-
h
world, it will encounter new environments
T
bly across moving time windows). Further-
more, certain kinds of sensor data may need and both the smart things and other agents
t of
to be transformed.
that are monitoring the things will require
lookup mechanisms in order to discover what
erne
For example, from temperature data together capabilities are available within the local en-
Int
with knowledge of the biological and chemi-
vironment of the thing. Such capabilities may
cal reactions of a perishable product, it may include availability of sensors and actuators,
be possible to calculate whether the popula-
on the
network communication interfaces, facilities
tion of toxic micro-organisms has reached a
cts
for computation and processing of data into
e
safety-critical level; the growth rate of the information as well as facilities for onward
microbe population may have non-linear
Proj
transportation, handling, physical processing
temperature dependence. As another exam- or alerting of a human operator about prob-
arch
ple, it is necessary to apply techniques such lems.
se
as Fourier transforms and complex cep-
Re
strums (the inverse Fourier transform of the Things may also require the ability to dis-
cover the existence and identity of peer things
ean
complex logarithm of a Fourier transform) to
vibration data in order to detect changes in within their environment in order to negoti-
the amplitude of vibrating components at ate about shared goals (such as common re-
Europ
particular resonant frequencies, as well as quirements for transportations and destina-
r of
changes in the relative amplitudes of har- tions, specific handling or storage require-
monics of such frequencies; by transforming ments, e.g. within particular temperature
the sensor data in such ways, it is possible to ranges), and in order to identify and resolve
conflicts and achieve efficient, synergistic and
T – Cluste
detect signs of degradation, instability or
imbalance with much greater sensitivity, considerate solutions with their peers for
leading to a much earlier detection of possible their co-location and co-transportation, espe-
cially when they plan to interact with actua-
CERP-Io
problems.
tors in their local environment or request
transportation. Requesters of information,
64
including the virtual counterparts of things Network management involves distributed
will often need to be able to monitor the loca-
databases, repositories, auto polling of net-
tion of things. Locations might be expressed work devices, and real time graphical views of
as abstract or 'logical' locations, perhaps network topology changes and traffic. The
within a hierarchy or federation of hierarchi- network management service employs a vari-
cal locations. They can also be expressed as ety of tools, applications, and devices to assist
3-dimensional terrestrial spatial location co-
monitoring and maintaining the networks
ordinates.
involved in the IoT applications.
Some applications in the Internet of Things Similar to the social network services that are
may need to be able to understand both con-
flourishing today on the web, there would be
cepts of location and to access mechanisms a need for things to form relationships with
for relating logical locations to spatial loca- one another on the networks. These relation-
tions and vice versa, as well as understanding ships can be formal and official, such as
geometric concepts such as intersection and membership within a federation, or they
overlap of locations and location boundaries. could be loosely based alliances brought upon
This is particularly important for the inter-
by an incident or an event.
pretation of sensor data when the available
sensors are located at a distance from the Issues to be addressed:
thing that is being monitored, since proper-
Propagation of memes [18] by things
ties such as temperature might not have
reached equilibrium between the location of
Identity, relationship and reputation man-
the thing and the location of ambient sensors
agement.
in the environment.
3.3.11 Power and Energy Stor-
The Internet of Things will also require the
ability for things or the entities that are re-
age Technologies
sponsible for them to make assertions about The autonomous “things” operating in the
the state of an object in such a way that other IoT applications and performing either the
things and other entities can discover these sensing or monitoring of required
assertions about the state of each individual changes/events need power, to perform the
object or the class to which it belongs. For required job.
example, an assertion might be made about
an event relating to an individual thing such Micro batteries with enough energy to power
as whether it has been sold, destroyed, lost, the “things” for their lifespan, and energy
found, marked for recall, returned. Asser-
scavenging technologies that let the “things”
tions might also be made about a class of collect power from their operating environ-
s
things, such as reviews, ratings, recommen- ment are used today.
ingh
dations, helpful tips and advice or the avail- Since that environment has wide variations,
T
ability of new services, updates and exten-
depending on where and how the “thing” is
t of
sions/capabilities for the things, such as new used, the power collection methods vary (RF,
software or firmware. Additionally assertions
erne
solar, sound, vibration, heat, etc.).
can be made about identity of a thing or its
Int
relationship with other things, such as asser-
The “things” with local power may not use it
tions about being a peer within a federation to send the information, saving power by
of things.
letting a reader power the transmission. For
on the
situations and locations where is it reason-
ctse
Issues to be addressed:
able to have a lot of “things” with sensing
Device discovery, distributed repositories
capabilities, spaced fairly evenly, mesh net-
Proj
works become a way to increase the commu-
arch
Positioning and localisation
nication and power efficiency by including
se
Mapping of real, digital and virtual entities
the ability to forward transmissions from the
Re
closest “thing”. The reader then only needs to
be range of the edge of the network.
ean
Terrestrial mapping data
3.3.10 Relationship Network
Power and energy storage technologies are
Europ
enablers for the deployment of IoT applica-
Management Technologies
r of
tions. These technologies has to provide high
power density energy generation and harvest-
The IoT requires managing networks that ing solutions that, when used with today’s low
contains billons of heterogeneous “things”, power nanoelectronics, enables a self pow-
T – Cluste
and where a wide variety of software, mid-
ered intelligent sensor based wireless identi-
dleware and hardware devices exists. Net-
fiable device.
work management technologies cover a wide
CERP-Io
area of elements including, security, per-
To meet the IoT application’s power require-
formance and reliability.
ments, a typical energy generation/harvesting
65
units contains four main building blocks the For small-scale systems, key distribution can
harvester, the conversion electronics, the happen in the factory or at deployment, but
energy storage, and the energy delivery.
for ad-hoc networks, novel key distribution
schemes have only been proposed in recent
Issues to be addressed:
years.
Battery and energy storage technologies
For privacy, the situation is more serious; one
Energy harvesting technologies
of the reasons is the ignorance (regarding
privacy) of the general public. Moreover,
Energy consumption mapping; the power
privacy-preserving technology is still in its
technology should allow for fine-grained
infancy: the systems that do work are not
measurement/estimation of hardware
designed for resource-restricted devices, and
components in the ‘thing’, such that en-
a holistic view on privacy is still to be devel-
ergy-based priority scheduling software
oped (e.g, the view on privacy throughout
can work.
one’s life).
3.3.12 Security and Privacy
The heterogeneity and mobility of ‘things’ in
Technologies
the IoT will add complexity to the situation.
Also from a legal point of view, some issues
Two of the main issues in the IoT are privacy remain far from clear and need legal interpre-
of humans and confidentiality of business tation; examples include the impact of loca-
processes. Because of the scale of deploy-
tion on privacy regulation, and the issue of
ment, their mobility and sometimes their data ownership in collaborative clouds of
relatively low complexity, the cloud of ‘things’ ‘things’
is hard to control.
Network and data anonymity can provide a
For confidentiality, established encryption basis for privacy, but at the moment, these
technology exists, and one of the challenges is technologies are mainly supported by rather
to make encryption algorithms faster and less powerful equipment, in terms of computing
energy-consuming. Moreover, any encryption power and bandwidth. A similar argument
scheme will be backed up by a key distribu-
can be made for authentication of devices and
tion mechanism.
establishing trust.
s
ingh T
t of
erne
Int
on the
ctse
Proj
archse
Re
ean
Europ
r of
T – Cluste
CERP-Io
Figure 3.3-2: IoT Security and Privacy
66
Issues to be addressed:
seeking additional radio spectrum allocation
as it becomes available.
Event-driven agents to enable an intelli-
gent/self aware behaviour of networked
A particular challenge in this regard is ensur-
devices
ing global interoperability particularly for
things and devices that make use of radio
Privacy preserving technology for hetero-
spectrum. Historically, various bands of ra-
geneous sets of devices
dio spectrum have been allocated for various
purposes, such as broadcast communications
Models for decentralised authentication
(AM, FM, digital audio broadcasting, ana-
and trust
logue terrestrial television, digital terrestrial
Energy efficient encryption and data pro-
television), mobile telephony, citizen-band
tection technologies
radio, emergency services communications,
wireless internet, short-range radio. Unfortu-
Technologies for object and network au-
nately, the frequency band allocations are not
thentication
exactly harmonised across all regions of the
Anonymity mechanisms
world and some bands that are available for a
particular purpose in one region are not
Security and trust for cloud computing
available for the same purpose in another
region, often because they are being used for
Data ownership.
a different purpose.
3.3.13 Standardisation
Re-allocation of radio spectrum is a slow
process, involving government agencies,
Standards should be designed to support a regulators and international bodies such as
wide range of applications and address com-
the International Telecommunications Union
mon requirements from a wide range of in- (ITU) as well as regional bodies such as the
dustry sectors as well as the needs of the en-
European Telecommunications Standards
vironment, society and individual citizens.
Institute (ETSI) or the Federal Communica-
Through consensus processes involving mul- tions Commission (FCC). Careful discussions
tiple stakeholders, it will be possible to de- are needed to minimise disruption to existing
velop standardized semantic data models and users of radio spectrum and to plan for future
ontologies, common interfaces and protocols, needs. In the meantime, many IoT devices
initially defined at an abstract level, then with using radio spectrum will need to be capable
example bindings to specific cross-platform, of using multiple protocols and multiple fre-
quencies.
s
cross-language technologies such as XML,
ing
ASN.1, web services etc.
An example of this is the ISO 18000-
h T
The use of semantic ontologies and machine- 6C/EPCglobal UHF Gen2 standard, which is
t of
readable codification should help to over-
implemented using slightly different frequen-
come ambiguities resulting from human error cies within the 860-960 MHz band, depend-
erne
or differences and misinterpretation due to ing on the region of operation, as well as dif-
Int
different human languages in different re-
ferent power levels and different protocols (at
gions of the world, as well as assisting with least initially in Europe, where the Listen-
Before-Talk protocol was required)
on the
cross-referencing to additional information
cts
available through other systems.
Issues to be addressed:
e
Standards are required for bidirectional IoT standardisation
Proj
communication and information exchange
among things, their environment, their digital
Ontology based semantic standards
archse
counterparts in the virtual cloud and entities
that have an interest in monitoring, control-
Standards for communication within and
Re
ling or assisting the things.
outside cloud.
ean
In addition, the design of standards for the
Internet of Things needs to consider efficient
Europ
and considerate use of energy and network
r of
capacity, as well as respecting other con-
straints such as those existing regulations
that restrict permitted frequency bands and
T – Cluste
power levels for radio frequency communica-
tions. As the Internet of Things develops, it
may be necessary to review such regulatory
CERP-Io
constraints and investigate ways to ensure
sufficient capacity for expansion, such as
67
3.4 Internet of Things Research
Agenda, Timelines and Priorities
3.4.1 Identification Technology heterogeneous systems and distributed re-
sources including providers and consumers of
Further research is needed in the develop-
information and services, whether they be
ment, convergence and interoperability of human beings, software, smart objects or
technologies for identification and authenti- devices. Architecture standards should con-
cation that can operate at a global scale. This sist of well-defined abstract data models,
includes the management of unique identities interfaces and protocols, together with con-
for physical objects and devices, and handling crete bindings to neutral technologies (such
of multiple identifiers for people and loca-
as XML, web services etc.) in order to support
tions and possible cross-referencing among the widest possible variety of operating sys-
different identifiers for the same entity and tems and programming languages.
with associated authentication credentials.
The architecture should have well-defined
Frameworks are needed for reliable and con- and granular layers, in order to foster a com-
sistent encoding and decoding of identifiers, petitive marketplace of solutions, without
irrespective of which data carrier technology locking any users into using a monolithic
that is used (e.g. whether linear or 2-D bar- stack from a single solution provider. Like
code, RFID, memory button or other tech- the internet, the IoT architecture should be
nologies, including those that may be devel-
designed to be resilient to disruption of the
oped in the future. For some applications, it physical network and should also anticipate
may be necessary to use encrypted identifiers that many of the nodes will be mobile, may
and pseudonym schemes in order to protect have intermittent connectivity and may use
privacy or ensure security. Identifiers play a various communication protocols at different
s
critical role for retrieval of information from times to connect to the IoT.
ing
repositories and for lookup in global directory
h
IoT nodes may need to dynamically and
T
lookup services and discovery services, to autonomously form peer networks with other
t of
discovery the availability and find addresses
of distributed resources.
nodes, whether local or remote and this
erne
should be supported through a decentralised,
It is vital that identification technology can distributed approach to the architecture, with
Int
support various existing and future identifier support for semantic search, discovery and
schemes and can also interoperate with iden-
peer networking. Anticipating the vast vol-
on the
tifier structures already used in the existing umes of data that may be generated, it is im-
cts
Internet and World Wide Web, such as Uni- portant that the architecture also includes
e
form Resource Identifiers (URIs).
mechanisms for moving intelligence and ca-
Proj
Further research is needed in development of pabilities for filtering, pattern recognition,
machine learning and decision-making to-
arch
new technologies that address the global ID wards the very edges of the network to enable
se
schemes, identity management, identity en-
distributed and decentralised processing of
Re
coding/encryption, pseudonimity, (revocable)
anonymity, authentication of parties, reposi- the information, either close to where data is
ean
tory management using identification, au- generated or remotely in the cloud. The ar-
thentication and addressing schemes and the chitectural design will also need to enable the
Europ
creation of global directory lookup services processing, routing, storage and retrieval of
events and allow for disconnected operations
r of
and discovery services for Internet of Things
applications with various unique identifier (e.g. where network connectivity might only
schemes.
be intermittent). Effective caching, pre-
positioning and synchronisation of requests,
T – Cluste
3.4.2 Internet of Things Archi-
updates and data flows need to be an integral
feature of the architecture. By developing
tecture Technology
and defining the architecture in terms of open
CERP-Io
standards, we can expect increased participa-
The Internet of Things needs an open archi-
tion from solution providers of all sizes and a
tecture to maximise interoperability among
69
competitive marketplace that benefits end Communication for localization and track-
users.
ing for physical world location determina-
Issues to be addressed:
tion and tracking
Distributed open architecture with end to
Communication for identification to pro-
end characteristics, interoperability of het-
vide unique physical object identification
erogeneous systems, neutral access, clear
in the digital world.
layering and resilience to physical network
In the IoT the range of connectivity options
disruption.
will increase exponentially and the challenges
of scalability, interoperability and ensuring
Decentralized autonomic architectures
return on investment for network operators
based on peering of nodes.
will remain.
Architectures moving intelligence at the
In this context the communication needs will
very edge of the networks, up to users’
change and new radio and service architec-
terminals and things.
tures will be required to cater for the connec-
Cloud computing technology, event-driven
tivity demands of emerging devices. The fre-
architectures, disconnected operations and quency spectrum will have to be adapted to
synchronization.
the new bandwidth requirements.
Use of market mechanisms for increased
Issues to be addressed:
competition and participation.
Internet of Things energy efficient com-
3.4.3 Communication Tech-
munication multi frequency protocols,
communication spectrum and frequency
nology
allocation.
Billions of connected devices are pushing Software defined radios to remove need for
current communication technologies, net-
hardware upgrades when new protocols
works and services approaches to their limits
emerge.
and require new technological investigations.
Connectionless communications, even
Research is required in the field of Internet
beyond IP.
architecture evolution, wireless system access
architectures, protocols, device technologies,
High performance, scalable algorithms and
service oriented architecture able to support
protocols.
dynamically changing environments, security
and privacy. Research is required in the field 3.4.4 Network Technology
s
of dedicated applications integrating these The evolution and pervasiveness of present
ing
technologies within a complete end to end
h
communication technologies has promised to
T
system.
revolutionize the way humans interact with
t of
In the Internet of Things the following topics their environment. The Internet of Things is
related to communication technology have to
erne
born from this vision in which objects form
be considered:
an integral part of the communication infra-
Int
Communication to enable information
structures that wire today’s world. For this
exchange between “things” and between
vision to be realized, the Internet of Things
on the
“things” and Internet
architecture needs to be built on top of a net-
cts
work structure that integrates wired and
e
Communication with sensors for capturing
wireless technologies in a transparent and
Proj
and representing the physical world in the
seamless way. Wireless network technologies
digital world
have gained more focus due to their ability to
arch
provide unobtrusive wire-free communica-
se
Communication with actuators to perform
tion. They have also become the leading area
Re
actions in the physical world triggered in
of research when combined with data collect-
ean
the digital world
ing technologies used for environmental and
Communication with distributed storage
object monitoring.
Europ
units for data collection from sensors,
In this regard, wireless sensor networks
r of
identification and tracking systems
promise low power, low cost object monitor-
Communication for interaction with hu-
ing and networking, constituting a funda-
mans in the physical world
mental technology for the evolution towards a
truly embedded and autonomous Internet of
T – Cluste
Communication and processing to provide
Things.
data mining and services
Research is needed on networks on chip
CERP-Io
technology considering on chip communica-
tion architectures for dynamic configurations
70
design time parameterized architecture with Issues to be addressed include:
a dynamic routing scheme and a variable
number of allowed virtual connections at Service discovery and composition
each output).
Semantic interoperability, semantic sensor
Scalable communication infrastructure on
web etc.
chip to dynamically support the communica-
Data sharing, propagation and collabora-
tion among circuit modules based on varying
tion
workloads and/or changing constraints.
Autonomous agents
Power aware networks that turned on and off
the links in response to bursts and dips of
Human machine interaction
traffic on demand.
Self management techniques to overcome
IP provides today the protocol for implement-
increasing complexities and save energy
ing IoT applications. More research is re-
quired for IP technology and eventually the
Distributed self adaptive software for self
development of different post IP protocols
optimization, self configuration, self heal-
optimized for IoT, compatible and interoper-
ing
able with the exiting IP technologies.
Lightweight and open middleware based
Issues to be addressed:
on interacting components/modules ab-
stracting resource and network functions;
Network technologies (fixed, wireless, mo-
bile etc.),
Energy efficient micro operating systems
Ad-hoc and wireless sensor networks
Software for virtualisation
Autonomic computing and networking
Language for object interaction
Development of the infrastructure for Bio-inspired algorithms (e.g. self organiza-
“Network of Networks” capable of support-
tion) and solutions based on game theory
ing dynamically small area and scale free
(to overcome the risks of tragedy of com-
connections and characteristics (typical so-
mons and reaction to malicious nodes)
cial communities).
Algorithms for optimal assignment of re-
Password and identity distribution mecha-
sources in pervasive and dynamic envi-
nisms at the network level
ronments
Anonymous networking
Mathematical models and algorithms
s
for inventory management, production
IP and post IP technologies.
ing
scheduling, and data mining.
h T
3.4.5 Software, Services and 3.4.6 Hardware
t of
Algorithms
The developments in the area of IoT will re-
erne
Only with appropriate software will it be pos-
quire research for hardware adaptation and
Int
sible that the Internet of Things comes to life parallel processing in ultra low power multi
as imagined, as an integral part of the Future processor system on chip that handle non
on the
Internet. It is through software that novel predictable situations at design time with the
cts
applications and interactions are realized, capability of self adaptiveness and self or-
e
and that the network with all its resources, ganization. Research and development is
Proj
devices and distributed services becomes needed in the area of very low power field-
manageable. For manageability, the need for programmable gate array hardware where the
arch
some sort of self-configuration and auto-
configuration (or parts of it) is changed dy-
se
recovery after failures is foreseen.
namically from time to time to introduce
Re
changes to the device. Context switching ar-
ean
Services play a key role: They provide a good chitectures, where a set of configurations are
way to encapsulate functionality – e.g., ab- available and the device between switch be-
stracting from underlying heterogeneous tween them depending on the defined using
Europ
hardware or implementation details – , they context.
r of
can be orchestrated to create new, higher-
level functionality, and they can be deployed Research is needed for very large scale inte-
and executed in remote locations, in-situ on grated (VLSI) circuits containing scalable
an embedded device if necessary. Such distri-
cognitive hardware systems that are changing
T – Cluste
bution execution of service logic, sometimes the topology mapped on the chip using dedi-
also called distributed intelligence, will be key cated algorithms.
CERP-Io
in order to deal with the expected scalability Self adaptive networks on chip that analyzes
challenges.
itself during run time and self adapts are
71
required for IoT applications. Such run time asynchronous), and scheduling of real time
adaptive network on chip will adapt the un-
processes.
derlying interconnection infrastructure on
demand in response to changing communica- Issues to be addressed:
tion requirements imposed by an application
Semantic interoperability, service discov-
and context.
ery, service composition, semantic sensor
Issues to be addressed:
web, data sharing, propagation and col-
laboration, autonomous agents, human
Nanotechnologies- miniaturization
machine interaction.
Sensor technologies – embedded sensors,
3.4.8 Discovery and Search
actuators
Engine Technologies
Solutions bridging nano and micro sys-
tems.
The Internet of Things will consist of many
distributed resources including sensors and
Communication – antennas, energy effi-
actuators, as well as information sources and
cient RF front ends
repositories. It will be necessary to develop
Nanoelectronics – nanoelectronics devices
technologies for searching and discovering
and technologies, self configuration, self
such resources according to their capabilities
optimization, self healing circuit architec-
(e.g. type of sensor / actuator / services of-
tures.
fered), their location and/or the information
they can provide (e.g. indexed by the unique
Polymer electronics
IDs of objects, transactions etc.). Search and
discovery services will be used not only by
Embedded systems - micro energy micro-
human operators but also be application
processors/microcontrollers, hardware ac-
celeration
software and autonomous smart objects, in
order to help gather complete sets of informa-
Spintronics
tion from across many organisations and
locations, as well as discovering what ambi-
Low cost, high performance secure identi-
ent infrastructure is available to support
fication/authentication devices
smart objects with their needs for transporta-
Low cost manufacturing techniques
tion and handling, heating/cooling, network
communication and data processing. These
Tamper-resistant technology, side-channel
services play a key role in the mapping be-
aware designs.
tween real entities such as physical objects
and in the assembly of their digital and vir-
s
3.4.7 Data and Signal Process-
tual counterparts from a multitude of frag-
ingh
ments of information owned and provided by
T
ing Technology
different entities. Universal authentication
t of
In the context of Internet of Things the de-
mechanisms will be required, together with
vices that are operating at the edge are evolv-
granular access control mechanisms that
erne
ing from embedded systems to cyber physical allow owners of resources to restrict who can
Int
and web enabled “things” that are integrating discover their resources or the association
computation, physical and cognitive proc-
between their resource and a specific entity,
on the
esses. Cognitive devices, embedded com-
such as a uniquely identified physical object.
cts
puters and networks will monitor and control
e
For efficient search and discovery, metadata
the physical processes, with feedback loops and semantic tagging of information will be
Proj
where physical processes affect computations very important and there are significant chal-
and cognitive processes and contrariwise.
arch
lenges in ensuring that the large volumes of
This convergence of physical computing and
se
automatically generated information can be
cognitive devices (wireless sensor networks,
Re
automatically and reliably without requiring
mobile phones, embedded systems, embed-
human intervention. It will also be important
ean
ded computers, micro robots etc.) and the that terrestrial mapping data is available and
Internet will provide new design opportuni-
cross-referenced with logical locations such
Europ
ties and challenges and requires new research as postcodes and place names and that the
that addresses the data and signal processing
r of
search and discovery mechanisms are able to
technology.
handle criteria involving location geometry
A typical feature of to cyber physical and web concepts, such as spatial overlap and separa-
enabled “things” will the heterogeneity of tion.
T – Cluste
device models, communication and cognitive Issues to be addressed:
capabilities. This heterogeneity concerns
different execution models (synchronous, Device discovery, distributed repositories
CERP-Io
asynchronous, vs. timed and real-timed),
communication models (synchronous vs. Positioning and localisation
72
Mapping of real, digital and virtual entities
providing truly embedded and digital object
participation, it is necessary to continue with
Terrestrial mapping data
the research on miniature high-capacity en-
Semantic tagging and search
ergy storage technologies. A solution that
could bypass the shortcomings of energy
Universal authentication mechanisms.
storage is the harvesting of energy from the
environment, which would automatically
3.4.9 Relationship Network
recharge small batteries contained in the
Management Technologies
objects.
With many of Internet of Things and Internet Energy harvesting is still a very inefficient
of Services applications moving to a distrib- process that would require a large amount of
uted seamless architecture the future applica-
research. Sources for energy harvesting in
tion manager needs to monitor more than embedded devices could include, among oth-
just the infrastructure. The Internet of Things ers, vibration, solar radiation, thermal en-
ergy, etc.
must incorporate traffic and congestion man-
agement. This will sense and manage infor-
Micro power technologies have emerged as a
mation flows, detect overflow conditions and new technology area that can provide many
implement resource reservation for time-
development opportunities for IoT devices.
critical and life-critical data flows. The net-
work management technologies will need Research topics and issues that need to be
depth visibility to the underlying seamless addressed include:
networks that serves the applications and Energy harvesting/scavenging for MEMS
services and check the processes that run on
devices and microsystems
them, regardless of device, protocol, etc. This
will require identifying sudden overloads in
Electrostatic, piezoelectric and electro-
service response time and resolving solutions,
magnetic energy conversion schemes
monitoring IoT and web applications and Thermoelectric systems and micro coolers
identify any attacks by hackers, while getting
connected remotely and managing all Photovoltaic systems
“things” involved in specific applications
from remote “emergency” centres.
Micro fuel cells and micro reactors
Issues to be addressed:
Micro combustion engines for power gen-
eration and propulsion
Propagation of memes by things
Materials for energy applications
s
Identity, relationship and reputation man-
ing
agement.
Micro power ICs and transducers
h T
Micro battery technologies
t of
3.4.10 Power and Energy Stor-
age Technologies
Energy storage and micro super capacitor
erne
technologies.
Int
Objects require a digital “self” in order to be
part of the Internet of Things. This participa-
3.4.11 Security and Privacy
tion is obtained by combining electronic, Technologies
on the
embedded and wireless communication tech-
ctse
nologies into the physical objects themselves. Internet of Things needs to be built in such a
Simple digitalization alternatives, such as bar way as to ensure an easy and safe user con-
Proj
code and passive RFID, do not require a trol. Consumers need confidence to fully em-
arch
power source on the embedded devices. More brace the Internet of Things in order to enjoy
se
complex alternatives, such as those that pro-
its potential benefits and avoid any risks to
Re
vide active communications and object condi- their security and privacy.
tion monitoring, need batteries to power the
ean
In the IoT every ‘thing’ is connected to the
electronics that make the objects first class global Internet and ‘things’ are communicat-
citizens of the IoT.
Europ
ing with each other, which results in new
Energy storage has become one of the most security and privacy problems, e. g., confi-
r of
important obstacles to the miniaturization of dentiality, authenticity, and integrity of data
electronic devices, and today’s embedded sensed and exchanged by ‘things’. Privacy of
wireless technologies such as Wireless Sensor humans and things must be ensured to pre-
T – Cluste
Networks and Active RFID suffer from either vent unauthorized identification and track-
bulky packaging to support large batteries or ing. In this context, the more autonomous
from short life times, that will require re-
and intelligent “things” get, problems like the
CERP-Io
charging or replacement of the integrated identity and privacy of things, and responsi-
batteries. In order for the IoT to succeed in
73
bility of things in their acting will have to be
considered.
3.4.12 Standardisation
The Internet of Things will challenge the tra-
The Internet of Things will support interac-
ditional distributed database technology by tions among many heterogeneous sources of
addressing very large numbers of “things” data and many heterogeneous devices though
that handle data, in a global information the use of standard interfaces and data mod-
space and a universal data space. This poses els to ensure a high degree of interoperability
challenges. In this context the information among diverse systems. Although many dif-
map of the real world of interest is repre-
ferent standards may co-exist, the use of on-
sented across billions of “things”, many of tology based semantic standards enables
which are updating in real-time and a trans- mapping and cross-referencing between
action or data change is updated across hun- them, in order to enable information ex-
dreds or thousands of “things” with differing change. From an architectural perspective,
update policies, opens up for many security standards have an important role to play both
challenges and security techniques across within an organisation or entity and across
multiple policies. In order to prevent the un-
organisations; adoption of standards pro-
authorized use of private information and motes interoperability and allows each or-
permit authorized use, research is needed in ganisation or individual to benefit from a
the area of dynamic trust, security, and pri- competitive marketplace of interoperable
vacy management.
technology solutions from multiple providers;
when those organisations or individuals
Issues to be addressed:
which to share or exchange information,
Event-driven agents to enable an intelli-
standards allow them to do so efficiently,
gent/self aware behaviour of networked
minimising ambiguity about the interpreta-
devices
tion of the information they exchange. Stan-
dards regarding frequency spectrum alloca-
Privacy preserving technology for hetero-
tion, radiation power levels and communica-
geneous sets of devices
tion protocols ensure that the Internet of
Models for decentralised authentication
Things co-operates with other users of the
and trust
radio spectrum, including mobile telephony,
broadcasting, emergency services etc. These
Energy efficient encryption and data pro-
can be expected to develop, as the Internet of
tection technologies
Things increases in scale and reach and as
additional radio spectrum becomes available
Security and trust for cloud computing
through digital switchover etc.
s
Data ownership
As greater reliance is placed on the Internet
ingh
Legal and liability issues
of Things as the global infrastructure for gen-
T
eration and gathering of information, it will
t of
Repository data management
be essential to ensure that international qual-
ity and integrity standards are deployed and
erne
Access and use rights, rules to share added
further developed, as necessary to ensure that
value
Int
the data can be trusted and also traced to its
Responsibilities, liabilities
original authentic sources.
on the
Artificial immune systems solutions for
Issues to be addressed:
ctse
IoT
IoT standardisation
Proj
Secure, low cost devices
Ontology based semantic standards
arch
Integration into, or connection to, privacy-
Spectrum energy communication protocols
se
preserving frameworks, with evaluation
standards
Re
privacy-preserving effectiveness.
Standards for communication within and
ean
Privacy Policies management.
outside cloud
Europ
International quality/integrity standards
r of
for data creation, data traceability.
T – Cluste
CERP-Io
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CERP-
80
3.5 References
[1]
CTV: Deadly Fakes,
[16] Joshua R. Smith, David Wetherall, Revisit-
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/st
ing Smart Dust with RFID Sensor Net-
ory/CTVNews/20020306/ctvnews848463
works; Michael Buettner, Ben Greenstein,
[2] B. C. Hardgrave, M. Waller, and R. Miller.
Alanson Sample, Seventh ACM Workshop
RFID's Impact on Out of Stocks: A Sales
on Hot Topics in Networks (HotNets-VII),
Velocity Analysis. Research Report from
2008, Calgary, Alberta, Canada. To ap-
the Univ. of Arkansas, 2006.
pear.
[3] T. W. Gruen, D. S. Corsten, and S. Bha-
[17] http://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc2929.txt
radwaj. Retail Out of Stocks. Technical re-
[18] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meme
port, 2002.
[19] A. Brintrup, D.C. Ranasinghe, S. Kwan, A.
[4] P.Fewtrell, I. L Hirst, A Review of High-
Parlikad, K. Owens, “Roadmap to Self-
Cost Chemical/Petrochemical Accidents
Serving Assets in Civil Aerospace” in Proc.
since Flixborough 1974. In: Loss Preven-
Of CIRP IPS2 Conference, Cranfield, UK,
tion Bulletin (1998), April, Nr. 140. -
April 1st-2nd 2009, pp. 323–331.
http://www.hse.gov.uk/comah/lossprev.p
[20] T. Kelesidis, I. Kelesidis, P. Rafailidis, and
df
M. Falagas. “Counterfeit or substandard
[5] P. Mead, L. Slutsker, V. Dietz, L. McCaig,
antimicrobial drugs: a review of the scien-
J. Bresee, C. Shapiro, P. Griffin and R.
tific evidence”. Journal of Antimicrobial
Tauxe. Food-related illness and death in
Chemotherapy, 60(2):214-236, August
the Unites States. Emerging Infectious
2007.
Diseases, 1999.
[6] J. Buzby, T. Roberts, C.-T. Jordan Lin and
J.M. MacDonald. Bacterial foodborne dis-
s
ease: Medical costs & productivity losses.
ing
USDA-ERS Agricultural Economic Report
h
741, 1996.
T
t of
[7] L. Weiss Ferreira Chaves, F. Kerschbaum.
Industrial Privacy in RFID-based Batch
erne
Recalls. In Proceedings of InSPEC’09,
2009.
Int
[8] V. Coroama. The Smart Tachograph –
Individual Accounting of Traffic Costs and
on the
its Implications. Proceedings of Pervasive
cts
2006. pp. 135-152, Dublin, Ireland, May
e
07-10, 2006
Proj
[9] http://docs.oasis-open.org/ws-
dd/discovery/1.1/wsdd-discovery-1.1-
arch
spec.html
se
[10] http://developer.apple.com/networking/
Re
bonjour/
ean
[11] http://quimby.gnus.org/internet-
drafts/draft-cai-ssdp-v1-03.txt
Europ
[12] http://www.sics.se/contiki/
r of
[13] http://www.oasis-open.org
[14] http://xml.coverpages.org/
[15] A. Taylor, R. Harper, L. Swan, S. Izadi, A.
T – Cluste
Sellen, M. Perry. Homes that make us
smart. Personal and Ubiquitous Comput-
ing, Vol. 11, Number 5, June 2007
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Acknowledgements
Many colleagues have assisted with their
views on this Internet of Things strategic
research agenda document. Their contri-
butions are gratefully acknowledged.
Ali Rezafard, IE,
Harald Sundmaeker, DE,
Afilias, EPCglobal Data Discovery JRG
ATB GmbH , CuteLoop
Andras Vilmos, HU,
Humberto Moran, UK,
Safepay, StoLPaN
Friendly Technologies, PEARS Feasibility
Anthony Furness, UK,
Jean-Louis Boucon, FR,
AIDC Global Ltd & AIM UK, CASAGRAS,
TURBOMECA, SMMART
RACE networkRFID
John Soldatos, GR,
Antonio Manzalini, IT,
Athens Information Technology, ASPIRE
Telecom Italia, CASCADAS
Mario Hoffmann, DE,
Carlo Maria Medaglia, IT,
Fraunhofer-Institute SIT, HYDRA
University of Rome 'Sapienza'
Markus Eisenhauer, DE,
Daniel Thiemert, UK,
Fraunhofer-Institute FIT, HYDRA
University of Reading, HYDRA
Neeli Prasad, DE,
David Simplot-Ryl, FR,
CTIF, University of Aalborg, ASPIRE
INRIA/ERCIM, ASPIRE
Paolo Paganelli, IT,
Dimitris Kiritsis, CH,
Insiel, EURIDICE
EPFL, IMS2020
Wang Wenfeng, CN,
Florent Frederix, EU,
CESI/MIIT, CASAGRAS
EC, EC
Zsolt Kemeny, HU,
Franck Le Gall, FR,
Hungarian Academy of Sciences, TraSer
Inno, WALTER
Frederic Thiesse , CH,
s
University of St. Gallen, Auto-ID Lab
ingh T
t of
erne
Int
on the
ctse
Proj
arch se
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ean
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Chapter 4 Articles
Articles
eams from research projects and initiatives, that are members of CERP-IoT were sum-
marising their perspectives and experience gained. The following articles are presenting
T results from currently running projects and initiatives as well as from finalised research
activities:
SToP – Harald Vogt, Nina Oertel, Thorsten
BRIDGE – Marc Harrison, A. Brintrup, T.
Staake, Mikko Lehtonen:
Sanchez Lopez, Maurizio Tomasella, D. C.
Anti-Counterfeiting and how to deal with it in McFarlane:
an IoT
Developing and Piloting the Next Generation
of Networked RFID Systems
CuteLoop – Harald Sundmaeker, Matthias
Würthele, Sebastian Scholze:
ASPIRE & HYDRA – Neeli R. Prasad, Mar-
Challenges for Usage of Networked Devices kus Eisenhauer, Matts Ahlsén, Atta Badii,
Enabled Intelligence
André Brinkmann, Klaus Marius Hansen,
Peter Rosengren:
StoLPAN – Andras Vilmos, C.M. Medaglia,
Open Source Middleware for Networked
A. Moroni:
Embedded Systems towards Future Internet
NFC Technology and its Application Scenar- of Things
ios in a Future IoT
Indisputable Key – Janne Häkli, Kaarle
SMART & TRASER - Cleopatra Bardaki,
Jaakkola, Åsa Nilsson, Kaj Nummila, Ville
Katerina Pramatari, Elisabeth Ilie-Zudor,
Puntanen, Antti Sirkka:
s
Zsolt Kemény:
Usage of RFID in the Forest & Wood Industry
ing
RFID-enabled Tracking and Tracing in the and Contribution to Environmental Protec-
h T
Supply Chain Lessons Learnt from the
tion
t of
SMART and TRASER projects
RACE networkRFID – Ian G. Smith:
erne
CASAGRAS – Ian G. Smith:
Stimulating the take-up of RFID in Europe
Int
An EU FP7 Project defining and accommo-
dating international issues concerning RFID EPoSS – Ovidiu Vermesan:
with particular reference to the emerging Outlook on Future IoT Applications
on the
“Internet of Things.”
cts
e
GRIFS – Josef Preishuber-Pflügl:
Proj
Standardisation issues challenges on RFID
arch
and a future IoT
se
The editors would also like to thank the re-
Re
view team for their support and contribu-
tions.
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4.1 Anti-Counterfeiting and
how to deal with it in an IoT
SToP Project
Harald Vogt, Nina Oertel / Thorsten Staake, Mikko Lehtonen
SAP Research Karlsruhe, Germany / ETH Zürich Zürich, Switzerland
Abstract: In the emerging Internet of Things, it is easy and cheap to make information available
about virtually all physical objects as this information can be automatically created, distributed,
and processed with the help of automatic identification systems. Thus, virtual counterparts of
physical objects are being created, which provides links to services around these objects. Together
with specialized technologies for the detection of physical tampering, software-supported systems
for product authentication become universally available. This is a critical component to protect
consumers, distribution channels, and markets against counterfeit products. We demonstrate
how a prototypical system for product authentication can be integrated to existing business proc-
esses and be applied in various fields.
1
Introduction
The counterfeiting problem is growing worldwide, affecting more and more product categories
and industry sectors. Counterfeits damage the reputation of brand owners, produce economic
losses, promote inferior working conditions, and put the safety and health of consumers at
s
risk. Though one might argue that counterfeiting and piracy have positive societal effects, such
as giving more people access to (what appears to be) luxury hand bags, counterfeiting is never
ingh
a win-win-win situation between the consumer, the brand owner, and the affected govern-
T
ment.
t of
Moreover, there seems to be a natural demand for counterfeit goods that will almost always be
erne
matched by a supply. Parallel markets for many such goods exist, driven by huge financial
Int
incentives. Some counterfeit goods are targeted at end-customers, while others are distributed
in specialized business areas.
on the
In industries such as the pharmaceutical and aviation industries, the targeted customers of a
cts
counterfeiter are typically composed of pharmacists and buyers of spare parts. Since elaborate
e
control mechanisms exist in these areas, counterfeit products can only be injected into the
Proj
supply chain if they comply with the quality test requirements. End-customers would be
strongly interested in the use of high-quality products only. Injection of counterfeit products is
arch
therefore likely to happen from within the (otherwise legitimate) supply chain.
se
Re
The market for luxury goods, including products such as clothing and accessories, is quite
different. Customers are non-experts, and products are purchased usually not for functional
ean
reasons but for the “experience” and interpersonal value they provide. These aspects at the
same time provide a motivation to buy counterfeit products consciously for customers for
Europ
which genuine products are otherwise out of reach.
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The liberalization and globalization of markets is often regarded as a threat to the integrity of
supply chains. Globalization is still an ongoing process, so consumers might be exposed to an
increasing number of counterfeits in the future. Some activities have been initiated on the
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political level, which target consumer protection but which also aim at facilitating the en-
forcement of rights in cases of copyright violations and counterfeiting. This will most likely
lead businesses to implement measures, mostly based on standard technologies and off-the-
CERP-Io
shelf solutions. One of the results of the SToP project has been the drafting of guidelines that
85
should help brand owners to find the approach that best suits their needs for protecting their
products.
Usually, anti-counterfeiting measures include cost-intensive field investigations, case-by-case
analyses, technical authentication, and legal actions. In general, their success of containing the
problem and preventing the production of counterfeit products is limited. They are not suffi-
cient to protect consumers from mass-produced faked products in a globalized market. For
example, unless a high-enough percentage of counterfeit goods are seized, producing counter-
feits still remains a profitable business. Thus, in a world where massive amounts of goods are
shipped world-wide each day, information technology should be employed to automate the
required tasks as much as possible, in order to extend their reach and to cover a larger amount
of goods that can be checked.
The SToP project has analyzed the markets for counterfeit products in order to get a better
understanding of the enemy. In order to select the most effective tools, the technical possibili-
ties for brand owners to protect their brands and products, have been investigated, and sys-
tems have been drafted that help brand owners to plan their implementation of an approach
for product authentication. This chapter gives an overview of the most important aspects of
this work.
2
Markets for Counterfeit Products
A detailed understanding of the problem of counterfeiting is needed to derive sound require-
ments for solutions based on ubiquitous computing and ambient networks, which are part of
the technological portfolio of the Internet of Things. An analysis of the main drivers and
mechanisms of illicit trade, the roles of the different licit and illicit actors, as well as the supply
and demand side of product counterfeiting is the foundation of a deep understanding.
2.1
Counterfeit Production
An analysis of producers of counterfeit goods reveals that they can be separated in different
categories with different strategies. Depending on the presumed structure of a counterfeit
market, appropriate counter-measures can be designed.
The first group produces counterfeit goods with the lowest average visual quality. The average
functional quality has been rated as medium, in most cases allowing the owner to use the
product but requiring an abdication of durability, stability, performance, or contingency re-
serves. The typical product complexity is low to medium, and a further analysis showed that
many producers within this category target branded articles with high interpersonal values.
s
The expected conflict with law enforcement in the country of production is the lowest among
ingh
all groups. Since members within this group primarily utilize the disaggregation between
T
brand and product, they can be labelled Disaggregators. Typical products in this group include
t of
clothing and accessories.
erne
The second group produces counterfeit articles with the highest visual and functional quality.
Product complexity is highest among all groups, often allowing for an actual consumption or
Int
usage of the counterfeit articles. Counterfeit actors within this category seem to face only lim-
ited pressure by local enforcement agencies. Since the product-related characteristics of the
on the
members within this group resemble those of the genuine articles the closest, this group can
cts
be referred to as Imitators. Typical products in this group include clothing and accessories but
e
also fast moving consumer goods and computer hardware.
Proj
The third group is made up by producers of articles with a high visual but low functional qual-
arch
ity. Products are typically of medium complexity and are likely to pass as genuine articles if
se
not carefully examined. They may result in a substantial financial loss for the buyer or even
Re
endanger the user's health and safety. Consequently, their producers often face considerable
ean
punishment if their activities become known. Since the deceptive behaviour towards the buyer
of the corresponding article constitutes the main characteristic of the producer, this group of
counterfeiters can be labelled Fraudsters. Typical products in this group include perfumes and
Europ
cosmetics.
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The fourth group contains producers of goods of medium to high visual quality, but with the
lowest functional quality and product complexity. Products within this category are likely to
severely endanger their user or consumer. Consequently, their producers potentially face ex-
T – Cluste
tensive conflicts with enforcement agencies. Actors within this group are termed Desperados,
pointing out their unscrupulous behaviour. Typical products in this category include pharma-
ceutical products and mechanical parts.
CERP-Io
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The fifth group is made up of producers of articles with an average high visual and functional
quality and a medium complexity. In this respect, they resemble imitators. However, the ex-
pected conflict with law enforcement agencies is significantly higher since most actors within
this group target branded products upon which the state imposes high taxes. They can be re-
ferred to as Counterfeit Smugglers since they primarily profit from circumventing taxes rather
than from realizing brand name related earnings. Typical products in this group include ciga-
rettes and alcoholic drinks.
2.2
Counterfeit Consumption
The role of consumers is critical with regard to their awareness and buying behaviour, as well
as their reasoning for and against purchasing counterfeit goods. Buying behaviour with re-
spect to genuine branded goods appears to be highly similar among counterfeit consumers
and others, indicating that many customers of genuine articles also purchase counterfeit
goods. This demonstrates that consumers are often indifferent regarding the originality of
products as long as their perceived value is appropriate.
Counterfeits are often available in good quality, which provides a strong motivation to go for a
cheaper counterfeit product instead of a high-priced original one. Quality is often judged by
superficial features, which are easy to verify but not necessarily give an indication about the
functional quality of a product, for example a pharmaceutical product. But sometimes coun-
terfeit products hold up to the quality of original ones even in such sensitive cases as pharma-
ceutical products, making the difference between an original and a counterfeit item marginal.
It is much harder to argue for the original product in such a case. Of course there are good
reasons to go for an original product, such as the continuity in quality. However, the casual
consumer will likely be more attracted to the lower price associated with the counterfeit.
Consumers refrain from buying counterfeits if they are of poor quality, or if their availability is
limited. A product of poor quality cannot provide the same value as an original product and is
much less attractive to consumers even if it has a low price. Consumer goods are mostly
judged based on their visible features, while for many products their functional quality is most
important. However, functional quality is much harder to verify and thus often the buyer re-
lies on proper looks or documentation. In many business areas, insufficient documentation
leads to the rejection of products out of formal reasons, e.g. in the aviation industry.
Limiting the availability of counterfeits in the market can be a powerful tool to prevent con-
sumers from buying them. Strong penalties prevent counterfeits from being offered openly in
many countries, but whenever law enforcement is weak, counterfeits are more widely avail-
s
able. Distribution over the Internet has reached great importance, since law enforcement is
ing
often very difficult. However, popular distribution channels like auctioning or classified adver-
h T
tisement web sites are often cooperative and remove dubious offerings.
t of
The indifference of consumers might be overcome through education, which conveys the val-
ues of continuous availability of high-quality products, cross-funding for research, or warran-
erne
ties. But these have to go hand in hand with trust in the distribution channels since otherwise
Int
consumers will have no means to ensure that a claimed original product is indeed one. Tech-
nologies for identification and authentication can help to establish that trust.
on the
cts
3
Automatic Identification and Authentication
e
The genuineness of an item can only be established by verifying its source. Even if it is physi-
Proj
cally equivalent to an original item, it may still be an imitation, and thus its use may raise, for
example, legal or tax issues. In order to establish the source, an elaborate material analysis
arch
may be performed, or accompanying documentation may certify that the item in fact origi-
se
nates from a legitimate source. Authentication features provide a strong connection between
Re
the documentation and the item itself. This is done by physically attaching encoded informa-
ean
tion, which refers to a document, to the item such that the carrier of this information cannot
be copied and thus transferred to imitated items.
Europ
In order to provide for an effective and efficient means for verification throughout the supply
r of
chain, an authentication feature must be easily accessible and automatic verification must be
possible. Technologies for automatic identification provide a good starting point to meet these
requirements. They can be seamlessly integrated in logistic processes and may not even re-
quire additional dedicated equipment. A background infrastructure provides the services that
T – Cluste
are necessary to access authentication information across organizations.
CERP-Io
87
3.1
Authentication Features
For each type of product, such as pharmaceuticals, plane spare parts, or luxury goods, appro-
priate tags that comply with the manufacturing processes have to be identified or developed.
Different aspects of the product packaging and product materials need to be considered. A
wide range of products from several vendors are available. A key challenge is the integration of
the tags into real life products. Factors to consider include cost, durability, reading speed,
information capacity, and of course security.
As an example, consider an RFID tag that was developed within the SToP project to fit into the
metal casing of a watch (Figure 4.1-1). The main challenge was to be able to reliably scan the
tag through the metal casing while meeting the watch maker’s requirements. In particular,
there was a strong need to increase the reading distance of the RFID tag in a metallic envi-
ronments.
Figure 4.1-1: RFID tag embedded in the casing of a watch
Necessary adjustments of manufacturing processes to enable production of tagged products
were investigated together with industry partners. The results of this task have been found to
be an important factor for the real-world applicability of the concepts. Here, new require-
ments imposed by the utilized smart tags, such as maximum pressure or temperature, have
been taken into consideration.
RFID is a wireless technology designed for automatic identification – and potentially a very
effective one. Each RFID tag carries a unique identifier that can be captured with a reading
device without requiring a line of sight, which makes it an appealing technology that can re-
place barcodes in many areas. However, standard RFID tags cannot be considered secure as it
is technically feasible to clone RFID tags. Therefore, the uniqueness of an identifier cannot be
s
guaranteed. Thus in the strict sense, standard RFID tags are not suitable as a tool for authen-
ingh
tication. This weakness can be overcome by linking an RFID identifier with an online data-
T
base, where the current status of an identifier is kept. Only if this status is valid in the current
t of
context, the item carrying the respective tag should be considered authentic.
erne
There are developments under way that extend the standard functionality of RFID tags by
Int
secure authentication mechanisms that rely on a challenge/response protocol between the
reader and the tag. The basic idea is that the tag is accepted as being genuine if and only if it
responds correctly to a challenge given by the reader. The response depends on a secret key
on the
which is stored in the tag, and on a cryptographic algorithm. This however, requires more
ctse
elaborate capabilities from such tags, such as securely storing the key and performing a cryp-
tographic calculation, which increases their cost.
Proj
Due to their low cost, printed features are highly attractive as security features. One example
arch
is the “copy detection pattern” (CDP), which is a random-looking pattern of small dots that
se
can be printed with any printing technology. Within the pattern, information such as a serial
Re
number can be encoded. The trick however is the fact that it is impossible to create a copy of
ean
this pattern that would be accepted as the original pattern. Since each scan/print cycle creates
small deviations within the pattern, a statistical analysis of the pattern reveals the fact that it is
Europ
a duplicate. However, the use of CDPs requires an extensive knowledge of printing technolo-
gies and they are not a “plug and play” solution.
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Both technologies, RFID and printed features, have distinctive advantages and drawbacks. In
general, RFID tags need not be visible and therefore they neither require dedicated space on a
packaging nor do they disturb the visual appearance of an item. They can be covered by a layer
T – Cluste
of material and are thus protected against environmental forces. However, achieving high
reading rates of RFID tags is still a subject to engineering challenges regarding tag integration
and reader installation. In contrast, printed features are very cheap to produce and provide a
CERP-Io
high level of protection against cloning. The devices that can read tags, either RFID or printed,
are widely available, for example in mobile phones. Some models include RFID readers, and
88
almost every model includes a digital camera. Overall, this demonstrates the versatility of
technologies that are building blocks of a pervasive Internet of Things.
3.2
Authentication Infrastructure
For every item that is being checked, somebody or something has to take a decision whether
the item under study is genuine or not, based on the captured tag data (and possibly addi-
tional data). This means that anybody who is using a device to verify items must be connected
to a background infrastructure that routes the captured data to a suitable authentication ser-
vice and relays back the result of the verification.
The infrastructure must be flexible with regard to the type of checks being performed, since
authentication features are evolving over time and might be replaced with others. This leads to
a mix of features even on the same type of products. Depending on the outcome of a verifica-
tion process, the infrastructure should also be able to trigger certain actions. For example, in
case of an unsuccessful verification an automated notification could be sent to an incident
response unit. As a final requirement, the infrastructure should be easy to integrate in existing
business systems, since verification can be regarded as a sub-process of other business proc-
esses.
Figure 4.1-2 shows the overview architecture of a verification infrastructure, including internal
components and dependencies on external entities. It is important to note that the infrastruc-
ture covers the processes relevant throughout the lifecycle of a product, including the initiali-
zation of the verification process, the execution of the verification itself, and reporting the
results.
The architecture of this system is rather generic, but it has proven valid for a number of sce-
narios that have been tested during the SToP project. These scenarios included packing in a
warehouse, verification of incoming goods in a pharmacy, verification of returned goods in
after-sales service, and maintenance work on an airplane. For each scenario, specific adapta-
tions have been made, since for each scenario, different authentication modules have been
used.
Product Verification Infrastructure
Reporting and Statistics Module
Visualizer
Moduie
After Incident Manager
Enterprise
Resource
Verification Process Manager
Planning (ERP)
s
ingh T
External
Consumer
Pedigree
Event Data
Feature
Verification
Participation
t of
Manager
Analyzer
Verifier
Services
Workflow
Module
Manager
erne
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Security and
Feature Data
Event
Trust Manager
Capturer
Repository
Manager
on the
User Interface
Feature Data
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Generator
e
Device
Proj
Manager
arch se
Device
EPCIS
Pre-Authentication Modules
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Clients
Repository
Authentication Modules
ean
Post-Authentication Modules
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Operational Modules
r of
Figure 4.1-2: Architecture of a product verification infrastructure
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4
Business Process Integration
Seamless integration of product authentication is important since it minimizes the costs asso-
ciated with extending the involved systems and performing the authentication during usual
business operations. The field trials within the SToP project have demonstrated how this can
be achieved in various settings. As a first example, consider the processing of orders in a
warehouse (Figure 3), where multiple packages are bundled together for outbound shipping.
During bundling, items are checked using RFID tags (including background checks on the
item’s status). The worker gets immediate visual and acoustic feedback about the result of the
check such that the workflow is only interrupted in case a non-authenticable item occurs.
Outbound
Inbound
Prepared order
Packing order
Finishing order
Bulk checking
Figure 4.1-3: Outbound and inbound checking at a warehouse
Using an RFID gate, a complete bundle of items can be checked. This, however, is not com-
pletely reliable with the RFID technology (HF) being used. There are also other issues related
to the use of RFID. For example, during bundling false reads can occur due to the long range
of RFID readers. This can be mitigated by designing the workplace appropriately. The checks
ensure that only authenticated goods are handled within the warehouse. Inbound checking is
necessary if a number of external suppliers are shipping goods to the warehouse. Outbound
checking is important for quality assurance and the foundation for further tracking down the
supply chain.
Inbound
s
ingh
Prepared order
Scan order slip
Register products
Finish order
T
t of
Figure 4.1-4: Inbound process in a pharmacy
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The second example is a similar process in a pharmacy (Figure 4.1-4). Due to space restric-
tions, a small-range RFID reader is being used, which excludes false reads but requires more
Int
precise handling. The check provides immediate feedback on the authenticity of the goods and
additional data, such as expiry dates. Inbound checking is preferable in this environment,
on the
since the pharmacist is interested in securing the internal processes at the pharmacy. An addi-
ctse
tional check at the point of sales is therefore not required. It is feared that such a check would
erode the trust of customers in the pharmacy.
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5
Summary
arch se
Technologies for automatic identification are the basis for a seamless interaction of goods
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handling processes with IT systems. The reading of an identifier from an object can trigger a
process in the “virtual world”, which in turn provides feedback to the physical world. This
ean
simple mechanism can be enriched with further attributes of a physical object and information
about the status of the virtual representation of such an object. For example, an attribute can
Europ
be provided by cryptographic authentication of an item, which establishes the presence of a
r of
secret key. Another example is the presence of a certain pattern on the item, which is estab-
lished by a visual reading. Complementary to this information gathered from the physical
world is the associated status information that is represented in the virtual world. By matching
cryptographic data or the captured pattern data with its internal database, an IT-based service
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establishes the authenticity of an item.
Technically, seamless integration of the physical world and the virtual world is challenging, for
CERP-Io
example, due to limitations of wireless communications, or since implementing a secure au-
thentication mechanism with computationally limited devices is hard. Moreover, there are
90
practical issues when handling augmented objects, and no single identification technology is
universally suitable for any kind of items. This poses difficulties for the implementation of
these technologies in a business environment. Extensive testing and evaluations are usually
required before a technology is chosen.
The SToP project has demonstrated how IT-based systems, Internet connectivity, and auto-
matic identification can be used in business settings to establish a system for product authen-
tication. Seamless integration in business processes can be achieved, thus making it possible
to secure supply chains and minimize the availability of counterfeits. Ultimately, this should
lead to a high detection rate of counterfeit articles and thus reduce illicit actors’ financial in-
centives to engage in the counterfeit business altogether.
s
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t of
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4.2 Challenges for Usage of
Networked Devices Enabled Intelligence
CuteLoop Project
Harald Sundmaeker, Matthias Würthele, Sebastian Scholze
ATB Institut für Angewandte Systemtechnik Bremen GmbH, Bremen, Germany
Abstract: The availability of mobile and distributed networked devices dramatically increased
over the past decade in both private and business environments. They are covering a wide spec-
trum from passive RFID tags up to personal computer like “all-in-one” devices. This current in-
frastructure of “digital things” is already connecting the internet to a certain scale, facilitating
communication and access to information, including business as well as technology related chal-
lenges to realise business benefits. The CuteLoop project is researching a framework for using
such networked devices for enabling an intelligent support of business processes within the inte-
grated enterprise – realising a Networked Devices Enabled Intelligence. Due to complexity of in-
terrelationships and number of actors in supply chains, specifically the decentralisation of busi-
ness process coordination and the reduction of required information exchange is addressed. In-
novative features were identified based on the requirements analysis in food chain and craftsmen
business environments. Those features are seen as enablers to decentralise the intelligence from
central entities in the overall ambience to networked devices, representing decentralised things in
the integrated enterprise. Therefore, a contribution to an evolution from classical client-server ar-
chitectures towards the Internet of Things is envisaged. A framework is developed, combining a
multi-agent system for usage on networked devices and using both a service oriented and an
s
event driven architecture for dynamic interaction of distributed actors. Furthermore, decentral-
ingh
ised mechanisms for ensuring security and trust are addressed as well as an infrastructure for
T
supporting basic interaction models of the integrated enterprise.
t of
1
Introduction
erne
The European market imports its supplies from all over the world as well as exports its prod-
Int
ucts and services globally. The businesses are changing in fundamental ways – structurally,
operationally and culturally in response to the imperatives of globalisation and new technolo-
on the
gies [Palmisano06]. As one of the key enabling technologies, the Internet evolved into an
cts
“aorta” for communication and cooperation between integrated enterprises and individuals,
e
representing a high performance infrastructure for global information exchange at low costs,
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allowing robust interconnection as well as ubiquitous connectivity.
arch
In parallel, networked digital devices have evolved dramatically, providing their own comput-
se
ing capability and are even able to interconnect with an increasing number of other devices
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and services, representing the evolution towards an Internet of Things (IoT). High perform-
ance devices like the iPhone have become already multi-purpose tools. In contrary to previous
ean
process organisations, such devices are connected to the human actor or to real world objects
and not to a specific workplace. Hence, communication between human actors with workflow
Europ
supporting systems turn to be independent from a physical location. Nevertheless, the location
r of
awareness of human actors and things represents an essential requirement when aiming at the
realisation of services that target to offer intelligent support in the ambience [Satoh04].
Therefore, technologies like Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) and Global Navigation
Satellite Systems (GNSS) are required, presenting key enablers for assuring specifically the
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“self-awareness” of the devices or “things” within the ambience in terms of identity, position
as well as time.
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Mobile networked devices are adding new features to business processes with respect to the
chronological workflow dimension. New process architectures are allowed, where different
93
work steps need not to be executed synchronously or linearly anymore [Picot09]. A human
actor can use its mobile device to carry out certain work steps like maintaining a technical
installation, while implicitly documenting problems, improvement measures and schedules
locally and remotely as soon as there is a stable and secure connection. Even the reordering of
perishable food products can be immediately initiated while being executed asynchronously as
well as automatically, only creating an exception in case of a problem.
The realisation and usage of a “Networked Devices Enabled Intelligence” (NDEI) seems to be
within reach. Most business processes are already ubiquitously covered with an overwhelming
amount of networked devices or could be easily equipped with e.g. RFID tags and positioning
systems. However, especially in business environments incorporating many small and me-
dium sized enterprises (SMEs) with quite limited innovation budgets and dynamically chang-
ing business relationships, the realisation of homogeneous infrastructures and a central gov-
ernance of ICT is fairly unachievable. In addition, centralised approaches of especially large
enterprises are under suspicion of jeopardising the SMEs’ competitiveness.
Therefore, the project CuteLoop has analysed two business environments with a significant
amount of SME type actors to identify key business related challenges as well as to search for
promising application cases for a Networked Devices Enabled Intelligence. Based on those
results that are presented in the following sections 2 and 3, a framework of technological en-
ablers is under development, that is outlined in section 4, presenting both the technological
challenges addressed and framework features for implementing services, that are essentially
required for realising a Networked Devices Enabled Intelligence.
2
Analysed Business Environments
The CuteLoop project has analysed two business environments, represented by supply chain
scenarios from the food chain and craftsmen business. These environments were selected,
assuming that especially the large amount of SMEs in those environments could benefit from
using mobile networked devices.
2.1
Fruits and Vegetables Food Chain Environment
In the area of fruits and vegetables the food supply chain includes steps from the producer,
over cooperatives, traders, distribution centres up to retailers and finally to consumers. Many
business connections are on a temporary basis and are dynamically changing. The cooperation
spans relations from classical trading up to spot market relationships. In each step of the
chain, the actors are interacting with dynamically changing suppliers as well as customers. In
s
general there are relatively small producers, medium traders and a mixture of a few very large
ing
retailers and micro enterprise type retailers. The communication is usually linked to the prod-
h
ucts, which are perishable goods having individual characteristics that can change even during
T
the product’s route from producers to consumers. Wrong treatment during the supply proc-
t of
esses can directly influence the product lifespan, while quality changes can even lead to a total
erne
loss of a delivery. Especially fresh fruits and vegetables have a relative short life-span from
days to weeks. The products are transported in non-returnable packaging like cardboard boxes
Int
or returnable packaging like foldable crates. Currently, available returnable crates and con-
tainers are enabling their identification via barcode (1 & 2-D), a human readable number and
on the
RFID via one plate on the box while usage of such returnable crates is even cheaper than for
cts
cardboard boxes and at the same time avoids waste.
e
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arch se
Re
ean
Figure 4.2-1: Identification ‘license plate’ RFID UHF for returnable packaging crates.
Information exchange between SMEs is fairly lacking ICT support, highly characterised by
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personal interaction. In recent years, a one step up and one step down traceability to custom-
r of
ers and suppliers regarding the specific products is regulated by law. Nevertheless, this need
not to be realised with ICT support nor requires the documentation of which products from
which supplier (upstream) are forwarded to which subsequent customer (downstream).
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2.2
Maintenance and Refurbishment Craftsmen Environment
The addressed environment from construction industry focuses on craftsmen offering mainte-
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nance and refurbishment services in small projects. Such projects are including one or more
craftsmen enterprises of one specific or different trade. The works of different craftsmen rep-
94
resent one step in the supply chain, receiving their supplies from construction related suppli-
ers, which are generally represented by medium to large enterprises. Each time when starting
maintenance and refurbishment work, project based contracts of changing actors are defined,
establishing a unique and ad-hoc group of craftsmen and the customer. A certain sequence of
different craftsmen work steps need to be considered and harmonised, while the project is
generally coordinated by a relatively inexperienced customer or specific work managers (e.g.
architects, main contractors). Nevertheless, the customer’s work specification is quite general,
often not able to detail the current state of the existing building or installations. The craftsmen
work represents a service type product, while also physical products are prefabricated and are
resold to the customer. Long warranty and maintenance periods need to be assured, whereas
there is often only very little documentation of work available. Subsequently, also future work
and product replacement lacks information concerning the existing installations. Moreover,
fairly no feedback can be given from craftsmen to customers or from industry to craftsmen in
case of deficient products or in case of potential improvement measures. In addition, most
customers are not prepared to handle craftsmen related information electronically.
2.3
Key Challenges within the Analysed Enterprise Environments
The workflows in both analysed enterprise environments are characterised by cross-
organisational interaction, requiring the operation of highly dynamic and ad-hoc relation-
ships. At the same time, only a very limited ICT support is available and especially facing the
following key challenges when aiming at an improvement of the cross-organisational informa-
tion exchange and planning & control of process execution:
The supply chains are generally characterised by temporary supplier-customer relation-
ships and are missing efficient and at the same time trusted models for information ex-
change.
The business scenarios include a large number of SME type actors in open and distributed
network topologies (i.e. chain, star & general collaborative network topologies) and are spe-
cifically lacking an integrated ICT support.
A direct electronic access to product related data from previous or later steps in the SME
type chains is generally not feasible, starting from 2nd tier supplier to customer relation-
ships (i.e. beyond one step up/down).
There is a dilemma of product related data exchange over several steps in a supply chain.
The regular provision of certain information could jeopardise the competitiveness of chain
s
members, leading to reluctance towards a standardised and open data exchange.
ingh
SMEs do not often accept models for ICT based information exchange that are centralising
T
system governance and storage of access details, while being driven by large enterprises in a
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business domain.
erne
Currently available ICT based information exchange models within SME environments rely
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on synchronous query-response behaviour, difficult to be applied for distributed and de-
coupled mobile work in terms of security, trust and costs.
on the
The basic assumption is that by employing ICT based functionality, which is provided by one
cts
or several mobile networked devices it will become possible to decentralise the intelligence
e
that need currently be kept within heterogeneous decoupled systems. This decentralisation is
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envisaged to facilitate interaction of actors and at the same time disburden the actors from
non-added-value tasks within the workflow. The process related groupings of such ICT func-
arch
tionalities is considered as a Networked Devices Enabled Intelligence, representing a key en-
se
abler to cope with identified challenges.
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ean
2.4
Application Cases for a Networked Devices Enabled Intelligence
The project is based on the assumption that with higher levels of technology, like the vision of
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the Internet of Things, the level of organisational complexity and need for central initiatives
can be decreased. This could even facilitate implementation and increase acceptance [Cute-
r of
Loop09]. Based on the analysed enterprise environments and taking into account the key
challenges several application cases for a networked devices enabled intelligence were elabo-
rated. These application cases are considered as both drivers for elaborating new technology
T – Cluste
enabled business scenarios as well as test cases for validating practical applicability and readi-
ness of IoT related technologies.
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95
2.4.1
Self-Aware Product
The idea of the Self-aware product is to enable a product (or a “thing”) to react on problems
related to itself. If there is an irregular status of the product or someone detects that deficient
or even dangerous products are being distributed within the chain and could have reached
consumers, the product itself shall warn its environment about its status, avoiding harmful
consequences. This need to consider how to generate such an awareness, requiring both
knowledge concerning the “local product status” as well as remote knowledge that is located at
previous owner(s) of the product.
2.4.2
Delivery by Product Characteristics
The food chain imposes critical constraints on product delivery. Especially fruits and vegeta-
bles are perishable products which could change quality related characteristics during deliv-
ery. Medium or longer-term storage of products is generally not possible. Therefore, the busi-
ness environment depends on short delivery times between production, traders, retailers and
consumers42. An early awareness concerning unexpected changes of product characteristics
could initiate activity in order to change transportation conditions (i.e. avoiding waste) or to
support planning initiatives in due time (e.g. re-order) that could assure timely supplies.
2.4.3
Proactive Tendering
Ordering products by the “receiving end of the production chain” (usually retailers) incorpo-
rates diverse information needs that are available at the producing source. Especially the
product quality of food is extremely varying, customers need new methods to respond to ap-
propriate offers. Based on a vision of pro-active products that will be authorised to support
tendering mechanisms, reaction times and process efficiency will evolve towards a new di-
mension. In addition, as some of the product related information might not be available at the
time of purchase (e.g. laboratory examinations), there is a need for a more efficient communi-
cation after sales, which spans several supply chain steps.
2.4.4
Health Book of the House
The idea of a ‘health book of the house’ is defined as a document describing the main technical
and functional characteristics of the house/ building, reported by the time of completion of
construction, reconstruction, extension or modification. As a basic idea, such a document
could serve as reference for planning and preparing future maintenance work as well as facili-
tating quality assurance and warranty claims. Even when selling the house, the owner could
easily hand over all information related to the house, the installations and equipments (e.g.
s
HVAC systems, electricity installations, etc.). Furthermore, also information on e.g. mainte-
ing
nance history, refurbishments or renewal procedures could be successively included. The idea
h T
is to generate the health book based on a type of mesh network of available devices in the
house also paving the way towards an intelligent house without the need for exhaustive infra-
t of
structure installations.
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2.4.5
Customer Experience Improvement Programme
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The Customer Experience Improvement Programme (CEIP) application case focuses on reali-
sation of feedback mechanisms between products, installations and equipment at site with
on the
suppliers, manufacturers and service providers. Feedback would be provided in relation to
ctse
installed, used, operated or maintained products & equipment in the house. Anonymous feed-
back could even be enriched with related problem experience in case of maintenance, repair or
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refurbishment. Data could be used as an ideal basis for life-cycle analysis and for generating a
arch
maintenance-related knowledge base. Finally, resulting knowledge could be used as guidelines
se
for craftsmen’s work as well as input for self-diagnosis features of an intelligent house.
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3
Networked Devices Enabled Intelligence
ean
3.1
Towards an Intelligent Support of Business Processes
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The work was based on the assumption, that a decentralised and distributed usage of net-
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worked devices would enable the provision of ICT related features in the context of a certain
situation in a business process or workflow, triggered by corresponding events. Physical ob-
jects or “things” like products, tools or vehicles can be combined with networked devices.
Those things and devices can change their physical location, being owned by different actors
T – Cluste
as well as changing ownership according to the workflow.
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42 Product losses in food transportation due to temperature mismanagement and quality decay can reach up to 35%
[Jedermann09].
96
A reaction of things could be triggered by a certain event, that could be e.g. a result in terms of
a context change in the ambience or monitored by the networked device itself (e.g. tempera-
ture sensor, position information). Based on such an event and required knowledge in relation
to the process, ambience and related actors, a device can react according to three types of ba-
sic behavioural patterns: (1) explicit response, (2) implicit response (i.e. internally register-
ing/processing the event) or (3) deciding that no reaction is required. Such an ICT based func-
tionality provided by one or several networked devices is considered as an intelligent feature,
if it is envisaged to facilitate the interaction of human actors in the business process and at the
same time disburden the human actors from executing non-added-value tasks within the
workflow. Therefore, to enable a networked device to provide such a type of intelligent behav-
iour43, a networked device need to be empowered to:
autonomously initiate the execution of an ICT based functionality, representing a response
to its environment in relation to an explicit or implicit input/ trigger received from the
business process, the physical/virtual environment44 or from a human actor and
make decisions/ reasoning, based on available knowledge and predefined rules, while it
needs to be assured, that also the rules can be dynamically changed45.
Furthermore, when considering the elaboration of Networked Devices Enabled Intelligence
from an over-all architectural view, the following basic challenges need to be addressed:
distributed execution of ICT based functionalities in relation to the location of
things in the product flow and
networked devices in the workflow.
decentralised control of operation and interaction, not requiring a central contact point,
asynchronous operation due to the partly disconnected operation of a networked device.
In addition, the networked device – also in accordance to the IoT paradigm [EPoSS08]46 –
needs to be enabled to autonomously execute certain functionalities, assuring trust, privacy
and security mechanisms, while being able to establish a connectivity to the ambience.
In a classical scenario, the business system is focusing on the organisation, which is also over-
taking the governance. By focusing ICT system support on processes, the assignment of the
governance is blurring. It can be overtaken by the supplier as well as by the customer. Alterna-
tively, also service providers that are highly specialised in operating such a process (e.g. trans-
port service providers) can overtake the provision of the ICT system support. Nevertheless, the
s
governance is still explicitly assigned to one actor. When using a networked devices support
ing
within a workflow, the governance is shifting to the owner of the networked device or thing.
h T
Therefore, when aiming at the realisation of an IoT based solution, the governance in relation
to the networked device will change possibly several times in relation to the product life-cycle.
t of
On top of that, the owners of things will need to cope with the governance of diverse heteroge-
erne
neous networked devices, each type including certain data fragments, features and interfaces.
Therefore, when migrating technology towards that paradigm (see Figure 4.2-2), especially
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the handling of governance related principles have to be adapted towards the Things and Net-
worked Devices.
on the
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arch se
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ean
Europ
43
r of
A logical grouping of functionalities that could be assigned to one or several tasks in the workflow are consid-
ered as a Net-worked Devices Enabled Intelligence.
44 Environment is considered as the ambience in which a networked device is operated. Ambience is understood as
both physical and contextual environment [Stokic06] in which networked devices & human operators are act-
T – Cluste
ing.
45 Updating decision rules of a networked device in response to continuously changing processes, various interac-
tion/ contractual agreements with different business partners, change of ownership of the related things and the
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location of the networked device.
46 The authors of this paper are considering an NDEI as an IoT type solution, even if there is only a connection to a
local area network, an intranet or only temporary connections to the Internet.
97
Business Syst
ss
e
Syst m
ICT
IC S
T y
S s
y t
s em
t
em Su
S p
u p
p ort
or
Netwo
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h
e Orga
n
Orga i
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sa n
tio
for Proce
c ss
s e
s s
Support
r for the
for th Workflow
Actor (
Supplier o
r C
ustomer)
Order
Management
Actors
Tracking &
Transport
Transport
er
Tracing
Monitoring
…
g
Monitoring
Netw
Net o
w r
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r
Compone
Comp
n
one t 1
n
Compone
Comp
n
one t 1
Tracking &
Component 1
Component 1
…
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Supplier
Tr
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e
ked D vices
es
or “
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“ hing
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s”
Figure 4.2-2: Transition from business systems in the organisation towards the usage of Net-
worked Devices Enabled Intelligence.
3.2
Required Capabilities for realising a Networked Devices Enabled
Intelligence
Application cases as listed above are specified from a business process and user perspective.
The requirements were translated in more technical terms in so called capabilities to identify
those features that are envisaged as key enablers for realising an intelligent workflow support:
Event-based operation, to perform a functionality due to an event as opposed to a perma-
nent operation.
Self-localisation to be aware of the thing’s own position, time and environment.
Satellite-based communication for satellite footprint related multicast.
Sensor integration to dynamically enhance the self-awareness in relation to the things.
Self-diagnosis, to detect malfunctions, potential error causes or deficiencies.
Detection of events originating in the ambience of a networked device and analysing the
relevance of such an event as trigger for initiating subsequent reactions.
Tracking encountered devices to be aware of things which have been in a certain proximity.
s
ing
Context and identity based access rights to data decentralised stored on a device.
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Device independent usage of decoupled user interfaces due to proximity.
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Granting call-back access to legacy systems, by adding access rights and related procedures
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to a networked device, before it changes ownership.
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Network knowledge retrieval built from distributed storage on multiple networked devices.
on the
3.3
Application Cases versus Capabilities
ctse
The capabilities can be considered as a type of technology enablers for addressing challenges
in relation to different application cases. Those capabilities are also envisaged to serve as a
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baseline when developing an IoT related solution, facilitating a translation of application case
features (i.e. formulated from an end-user perspective) to a more technical perspective of a
arch se
solution developer. Such a mapping of application case features and capabilities is presented
in the following Table 4.2-1.
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Table 4.2-1: Application Case Features in relation to addressed capabilities.
Addressed Capabilities
Self-Aware
Delivery by
Proactive
Product
Prod. Char.
Tendering
Health Book
CEIP
Programme
Event-based operation
X
X
X
X
X
Self-localisation
X
X
X
X
X
Satellite communication
X
X
Sensor integration
X
X
X
Self-diagnosis
X
X
X
Detection/analysis of events
X
X X
Tracking encountered devices
X X
X
Context based access rights
X X
X
X
Netw. Dev. based user interface
X X
Call-back access
X X
Network knowledge retrieval
X
X
The application cases and the capabilities to be supported by envisaged results of the Cute-
Loop project, served as reference to elaborate the CuteLoop concept [CuteLoop09], outlining
underlying technological components as further presented in the following sections.
4
The CuteLoop Framework
The CuteLoop research analysed the envisaged technological challenges when aiming at provi-
sion of envisaged capabilities as presented above. The following section 4.1 tries to provide an
overview of some of the most important challenges from a networked devices perspective.
Section 4.2 is further detailing envisaged technology related results (CuteLoop framework)
that are realised in the project.
4.1
Technological Challenges Addressed
The project identified technology related challenges that need to be specifically overcome
when aiming at the realisation of Networked Devices Enabled Intelligence. These were espe-
cially grouped according to the following aspects:
Decoupling: Commonly applied synchronous approaches for information exchange are
hardly applicable in settings of ad-hoc interaction and dynamic open groups of partly un-
known actors. Technical mechanisms need to provide features for decoupled interaction in
terms of time and location.
s
Heterogeneity: IT solutions and especially mobile networked devices (innovation cycles
ing
of 1-2 years) are very heterogeneous in open and loosely coupled business relationships.
h T
Different operating systems are in place and hardware related functionalities vary especially
in terms of connectivity, I/O-channels, performance, human operator related interfaces and
t of
system governance.
erne
Distribution and decentralisation: Business relationships of independent actors in
Int
dynamic networks are based on a distributed processing and decentralised management of
data. Within such infrastructures the client and server roles cannot be easily defined, while
on the
this need to be mixed with an architectural approach of peer-to-peer networks.
ctse
Connectivity: The use of various mobile networked devices for interaction leads to a high
dependency of communication but due to the lack of a ubiquitous, scalable and affordable
Proj
network for all potential “things”, unavailability and intermittent connectivity is not the ex-
arch
ception but the rule. Applications therefore need to change their communication approach
se
of a “staying connected” to a “connect and transmit if possible” approach.
Re
Scalability and Costs: Typically, when forwarding fresh food products transported in
ean
uniquely identified returnable packaging, 5.000 to 20.000 RFID tags (i.e. one truck) need
to be read regularly,. This need to be realised in human operator’s speed. The used installa-
Europ
tion reads UHF passive tags, while the writing of tags cannot be realised due to time con-
r of
straints. Usage of active tags is currently beyond scope, especially due to hardware costs
and maintenance as well as with respect to the related dilemma of communication capabili-
ties versus47 battery capacities.
T – Cluste
47 There would be a need to deploy different communication strategies due to the ambience and related workflow
CERP-Io
step which returnable packaging is located. To save energy an RFID tag would need to represent an active,
semi-active or even semi-passive mode of operation to represent (a) hubs for communication management, (b)
quiet tags only listening for events, (c) sleeping tags only able to be woken up for further operation.
99
Trust: Realisation of security and trust related services usually relies on a centralised in-
frastructure. In decentralised and distributed networks as described above, related infra-
structure need to be individually provided by collaborating actors. Especially features for
discovery and revocation of access rights need to be carefully managed to assure acceptance
of the supply chain actors.
4.2
Features of the CuteLoop Framework
The technical approach to realise Networked Devices Enabled Intelligence was to integrate all
the required basic functionalities covering process related interactions, the device communi-
cation as well as the security and trust features in a framework. This framework has to be us-
able on diverse heterogeneous devices, supporting various communication networks. It also
needs to serve as a type of template when implementing the required capabilities and integrat-
ing software services, legacy systems and existing hardware like sensors, GPS or RFID readers.
The following Figure 4.2-3 presents a basic architectural structure for realising Networked
Devices Enabled Intelligence.
Usin
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ing
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a
Sensors
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T
Sensors
Sens
GPS
GPS
RFID Reader
RFID Reader
RFID Reader
RFID R
Active
Activ Ta
T gs
……
……
t of
Figure 4.2-3: Basic architectural structure for realising a Networked Devices Enabled Intelli-
erne
gence, based on usage of the CuteLoop framework.
Int
For a particular application like the indicated examples (event-based operation & self-
diagnosis), the CuteLoop framework based platform needs to be extensible and highly custom-
isable. From an overall software design and an interaction pattern point of view, the NDEI
on the
services48, as presented in the following Table 4.2-2, are considered as the key elements of the
ctse
framework to support solution design of application cases in real world settings.
Proj
arch
se
Re
ean
Europ
r of
T – Cluste
48 Service as a function that is well defined, self-contained and does not depend on the context or state of other
services [Barry02], while from the project and a more technical point of view, such services could also include
CERP-Io
functionality provided by software agents, which would be specifically characterised by being adaptable (e.g.
to different platforms), mobile (i.e. able to change their physical location) and autonomous/ ruggedness (i.e. be-
ing able to perform their tasks without direct intervention of humans) [Murch98, Paolucci05].
100
Table 4.2-2: Services for realising a Networked Devices Enabled Intelligence.
NDEI-
Service
Key Capabilities
Communication
Autonomy
Security
Assuring transpar-
Decoupled genera-
Multilevel authori-
Informa-
Context based
ent access between
tion of access rights, sation, intersecting
tion Bro-
access rights
routing details and
domains and decen-
kerage
services on applica-
Call-back access
tion layer.
content encapsula-
tralised access
tion
rights revocation
Self-diagnosis
Actor & device au-
Coordination of
Distributed and
Sensor integra-
thentication and
Awareness
tion
monitoring via a
decoupled event
network of master
stream processing
authorisation;
linked local name
Tracking encoun-
nodes
and monitoring
spaces
tered devices
Coordinating run-
Event-based op-
Certificate based
Virtualisation of
ning components &
eration
devices to actively
generation of func-
authentication and
Reactivity
verification of re-
Detection/ ana-
represent passive
tionality; consider-
mote and mobile
lysis of events
hardware behaviour ing functionality
routing
agents
Networked De-
Managing diversity
Autonomous selec-
vices based user
Assuring integrity
Situational
of network nodes
tion of appropriate/
interface
and confidentiality
Interaction
using characteristics optimal peers to
of exchanged data
Network knowl-
and functionalities
fulfil context related and communication
edge retrieval
of available peers
requirements
Satellite multicast
Ubiquitous Satellite commu-
and mesh based
Identification of
Decentralised au-
Notifica-
nication
transparent com-
communication
thentication
tion
Self-localisation
munication chan-
requirements.
nels
From a software engineering perspective the application layer related functionality for assur-
s
ing an autonomous behaviour within decentralised and decoupled infrastructures, will mainly
ing
be based on a multi-agent platform. Instances of such platforms deployed on distributed de-
h T
vices will be able to transparently connect via the communication platform, that covers the
transport layer functionality, providing so-called binding components. Finally security frame-
t of
work as integral part will enable the separation of information and communication amongst
erne
NDEI devices into protected domains within the supply chain.
Int
Envisaged functionality will be provided by both software agents as well as software services.
Therefore, the runtime environment needs also support the combination of both technologies.
on the
While an agent and agent platform can quite easily cope with the characteristics of a software
cts
service, a service execution environment is lacking the ability to coordinate agent related func-
e
tionality. Therefore, it is still being researched how to realise a type of a service integration
Proj
framework that will mediate between the agent and the service world.
A concept for a controlled storage area (CSA) is applied for facilitating the distributed and
arch se
decentralised data-exchange between systems. Actors can put their own data in a CSA which is
Re
also available for access by other agents. In addition, other agents can be permitted to store
data in the CSA as well. This approach enables data-exchange between actors without directly
ean
exposing their existing systems.
Europ
r of
T – Cluste
CERP-Io
101
Basic CuteLoop Platfor
o m
r
Agent Platfor
o m
r
Legacy Connec
y
tor
CuteLoop
Cu
C teLoop
teLo
Legacy
Lega
cy
Securirty
Mu
M lti-Agent
Securirty
Securirty
Co
C mmuni
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cat
uni
i
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Sys
Sy tem
Framew
Fr
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or
Framework
Framew
Sys
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Framew
Framework
Framew
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Adapto
Adapt r
Generi
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c
eneri
Cu
C teLoop
teLo
Ge
G neric
neri
Data
Agent
Legacy
Lega
Servic
Serv e
Platform
Platfor
Agent
Ma
M nagement
nagemen
Conne
C
ctor
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Interface
Interf
Templates
Connec
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Templates
entation
empl
Agent Platfor
o m
r
Legacy Integr
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ation Platfor
o m
Im
r
Im
Basic C
Basi
u
c C teLo
t
op
eLo
Agent
Basic C
Basi
u
c C teLo
t
op
eLo
Agent
Legac
Lega y
Platform
Platfor
Platform
Platfor
Platform
Platfor
Platform
Platfor
Connec
e tor
CuteLoop Fr
F a
r me
m wo
w rk
r
Cu
C stomised
Cu
C stomised
base
s d
e Solution
User Interfa
User In
c
terfa e
User Interfa
User In
c
terfa e
Service/A
Serv
gent
ice/A
Servic
Serv e/Ag
e/A ent
Figure 4.2-4: Reference structure for implementation, using the Framework for realisation of
CuteLoop Framework based solutions.
Finally, the CuteLoop framework is OS platform independent, hence applicable on different
types of networked devices. While analysis of current devices from active RFID type platforms
over mini-PC to multi-purpose devices like smartphones and netbooks indicates that at least a
certain JAVA support is required. Low performance devices are also envisaged to be inte-
grated, when developing an overall solution. However, an initial architecture already needs to
be driven by the process related requirements to find an appropriate distribution of higher
level functionality in relation to networked devices. Such active devices operating an agent
platform specifically include a management agent that will coordinate an intelligent workflow
support. However, main elements of the CuteLoop Framework are a basic platform, an agent
platform and a legacy connector, as presented in Figure 4.2-4.
Based on specific requirements of a defined scenario, appropriate elements with their entities
would be composed to a specific CuteLoop solution. Such a solution would be highly custom-
ised and based on real business processes with their defined actors and existing applications.
5
Conclusions
The CuteLoop project is addressing two business environments that are characterised by a
large amount of SMEs that are collaborating in open chains with dynamically changing rela-
s
tions between enterprises. A significant amount of human operators are working in decentral-
ingh
ised and distributed settings, lacking an integrated ICT support. The related business chal-
T
lenges were analysed as well as innovation aspects of using Networked Devices Enabled Intel-
t of
ligence. Several application cases of NDEI were elaborated. Required technology related capa-
bilities were grouped in a framework, facilitating the realisation of ICT solutions that provide
erne
an intelligent and human centric support for the integrated enterprise.
Int
To assure an impact on the business environment, attention was paid to neither a specific
hardware device nor on a certain operating system, but on elaborating a framework of key
on the
features that are specifically required when aiming to develop certain capabilities and services
ctse
that are required for implementing Networked Devices Enabled Intelligence. Hence it is tar-
geted at the reuse of available/state-of-the-art infrastructures and devices. In the ongoing
Proj
work of the project, software components are under development that will be tested and dem-
arch
onstrated in business environments. Grouped in accordance to a reference structure of capa-
se
bilities and business process related interaction models, also methodological guidelines will be
Re
provided for using the CuteLoop framework in developing solutions in relation to innovative
application cases. These results are envisaged to directly address identified challenges, while
ean
from an SME perspective specifically addressing aspects related to trust, scalability and costs.
Europ
6
Acknowledgement
r of
The presented work is carried out in the scope of the CuteLoop project (Customer in the Loop:
Using Networked Devices Enabled Intelligence for Proactive Customers Integration as Drivers
of Integrated Enterprise – http://www.cuteloop.eu). The research leading to these results has
T – Cluste
received funding from the European Community's Seventh Framework Programme
(FP7/2007-2013) under grant agreement n° 216420. It is carried out by an international con-
sortium from France, Germany, Luxembourg, Portugal, The Netherlands and UK.
CERP-Io
102
7
References
[Barry02]
Barry, Douglas; Getting Ready for a Service-Oriented Enterprise Architecture. Distrib-
uted Enterprise Architecture Advisory Service, Executive Report, Vol. 5, No.8, 2002.
[CuteLoop09]
CuteLoop Project; CuteLoop Concept - Public Project Report. Download via the Project
Website: http://www.cuteloop.eu
[EPoSS08]
INFSO D.4; INFSO G.2; RFID working group of the European Technology Platform on
Smart Systems Integration; Internet of Things in 2020 – A Roadmap for the Future.
Report based on a expert workshop on February, 11th-12th 2008 in Brussels. Published
on September, 5th 2008.
[Jedermann09] Jedermann, R.; Lang, W.: The minimum number of sensors - Interpolation of spatial
temperature profiles. In: Rödig, U.; Sreenan, C.J. (eds.): Wireless Sensor Networks,
6th European Conference, EWSN 2009. Springer, Berlin/Heidelberg, 2009, pp. 232-
246.
[Kirchhoff04]
Kirchhoff, Uwe; Sundmaeker, Harald; San Martín, Fernando; Wall, Brian; Campos,
José; Xeromerites, Stathes; Terziovski, Mile; How to Speed-up the IMSS Related Inno-
vation in Manufacturing SMEs. International IMS Forum 2004; May 17.-19. 2004;
Villa Erba - Cernobbio - Lake Como (Italy).
[Murch98]
Murch, Richard; Johnson, Tony; Intelligent Software Agents. Prentice Hall; London,
1998.
[Palmisano06] Palmisano, Samuel J.; The Globally Integrated Enterprise. Foreign Affairs, Volume 85
No. 3, pp. 127-136; May/June 2006.
[Paolucci05] Paolucci,
Massimo;
Sacile, Roberto; Agent-Based Manufacturing and Control Systems
– New Agile Manufacturing Solutions for Achieving Peak Performance. CRC Press, Bo-
ca Raton, 2005.
[Picot09]
Picot, Arnold; Schmid, Martin S.; Mobilisierung von Wertschöpfungsprozessen durch
innovative und sichere Informationstechnologie. Study in the scope of the SimoBIT
programme of the German Ministry of Economics. Institut für Information, Organisa-
tion und Management; Munich, 2009.
[Satoh04]
Satoh, Ichiro; Software Agents for Ambient Intelligence. Proceedings of SMC 2004 -
IEEE International Conference on Systems, Man, and Cybernetics. pp. 1147-1152. The
Hague, The Netherlands.
[Stokic06]
Stokic, Dragan; Kirchhoff, Uwe; Sundmaeker, Harald; Ambient Intelligence in Manu-
s
facturing Industry: Control System Point Of View. The Eighth IASTED International
ingh
Conference on CONTROL AND APPLICATIONS CA 2006; pp. 63-68, Montreal, Que-
T
bec, Canada, 2006.
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[Sundmaeker08] Sundmaeker, Harald; Proactive Customers Integration as Drivers of an Integrated
Food Chain. 110th EAAE Seminar ‘System Dynamics and Innovation in Food Net-
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works’, 18.-22.02.2008. pp. 485-495 Innsbruck-Igls, Austria.
Int
on the
ctse
Proj
arch se
Re
ean
Europ
r of
T – Cluste
CERP-Io
103
4.3 NFC Technology and its Application
Scenarios in a Future IoT
STOLPAN Project
A. Vilmos / C.M. Medaglia, A. Moroni
SafePay / "La Sapienza" University of Rome (CATTID)
Abstract: Over the last few years, the growing availability of automatic identification technolo-
gies such as Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) has allowed users to interact with smart ob-
jects (i.e. objects connected to the Internet) in the real world, realizing the so-called Internet of
Things (IoT) paradigm. An example of this scenario is the retrieval of additional product informa-
tion in a department store simply by touching a tagged object with a smart device.
Among RFID technologies, Near Field Communication (NFC) is the most customer-oriented one,
as it can be looked at as the integration of an RFID HF reader into a mobile phone. As mobile
phones are the most popular personal devices worldwide, extending them with an RFID reader
allows more and more people to interact with smart objects and the environment.
One of the main problems in creating a network of smart objects that talk to each other and with
the users, is the lack of application level standardization and interoperability: even if NFC tech-
nology was standardized by ISO/IEC in 2004 (ISO/IEC 18092:2004), there are still significant
differences between NFC implementations (devices, operating systems, etc.) that have to be taken
into account.
The StoLPaN (Store Logistics and Payments with NFC) consortium has worked on creating a sin-
gle platform multi application environment where many kind of NFC based services can coexist
s
and interoperate irrespective of the handset or network specifics thus creating a homogenous user
ingh
experience for the customers and a transparent technical environment for the service providers.
T
Moreover, the StoLPaN team has been working on the solution to introduce personalized NFC
t of
services into the EPC (Electronic Product Code) based smart shopping environment, by specify-
ing and implementing a complete shopping and payment process based on contactless technol-
erne
ogy.
The NFC technology will greatly contribute to the future development of IoT. It will provide the
Int
necessary tool for anyone to be connected, to be able to communicate with any type of smart ob-
jects, people and services. However there are still numerous challenges that need to be overcome
on the
before this vision can be realized. Further standardization to ensure openness and interoperabil-
ity, business and logistical models to provide wide access to services are needed and the elabora-
ctse
tion of some legal issues are top short term priorities.
Proj
1
IoT and NFC
arch
The term “Internet of Things” was coined by the researchers of the Auto-ID Lab at MIT of
se
Boston in 1999, to describe a network of objects connected to the Internet by means of the
Re
RFID technology. Even if the first definition of IoT given by Auto-ID lab was related to RFID,
ean
actually the IoT is linked not only to Radio Frequency Identification, but also to other technol-
ogy solutions: sensor networks, TCP/IP, mobile technologies, and in general to all the auto-
Europ
matic identification technologies which allow to identify objects, to collect and process infor-
mation about them and to link the physical world to the virtual one.
r of
In the CERP-IoT Research Roadmap, NFC is explicitly addressed as one the potential IoT
domains:
T – Cluste
“IoT will create the possibility of merging of different telecommunication technologies and
create new services. One example is the use of GSM, NFC (Near Field Communication), low
power Bluetooth, GPS and sensor networks together with SIM-card technology. […] NFC en-
CERP-Io
ables communications among objects in a simple and secure way just by having them close to
each other. The mobile phone can therefore be used as a NFC-reader and transmit the read
105
data to a central server. When used in a mobile phone, the SIM-card plays an important role
as storage for the NFC data and authentication credentials (like ticket numbers, credit card
accounts, ID information etc)”.
Each one of the technologies mentioned in this definition is suitable for a particular context of
use, within a specific scenario, but undoubtedly NFC is the most user-friendly among all of
them. The RFID-based interaction of NFC is familiar also for “non-technological users”, as
interaction with an object by means of NFC technology replicates the act of “touching” some-
thing to produce the correspondent action in the same way that people press a button to move
the elevator toward a given floor or touch a switch to light a room [1, 2].
NFC technology is not only convenient to use by anyone, which makes it a perfect carrier of
the IoT concept, but it also has very versatile usage potential which may bring IoT to diverse
domains of daily life.
Mobile phones equipped with NFC technology (a mobile handset coupled with an RFID HF
reader and preferably also with a secure storage unit – secure chip-) can soon establish the
largest RFID reader architecture of the world including hundreds of millions of mobile hand-
sets.
Mobile NFC also has the capability to turn the mobile handsets into various types of smart
objects. In this operating mode the handsets and the information carried by them can be read
by external interrogators, reader devices using legacy or newly established architectures, just
as if they were any types of contactless cards, or other type of smart objects.
Another interesting feature of NFC mobile phones, which can open interesting opportunities
related to the IoT paradigm, is that they can also communicate with each other, reading, stor-
ing and sharing information in proximity (NFC) or remotely via an over-the-air connection
(GSM, UMTS, WiFi). The real power of the technology lies in the combination of the two –
remote and proximity -communication channels.
2
NFC technology
Near Field Communication is one of the newest short-range wireless technologies.
From technical point of view, NFC operates within the unlicensed Radio Frequency band of
13.56 MHz; the typical operating distance is up to 20 cm (in special circumstances could be
longer), but the actual communication distance strongly depends from the antenna diameter:
as integrated in a mobile phone, the antenna is typically very small, so the communication
s
distance is about 3 to 5 cm.
ingh
The Near Field Communication Interface and Protocol-1 (NFCIP-1) [3] was adopted by the
T
European association for standardizing information and communication systems as ECMA-
t of
340, published by ETSI (ETSI TS 102 190) [4] in March 2003 and then approved as an
ISO/IEC standard in April 2004 (ISO/IEC 18092:2004). The NFCIP-1 specifies, in particular,
erne
“modulation schemes, codings, transfer speeds, and frame format of the RF interface, as well
Int
as initialization schemes and conditions required for data collision control during initializa-
tion. Furthermore, this International Standard defines a transport protocol including protocol
activation and data exchange methods”[5].
on the
cts
As abovementioned, an NFC device can operate in reader, card emulation, or Peer-to-Peer
e
mode: the Near Field Communication Interface and Protocol-2 (NFCIP-2) (ISO/IEC
Proj
21481:2005 and ECMA 352) specifies the detection and selection mechanism between these
communication modes [5].
arch se
When the NFC device operates in card emulation mode, it behaves as an ISO/IEC 14443 smart
Re
card, so it is compatible with the contactless infrastructure already on the field, as well as with
ean
Mifare® and FeliCa™ smart cards.
Besides ISO/IEC, ETSI and ECMA, there are a number of standard bodies and industry or-
Europ
ganizations - the NFC Forum, Global Platform, Open Mobile Alliance, etc. - that deal with NFC
r of
technology. Nevertheless, all these organizations are dealing with basic technology issues or
industry related matters, while application distribution and management, application interop-
erability, multi application environment and related challenges are still not adequately taken
into account.
T – Cluste
The StoLPaN (Store Logistics and Payment with NFC) consortium indentified this need and
was concentrating on issues contributing to multi-application management and the estab-
CERP-Io
lishment of multi-service NFC environments.
106
3
Services and use-cases
The short communication distance of NFC and its data collision control, provide a solid un-
derlying security framework for the operation which makes NFC the perfect choice of technol-
ogy for sensitive services and use-cases.
NFC can be used to enable a wide range of services.
Initially payment and ticketing were the darlings of the industry. These are services with many
repeat users, established operating framework and acceptance architecture as well as solid
revenue streams and charging models. After a first set of pilot projects however, the complex-
ity of these use-cases were identified: the lengthy preparation for commercial implementation,
the involvement of a number of actors with different and sometimes conflicting interests.
Payment is nowadays seen as the last step for an NFC-based implementation.
Conversely, one of the most interesting short-term scenarios is the use of NFC phones for in-
teracting with smart objects as, for example, smart posters for mobile proximity marketing,
mobile tourism or mobile loyalty programs, as well as with tagged products in a retail envi-
ronment. By touching a product with an NFC device, the user can retrieve additional informa-
tion, such as its origins and authenticity, linking a physical object with its virtual identity. An-
other interesting trend in NFC based services is related to mobile social networking, using the
mobile phone as an access point to the virtual world of social network. There is a number of
interesting NFC based mobile social networking applications, where the mobile phone is re-
spectively used as a friend connection platform (Hot in the City by the University of Oulu)[6],
a location based social ticker (Friendticker by Servtag) [7] or a way to ease the collection of
location information (NFCSocial by Atos Worldline) [8].
NFC can also support a lot more complex service scenarios which may transform people’s
habit, may substantially improve quality of life. With the combination of smart objects and
NFC-enabled mobile phones mobile health monitoring, smart travel planner and smart retail
services including payment can be provided, just to mention a few examples.
In case of mobile heath monitoring small wearable sensors capture the patient’s health infor-
mation which is collected through the proximity NFC interface of the mobile handset, then
data is pre-processed by the device and forwarded to a clinical monitoring centre. The course
of communication and interaction can be reversed too, and using the handset’s mobile and
NFC communication capability the operation of the sensors can be adjusted from the remote
monitoring centre.
s
The mobile health monitoring scenario, the combination of mobile NFC technology and smart
ing
sensor networks can be implemented in more complex scenarios in accord with the Ambient
h T
Assisted Living (AAL) concept and help people to improve the quality of their lives. It can pro-
vide the flexible, remote monitoring of the preferred environment of the older people, or the
t of
people in need.
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Another potential application of the mobile NFC technology is the smart travel planner that
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can personalize the overall travel experience and can take out many of the unnecessary nui-
sances from one’s trip. By using the internet, contactless technology and mobile handset the
on the
following futuristic concept becomes reality. The person books a hotel on the internet and
cts
receives the room key over the air onto his/her mobile handset. The key is stored securely in
e
the secure storage part of the handset just like as if it were a plastic key card. The tourist also
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wishes to travel in the city by using public transportation. If the trip is to cities, where contact-
less transport infrastructure is available, the tickets can also be sent over the air to the tourist’s
arch
mobile phone. These tickets are also stored in the secure storage part of the mobile phone.
se
Similarly museum and event cards can be ordered and received. Upon arrival to the hotel the
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tourist can proceed directly to the room, avoiding the sometimes lengthy check in procedure
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and simply enter the room by touching the mobile handset to the lock. Similarly when the
tourist enters the metro, the mobile handset is touched to the entrance gate and the gate opens
just as if normal tickets were presented.
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Besides pre-arranging part of the trip the NFC enabled mobile handset can also assist in ser-
vice discovery. The handset can read so called “smart posters” and receive direct information
– like provisioning of e-coupons – or the smart poster will initiate the phone to launch mobile
data communication with remote servers that provide the information needed. In case of a bus
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station this can be the schedule of the next bus, or the best connection to a selected destina-
tion, whereas in case of an exhibition this interaction can result in the download of an entry
ticket. To make the experience more complex, contactless payment can also be integrated into
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the NFC service line.
107
The smart retail concept holds similar convenience benefits for the customers and also pro-
vides increased efficiency for the store operators.
By using NFC enabled mobile handsets customers can read the smart tags of the merchandizes
and retrieve product information from a remote server or check the product pedigree. By
touching the phone to certain advertisements customers can receive smart coupons into their
phones which can be redeemed at check out. (With this solution spam can be avoided and
customers really only get the coupons and promotions they need.) The greatest benefit how-
ever can be realized if the shopping environment is modernized as well and smart shopping
carts are used. In this case the customer’s mobile handset can communicate with the shopping
cart, can query information, but most importantly can perform payment without the need to
line up in front of a cashier.
4
StoLPaN project results
The StoLPaN consortium has published two White Papers presenting proposals for the post
issuance procedures and for multi-application management that were distributed in wide in-
dustry circles (NFC Forum, ETSI, GlobalPlatform, etc.). In fact, the remote, post issuance and
application management procedures have been identified as the key issues to be addressed in
order to offer users a variety of NFC applications on the same device and so to build a real
ecosystem. Indeed, even if the users involved in NFC trials declared to appreciate the ease-of-
use and the convenience of the NFC technology, they have been able to test only one or two
applications per time, without the possibility to remove or insert any new or un-used applica-
tions. To have just one or two NFC services hard coded into the mobile requires a simple usage
and a simple loading, but it does not have real benefits as it is just a new form factor compared
to card based interaction. Moreover, it is quite expensive for the players involved, as each ser-
vice provider has to build the application starting from zero. From the user’s point-of-view, to
have separated applications for each service (payment, transportation, access-control) is hos-
tile, as they have to interact with different menus, causing a fragmented user-experience.
In order to provide a fully functional, economic and convenient service, which exploits the real
capabilities of the NFC technology (i.e. to use the same device for emulating different types of
cards in a dynamic environment) a set of roles have been considered. Besides the Card Issuer,
OTA (Over the Air service) provider and the application issuer, the role of multiple TSMs
(Trusted Service Manager) was identified. The TSM will be in charge to provide the technology
and service support in order to optimize the efforts and to give the user a homogeneous user-
experience. Although the involvement of a TSM in the service distribution process has already
been discussed in the industry, but to have more of them participating simultaneously in the
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service provisioning workflow and the need to establish interoperation between these actors is
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a completely new approach. This scenario can open up the NFC service environment and
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make it suitable for multi-application, multi-service provider operation. This concept was
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introduced and described in the 1st StoLPaN White Paper. [9]
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To have multiple services side by side stored in the user’s handset a transparent service envi-
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ronment needs to be established. The project called it the StoLPaN “Host” which lets users
operate multiple services according to the same principles providing a homogenous user ex-
perience. The Host also simplifies the service development process as the service providers
on the
only need to develop one single version of the application and the Host ensures that they will
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run across diverse handset types. Actually the Host is to establish a single-platform, multi-
application service environment. The design still allows adequate room for differentiation
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between the service providers, as branding is still possible and customers are still related ex-
arch
clusively to the individual service issuers (banks, transportation companies, etc.). This concept
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is discussed in the 2nd StoLPaN White Paper. [10] A proof of concept prototype of the Host
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application was also implemented and demonstrated.
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The project described and implemented an end-to-end contactless shopping and payment
scenario, using smart tags, smart shopping devices and the users’ NFC enabled mobile hand-
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set.
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In this environment a smart shopping cart plays the central role. This cart is communicating
with the customer’s handset using NFC and is also linked remotely to the store back office
system using WIFI. The cart has proximity antennas to read smart tags, and a display to
communicate with the customer. When customers enter the store, they can log-in into the
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loyalty system of the store which stores a shopping list for them that they may have prepared
at home, using the store’s website. The cart’s screen also provides orientation about the loca-
tion of the desired products. When products are placed into the cart the display provides in-
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formation about their price and promotion related to them. If more detailed information is
required by the customers they can access the store’s database using the cart’s interface. Dur-
108
ing the course of shopping customers may collect with their NFC handsets e-coupons from
smart posters which they can redeem at payment. When the shopping is completed customers
may proceed with the payment. The great novelty of the StoLPaN solution is that also payment
can be performed between the customer’s handset and the smart shopping cart. Customers do
not need to go to a cashier they simply select the payment function on the display of the cart. If
they pay with bankcard or loyalty points the handset is touched to the cart and the necessary
payment credentials are transferred securely to the store back office, where the usual payment
authorisation process is performed. During the payment process the collected coupons can
also be redeemed and by transferring them from the mobile handset to the cart the related
benefits/discount will be deducted from the invoice. When payment is completed customers
may proceed to check-out, without the need to line up and wait in front-of any cashier or
counter. The smart shopping process is also integrated to the security environment of the
store. When leaving the retail area customers need to pass through a security gate, which re-
motely reads the products in the cart, and compares the cart content with the related payment
information.
Such retail operations do not only make the shopping and payment process more user-friendly
and convenient but also substantially increase the efficiency of the retail operation.
5
Conclusion and Future Work
The StoLPaN project had two major focuses:
multi-application operation in the mobile handset
elaboration of the smart retail purchase and payment process.
The targets are/were met. The project:
has published, and widely circulated its underlying theory in two White Papers;
has built a proof of concept prototype of the multi-application mobile Host;
has elaborated the retail scenario and the concept and solutions were not only tested in the
Libri bookstore as planned, but were also demonstrated to a much wider audience at the
Cartes 2010.
During the work however, it was identified that there are still important issues to be solved
before the above described complex NFC use-cases can be introduced an masse, can be com-
mercialized.
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In all present pilots the NFC environment, the available services – usually only one at a time –
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are static, customers do not have the opportunity to add or change services, to freely configure
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their NFC service portfolio. The service partners knew each other, the customers had to pre-
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register, the applications were loaded and stored in advance into the handsets, every technical
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and service detail was pre-arranged and pre-organized by the trial participants. All known
solutions were/are proprietary there is no interoperation capability between the various loca-
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tions. All is static, monolithic and artificial.
The real, the commercial operation is different.
on the
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People do not want a single contactless service, but many, and their service needs are con-
e
stantly changing so their service portfolio will need dynamic reconfiguration. Customers are
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dealing with many service providers who are often providing similar, or identical, competing
or complementary services. There is not just one mobile operator involved in NFC service
arch
provisioning, but many. Various services have diverse security and legal requirements and
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widely different business models.
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All these actors, their interests, requirements and operating specifics need to be integrated
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into an operating, technical and business framework to allow multiple contactless services to
coexist in the users’ mobile handset, in order to provide satisfactory user experience to the
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customers as well as the potential of efficient service delivery for the service providers.
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A full-fledged NFC service environment can only be realized based on high level interoperabil-
ity, thus ensuring that a large number of independent, ad hoc parties can seamlessly commu-
nicate and interact with each other based on known and generally accepted technical specifi-
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cations, operating rules, service guidelines and standards.
This openness and interoperability needs to be established in order turn NFC from a promis-
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ing technology to a fundamental component of the Internet of Things.
109
6
Acknowledgment
The authors would like to thank their partners in the IST-FP6 project StoLPaN (Store Logistic
and Payment with NFC).
7
References
[1] Levialdi, S., Medaglia C.M., Moroni A., Sposato, S., “NFCTicketing: a prototyping and usability test
of an NFC-based virtual ticketing application”, in Proceedings of First NFC IEEE Workshop,
Hagenberg, Austria, February 2009.
[2] Biader Ceipidor, U., Medaglia C.M., Moroni A., Sposato S., “Design, Prototyping and Evaluation of
SIMpliCity: an NFC system for the mobility of citizens”, in Proceedings of CHI 2009, Rome, Italy,
17-19 June 2009.
[3] ISO/IEC 18092 (ECMA-340): Information technology - Telecommunications and information ex-
change between systems - Near Field Communication - Interface and Protocol (NFCIP-1). First Edi-
tion, 2004-04-01.
[4] ETSI TS 102 190 V1.1.1: Near Field Communication (NFC) IP-1; Interface and Protocol (NFCIP-1)
2003-03, URL: http://www.etsi.org.
[5] ISO/IEC 21481: Information technology Telecommunications and information exchange between
systems Near Field Communication Interface and Protocol -2 (NFCIP-2). January 2005.
[6] http://hic.vtt.fi/.
[7] http://www.servtag.com/en/losungen/friendticker/.
[8] Fressancourt A., Hérault C., Ptak E., "NFCSocial: Social Networking in Mobility through IMS and
NFC," in Proceedings of First NFC IEEE Workshop, Hagenberg, Austria, February 2009.
[9] StoLPaN consortium, Dynamic Management of multi-application secure elements, Public White-
paper, available at www.stolpan.com
[10] StoLPaN consortium, Dynamic NFC wallet, available at www.stolpan.com
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4.4 RFID-enabled Tracking and
Tracing in the Supply Chain
Lessons Learnt from the
SMART and TRASER projects
Cleopatra Bardaki, Katerina Pramatari / Elisabeth Ilie-Zudor, Zsolt Kemény
ELTRUN Research Lab, Department of Management Science and Technology Ath-
ens University of Economics and Business / Computer and Automation Research
Institute, Hungarian Academy of Sciences
Abstract: The paper summarizes the results of two 6FP-funded projects aiming to establish
tracking and tracing services relying on RFID. In the lifespan of the SMART project (IST-2005,
FP6), two RFID-enabled services, supporting dynamic-pricing of fresh products and management
of promotion events, have been deployed on a service-oriented architecture that utilizes RFID
technology, data stream management systems and web services. The two services have been field-
tested in three retail stores in Greece, Ireland, and Cyprus. The valuable lessons learnt, concern-
ing RFID readability challenges, consumer privacy, customers and store staff health concerns, in-
vestment cost, and so on, are reported to provide guidance to future developers of RFID-
integrated supply chain services as well as to set an agenda for academic research. The TraSer
project pursued the introduction of track-and-trace services especially in the lower end of the ap-
plication spectrum, i.e., small-scale users as SMEs and other smaller organizations. TraSer pro-
vided a free, open-source solution platform using web services for communication and a variety of
possible physical ID carriers (not limited to RFID) for unique identification. An architectural
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overview gives insight into design preferences and choices determining the framework architec-
ture, while a report on relevant cases selected from a wider range of application pilots outlines the
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experience gathered with deployment on different scales.
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1
Introduction
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Radio-frequency identification (RFID) is a key technology today that drives developments in
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the area of the Internet of Things. RFID is a wireless communication technology that uses
radio-frequency waves to transfer identifying information between tagged objects and readers
without requiring line of sight, providing a means of automatic identification (Sheng et al.
on the
2008).
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Although some of the underlying technologies for RFID have been around for more than half a
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century and both technically feasible and practically usable solutions have appeared already
more than a decade ago, only recently have supply chain partners started to explore its poten-
arch
tial to support core business processes. This shift of attention should be primarily attributed to
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the decrease of acquisition costs for the technology parts (readers, tags, printers), the avail-
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ability of related services and functionalities, as well as the emergence of proof-of-concept
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application prototypes by large retailers and suppliers. Currently, RFID is emerging as an
important technology for revolutionizing a wide range of applications, including supply-chain
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management, retail sales, anti-counterfeiting, and healthcare (Nath et al. 2006).
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The advent of RFID, as an enabling Auto-ID technology, generated significant interest to the
retail sector mainly because of its capability to streamline core supply chain management op-
erations. As a result, over the past few years several research projects emerged discussing dif-
ferent flavours of RFID-augmented applications in such supply chain management areas as
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inventory management (Fleisch et al. 2005) and customer relationship management in the
form of ‘smart’ personal shopping assistants capable of guiding and assisting consumers
throughout their shopping trip within the physical store (Kourouthanassis et al. 2003).
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111
Nevertheless, the majority of existing literature in RFID systems is primarily at a prototype or
simulation stage. In effect, very few publications discuss the actual deployment effects of RFID
technology in the field. Notable exceptions are the works of Ngai et al. (2007) and Delen et al.
(2007). In a commercial setting, the most renowned example is the Metro Future Store, lo-
cated in Germany, which comprises an aggregated test-case laboratory showcasing the poten-
tial of Auto-ID technologies in the retail setting.
In this context, the SMART project (IST-20005, FP6) proposes RFID-enabled supply chain
services in the retail industry, building on the capabilities provided by RFID technology, data
stream management systems and web service orchestration. The retail services that have been
selected, namely dynamic-pricing and promotions management have been deployed in three
commercial sites at different European countries with participating user companies being
European grocery retailers and suppliers from the fast-moving consumer goods sector. As a
result, valuable lessons have been learnt for the deployment of RFID applications spanning
the whole spectrum, from RFID readability issues, integration with the legacy systems, cost,
web-service synchronization, consumer privacy to name but a few areas where experience was
gained. The acquired knowledge is shared through this paper to provide guidance to future
developers of RFID-enabled supply chain services as well as to set an agenda for academic
research.
The TraSer project (IST-033512, FP6) already bears its focus in its acronym, being assembled
from the words tracking and services. As opposed to concentrating on the sole use of RFID
itself, the project pursued the provision of a general service background for tracking and trac-
ing of uniquely identified entities. The targeted user range were small-scale users such as
SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises), therefore, affordability, lean infrastructural de-
mands, cross-company transparency and easy adaptation to legacy IT components and exter-
nal protocols/requirements were the key preferences to meet. Central output of the project
was a free, open-source track-and-trace solution framework relying on web services for com-
munication and XML/XQuery for handling the data of the items tracked. Largely independent
of the physical ID carrier (and thus also transparently allowing other means of unique identifi-
cation than RFID), the platform has been tested in a wide range of applications, from tracking
of physical items to distributed version control of electronic design documents, both in closed-
circuit asset management and supply chains. The TraSer solution platform is listed on Source-
forge, and can be also downloaded from the project website http://www.traser-project.eu.
2
Lessons Learnt from the SMART project
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2.1
RFID-enabled Services over the SMART Architecture Framework
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In the course of the SMART project (IST-20005, FP6) with participating user companies being
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European grocery retailers and suppliers from the fast-moving consumer goods sector, a lay-
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ered, distributed, service-oriented architecture framework is proposed to support RFID-
enabled supply chain services in the retail industry. The SMART architecture utilizes the
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automatic, unique identification capabilities of RFID technology; data stream management
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systems (Chatziantoniou et al. 2005) and web service orchestration (Muehlen et al. 2005) to
enable information sharing and collaboration among retail supply chain partners.
on the
Figure 4.4-1 illustrates a high-level logical view of the SMART architecture framework (Bar-
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daki & Kourouthanassis 2009). It is a distributed architecture framework, where the applica-
e
tion layer runs on the system of each collaborating partner and web services implement the
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interface between the different partners’ systems using SOAP requests and responses. The
data layer is implemented by both a relational database management system (Object Instance
arch
Information Service) and a data stream management system (DSMS) providing the applica-
se
tion layer with continuous real time reports after processing unique product identification
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data streams generated from the RFID infrastructure. The orchestration engine coordinates
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the exchange of messages between the partners’ web services following the logic of the specific
supply chain application services. The service repository provides an interface for the orches-
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tration engine to execute queries and discover the exposed services from the partners. The
object instance directory stores partners’ identifiers that can provide information for unique
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object instances. It accepts queries about unique object instances (electronic product codes-
EPCs) and replies with the partner’s identifier that can provide the required object instance
information. The partners' registration directory stores all partners’ registration information
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and relationships among partners.
The proposed framework builds on the EPCglobal architecture framework. However, SMART
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suggests a service-oriented approach, utilizing web services, to enable EPC-related informa-
tion exchange between retail partners opposed to the object-oriented approach of EPCglobal.
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In addition, SMART differentiates from the EPCglobal architecture framework by utilizing a
data stream management system (DSMS) to aggregate EPC data per capture location and en-
rich them with object-related pieces of information (such as object ID/ barcode and object
tagging level e.g. case/ item) enabling aggregation at various levels.
The proposed architecture can potentially support various RFID-enabled supply chain services
in retail industry. However, during SMART, research focused on eight RFID-integrated retail
supply chain services, such as back-room and shelf inventory tracking, smart recall, promo-
tion management etc (Bardaki et al. 2007). To evaluate the business relevance of the alterna-
tive services, an industry survey was conducted, addressed to top executives representing re-
tailers and suppliers/manufacturers in the European fast-moving consumer goods (SMART
2007, Lekakos 2007). In addition, a consumer survey provided useful input regarding the
evaluation of Innovative Retail Consumer services. The findings of the two surveys (SMART
2007) prioritized the design and implementation of the two following RFID-enabled retail
supply chain services in the course of the project.
Central Services
Object
Partners
Instance
Registration
Service
Directory
Directory
Repository
(UDDI)
Supply Chain
Supply Chain
Partner I
Partner II
Application Services User Interface
Application Services User Interface
Application Services
Application Services
Orchestration engine
Orchestration engine
Web Services
Web Services
Wrapper
Object Instance
Wrapper
Object Instance
Information Service
Information Service
Data Stream
Data Stream
s
Management System
DBMS
Management System
DBMS
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Legacy Systems
RFID data filtering
Legacy Systems
RFID data filtering
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RFID Infrastructure
RFID Infrastructure
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on the
Figure 4.4-1: Logical view of the service-oriented SMART Architecture Framework.
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At one hand, Promotions Management service supports the design, execution and evaluation
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of in-store promotion events that emerge into a prevailing promotion strategy in the retail
industry. It provides to both retailers and suppliers the means to efficiently monitor the prod-
arch
ucts availability on the promotion stands, the backroom and the regular shelves, the launch
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date of promotion events per store, the sales performance of the promotion events stand, etc.
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This is meaningful key performance information that can support the design of more efficient
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future promotion plans; this information is not provided by the current information infra-
structure in retail stores, i.e. the point-of-sales (POS) scanning systems.
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In addition, an innovative consumer application is included. The consumers interact with the
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system via a touch screen placed on a shelf of the promotion stand (figure 2). The touch screen
interface offers: (a) product information: a list of the products under promotion appears on
the touch screen and consumers can learn more just by clicking on them, (b) support for
product selection: customers answer to a number of questions and, through a decision tree ,
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they are guided to the product that fits best their needs and (c) alternative gifts: customer can
select between a conditioner, a small shampoo (250 ml) or a discount coupon. The discount
coupon provides discount one euro for the product the consumer selects. This coupon is
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printed on demand from a coupon printer placed on the promotional stand (see Figure 4.4-2).
113
To implement this service, case and item-
level tagging are required and RFID read-
ers are placed on the store back-room gate,
on the back-room to sales-floor entrance
and on the promotion stand shelves. Foam
bath shower gels and shampoos were the
products used during the pilot experi-
ments.
On the other hand, Dynamic-pricing is
suited for products that require frequent
price adjustments and it supports different
product instances to be sold at different
prices (a strategy that is widely used for
e.g. airline tickets). It can be used in food
industry to generate demand for products
approaching their expiration date, such as
fresh or frozen products, and are soon to
become out-of-date gathered stock. The
proposed RFID service provides with the
product availability on the shelves and the
backroom per expiration date, the sales
volume per store, etc. via a graphical user
interface. It also proposes with price mark-
downs based on an algorithm utilizing
products expiration date, stock availability,
etc. Both retail store managers and prod-
uct suppliers collaborate to decide on the
price mark-down after thinking on the
services’ price suggestions.
Figure 4.4-2: RFID-enabled Promotion
stand with touch screen.
Moreover, an innovative consumer application is included. Consumers are informed about the
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discounted product items from an electronic display placed above the shelves (Figure 4.4-3).
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Specifically, the screen depicts: the number of products per expiration date, the price discount
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and the new price.
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To implement dynamic pricing service, case and item-level tagging are required and RFID
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readers are placed in the product packaging line, where the expiration-date property is as-
signed to each product instance, on the store backroom (coldroom for fresh products) gate and
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on the fridge shelves. Packaged fresh minced-meet was the product used during the pilot ex-
periments.
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Figure 4.4-3: Electronic display above RFID-enabled fridge shelves.
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A step-by-step approach was adopted to decide on a “realistic” implementation of the above
services by assessing their technical feasibility and to what extent the potential benefits gained
by RFID outweigh the value of investment in such an initiative. This approach is based on a
detailed business process analysis, technical laboratory experiments and a cost-benefit as-
sessment (Bardaki et al. 2008).
2.2
Technical and Business Lessons
The two services have been deployed in three real-life pilot sites in the course of SMART pro-
ject. Specifically, the Promotions Management service has been deployed in two retail stores
in Greece and Cyprus, while the Dynamic Pricing service has been deployed in a retail store in
Ireland. Two rounds of pilots (at least 10 days per round) per store have been executed in or-
der to identify technical and business pitfalls and to capitalize on the knowledge generated
during the deployment of the services. Some of the lessons learnt coping with these challenges
are summarized below to provide guidance to future developers of RFID-enabled supply chain
services.
2.2.1
Readability issues
The ability to read without requiring line-of-sight makes missed reads an unfortunate reality
with RFID systems. The material of the tagged items and of the surfaces of the surrounding
area, the multi-path effect, the environmental conditions, the tag collisions and the tag place-
ment are between the factors that interact with the electromagnetic nature of the RFID system
and, as a result, influence the readability of the RFID system.
Both RFID-integrated services involve items containing liquid, i.e. foam bath shower gel and
frozen packaged minced meat, which are radio frequency absorbing. In addition, the metallic
surfaces of the promotion stand and of the trolley that transfers the packages of minced meat
marked another physical constraint, because metal reflects the radio energy and causes multi-
path interference to the receiving antenna. Also, the multiplicity of tagged items on the shelf,
with small distance between them, has generated conflicts because the simultaneous transmit-
ted radio signals caused collision interference to the RFID reader. Finally, the orientation of
the antennas on the shelves, in association with the tag location on the shelves orientation,
was found to affect the radio wave received.
To cope with the aforementioned challenges, the performance of tags and readers of leading
RFID manufacturers was evaluated in a lab environment (similar to the real environment and
free of interference), in order to select the RFID infrastructure. Then, with key requirement
the item-level visibility of the product on the shelf, we performed small-scale proof-of-concept
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testing in the lab environment executing several experiments with alternative tag positions
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associated with respective antennas positions and orientations. After the lab tests, we found
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out that the tag on top of the foam bath bottle and the minced meat package, i.e. the point
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where the liquid ends, as well as the antennas on the top and back of each shelf of the promo-
tional stand and only on the top of each refrigerated shelf ensured the best possible readability
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for our target number of tagged items placed on the shelves.
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We continued with comprehensive on-site testing executing several tests on the shelves with
varying items density and distance between them, random or controlled placement of prod-
on the
ucts and human interaction. We realized the cases of tag collisions and that the metallic sur-
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faces of the promotional stand seriously infer the reading performance. Ultimately, both the
lab and the on-site testing led us to the tight integration of the RFID infrastructure with the
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operational environment, i.e. the promotional stand and the refrigerated shelves; as a result,
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we embedded the RFID infrastructure in the refrigerated shelves and in the promotional stand
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that we customized with plastic surfaces.
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2.2.2
Data Management and Aggregation issues
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To present accurate and correct information, RFID-enabled services for the retail sector
should encapsulate proper data cleaning, filtering and aggregation mechanisms. In essence,
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these data processing mechanisms incorporate the necessary smartness to the RFID applica-
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tion in order to cope with exception events referring to:
Missing reads, i.e. the RFID reader fails to read a valid tag in a given reading cycle.
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Multiple consequent reads, i.e. the RFID reader registers a tag that should not have been
read on this reading location or it re-registers a missing tag after several reading cycles.
In our initial pilot deployment, we witnessed several incarnations of these exception events
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that result in poor SMART service performance. For example, each time a consumer was pick-
ing up a product item from the promotional stand’s shelf and then placing it back, he was re-
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moving it from the reader’s antennas range for a short time interval. Initially, since a reduced
quantity of products is RFID-captured and reported, the application considers the difference
in the current inventory level of the shelf as sales; but then, it registers it as a shelf replenish-
ment when the consumer puts the product item back on he shelf. Similar data quality prob-
lems appeared also when the connectivity between the readers and the middleware application
was temporarily lost over a wireless connection in the store.
Our solution to these exception events was the development of a temporary database (buffer
mechanism) that stores all unique EPCs of tags per reading cycle. Every time a product was
placed on the promotional stand’s shelves, the buffer mechanism is queried on the product’s
EPC; this is a replenishment only if this EPC is not already stored in the buffer. In case the
query resulted to a success hit, meaning the product was placed on the stand in the past, the
sales quantity is automatically reduced by one product. The buffer was reinitialized on a daily
basis.
To summarize, the execution of the real-life pilots showcased that the aforementioned efforts
to cope with the readability differences, as well as the combination of the RFID data filtering
with the data stream management system effectively handles all the exceptions that might
occur in a retail environment while at the same time it supports exceptional readability for the
pilot applications. In particular, in each pilot we performed several audits comparing the sys-
tem logs with the information displayed by the system and the actual products’ quantity on the
refrigerator and promotion stand shelves. The results of these tests proved that the system
continuously presented accurate information on a real-time basis.
2.2.3
Consumer Privacy
To investigate whether consumer privacy affects the acceptance, and subsequent use, of our
RFID-integrated services, we experimented with a disclaimer sign placed on the promotion
stand at only one of the pilot sites and informing the consumers about the potential use of
their personal data. At the remaining two test sites, we did not use the disclaimer sign. The
experiment revealed that sales were significantly increased in the stores where we did not use
the disclaimer sign. Furthermore, it was observed that many consumers avoided picking up
products from the promotion stand simply because they had read the disclaimer sign. Inter-
estingly, in the two pilot sites where the disclaimer sign was not used, consumers did not
complain about RFID nor did they express any confound or puzzlement about the placement
of RFID tags on the products.
2.2.4
Health Concerns
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The pilots revealed that health concerns were the most emotive issue for both consumers and
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store personnel. In particular, the store personnel in all three pilot sites was significantly wor-
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ried by the potential radiation effects of the RFID antennas in the backroom (antennas were
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visible). Similar concerns were expressed by the consumers in our initial pilot when the RFID
antennas on the promotion stand were fully visible. It should be highlighted that some con-
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sumers complained directly to the store manager and asked for proof that the RFID infra-
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structure is harmless for their health. In our second round of pilots, when we hided the RFID
infrastructure, we did not witness any health related concerns by the consumers. We acknowl-
on the
edge that this issue has gained importance due to the recent excessive, conflicting press cover-
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age of all the possible ill effects of mobile phones and base stations.
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2.2.5
Organizational Impact and Support
The top management’s commitment and the cost have been identified to be the most critical
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issues that affect the organization’s expectations of the RFID impact; and as a result, the sup-
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port needed to engage in the RFID applications.
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Semi-structured interviews with the users of the two RFID-integrated services, i.e. top man-
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agement and store personnel, were conducted during the requirements analysis and after the
first round of the pilot studies. They are expecting enhanced shelf products’ availability and
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management of the promotional events capitalizing on the RFID capability to provide com-
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plete, accurate information on the location and the status of product items on a real time ba-
sis. Hopefully, the top management was found committed to give RFID technology a chance
and test it, in order to really assess the cost vs. the expected benefits.
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Furthermore, the top management underlined that the cost is the biggest challenge their or-
ganization faces with the RFID adoption. A key matter remains how to justify the investment
and they believe that the cost will gradually be shifted to the consumers. The main cost of the
CERP-Io
RFID deployment comprises of the hardware and software investment, the tags cost, the cost
of integration with the legacy systems and the staff training cost. It was also found that it is
116
best to engage in RFID implementation with a preliminary cost vs. benefit analysis and then
proceed with a small scale RFID application. Thus, we limited the RFID deployment to only
two products and three reading points in three retail stores. The results of the real-life pilots at
the three countries will open the way for the widely deployment of the RFID-integrated ser-
vices.
3
Lessons learnt from the TraSer project
3.1
Architecture of the TraSer Framework
A detailed architectural description of the TraSer solution platform would be far beyond the
limits of this contribution (those interested can find in-depth material either at the project’s
website at http://www.traser-project.eu, or at the corresponding project page on source-
forge.net). Still, it may be advisable to examine the major application requirements and the
resulting architectural principles before looking at the experience gained with application
pilots.
In order to understand the reasons behind the particular choices in the TraSer architecture, it
is useful to recapitulate the recognized typical or expected requirements of the targeted appli-
cation domain. TraSer is meant to serve as an entry-level solution package for small-scale
users (typically the lower end of the SME sector, smaller institutions or networks, as well as
education) that are either pursuing the establishment of lightweight tracking without too
heavy burdens in IT investment, or are still in the phase of getting acquainted with item-level
tracking as such. Therefore, both the service/network layout, as well as choices regarding
identification carriers and formats were aligned with the following major requirements:
An entry-level solution should be as simple and lightweight as possible to lower the initial
threshold of adoption, allowing learning-by-doing practices. It should be clear that such a
“beginners’ solution” is likely to be replaced by a more elaborate system if larger-scale de-
mands develop over time. Therefore, the introductory solution platform should not be ex-
pected to master more complex functionalities and larger volumes (likely at the cost of a
larger initial threshold which would contradict the intention behind an entry-level solu-
tion).
The typical user in the targeted application domain has no noteworthy experience in item-
level track-and-trace practices. For such users, it is most attractive if they can easily carry
out limited-range experiments without globally visible consequences and obligations to
large authorities (including the associated administrative burden and organisational de-
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pendencies).
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Allowing a very low-cost entry and reasonably low total costs of operation are of key impor-
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tance for successful adoption by small-scale users that have, by nature, very little—if any—
t of
accumulated financial resources. This is well-served by giving users a relatively free choice
of physical ID carriers, independent and free-of-charge ID allocation, and general software
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components offered in a free and open-source package.
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In the small-scale user range, occasional participation in tracked operations and a frequent
change of collaborating partners are fairly common. This should be reflected by i) the pos-
on the
sibility of occasional participation in a network without major changes in the participant’s
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IT infrastructure, and ii) flexibility of the solution package, allowing easy adaptation to
other tracking networks (well noted, adapting a TraSer network to larger, more elaborate
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and more rigid tracking networks is technically much more justified than the other way
arch
around).
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The implementation of the TraSer solution platform (Monostori et al. 2009) relies on Web
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Services (WS), a widely supported standard with a large spectrum of off-the-shelf frameworks
ean
and specific extensions, both commercial and open-source. WS allow more flexible configura-
tion of communication (as opposed to “classical” EDI (Electronic Data Interchange; see Bur-
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rows, 1996) which small enterprises may find too cumbersome and costly to configure and
maintain). The TraSer solution platform allows participants to build a TraSer network where
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two components can be distinguished: servers and clients. Figure 4 depicts a simple TraSer
network—also note that several of such networks can exist independently without any central
governing service or authority, i.e., there is no such entity as “the TraSer network”.
T – Cluste
TraSer servers store item-related data accessible to authorized parties. A given unique item is
assigned to one and the same server for the entire life-cycle of its ID, and the TraSer-internal
notation of the item’s unique identifier directly specifies the address of the corresponding
CERP-Io
server (see also comparison with ONS/EPCIS at the end of this section).
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The servers can process requests in the form of XML queries (Boag et al, 2007) which allow
more flexibility in customizing the data models used by the partners, and, in the longer term,
enable the establishment of explicitly defined and negotiable data models as a foundation for
efficient cross-company communication. TraSer servers can also forward queries or updates to
each other—these server-to-server connections span a part of the TraSer network (see Fig. 2:
part a) depicts a small network of several servers and part c) stands for a company which op-
erates a TraSer server within its own IT infrastructure).
Server-to-server communication in the form of forwarded updates or queries is practiced if the
set of item information in question is maintained by different servers, and as a consequence,
queries or updates need to be forwarded. This is typical for production networks where the
products of several manufacturers are combined to a composite item, and information about
the sub-assemblies possibly resides in different servers of the same TraSer network. Also, the
data of a given item can be extended by further properties which are not necessarily located in
the same server (e.g., when a manufacturer wishes to add its own relevant notes to the item
description of its supplier).
TraSer clients form the other main group of components in a TraSer network. Clients connect
the servers with the rest of the world by providing external interfaces and addressing one or
more servers with item-related queries or updates. Clients can be fitted with various kinds of
interfaces, i.e., they can be designed for human operators, peripheral devices (readers, etc.),
other components of the enterprise infrastructure (stock management, ERP), and other track-
ing and tracing systems. Since TraSer interface specifications are freely available, users can
develop specific clients tailored to their given needs. Figure 4.4-4 shows several specialized
cases of client use. Companies which do not have their own TraSer-tracked items (e.g., logis-
tics partners not maintaining their own transportation asset data in a TraSer system but up-
dating the shipment information of a manufacturer’s products; or a small supplier which lets a
larger partner care about hosting its product data) are not required to operate their own
server, as shown in part b). The company in part c) operates, aside from the TraSer server,
several specialized clients. One of these serves as an adapter for accessing other components
of the manufacturer’s IT infrastructure (part d)), while another client was customized as an
interface towards another tracking network (part e)). Clients acting as adapters to other infra-
structure components or networks are vital for lifting compatibility-related access restrictions
to an isolated TraSer network.
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Figure 4.4-4: Simplified example of a TraSer network.
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TraSer favours small-scale users in keeping a reasonable balance between the freedom of in-
dependent issuing of identifiers and the ability to adapt to networks operating by other stan-
dards. Most of these advantages are owing to an ID@URI type of identifier notation (Dialog,
CERP-Io
2003) used internally by TraSer. Here, the globally unique identifier is composed of two parts:
ID and URI, none of them being a full identifier alone. The URI part is a direct pointer to the
118
address where the TraSer server maintaining the data of the given item can be contacted. In
our case, URI is, in fact, a URL. This URL is unique to the given TraSer server but not to the
item—in other words, the same URL is used for accessing data of several items. The item one
wishes to access is then unambiguously specified by the request sent to the aforementioned
address—this request also contains the ID part of the unique identifier. The ID part of the
notation must, therefore, be unique among all items handled by the same server.
While this appears fairly similar to the principles of Object Naming Services (ONS) and EPC
Information Services (EPCIS 2007), there are two fundamental differences (see also Figure
4.4-5), resulting from different main goals being pursued, as well as other user domains being
targeted. First, finding the services associated with an item does not require a separate resolu-
tion mechanism, since the address of the service access point is already contained in the URI
part of the item (and, therefore, only a URL to IP address resolution is needed which is readily
done by the DNS lookup). Second, no central authority is needed to guarantee global unique-
ness of the identifiers. This is, in a way, “piggybacking” an already existing DNS infrastructure
which guarantees global uniqueness of URLs and thus preventing collisions within the URI
part of TraSer’s identifier notation. Once this is ensured, only the uniqueness of the ID part
per each URI—i.e., not per each single ID@URI type identifier—has to be guaranteed for
global uniqueness of the entire identifier. This allows the decentralization of identifier alloca-
tion and allows much independence for participants issuing new identifiers. An independent
identifier notation may raise concerns of isolation from other networks using other standards.
These fears are unfounded as far as TraSer makes it easy to adapt to any “external” numbering
scheme by providing means of identifier mapping. While this is facilitated by the possibility of
including any instance of another numbering scheme in the ID part of the TraSer identifier,
full conversion between identifiers is always performed by the clients. Several ways of imple-
menting a mapping mechanism are at the users’ disposal (and have already been tested in
various examples), however, their detailed description is well beyond the scope of this paper.
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Figure 4.4-5: Comparison of service address resolution and access.
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In order to make the TraSer solution platform fit for industrial use, a roadmap of application
pilots was followed where subsequent releases moved from simple use cases towards higher
on the
levels of functionality, and from closed circulation of relatively few identified items to flow-
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through identifier handling. This allowed an incremental development and refinement of the
TraSer platform where practical experience contributed to the support material for prospec-
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tive users as well. Due to the specific topic of the paper, examples with relevance to supply
arch
chains are highlighted next.
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Minimalistic tracking for occasional collaboration. The Hungarian company Disher Kft. is
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specialized in product development and prototyping, as well as the production of limited
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batches of smaller plastic and metal components, mainly for the automotive industry. As far as
production is concerned, the company often relies on suppliers which are small enterprises
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and regard their supplier status with Disher Kft. as an occasional collaboration. As occasional
suppliers do not find it worthwhile to invest in developments supporting the business proc-
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esses of the temporary alliance, a solution had to be found which puts the least possible bur-
den on a small supplier (which is, usually, neither financially nor technically in the situation of
hosting a major IT investment). The solution was the use of a single TraSer server by Disher
T – Cluste
Kft. (now assuming the role of a larger central player) that maintains the data of the supplier’s
products, as opposed to the usual practice of the manufacturer itself caring about the data
storage of its own products. Item identifiers (including their physical form of labels) were is-
CERP-Io
sued by Disher Kft. as a part of the contract with the supplier, and the latter only had to oper-
ate a simple tracking client that could be either a mobile reader or an even more minimalistic
119
web client. The solution largely relied on already existing components of the IT infrastructure
of the enterprises, thereby lowering the burden of initial technology pickup—an important
aspect for introducing tracking services in the lower end of the spectrum of targeted users.
Tracking across multiple supply chain stages. The Romanian ice cream manufacturer Kubo Ice
Cream SRL embarked on installing tracking services in anticipation of future transparency
and traceability regulations to be imposed on the food industry in the coming years. Kubo Ice
Cream SRL is a manufacturer of regional importance with one manufacturing site producing
about 10000 boxes of ice cream per day. These are, once production is completed, grouped
onto pallets and transported into several regional warehouses that serve local replenishment
partners. The envisaged tracking solution was required to work transparently across the entire
supply chain from production to local delivery, taking into account an already existing ERP
(enterprise resource planning) solution as well as a restricted time-frame of local updates (lo-
cal delivery partners can only upload recorded shipping events at certain points of time). In
the implemented solution, several field clients, office clients and ERP middleware adapter
clients were installed around a TraSer server to keep track of the following stages in produc-
tion and delivery of ice cream boxes: i) production and box-wise allocation of unique identifi-
ers; ii) creation of pallet instances and linking of box instances loaded onto the given pallet;
iii) intermediate storage on the manufacturing site; iv) pallet-level receiving in the regional
warehouses; v) distribution of boxes to local replenishment partners; and vi) final delivery to
the point-of-sale and confirmation by local delivery agent (see also Figure 4.4-6 for a sche-
matic overview). The successful application at Kubo Ice Cream SRL is, to date, the most com-
plex implemented TraSer solution where adaptation to different timing constraints, material
handling approaches and existing IT infrastructure had to be solved.
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Figure 4.4-6: Use of a single TraSer server with access from several levels of a supply chain.
(Note that the TraSer platform is, in this example, also integrated with other IT components of
on the
the manufacturer).
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Closed-circuit asset tracking with potential for material tracking in supply chains. The Finnish
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logistics company Itella (formerly Finnish Post) employed the TraSer platform primarily as a
test bed for closed-circuit tracking of re-usable metal roll cages where initial hardware-related
arch
tests to master typically “RFID-hostile” conditions (e.g., metal surfaces, cross-talk of nearby
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readers, rough treatment of tags, etc.) formed a substantial part of the challenges. During the
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tests, the TraSer server was coupled to Itella’s own peripheral middleware that generated dis-
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crete, high-level events based on raw readings on the lower end of the architecture, and to
administrating user interfaces on the higher end of the architecture (Figure 4.4-7). Upon com-
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pletion of hardware-related tests and successful adaptation of the TraSer system to Itella’s
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conditions, possibilities were examined for the extension of established services and function-
alities. Initially meant to merely keep track of roll cages (and thus minimize losses currently in
the order of magnitude of several ten thousand roll cages per year), plans were examined for
offering package tracking services for customers relying on roll cage tracking information,
T – Cluste
thus enabling a closed-circuit tracking solution to support flow-through material tracking, as
it occurs in supply chains. While the tracking project is currently on hold at Itella, and a pro-
prietary system optimized for large volumes and little item variability—more suitable for
CERP-Io
Itella’s purposes—will eventually replace the TraSer test platform in internal use, a TraSer-
120
based solution still remains a feasible option for building up shipment tracking services for
customers.
Figure 4.4-7: Inclusion of a TraSer-based solution in the IT architecture of Itella—combination
with peripheral middleware and user interfaces.
3.2
Technical and Business Lessons
3.2.1
Tag readability issues
In some cases, the extreme application conditions present challenges where previous experi-
ence with other RFID applications is of little help. One of these hard-to-solve situations was
the application pilot at Itella where one could as well consider the entire environment down-
right “RFID-hostile”:
the tracked roll cages themselves were of metal, and at least the usual stacked handling of
empty roll cages would impair tag readability;
the common construction of recent warehouses uses corrugated metal sheets that are cer-
tain to cause ambient reflection;
neighbouring gates are so close to each other that cross-talk phenomena could occur;
s
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the roll cages are exposed to rough treatment which the tags must also endure.
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Itella embarked on an extensive series of experiments with a variety of tags and gate reader
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antennas—eventually resulting in UHF tags being developed especially for their needs. As
mentioned earlier, pre-filtering of raw RFID readings was also needed to overcome occasional
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read errors experienced especially with gate readers, and to generate discrete events that pro-
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vided raw readings with a low-level interpretation.
While these readability issues were peripheral from the point of view of the TraSer software,
on the
another case proves that handling them is essential for the successful introduction of a com-
cts
plete track-and-trace solution. Elis Pavaje SRL, a Romanian manufacturer of concrete pave-
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ment elements, envisaged to cope with replacement losses of damaged stock, and track its
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output pallet-wise (approx. 250 pallets per day) through the entire delivery process to the
vendors. Preliminary studies suggested RFID as a favourable method of identifying the pal-
arch se
lets—later tests, however, showed that none of the RFID solutions provided by local vendors
delivered satisfactory results. Having no financial means for proprietary solution develop-
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ment, as pursued by Itella, the deployment of a track-and-trace solution did not take place at
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this time.
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3.2.2
Coping with technological and financial barriers
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In many cases, the exclusive use of RFID may present a serious barrier to introduction of
track-and-trace solutions. While it is well understood that the price of RFID solutions is still
too high for most of the small enterprises, another factor also surfaced during the introduction
of several TraSer pilots: reluctance to adopt RFID due to the pressure exerted by identifier
T – Cluste
solutions already in use at the adopting company/companies. This was the case, for example,
with the one-tier pilot conducted at Disher Kft., where optically readable identifiers were al-
ready employed for box-wise identification of products. Here, the existing solution was “pig-
CERP-Io
gybacked” by the new functionalities for tracking, so that participants were not forced to in-
vest in new AutoID solutions. Consultation with piloting partners often revealed that cur-
121
rently, establishing transparency across the entire supply chain may require a combined use of
multiple identifiers (or physical ID carriers) to bridge compatibility gaps between different
(and possibly proprietary) tracking solutions. One of the most straightforward examples is the
combined use of optically readable labels with RFID—this not only lowers the initial invest-
ment burden for smaller participants but also serves as a fallback measure, should either one
of the identification methods fail.
Small enterprises and occasional participants have shed light on yet another issue that may be
critical for successful adoption of a tracking solution across the supply chain: the urge to
minimize any additional burden on the IT infrastructure of the company. To this end, it is vital
to closely examine the processes to be tracked, as well as the resources required for the solu-
tion, including their possible distribution among the participants of the supply chain. As a
result, a better choice of TraSer clients can be made (e.g., portable device, automated stand-
alone client, or simple web client), and the storage responsibilities for item-related informa-
tion (boiling down to server allocation and guaranteed operation over a specified time range)
can be distributed more in accordance with the magnitude of participation in the supply chain.
Offering “lightweight” alternatives for occasional collaboration may ultimately be a key to
successful expansion of tracking solutions and services in the supply chain.
3.2.3
Cross-company transparency—handling confidentiality concerns
Transparency may be a key to successful handling of complex production and delivery proc-
esses (Jansen-Vullers et al., 2003; Dejonckheere et al, 2003). Establishing it across a supply
chain with several members inherently requires the disclosure of information about the items
passing through the supply chain. During consultation with potential users, it became clear
that many companies, especially small enterprises without much experience in IT solutions in
general, are reluctant to share any production-related information because they fear to dis-
close important confidential data to unauthorized parties. While the TraSer platform offers
configurable access control options, the technical capability itself is not enough to convince
sceptics with little insight. Therefore, we found it helpful to establish an “investment vs. bene-
fit” perspective: sharing of data can be regarded as an investment, with savings on supply
chain operation, reduction of losses or other competitive advantage being the expected bene-
fits.
Where established, cross-company transparency was flawlessly working in the TraSer pilots
concerned, as TraSer is a solution framework where transparency is granted by the network
architecture from the beginning. Some of the noteworthy examples are the complex solution
deployed at Kubo Ice Cream SRL, the one-tier item goods tracking at Disher Kft, or the col-
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laborative design support (tracking of CAD files in the manner of a distributed version control
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system) in use at several design companies within the Disher Design group.
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4
Discussion and Conclusions
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During the lifespan of the SMART project we have investigated issues related to market accep-
tance and deployment costs for both services. We have evaluated the market attractiveness of
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the two services through the execution of an industry survey (in the form of a live workshop)
in Athens, Greece. From the responses in the survey it is apparent that RFID is still perceived
on the
as an immature and expensive technology whose ROI is difficult to quantify and assess. Suc-
cts
cessful pilots (such as in the course of SMART) may eventually constitute the drivers for wide-
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spread acceptance of RFID; and decrease the already high resistance of supply chain man-
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agement trading partners to invest. Hence, a fully commercial exploitation of RFID on item
level tagging may not be expected before 2010. The prohibiting factors may be summarized to
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the following: very high procurement and deployment costs of RFID technology and support
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infrastructure; lack of standardized procedures for tagging products and sharing of informa-
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tion; uncertainty regarding ROI, payback of the investment; immaturity of the technology;
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lack of a techno-centric culture by consumers and small companies which might lead to a ‘re-
sistance to change’ attitude.
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To conclude, through this paper, the SMART project proposes a service-oriented architecture
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that utilizes: the automatic, unique identification capabilities of RFID technology, data stream
management systems and web services, to support RFID-integrated supply chain services.
Two such services, i.e. dynamic pricing and promotions management, have been pilot tested
in three retail stores in three European countries. The valuable experience gained during the
T – Cluste
three pilots, concerning RFID readability challenges, consumer privacy, customers and store
staff health concerns, and investment costs, have been summarized to support future develop-
CERP-Io
ers of RFID-enabled supply chain services as well as to set an academic research agenda.
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The main goal of the TraSer project was the creation of an open-source framework for tracking
and tracing solutions, primarily targeting small and medium-sized enterprises. Reflecting the
typical needs for this application area, the TraSer platform allows the easy establishment of a
transparent network architecture, and is optimized for large product variability and flexible
data models (as opposed to large-scale but more rigid solutions for classical mass production).
The TraSer platform was tested in numerous applications whose range was not restricted to
supply chains. Not depending on a particular physical ID carrier, RFID was not the only
means of identification employed in the tests—a feature that was found a major advantage in
low-end or specialized applications.
General experience gathered in the pilots has shown that RFID-based tracking in supply
chains is still hindered by several obstacles. RFID technology itself is, in its current state of
development, not always a satisfactory physical ID carrier, and much improvement is due in
terms of readability in critical environments (including typical ways of merchandise handling)
or in conjunction with certain materials. The penetration of RFID may be also hindered due to
its costs, as well as the presence of another, already installed and reliable, AutoID solution. In
such cases, interim solutions (such as combination or replacement of RFID with optically
readable identifiers) may lower the threshold for adopting a new tracking solution, and may
even improve transparency across a supply chain with a variety of different, separately devel-
oped, tracking systems. Transparency in the supply chain implies sharing of product data—
even though the TraSer platform is well-prepared for secure handling of cross-company
transparency, potential users with less experience or less insight into the technological back-
grounds are certain to be reluctant about information sharing. In order to overcome such bur-
dens, it proved important to put services and processes connected to cross-company transpar-
ency into the appropriate context, i.e., considering information sharing a (scalable) invest-
ment in expectation of benefits.
5
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6
Acknowledgements
The work presented in this paper has been partly funded by the European Commission
through the IST Project SMART: Intelligent Integration of Supply Chain Processes and Con-
sumer Services based on Unique Product Identification in a Networked Business Environment
(No. IST-5-034957-STP), http://www.smart-rfid.eu; and TraSer: Identity Based Tracking and
Web-Services for SMEs (No. IST-5-033512), http://www.traser-project.eu. The authors would
like to thank all the project partners for their contribution.
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4.5 An EU FP7 Project defining and ac-
commodating international issues con-
cerning RFID with particular reference
to the emerging “Internet of Things.”
CASAGRAS Project
Ian G. Smith
AIM UK
Abstract: The CASAGRAS project began in January 2008 with a brief to provide a framework of
foundation studies to assist the European Commission and the global community in defining and
accommodating international issues and developments concerning radio frequency identification
(RFID) with particular reference to the emerging “Internet of Things.” It has proved a fascinating
project. The partners are leading experts in these fields from China, Korea, Japan, USA and
across Europe. Their input helped develop and produce a detailed report. The project partners
have been unanimous in reaching the published conclusions and the range of recommendations.
The final conference which disseminated the conclusions and recommendations was held in the
Central Hall, Westminster, London on October 6th and 7th 2009. Speaker power-points are
available on the CASAGRAS website (www.iot.eu.com) and video films of the individual presenta-
tions are also available from the site.
1
The CASAGRAS Initiative
Europe has made a very significant investment in the INTERNET of THINGS. When the
CASAGRAS Project began in January 2008, the roadmap to realisation was largely frag-
s
mented. The international partners recognised immediately that without a substantial inter-
ingh
national organisational platform to steer its development the IoT would likely evolve in an
T
uncertain, fragmented and potentially troublesome way.
t of
A primary CASAGRAS conclusion has been to propose the establishment of such a platform.
erne
The EC COM (2009) 278 declared the Commission’s clear intention to intensify the existing
Int
platforms for international dialogue on all aspects of IoT. Current initiatives include coopera-
tion with the USA concerning best practices to optimise the economic and social impact of
on the
RFID and cooperation with the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry on,
cts
among other things, RFID, wireless sensor networks and the Internet of Things.
e
CASAGRAS through its remit has considered these international dimensions concerning regu-
Proj
lations, standardisation and other requirements necessary to realise a global IoT concept. The
project has collaborated with international experts from the USA, Japan, China and Korea.
archse
As the CASAGRAS project reaches its conclusion one of its strongest recommendations to the
Re
Commission for the continued development of the IoT is to extend its partnerships even wider
ean
and to encourage co-operation across all continents. This will give Europe its best chance to
initiate a global platform for an Internet of Things. These requirements for international co-
Europ
operation will undoubtedly extend beyond those of the established Internet. They will be re-
quired to align with cooperative initiatives on the evolving Internet. The more demanding
r of
aspects of the IoT include:
The nature of essentially autonomous networked structures that will facilitate interfacing
with the physical world, to both collect and deliver data and information
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The structures to facilitate actuation and control in situations where there is no immediate
human intervention to deal with problems of functionality.
CERP-Io
The complexity of structures in terms of numbers and functionality of devices
125
The importance of identity management within the world-wide ICT infrastructure.
A major Public relations initiative with respect to services and applications.
The CASAGRAS recommendations for progressing the realisation of an IoT and the associated
international cooperation needed to achieve such a goal can be partitioned into those which
will impact on IoT development and those upon which an action plan can be based.
The findings of a Support Action initiative such as CASAGRAS, can only provide a superficial
look at the detail that is necessary, particularly with a concept that is so far reaching in respect
of the technological multi-disciplinary factors, principles and issues involved.
The partners believe the real value of CASAGRAS has been to draw attention to the wider,
overarching issues and provide the framework for an appropriately funded future interna-
tional platform for development.
2
CASAGRAS Conclusions
The development of an IoT requires attention to foundational features as well as those of in-
frastructure, architecture and technological significance. There is an initial requirement for
the overarching framework to define and accommodate the development of the IoT, without
the diversion of attention presented in considering detail in the absence of a defined goal. The
foundational features are significant in this respect.
2.1
The foundational features
The foundational features relate to:
Further understanding and exploitation of object space, object grouping and object-based
connections as a basis for identifying applications and services and developing a design
methodology to facilitate more effective solutions.
Further development of the applications and services framework, through better under-
standing of processes and service requirements, and again as a basis for identifying applica-
tions and services and developing a design methodology to facilitate more effective solu-
tions.
Identification and development of services infrastructure and particular global network
services geared to exploiting international sources of information, knowledge and resources
that can better serve international needs through cooperation.
s
Foundation principles for direct Internet connection applications and services.
ingh T
Further extending the principles of object-connected ICT to encompass the evolving ICT
features of the IoT and as a basis for accommodating the attributes of supporting technolo-
t of
gies and underpinning design and application methodology.
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Attention to harmonised and non-harmonised standards in respect of regulatory control
Int
and issues of interoperability.
Establishment of a central, global library of regulations regularly updated to satisfy design
on the
and support needs.
ctse
Attention to social and economic issues, including privacy and security of personal informa-
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tion and their significance with respect to IoT applications and services development.
arch
Governance and the need to establish a model that is built on transparent, fair and non-
se
discriminatory international principles, free of commercial interest.
Re
Policy issues in respect of international cooperation, including their significance with re-
ean
spect to governance.
It is recommended that all these topics be pursued through research as a foundational base for
Europ
the IoT and as a framework for supporting on-going IoT development.
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2.2
Infrastructural and architectural features
While it is possible to distinguish the principal architectural features for an IoT in terms of
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physical interface and data transfer structures, host information systems, networks and Inter-
net access, the definition will change as relevant new technology comes into use. However, the
CASAGRAS team believe the key architectural requirements for implementing a technologi-
CERP-Io
cally inclusive IoT include:
126
Development of an identification resolver approach for accommodating the need for global
coding for identification, designed to accommodate legacy identification systems, and ex-
tendable to cover other issues of identity and identity management.
Development of the architecture and infrastructure for direct object-to-Internet applica-
tions and services.
Exploitation of Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) and associated network architecture
for IoT services design.
Development of universal data appliance protocol (UDCAP) for plug-and-play exploitation
of conventional AIDC technologies and other object-connectable edge devices.
Developing a unified approach to exploiting wired and wireless communications which
will exploit appropriate developments in identity management to ensure the most efficient
and effective use of the communications capabilities.
Monitoring and adoption of relevant developments in ubiquitous computing and networks,
wireless sensor networks, and translating relevant technologies and adopting an approach
to unified solutions.
Development of predictive analytical techniques, automated network management and self-
repair networks, through exploitation in identity management to facilitate automatic com-
puting across the IoT infrastructure; accommodating developments in advanced data man-
agement which, through open implementation of the main standards will lower the barrier
of entry to the IoT for smaller organisations.
The latter is particularly significant for the elements of the IoT infrastructure handling object-
connected to object-connected functionality, independent of human intervention to handle
problems. Self-configuring auto-discovery as well as self-diagnosis and repair should also be a
consideration in the automated network management. Identity management is crucial to such
developments.
2.3
Technological Development
With RFID having been recognised as a primary technology driver for the IoT in the remit
presented to CASAGRAS it is important to view RFID as a key on-going consideration in fur-
ther international cooperation. Whilst RFID remains a significant platform for IoT it must be
recognised that its take-up is still constrained by the perceived high costs of application. Tech-
s
nological developments, including printable devices that are geared to reducing device costs
will clearly need to feature in on-going collaboration. Parallel considerations must also ac-
ingh
commodate the exploitation of other lower cost AIDC technologies including linear bar codes
T
and two-dimensional codes.
t of
Further recommendations for technological development include:
erne
Development of standards-compliant RFID devices and readers.
Int
Lower cost, lower power sensor and processing platforms, to support the design and reali-
sation of sensory networks.
on the
ctse
Development of location and positioning technologies to support IoT applications and ser-
vices.
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Development of object-connectable communications platforms, including near field com-
arch
munication structures.
se
Re
Lower cost, higher performance energy harvesting and other powering techniques to sup-
port the development and exploitation of IoT wireless devices.
ean
Biometric-based interfaces for IoT applications and services.
Europ
Privacy and security support technologies, including cryptographic devices based upon
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natural feature identification (physical one-way function devices).
Intelligent embeddable processing and communication devices to facilitate automatic nodal
functionality, including developments to support automated network management, self
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configuration and self-repair.
Physical natural feature identification readers and IoT interfaces for exploiting natural fea-
CERP-Io
ture identification.
127
Middleware and other software developments, including intelligent processing platforms to
support IoT functionality and services design.
3
Recommendations
In devising a plan of action for Europe to pursue the development of an IoT it is clear that on-
going international cooperation is the key requirement.
Extending the number of international partners and gaining agreement on the structural, gov-
ernance and foundational features will help to better define and accommodate the develop-
ment of the IoT.
What can be seen from the CASAGRAS study and the CERP-IoT initiative is the substantial
investment that has already been made by the EC towards realising this IoT concept, and its
importance within the European strategy for ICT development.
However, there can also be seen a need for rationalising this and subsequent investment to
better utilise its potential.
Governments, industries and businesses are clearly unaware of what the IoT is and what it
offers. Awareness and education programmes are key requirements in creating a better under-
standing of the potential and the benefits.
These programmes should be particularly directed to the SME community. Follow-up busi-
ness development initiatives will be critical in taking the IoT concept to effective reality.
The establishment of an overarching, internationally-partnered, organisational platform to
help to steer the IoT development. These partners should represent a cross section of inter-
est including Governmental and Standards agencies; industry, business and academe.
The development and delivery of a strategic migration plan for developing an IoT from a
minimalist model to a more inclusive model, including identity management and resolver
techniques
The development of a universal or federated data capture appliance protocol to accommo-
date migratory inclusion of object-connectable technologies.
The development of an architectural platform for supporting and demonstrating IoT appli-
cation and services, and for addressing problems associated with IoT development, possibly
based upon the establishment of a generic top-level Internet domain.
The development of the rules for governance of the IoT with attention to social and eco-
s
nomic issues including privacy and security
ingh T
The initiation of application and service pilot studies and demonstrators, particularly with
respect to pathway process applications exploiting extended process functionality and scal-
t of
able sensor-network applications.
erne
International cooperation on pilot developments and promotional initiatives directed at
Int
enhancing inclusion of national bodies in cooperative developments.
The establishment and pursuance of a strategic research and development roadmap for IoT
on the
development, drawing upon the findings of the CERP-IoT group report, Internet of Things
cts
Strategic Research Roadmap (2009).
e
In addition the CASAGRAS partners believe there is a need to:
Proj
Agree on a definition of the Internet of Things that can be used as a popular point of refer-
arch
ence.
se
Re
Reduce the number of overlapping and potentially conflicting projects.
ean
Undertake major education, training and awareness programmes to explain the IoT. Ideally
this should be part of the next round of projects aiming at creating global understanding
and awareness.
Europ
r of
Set up key European Centres or academies for AIDC and the Internet of Things, underlining
the importance or awareness, training and education. This foundational move will ensure
the involvement of academe in the educational process associated with IoT development
and will underpin further development of the principles in response to technological
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change.
CASAGRAS has proved without doubt that there is the need and the will for international co-
CERP-Io
operation. China, Japan, Korea and the USA are on board. Europe has taken the lead and now
needs to drive the initiative as a truly global partnership.
128
4.6 Standardisation issues challenges
on RFID and a future IoT
GRIFS Project
Josef Preishuber-Pflügl
CISC Semiconductor Design+Consulting GmbH
Abstract: The RFID standardisation world is currently facing a series of challenging issues that
are slowing down the development of relevant standards which should support an efficient de-
ployment of RFID technology. With a wealth of standards developed by different organisations,
the challenges are, among others, a lack of clarity for users who have difficulties to differentiate
and identify which standards they actually need, a lack of interoperability of standards which of-
ten leads to conflicts and difficulties to apply the standards together, a lack of communication and
information sharing between standardisation bodies, often synonym with redundancy of work,
etc. In this article, we will present how the GRIFS project, an FP7 support action funded by the
European Commission and managed by GS1, CEN and ETSI, offers a set of simple tools and a
platform involving key international standards bodies to solve these challenges. A first step in the
project work was to identify which standards are currently in place and which areas in particular
are in need of collaboration. An online database of international RFID standards was created as a
sustainable and dynamic tool of reference for anyone in need of information on RFID standards.
Listing 175 standards at the time, it facilitates the accessibility, comprehension and clarity of
RFID standards. In order to reach the objective of getting the standardisation bodies together to
encourage their communication and information sharing, the GRIFS project’s main action has
s
been to put in place a Forum of collaboration based on a Memorandum of Understanding. This
ingh
platform enables the international standards bodies to communicate and collaborate better,
T
without interfering in each other standardisation’s processes. The Forum offers a neutral space to
t of
discuss about identified issues and find solutions together, based on the good will and common
interest of the participants.
erne
Int
1
Organization
1.1
Members
on the
The Global RFID Interoperability Forum for Standards (GRIFS) is a Support Action Project
ctse
funded by the European Commission with the aim to improve collaboration and thereby to
maximise the global interoperability of RFID standards. The GRIFS project initiated a forum
Proj
that will continue to work constructively and grow after the end of the project through a
arch
Memorandum of Understanding between key global standard organisations active in RFID.
se
GRIFS is coordinated by three major standards organisations:
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ean
Europ
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European Telecommunications
European Committee for
GS1 (coordinator)
www.gs1.org
Standards Institute – ETSI
Standardization – CEN
www.etsi.org
www.cen.eu
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CERP-Io
129
1.2
Objectives
The objective of the GRIFS project is to characterise the variety of standards activities taking
place globally to:
Create a number of liaison activities to disseminate information about the importance of
global standards
Align RFID standards development globally
Put in place the ‘Global RFID Interoperability Forum for Standards’ (GRIFS) comprising
global stakeholders
Ensure continuing close collaboration between standards activities.
1.3
Scope
This support action focuses on the use of RFID in supply chain and related activities. These
activities primarily encompass the tracking and tracing of objects and items – physical goods
– as they move through supply chains in many different businesses, both in the public and
private sector. This also includes the tracking of assets, such as returnable assets (pallets, kegs,
etc.) involved in logistics, tracking assets to ensure their pedigree (anti-counterfeiting activi-
ties) and to maintain service and support objects throughout their life cycle (such as TVs or
railway engines).
2
GRIFS – Architecture and Standardisation
2.1
The core architecture
Figure 4.6-1 shows a comprehensive RFID system architecture.
Internet of Things
Name Server
Name Server
Resolver
Resolver
Name Server
Resolver
Recursive
Recursive
evi sr uce
R
Re
Re
e
cu
c
i
ur isv
iv
rs v
curs
e
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Name Server
e
Name Server
Resolver
Root Resolver
Name Server
Interface
s
ing
Data Repository
Name Server
h
Access Process
Local Cache
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Data Repository
Component of
Query Interface
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Internet of Things
Internet accessible data
and processes supporting
local request & response modes
erne
with subscriber authentication
Local Data
Repository
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Legacy
Data Repository
Unique Item
Capture Interface
Identifiers
Data
Dictionary
Message
Standards
Data
on the
Management
Internal Operational
Process
Database
ctse
Data Management
Data Commands
Sensor Commands
Interface
& Responses
& Responses
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Data Encoding
ISO
arch
New Format
RFID Format
Data Decoding
Sensor
Processing
Registration
Network Management
UIIs
se
Authority
Functions
Common Platform
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Device Interface
Device Management
ean
RFID Interrogator
Smart Card
Security
Near Field
Air Interface
Health
Radio Regulations
Communication
& Safety
Europ
Conformance
Other mobile
Performance
RFID Tag
phone
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Enterprise System
Sensor
Figure 4.6-1: RFID system architecture.
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The RFID system architecture as used for the IoT covers a significant set of standards that put
together a comprehensive system architecture.
CERP-Io
130
Within GRIFS the architecture has been sub-divided the architecture into four component
parts:
The enterprise system, dealing with all aspects where RFID as a data carrier is used to assist
with some functional aspects of business or commercial operations.
Internet-based data exchange components that are internal to the enterprise.
Internet-based data exchange that is external with partners and other stakeholders.
The ISO Registration Authority for data format that provides support for conversion legacy
data and for new forms of unique item identifiers.
2.2
The network of influencing factors
A major part of the GRIFS project was to identify potential standards development areas
where collaboration between standards development organizations could reduce some unnec-
essary work, and even reduce potential conflict between apparent overlapping work. To ad-
dress this, a simple network model that has two major hubs has been developed. One of the
hubs is RFID data capture, effectively dealing with technology aspects; and the other hub is
RFID data process, effectively dealing with the information flow. Figure 4.6-2 identifies vari-
ous developments that we consider might impact on the development of RFID standards.
Smart Card
RFID
Applications
Near Field
RFID
Communication
Applications
Bar Code
Applications
Other Mobile
Phone Capture
RFID enabling
Directives
Bar Code
RFID Data
RFID Data
Internet of
Capture
Process
Things
Real Time
Location
Internet &
Sensors other
Impacting EU
IETF
than RFID
Directives
Object Naming
Emerging
Schemes
Technologies
Security
s
Data Protection
Network
ing
& Privacy
security
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t of
Figure 4.6-2: Network of influencing developments.
erne
3
GRIFS conclusions
Int
Within the GRIFS projects several conclusions have been made. The following points provide
a brief excerpt:
on the
An RFID roadmap defined by the European Commission and developed in conjunction with
ctse
European experts would provide a sound basis for creating some type of scorecard of areas
Proj
of standardisation for benefit of European businesses and citizens.
GRIFS provides a standardization map with managed updates in order to ensure quality
arch se
and integrity of provided data.
Re
As there are many organizations involved in same technologies, a first version model of a
ean
network of influencing developments has been developed as shown in Figure 2.
Intellectual Property is a key issue in most standard developments and could endanger
Europ
adoption. Therefore it is recommended European Commission could take for any mandated
r of
application. This recognises the justification in applying FRAND principles for IP, but pro-
poses some legal framework to ensure that EU support for the technology does not result in
either vendors or end users being exploited.
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Data protection, privacy regulations and security needs high attention and it is expected
that although basically not available yet, privacy enhancing techniques (PETs) to RFID
technology will be developed.
CERP-Io
131
Air interfaces still do have different performance, however, a very important thing for the
industry is to avoid parallel work in future.
For some areas conformance and performance standards are still missing and cause inter-
operability problems or customer dissatisfaction. This gap has to be filled soon to ensure
successful and wide deployment of the technology.
Besides the ongoing development of the EPCglobal ONS system, there is still significant
scope for resolving other types of URN over the Internet. It is essential that various applica-
tions that will require or benefit from participating in the Internet of Things have an early
understanding of the issues.
Although the capability of mobile phones being used for data capture purposes has little
direct impact on RFID for supply chains, it could be a significant long term driver for the
take-up of the technology and acceptance by ordinary citizens.
Sensor technology will soon be part of RFID.
4
GRIFS standard database
A major output of the GRFIS project was the standard data base available under http://grifs-
project.eu/db/, whereas the excerpts in this document present the status as of 15 December
2009.
The database covers multiple application areas and contains standards from a significant
amount of publishers as described in 4.1 and 4.2 respectively.
4.1
Areas of applications
4.1.1
Mobile RFID
The potential to read RFID tags with mobile devices has always been possible in the industrial
and commercial sector. In contrast, the use of RFID tags and mobile phones presents a possi-
ble exponential growth in the number of RFID data capture devices that will be available.
4.1.2
Real time location standards
A Real Time Location System (as defined in ISO/IEC 19762-5) is of a combination of wireless
hardware and real time software that is used to continuously determine and provide the real
time position of assets and resources equipped with services designed to operate with the sys-
tem.
s
ingh
4.1.3
Security standards for data and networks
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There are four zones in an RFID system where security features can be considered and ap-
t of
plied.
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4.1.4
Data exchange standards and protocols
Int
Our definition of data exchange systems is intended to cover indirect communications be-
tween partners, usually through some hub mechanism. We exclude any direct peer-to-peer
on the
communication and any data exchange that can be implemented with in-house systems.
ctse
4.1.5
Environmental regulations (e.g. WEEE, packaging waste)
Proj
The Directives that are discussed in this section have some small direct impact on RFID, as
will be discussed below. Their greater impact is on potential applications using RFID to im-
arch se
plement the Directive or to assist in the management of systems associated with the Directive.
Re
4.1.6
Application standards
ean
The application standards of any data carrier technology are independent of the technology
standards, but should use them as normative references. They are usually developed by a user
Europ
body with expert knowledge of the sector being addressed by the application standard.
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4.1.7
Data standards
The data standards address the way data is held in business applications. As such, they are
associated with the data dictionaries developed by user organisations for encoding in various
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AIDC data carriers. In some cases, the legacy requirements of encoding in bar code need to be
taken into account with encoding in RFID; in other cases, slightly new approaches can be
adopted.
CERP-Io
132
4.1.8
Data encoding and protocol standards (often called middleware)
The data encoding and protocol standards address the various types of communication be-
tween the RFID interrogator and the application, with the exception of not dealing with the
device interface an
4.1.9
Device interface standards
The device interface standards and the data application interface protocol standard (see 7.8)
are closely related.
4.1.10 Conformance and performance standards
There are two primary types of standard within this category:
Conformance standards are for evaluating whether a product fulfils the basic requirements to
be able to work (interoperate) with other products.
Performance standards are for evaluation of certain properties and especially to provide a
common way and method to compare different products.
4.1.11 Health and Safety regulations
There are two primary Health and Safety aspects associated with the use of RFID: Human
exposure to EMF (Electromagnetic fields) and EMI impact on implantable medical devices.
4.1.12 Frequency regulations
The frequency regulations govern specific aspects of radio spectrum and permitted power for
an RFID system or other radio communication system. Therefore, radio regulations – as they
are commonly called – have a direct and indirect impact on the use of RFID technology.
4.1.13 Data protection and privacy regulations
There is significant confusion among the general public – and even legislators – about data
held on an RFID tag and the ability to track individual people using the air interface protocol.
4.1.14 Air interface standards
The air interface standard primarily affects the components of the RFID system: the interroga-
tor and the tag by defining rules for communication between the two devices. In particular, an
air interface standard specifies physical layer and command structure.
s
4.1.15 Sensor standards
ingh
Often the term "sensor" is used in an imprecise and ambiguous manner. At one extreme this
T
term includes RFID tags that only encode data; another accepts sensors correctly as being
t of
within the class of transducers and actuators but ignores significant differences in the means
of communication from the sensor to the application and the topology of a sensor network.
erne
Int
4.2
Publisher
4.2.1
ETSI
on the
ETSI is the European Telecommunications Standards Institute.
ctse
ETSI produces globally-applicable standards for Information and Communications Technolo-
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gies (ICT), including fixed, mobile, radio, converged, broadcast and internet technologies.
arch
Membership of ETSI is open to any company or organization interested in the creation of tele-
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communications standards and standards in other electronic communications networks and
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related services.
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4.2.2
CEN
CEN is the European Committee for Standardization.
Europ
r of
CEN works in a large number of sectors, in fact in virtually every area that the partner Euro-
pean Standards Organizations, CENELEC and ETSI, do not.
CEN's National Members are the National Standards Organizations of 30 European countries.
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There is only one member per country. Associate Members are broad-based European organi-
zations, representing particular sectors of industry as well as consumers, environmentalists,
workers, and small and medium-sized enterprises.
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133
4.2.3
ITU-T
ITU is the United Nations agency for information and communication technologies. ITU-T is
the Telecommunication Standardization Sector.
ITU is based in Geneva, Switzerland, and its membership includes 191 Member States and
more than 700 Sector Members and Associates. The function of ITU-T is to provide global
telecommunication standards by studying technical, operating and tariff questions.
4.2.4
IEC
IEC is the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC).
The IEC charter embraces all electrotechnologies including electronics, magnetics and elec-
tromagnetics, electroacoustics, multimedia, telecommunication, and energy production and
distribution, as well as associated general disciplines such as terminology and symbols, elec-
tromagnetic compatibility, measurement and performance, dependability, design and devel-
opment, safety and the environment.
4.2.5 CENELEC
CENELEC is the European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization.
CENELEC’s develops electrotechnical standards.
The 30 current CENELEC members are national organizations entrusted with electrotechnical
standardization, recognized both at National and European level as being able to represent all
standardization interests in their country. Only one organization per country may be member
of CENELEC.
4.2.5
ISO/IEC JTC1
ISO/IEC JTC1 is the Joint Technical Committee 1 of ISO and IEC.
The scope of ISO/IEC JTC1 is standardization in the field of Information Technology.
Note: Information Technology includes the specification, design and development of systems
and tools dealing with the capture, representation, processing, security, transfer, interchange,
presentation, management, organization, storage and retrieval of information.
4.2.6
ISO
ISO is the International Organization for Standardization.
s
ing
ISO's work programme ranges from standards for traditional activities, such as agriculture
h T
and construction, through mechanical engineering, manufacturing and distribution, to trans-
port, medical devices, information and communication technologies, and to standards for
t of
good management practice and for services.
erne
Membership of ISO is open to national standards institutes most representative of standardi-
Int
zation in their country (one member in each country).
4.3
Statistics of currently included standards
on the
cts
Table 4.6-1: Application areas.
e
NUMBER OF INCLUDED
Proj
APPLICATION AREAS
STANDARDS
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Air interface standards
14
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Application standards
10
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Conformance and performance standards
21
Data encoding and protocol standards (often called middle- 12
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ware)
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Data exchange standards and protocols
12
Data protection and privacy regulations
6
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Data standards
3
Device interface standards
8
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Environmental regulations (e.g. WEEE, packaging waste)
3
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NUMBER OF INCLUDED
APPLICATION AREAS
STANDARDS
Frequency regulations
28
Health and Safety regulations
9
Internet Standards
25
Mobile RFID
5
Real time location standards
6
Security standards for data and networks
2
Sensor standards
2
The European Harmonisation procedure
3
Wireless Network Communications
6
TOTAL 175
Table 4.6-2: Publishers.
NUMBER OF INCLUDED
PUBLISHER
STANDARDS (PUBLISHED)
CENELEC 5
Commission Decision
4
EC Directive
6
EPCglobal 13
ETSI 23
European Council Recommendation
1
ICNIRP 1
IEC 4
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ing
IEEE Standards Association
5
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Information and Privacy Commissioner, Ontario, Canada
2
t of
ISO 13
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ISO/IEC 60
Int
ITU-T 5
on the
NFC Forum
2
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The IETF Trust
4
Proj
The Internet Society
27
arch
Washington State Legistlature, USA
1
se
Re
ean
4.4
RFID Standardization report
The comprehensive report demonstrates the broad scope of the current state of RFID stan-
Europ
dards on a global scale and highlights the need for more co-ordination between key standard
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organisations.
The report, produced in the frame of the WP1 led by CEN, provides an inventory of global
RFID standards and identifies all RFID-related standards organisations, the geographical and
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technical scope of their work, and the opportunities and risks of collaboration, including
gap/overlap analysis. The scope of the report focuses on the use of RFID in the supply chain
including the tracking and tracing of physical objects.
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135
The report's conclusion highlights the need for a significantly greater amount of co-operation
between RFID standards development organisations, particularly in the areas of universal
identification, security and high frequency standards that are increasingly used on products
but that also use smart cards and mobile phones for transmission.
The report is available at http://www.grifs-project.eu/index.php/downloads/en/
5
GRIFS MOU and GRIFS Forum
The MoU serves as basis for the formation of the GRIFS Forum. It is important to note that
the current draft MoU is not a definitive document but a work in progress still needing the
stakeholders’ inputs. The current draft is largely inspired by the famous MoU on Electronic
business between IEC, ISO, ITU & UN/ECE.
The core principles contained in the MoU are a strong commitment from the involved stan-
dards organisations to collaborate and share information while respecting each other’s organi-
zations and existing standards development processes. Another important principle is the
involvement of the users community and the priority to meet their needs and answer their
concerns.
The Forum is an informal organisation which generates consensus based recommendations on
RFID standards to existing standards development organisations. They would implement
them using their own standards development processes.
The MoU and the Forum are highly appreciated by the European Commission and Gérald
Santucci, Head of Unit, Networked Enterprise & Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), DG
Information Society and Media of the European Commission confirmed this with a foreword
in the August 2009 GRIFS Newsletter:
“I congratulate the GRIFS partners for their recent achievement of a Memorandum of Under-
standing which identifies clear objectives and lays the groundwork for increased cooperation
through a Forum between standardisation organisations in the RFID field. Today more than
250 standards describing RFID-related solutions have been established by around 30 different
organisations. It is therefore essential that standardisation organisations cooperate with a
view to leveraging economies of scale and economies of scope. In line with its earlier commu-
nication, the European Commission is willing to promote the interoperability of RFID stan-
dards across national and regional boundaries as well as across different economic sectors. In
the fast-evolving world of RFID, every single standardisation organisation should be able to
rise above the narrow confines of its interests to the broader needs and expectations of the
s
whole user community.
ingh
Over the past two years, GRIFS has been on the front lines of a global effort to achieve that
T
aim by enabling the emergence of consistent and interoperable RFID related standards. The
t of
European Commission praises the GRIFS consortium for its hard work and great deal of
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promise as it is clear today that the Forum will offer a great opportunity to advance interop-
erability of international RFID standards, while never duplicating but always complementing
Int
and synergizing the works being done in other relevant bodies. Such a cooperative strategy is
most necessary to enable faster take-up and adoption of RFID within and across the various
on the
supply chains.“
ctse
The text of the MOU is available under
Proj
http://www.grifs-project.eu/data/File/GRIFS_MoU_Version1%201.pdf
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se
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ean
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136
4.7 Developing and Piloting the Next
Generation of Networked RFID Systems
BRIDGE Project
M. Harrison, A. Brintrup, T. Sanchez Lopez, M. Tomasella, D. C. McFarlane
Institute for Manufacturing, Department of Engineering,
University of Cambridge, UK
Abstract: In this chapter we review the BRIDGE project (2006-2009), which provided signifi-
cant contributions to RFID technology and implementation in Europe. The project aimed at en-
hancing RFID and its use in Europe through comprehensive development that hindered RFID
technology at the start of the project. The project conducted research in frequently used reasons
for non-deployment, such as the high cost of readers or tags, lack of secure frameworks, case
studies. State of the art technology such as Discovery Services and Track and Trace analytics were
the result of the project as well. Business work packages tested technology developed in the tech-
nical development clusters; and investigated how RFID technology could enhance business op-
erations and provide monetary value, serve customers better, and increase competitiveness. As a
result of the project, practitioners in Europe have a better chance of successful deployment
through improved and novel hardware and software technology supported by a set of case stud-
ies; and researchers have a set of research questions that shall be studied to help European or-
ganisations reach the full potential in using RFID. This chapter reviews developments in various
work strands of the projects, poses key lessons learned and questions for the future.
s
ing
1
Building Radio Frequency Identification Solutions for the
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Global Environment (BRIDGE)
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The BRIDGE project has played a leading role in envisaging, designing and prototyping the
next technology developments required for achieving the potential of networked RFID. Fur-
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thermore, BRIDGE developed business support for RFID implementation through a number
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of case studies, looking into implementation strategies and the operational value of RFID. A
fitting example of synergy between technical development and business value is that of design
on the
work on Discovery Services for locating multiple sources of information for a specific object.
cts
The work strand has already made significant contributions to standardization activities in
e
this area and the working prototype is already being used and was evaluated within the Sony
Proj
Europe pilot for products in service; showing clear business value in terms of reduced effort in
product recalls, and inventory counts, reduced environmental impact through paperless war-
arch
ranty. Another example is the track and trace analytics framework for extracting meaningful
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business value from the large volumes of data that can be produced by Auto-ID technology.
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The framework can be used for end-to-end tracking, gathering all relevant event data, auto-
ean
matically following changes of aggregation or containment, then automatically building con-
figurable maps of supply chain networks and learning flow patterns from historical data, in
order to predict when and where objects should be seen next and raising alerts when problems
Europ
or deviations are likely to arise. Such frameworks can be used to monitor delays, shrinkage
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and can also be extended to specific applications, such as detection of counterfeits within the
supply chain. The technology has been tested in the pharmaceutical traceability pilot, which
has produced particularly interesting and extensive data for analysis using such tools. The
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technology resulted in a traceable pharma supply chain, and reduced the manual time and
effort dedicated to securing the pharma supply chain through automation.
BRIDGE’s structure also allowed cross- work package collaboration and the merging of devel-
CERP-Io
oped technology. For instance, the security work package worked together with the Discovery
Service work to allow seamless integration of technology in the future. The security work has
137
made significant progress on the development of trusted tags and readers to address the pri-
vacy implications of using RFID technology, while also developing a comprehensive approach
to an access control framework that can be used to protect the confidentiality of information
stored in distributed event repositories and also links within Discovery Services, with a very
high level of granularity and flexibility. Taken together, many of the technological develop-
ments of the BRIDGE project will surely have a lasting impact in extending the architectural
design for networked RFID beyond data capture and bilateral information exchange.
Over the three years of the BRIDGE project various business work packages have been dedi-
cated to innovative applications of these technologies to real world problems to highlight the
potential of RFID in Europe. The Manufacturing pilots at Nestle and COVAP examined the use
of networked RFID in leaner production, quality control, inventory management, automated
control and manufacturing resource maintenance, providing practitioners with case studies,
business case guidelines and simulation based analysis frameworks. The products in service
pilot at Sony looked into paperless warranty and item level traceability. Textile retailers such
as Kaufhof, Northland Professional and Gardeur used the technology to enable smart dressing
rooms/shelves, to improve inventory checking and in-store visibility of garments. Carrefour
utilised RFID for management of reusable assets and inventory management at item-level. As
a result, these companies have developed long term visions for using networks of things to
improve their business.
To make the technology more accessible to a wider audience, BRIDGE has made considerable
efforts on education and dissemination with the development of training material as well as
awareness tools to explain the technology. The team held a number of public webinars, pro-
vided regular updates through the widely distributed BRIDGE newsletter and presented at
relevant conferences and industry events, including dissemination workshops that BRIDGE
has initiated. Wherever possible, work strands have tried to issue public deliverables to en-
sure that the results reach the widest possible audience.
An overview and scope of the BRIDGE work structure is shown on Figure 1. The technical
work groups performed research and development aiming to advance the state of the art of the
technology while in a number of cases the results of this work were used by the business
groups in their pilots.
BRIDGE technologies have applications not only within a business-to-business context but
also within a wider Internet of Things embracing active participation also by citizens: for ex-
ample, secure Discovery Services can complement existing web search engines by allowing
contributors of information (e.g. ratings, reviews, photos, video etc.) to effectively link to loca-
s
tions and products, to enable their content to be discovered not only within the public domain
ingh
but also within more restricted communities and interest groups.
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In what follows we outline the achievements of different work strands (Section 2), discuss how
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the project enhanced European operations with RFID and present an outlook into the future
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state of RFID in Europe (Section 3), and conclude our findings (Section 4).
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on the
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arch se
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ean
Europ
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Figure 4.7-1: Work package clusters in the BRIDGE project
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138
2
BRIDGE work strands: achievements and outlook
In this section we highlight the main achievements and developments in each of the work
packages.
2.1
Hardware development
WP1 has worked to advance the state of the art of RFID hardware. The goal was to develop:
New RFID tags: more versatile, sensor-enabled, smaller and cheaper, suitable for use with
metals and dielectric objects
New RFID readers and reader antennas: improved performance and lower cost
New RFID systems to prototype some smart object environments
In the field of sensor-enabled tags, an initial benchmark study investigated the different tech-
nologies, standards, and user requirements. This was compiled into a Handbook for Sensor-
enabled RFID that reduces the learning curve for any company seeking to develop this kind of
tags. Next, a design effort developed a common platform, proposing operation modes, data
management procedures, and protocol extensions to build modular sensor-enabled RFID tags.
Finally, some multi-sensor tag prototypes were built based on the proposed common plat-
form.
Figure 4.7-2: Prototype of a sensor-enabled tag, compatible with the EPC Gen2 protocol
In response to a high market demand for smaller tags several techniques where investigated
s
for tag miniaturization, from fractal antenna shapes to use of different materials. Finally, a
ingh
tag with a very high read-range to size was designed, borrowing a concept from meta-
T
materials research: the Split-Ring Resonator (SRR). Tags for metal and dielectric material
t of
were designed using the same principle: isolation from the material but with a minimum
thickness to keep the tags conformal to the shape of the tagged objects. This has been a very
erne
competitive field of research, in which industry has come up with high performance designs.
Int
BRIDGE WP1 has contributed a very thin design based on a double bow-tie resonator.
To design a low-cost RFID reader, two different research approaches were followed. The first
on the
prototypes in the industry based on specific RFID reader chipsets were designed and proto-
ctse
typed, forecast to reduce costs by 80% versus current market prices. Additionally, we at-
tempted to reduce the price of the RFID chipset itself by designing it using common CMOS
Proj
processes, rather than using a different process for the RF and the digital parts of the chip.
This promises cost reductions of at least a factor-of- ten.
arch se
To improve the performance of readers, BRIDGE research focused on the reader antennas.
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First a novel design of a phased array antenna was tested, improving the read rates of static
ean
constellations of tags. It is well known that moving tags are easier to read since multi-path
cancellation blind-spots tend to be static. When tags are static, the phased array reader an-
tenna moves the beam slightly, and randomly, moving the multi-path blind spots, and thereby
Europ
increasing the readability of large constellations of static tags.
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Next another difficult RFID problem was tackled: the metallic shelf. The smart-shelf concept,
in which the shelf is aware of its contents, is an old RFID paradigm that has faced difficulties
in practice since most shelves in use today are metallic and no reliable, robust, and economic
T – Cluste
way had been found to equip such shelves with RFID antennas. To address this, a specific
design based on slot antennas was prototyped and successfully tested in a live retail environ-
ment, producing 100% read rates over a full month of testing. In this test, multiplexing was
CERP-Io
used to reduce the total cost of equipping a supermarket with RFID antennas used on metal
shelves.
139
Finally, a more theoretical research was conducted, with the goal of pushing the limit of how
many tags a reader can read each second. This number is limited by the anti-collision proto-
cols. Since all tags communicate with the reader using the same protocol, the reader can only
communicate with one tag at a time, and needs to employ a multiple-access strategy, similar
to those employed in other one-to-many networks, to resolve collisions. The use of Blind Sig-
nal Separation (BSS) algorithms was shown to allow a single reader to communicate simulta-
neously with up to four tags. For this, readers would have to be equipped with at least four RF
front-ends. Each of these receives a different mix of the signals from the four tags. The role of
the BSS algorithm is to separate the response from each individual tag. Once this is done, the
reader can also communicate back to the four tags simultaneously.
The third area of research demonstrated the use of RFID for building smart-object systems.
First, the smart-shelf prototype was equipped with algorithms to use the RFID antennae to
manage a stock of books in a store, locating them precisely on the shelf, sending out-of-stock
alerts, and producing lists of misplaced items. Second, the smart-object paradigm was ap-
plied to the remote servicing of heavy equipment and industrial assets. For this a lab proto-
type of a washing machine was built, making use of RFID readers and sensors to detect mal-
function (over-heating, vibration, water leaks), misuse (wrong washing program for the
clothes in the load), use of non-original spare parts, as well as sending warnings when specific
parts needed servicing or replacement. A web-based platform was developed to remotely con-
trol all of these functions, demonstrating how RFID could dramatically improve the quality
and efficiency of the management of a large and geographically disperse fleet of machines
(washing machines, vending machines, vehicles, agricultural and mining equipment, etc.).
In summary, BRIDGE research has helped advance the state-of-the art of RFID hardware with
a set of prototypes ready for industrialization; promising concepts that require further re-
search in the laboratory; and with some theoretical results. Some of these deliverables will be
patented and some will be exploited commercially.
2.2
Serial level lookup services / Discovery Services
Here the focus was on the design and prototyping of a Discovery Service, one of the missing
elements of the EPCglobal Network architecture, namely network services for finding source
of information about individual objects within open supply chains. This role is complementary
to EPC Information Services (EPCIS) and the Object Naming Service (ONS) functionalities;
EPCIS provides a standard mechanism for exchange of serial-level information between par-
ties who already know the addresses of each other's EPCIS services, while ONS currently pro-
vides a class-level lookup service to indicate authoritative resources, such as those provided by
s
the manufacturer or issuer of the identifier. Discovery Services allow multiple entities to cre-
ingh
ate a link between a specific unique ID and their information resource in order to indicate that
T
they hold information about that ID to clients who query Discovery Services. Because the
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relationships indicated by such links can reveal commercially sensitive information about
volumes and flow patterns of goods, authentication and access control are key aspects of Dis-
erne
covery Services that are not required for ONS query clients nor specified in the existing EPCIS
Int
standard.
Discovery Services are a key enabler for track and trace applications with a tremendous poten-
on the
tial impact on supply chains especially in highly regulated sectors like food or pharmaceuti-
ctse
cals, where traceability information can improve safety for consumers. They also have great
value for developing the Internet of Things, as networked nodes (e.g. information resources,
Proj
devices, smart objects, sensors and actuators) would need to announce themselves and dis-
cover other nodes for sharing capabilities, resources and services.
arch se
An initial survey with potential users was launched for a four month period. Results revealed a
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lack of confidence with open supply chain models and concern about sharing information
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without knowing exactly who would later on access information from Discovery Services.
These concerns became the main requirement for Discovery Services and led to minimising
the amount of information stored about each resource; Discovery Service basic records would
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include only pointers to sources of information enabling whoever uses this service to discover
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the source address, but not releasing detailed information, thereby enabling each company to
control access. This early principle was further enhanced in collaboration with the security
work package, resulting in the development of a security framework for EPC Network, includ-
T – Cluste
ing EPCIS and future Discovery Services.
A number of design models were evaluated, considering issues such as latency, performance,
access control and security as well as ability to link to multiple kinds of resources - not only
CERP-Io
EPCIS services. In one design, a Discovery Service acts as a proxy, forwarding queries down to
resources, allowing ad hoc access control decisions. However, aside from security another
140
important requirement for Discovery Services is the ability to provide synchronous responses
to queries, which is difficult for this kind of model. Therefore, a synchronous model, the direc-
tory of resources, was selected as the first candidate for prototyping, using Web Services tech-
nology and LDAP as the search engine and repository.
EPC
EPC
Re
R so
e u
so r
u ce
Who has information
Client
123
EPC I
EPC S
I -
S 2
on tag 123?
123
EPC I
EPC S
I -
S 3
Query
y
Client queries DS
4 5
Results returned from DS
Ap
A plication
SOA
SO P
A
EPC
EPC
Re
R so
e u
so r
u ce
EPCIS Repository
456
EPC I
EPC S
I -
S 1
Directory Service
DS
http
SOA
SO P
http
DS
A
DS
123
EPC I
EPC S
I -
S 2
DS-Que
DS-Q ry Int
ue
e
ry Int rface
rf
123
EPC I
EPC S
I -
S 3
EPC-IS
http
registrations 1
3
2
Sniffer
Query Proxy Layer
Sniffer
Filtering SOA
SO P
A
with DS
http
IS-DS In
IS-D
t
S In e
t r
e f
r ac
a e
DS
EPC-IS 1
EPC-IS 2
EPC-IS 3
http
Repository
Repo
EPCIS Capture In
EPCIS Capture I terfa
te
c
rfa e
EPC
EPC
Dat
Da a
t
EPC
EPC
Dat
Da a
t
EPC
EPC
Dat
Da a
t
http
EPCIS
Publish Proxy Layer
Publish Proxy Laye
456
XXX
123
YYY
123
ZZZ
ZZ
http
SOA
SO P
A
DS-Publish Interf
DS-Publish In
ace
terf
Publish
Ap
A plication
Figure 4.7-3: Directory of resources model. Right: Discovery Service prototype components,
integrated to Fosstrack open source EPCIS implementation
This prototype was developed and deployed, and today is in operation and accessible to
BRIDGE members for trials, further development and integration with the security framework
developed within the scope of WP4. In addition, the Discovery Service prototype source code
is being distributed under a Lesser General Public License (LGPL), in order to increase inter-
est from the research community. Various organizations have shown interest in the BRIDGE
prototype of Discovery Services including BRIDGE members such as GS1 France, SAP, BT,
Bénédicta and Sony and also external parties like Afilias, GS1 Norway and even other EU pro-
jects like iSURF led by Intel. For usability purposes, demo applications for publishing were
developed together with the open source software.
The group has communicated its work to other research groups and projects and pro-actively
contributed its work to standardization activities on Discovery Services within GS1 EPCglobal
and the IETF. Members of the BRIDGE team have taken a leading role within the EPCglobal
DD JRG to develop a comprehensive user requirements document and it is expected that a
technical work group for discovery services will be chartered within GS1 EPCglobal before the
s
end of 2009 and that members of this work package will continue to play an active role in the
ingh
development of open and extensible technical standards for Discovery Services and related
T
services that are so important for the Future Internet and Internet of Things.
t of
2.3
Serial level supply chain control / Track & Trace Analytics
erne
Although Discovery Services are a useful architecture component for enabling improved sup-
Int
ply chain visibility, they are not fully fledged track and trace applications and essentially an-
swer two very simply low-level query criteria, namely:
on the
where can I find information about this EPC?
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notify me of any additional future providers of information about this EPC?
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The work was designed to be complementary to the previous work package, leveraging the
arch
Discovery Services work but bridging the gap to provide support for more business-friendly
se
queries about track & trace and supply chain control, while leveraging the benefits of being
Re
able to follow individual uniquely identified objects as they move through supply chains or
product lifecycles, without requiring business users to know the details of how to interact with
ean
EPCIS repositories or Discovery Services.
Europ
The first work package deliverable, "Serial Level Inventory Tracking Model", described how to
gather event information from across a supply chain, taking into account the need to follow
r of
changes of aggregation. We then described how to use this event information with machine
learning techniques such as Hidden Markov Models in order to learn the characteristic flow
patterns, to answer questions not only about where an individual object was last observed but
T – Cluste
also predict when and where an individual object is at the current time or future times, based
on its previous observation history and the learned flow patterns. Using these probabilistic
algorithms it is also possible to give a confidence level about whether an object is likely to
CERP-Io
reach a particular location by a specified time. This is clearly useful for being able to predict
whether ordered supplies will arrive in time for a particular production schedule, as well as for
141
monitoring that manufactured goods are likely to reach specific customers by particular dead-
lines - or whether there is any need to intervene.
The model may appear as a rather abstract mathematical model for predicting flows of indi-
vidual objects within supply chains. We therefore took the decision as a work package to de-
velop a working software prototype of a modular Track & Trace Analytics Framework, so that
it could be available for use by the business application work packages, for monitoring their
supply chains. At the lowest level of the framework, an Event Gathering Layer interfaces with
the EPC Network architecture and makes queries or registers standing queries with Discovery
Services and EPCIS repositories in order to gather all the available event information about an
individual object from all resources across the supply chain. Furthermore, we recognised that
as objects move across supply chains or throughout their product lifecycle (including the us-
age phase), there can be significant changes of aggregation, such as when raw materials and
components are embedded within products, which in turn are aggregated into cases, pallets,
totes and vehicles for distribution and storage. Conversely, in a number of sectors such as the
food or chemical industries, large volumes of bulk product are manufactured and later broken
down into smaller packages for use. The team developed techniques for automatically follow-
ing changes of aggregation, to ensure end-to-end tracking, where necessary switching to track-
ing a different identifier, such as the identifier of the pallet, vehicle or the identifiers of multi-
ple products that were broken down from the original bulk product.
s
ingh T
t of
Figure 4.7-4: Conceptual diagram of Track & Trace Analytics Framework
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Having gathered the event information, it is necessary to build a model of the supply chain in
Int
order to make sense of the movements of the objects. A Supply Chain Modeller was devel-
oped, which was able to analyse the received event information and automatically construct
graphs of nodes and transitions between those nodes. Further manual refinement of the mod-
on the
els is also enabled through the provided graphical user interface.
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Track and trace algorithms (both non-probabilistic and probabilistic) were developed in order
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to learn flow patterns, filter out false positives and false negatives and provide predictions and
probability estimates about where an object is now, which path it is likely to have taken and
arch
where it is likely to be in the future.
se
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Finally, the modules were integrated and tested using real-time event information from the
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automation lab in Cambridge, tracking the movement of autonomous shuttles moving around
a conveyor track. We also used the track & trace analytics framework to analyse data from the
pharmaceutical traceability pilot of BRIDGE.
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Deliverable 3.2 on the software prototype was completed at the end of 2008 and the final six
months have mainly focused on completion of the contextual models, which examine how
such a Track & Trace Analytics Framework can be applied to improve manufacturing proc-
esses and traceability, assist with the management of reusable assets (in particular, returnable
T – Cluste
transport items such as pallets, roll cages, trays, reusable plastic containers, beer kegs etc.)
and how it can be further extended to support sensor-based condition monitoring as well as
alerting and notification about operational problems within supply chains, such as monitoring
CERP-Io
of delays and shrinkage, probabilities of non-arrival of goods or supplies or detection of un-
usual or suspicious flow patterns. Based on the analysis within various deliverables of real-
142
world practices, a number of additional high-level algorithms have been developed as proposal
for extension of the Track & Trace Analytics Framework. In addition, an alerting and notifica-
tion framework has been designed, to support high-level alerting about operational problems
within supply chains that are detected using the track and trace analytics framework.
2.4
Securing Collaborative Supply Chain Networks
The security work package operated technical research tasks on both hardware and software
security and have performed requirements surveys, interviews and case studies, along with the
publication and dissemination of results to both ISO and EPCglobal standards activities.
The tag security research has concentrated on providing an asymmetric cryptographic capabil-
ity of the tag that can be used to extend the ISO/IEC 18000-6c/EPC Gen 2 protocols to sup-
port a wide number of security operations for different scenarios. The work package has ana-
lysed different cryptography schemes to select one that requires low silicon area, has low
power demands and fast computation. This enables the costs of the tag to be kept low and the
performance maintained. The group also examined the potential to perform Side Channel
Attacks (such as power analysis) to break such secure tags and recommended to tag develop-
ers to consider such attacks in their implementations.
Using the secure tag capabilities the group has implemented a number of security operations
including pseudonym schemes and authentication commands. The authentication command
has been implemented by two tag manufacturers, and the resulting anti-cloning tag has been
demonstrated in an anti-counterfeiting demonstration with the addition of an authentication
client, back end authentication server and EPCIS repository for results. WP4 has also pro-
duced a prototyping tag that allows researchers to experiment with new cryptographic capa-
bilities and commands. Finally, the tag security research has worked with ISO to start a secu-
rity working group to standardise the way that secure tags can advertise their capabilities.
The second hardware area involved the development of a Trusted Reader. This has involved
developing a new reader control board incorporating a TPM (Trusted Platform Module), along
with a software stack to secure the integrity of the operating system and allow multiple parties
to instantiate secure local services on the reader. WP4 has shown how the Trusted Reader can
offer many advantages to different tag authentication methods, and devised a scheme for con-
trolling the distribution paths of goods using the Trusted Reader to check and authorise the
shipment along supply chain paths.
In the area of software security the focus was networked services for inter-company operation
of supply chains. A framework of components for access control and access control policies
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was developed and implemented in the Discovery Service prototyped in BRIDGE. The group
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also looked at how critical business information can be leaked through raw RFID events and
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proposed methods to manage the information release. The problem of introducing previously
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unknown parties within the supply chain and how this can be achieved using the Discovery
Service or through other techniques was also considered. Where relevant the work package
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has shared information with the EPCglobal Joint Requirements Group on Data Discovery.
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Whereas access control is mainly about confidentiality, the group looked at the problem of
information integrity, which is critical to inter-company operation. Each organization has to
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be able to trust the data from its peers in order to be able to operate the joint processes. The
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economics of the problem of information sharing were examined. Technically the group dem-
onstrated the use of visualization to detect integrity problems (either in the information accu-
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racy or in the process itself), along with the use of automated integrity rules checks.
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2.5
Anti-counterfeiting
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Counterfeiting and product piracy constitute a serious and ever growing problem against le-
gally run businesses and owners of intellectual property rights. Counterfeiting is not specific to
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any industry but it affects a large number of sectors such as music, software, luxury goods,
pharmaceutical, automobile, fast moving consumer goods, and toys. According to the Interna-
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tional Chamber of Commerce, “counterfeiting and piracy are growing exponentially in terms
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of volume, sophistication, range of goods, and countries affected - this has significant negative
economic and social impact for governments, consumers and businesses [...].”
The potential of RFID and the EPCglobal network in enabling novel anti-counterfeiting and
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anti-fraud techniques is well recognised. Even though it seems that there will not be one silver
bullet solution against illicit trade, industries and academia see mass-serialization among the
most promising single countermeasures. There are two major reasons for using EPCglobal
CERP-Io
network technology in anti-counterfeiting: First, RFID allows for new, automated and secure
ways to efficiently authenticate physical items. Second, as many companies invest in net-
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worked RFID technology for various supply chain applications, the item-level data will be
gathered in any case – so why not using it to detect counterfeit products?
This work strand of BRIDGE developed anti-counterfeiting techniques for EPC/RFID-enabled
supply chains. The solution concepts and prototypes are based on a thorough requirements
analysis and they leverage the visibility that the technology provides. Different solution ap-
proaches have been studied, developed and demonstrated, including: (i) Tag authentication
based on unique transponder ID (TID) numbers; (ii) Synchronized secrets approach that de-
tects if two different tags enter the supply chain with same ID numbers; (iii) Rule-Based Anti-
Counterfeiting approach that offers a flexible anti-counterfeiting toolkit which allows users to
specify conditions that indicate evidence of counterfeits (iv), and statistical track and trace
analysis techniques to detect cloned tags automatically from RFID traces. All the studied and
developed approaches represent different possible security measures that enable detection of
counterfeit products in supply chains.
The team also investigated the business cases of the studied solutions. When RFID technology
is deployed not solely as an anti-counterfeiting technology but also for other purposes, as ex-
amined in BRIDGE, not all hardware and tagging costs need to be allocated as anti-
counterfeiting costs. However, putting numbers on the benefit side of an anti-counterfeiting
business case is extremely challenging. Consequently, the team investigated the value of secu-
rity in anti-counterfeiting and provides an explanatory model for the benefit side of an anti-
counterfeiting investment.
To support affected brand owner and manufacturing companies across industries, the team
also produced application guidelines and an implementation roadmap for EPC/RFID based
anti-counterfeiting measures. These cover selection of the right security measures, selection of
the right supply chain locations for the checks, and steering an anti-counterfeiting system
deployment project.
2.6
Pharmaceutical traceability pilot
The pharmaceutical traceability work package implemented and piloted a fully operational
drug product tracking system using the EPCglobal network for supply-chain wide data collec-
tion and using GS1 Data Matrix symbology on all levels of product packaging, including for the
first time, item, bundle, case, pallet and vehicle. The pilot proved to be exciting and innovative
on an international scale; since no other project, to our knowledge, has designed, installed and
successfully operated such a comprehensive system of Track, Trace and authentication within
the ‘real’ pharmaceutical supply chain in the world. The pilot featured RFID tags at case and
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pallet level in hybrid labels (with printed bar codes). Some pallets were also fitted with active
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RFID tags to enable GPS tracking across national borders and shipping routes. This use of
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interoperable RFID and printed bar code carriers should set an example to all of how such a
practical system can function successfully in the real world.
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The adoption of the four string data structure, as originally used in the Irish Haemophilia Trial
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of 2006, was very forward thinking. This structure is now being used by EFPIA as part of its
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European vision, in Turkey for its new reimbursement system and being considered by Cali-
fornia and FDA in US and it may yet become the blueprint for the first globally accepted data
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structure used in the pharmaceutical industry at item level and beyond.
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The serial number element that forms an integral part of the data structure ensured that every
single pack of each product being tracked had a unique serial number associated with it. Using
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this and the process of aggregating the contents to unique serialised packaging the team were
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able to provide full traceability of a single item from the packaging line, throughout the distri-
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bution supply chain to the precise delivery point at the hospital pharmacy and to every associ-
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ated packaging type along the entire supply chain.
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Full use was made of the EPCIS standard and GS1 standards including the GLN (Global Loca-
tion Number), GRAI (Global Returnable Asset Identifier) and SSCC (Serial shipping container
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code) numbers for locations, shipments and physical assets as part of this pilot. Linking these
GS1 number formats to data carriers such as Data Matrix, GS1-128 and RFID tags and data
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structures has expanded the knowledge and use of how to integrate these ‘tools’ into a fully
functioning solution. The selection and use of a range of different printing technologies, sub-
strates, line speeds, various types and sizes of container or pack added to the comprehensive-
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ness of the project.
Choosing to work with both original pharmaceutical packers/manufacturers as well as a con-
tract packer allowed the team to test the two most common routes into pharmaceutical supply
CERP-Io
chains. The choice of generic manufacturers who in general operate at lower margins and
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higher line utilization rather than branded product (so often used in pilots and trials), also
added significantly to the worth of the project.
All of the product and event data was collected locally and then passed via the Internet to the
respective EPCIS database (a partial implementation of the EPCglobal Network) created for
each of the nine user companies involved. Where possible the team chose different methods of
processing data for similar operations in order to compare their functionality and practical
application; for example, the dual process for the receiving of the pallets, using either manual
scanning of barcodes or an RFID portal to read the pallet tags as the goods-in operator moved
the pallet through the portal using a forklift truck. The data collected from these operations
was then compared to ensure that both were operating correctly. Mobile technology to scan
codes at various ‘remote’ locations was deployed, proving highly successful and adding to the
experience and learnings from the practical use of complex code carriers such as GS1 Data
Matrix where hardwired or other traditional solutions would have been difficult or impracti-
cal.
During the pilot, events were recorded and linked with pre-published master (product) data.
This provided the necessary flexibility to enable the support of a number of different applica-
tions - not only to enhance patient safety but also to improve supply chain efficiency: the abil-
ity to determine the whereabouts of products in the supply chain for speedy recall; the ability
to integrate data into back-office applications such as inventory management for better stock
utilization with expiry date management and financial reconciliation (e.g. goods received data
matched with supplier invoices); as well as the ability to identify non-authentic or non-
authorised products.
In summary, this work package demonstrated a practical, workable solution for mass seriali-
zation for track and traceability of pharmaceuticals in the open supply chain.
2.7
Supply Chain Management in European Textile Industry
The focus of this work package was the textile supply chain. Its objective was to examine the
feasibility of EPC/RFID technology in the textile industry and to develop the adapted RFID
technology for successful implementation. Work was conducted by analytical and empirical
studies to identify potential RFID opportunities in supply chain processes taking various fac-
tors into consideration. The work consisted of five steps:
Market Analysis: As preliminary work we analysed the European textile market to identify the
main problems and challenges in the textile industry, the main developments in this market
and the opportunities for EPC/RFID technology to optimise existing processes. Nowadays,
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significant changes can be observed in consumer behaviour, distribution channels and retail
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structures. Due to increasing competition, price pressure and labour costs, companies are
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examining opportunities to save costs, e.g. by reducing manual processes, reducing out of
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stock situations and increasing the visibility of the supply chain.
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Requirements Identification: As a second step, the necessary technical requirements for se-
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lected use cases and for an RFID implementation were examined. RFID applications could be
introduced at the Distribution Centre or the store, in the receiving or outgoing area, in the
front or back store, on smart shelves or in dressing rooms. All these applications require dif-
on the
ferent systems and set ups. Different hardware solutions are required, e.g. mobile devices vs.
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fixed gates, number of tags, antennae and printers.
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Business Cases: Business cases for an SME supplier, a department store and a hypermarket
were analysed, considering company type, articles and labour costs, to determine the amount
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of investment, the amortization time and the return on investment.
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Empirical Study: The actual state of the textile market combined with the technical require-
ments and business cases led to the fourth and final part of work: an empirical study using
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three pilots. The following pilots were conducted:
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Northland pilot: This Austrian manufacturer of outdoor clothing wanted to find out to what
extent an RFID inventory process was more effective than a manual inventory. The trial
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took place in a showroom where the Northland team tagged more than 300 articles to con-
duct their inventory. They obtained very significant improvements in time saving and accu-
racy of the inventory, with a reading rate of nearly 99% and an reduction of time for inven-
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tory checks by a factor of 20.
Gardeur pilot: This SME manufacturer of men’s clothing wanted to gain a better under-
CERP-Io
standing of consumer behaviour within the retail sales area and discover how often custom-
ers were taking each piece of clothing into the dressing room, how many trousers were ac-
145
tually sold, at which moment in time the articles were available on the sales floor, etc.
Gardeur benefited from more detailed visibility of their flow of merchandise on the sales
floor and used this information for planning purposes.
Galeria Kaufhof pilot: This pilot was carried out in a department store from September
2007 to December 2008 and focused on the customer attitude towards customer-oriented
RFID applications. The Gardeur shop within the Galeria Kaufhof store in Essen was
equipped with smart shelves, smart dressing rooms and a smart mirror, each equipped with
displays to show RFID enabled product information to the customer.
All three pilots were evaluated by a customer survey. Over a period of three weeks, more than
250 customers were interviewed (50% men / 50% women). In general, customers accepted
RFID applications and evaluated them as a big advantage regarding their personal shopping
experience. 56% and 49% of all respondents appreciated and accepted the smart shelf and the
smart dressing room as an informative tool and a useful improvement for their selection of a
product. All three pilots – regardless of the structure or size of the company - showed positive
results which is highly motivating in terms of further implementation of RFID applications.
Nevertheless each company decided they need to investigate their own processes to figure out
their potential and to check if RFID is the right technology for their objectives. Following the
pilots, this work package produced a set of step-by-step guidelines with the aim of answering
frequently asked questions regarding the technology and giving interested companies reliable
guidance about how to execute and implement an RFID project in the textile sector.
2.8
Applications in manufacturing
The manufacturing work package aimed to develop tools and methodologies to help organiza-
tions give effective decisions on RFID implementation. Implementing RFID within a manufac-
turing plant requires extensive analysis and experimentation. Resulting from this observation
the BRIDGE team developed industrial guidelines for problem and requirements analysis,
business case and pilot preparation, using case studies from our application partners: Nestle
UK and the Spanish cooperative COVAP. The team devised an exemplary systematic approach
to investigate how and where RFID can be used, how priority areas can be detected using
Value Stream and UML based analysis, how a business case can be developed and lean manu-
facturing based value drivers be identified, and finally, how requirements relating to hard-
ware, software, human factors can be drawn, and planned for.
State of the art in literature shows either overly complex analytical models or overly qualita-
tive benefit claims often from RFID consultancy companies. Furthermore, existing modes of
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analysis are often supply chain focused. As a result manufacturers are in need of reliable deci-
ing
sion support methodologies that enable cost effective and time effective expedited testing of
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alternative solutions. Within this respect the team reviewed current trends in decision making
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and simulating RFID implementations, and made the case for simulation as a decision sup-
port mechanism in RFID implementation. They argued that using the lean manufacturing
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analogy, practitioners could find as-is and to-be manufacturing waste to be an effective means
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of analysing the impact of RFID in their operations. Consequently, the team proposed a simu-
lation model where input parameters consist of physical and information flows of the manu-
facturing process under consideration and output consists of waste reduction what-if analysis.
on the
The simulation approach was tested with two industrial case studies: Nestle UK Intermediate
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Bulk Container Management (IBC), and COVAP Iberian Ham Manufacturing. Both of these
processes showed potential in achieving a leaner mode of operations through reduction of
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different waste types.
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A major goal and focus of this work was the development of a successful manufacturing pilot.
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This goal was achieved and a ham traceability application was created in just 6 months. The
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Iberian ham is a delicatessen product, manufactured through a highly handcrafted process
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that lasts three years. COVAP aimed to increase item level traceability at each stage of the
manufacturing process, automating inventory counts and manual information records. Due to
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challenging process conditions such flaming, washing, and greasing, we needed a carefully
designed tag encapsulation. Extensive testing pointed to the use of UHF Gen2 tags at three
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fixed and two mobile read points to ensure the highest read rates. The first mobile read point
was used for product classification according to animal feed, weight, origin, and pH levels,
whereas the second mobile read point is used for batch scans when products move between
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different cellars that simulate seasonal conditions. The rest of the fixed readers tracked inven-
tory and work-in-progress.
COVAP developed the ham traceability application to interface read events with its informa-
CERP-Io
tion system, and aims to explore the use of EPCIS and further extend the pilot into its supply
chain. After the three years when manufacturing process lead time is complete, the company is
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intrigued to examine the correlation of various product and process data such as feeding and
weight, as well as maturation times in different cellar conditions, with the end product quality.
It is envisaged that in addition to a leaner operating environment, and increased traceability,
the RFID set up will also enable process innovation through the gathering of statistical data.
The work strand has not only provided comprehensive guidelines to manufacturers for finding
value in RFID and implementing an RFID based solution, but also showcased a successful
pilot to validate these guidelines.
The scope of this work was to improve reusable asset management in the supply chain, and to
evaluate, measure and propose how a secure track and trace solution based on GS1 EPCglobal
standards can improve the management of Reusable Transport Item (RTI) between the trad-
ing partners. The work consisted of five tasks:
Market analysis: The first task analyzed the current situation regarding asset management in
the supply chain, providing a foundation for development of the project requirements and
solutions, since it defines its domain objectives and context. A survey analyzed the behaviour
of industries regarding assets management in Europe, allowing for complete description of the
two management models that exist in the supply chain such as:
The pooling model, where assets are owned by professional Pool Operators and rented to
users. Pool Operators manage the movement of their pools between trading partners
The exchange model, where assets are owned directly by their users. They are exchanged in
equal quantities and quality between trading partners
The analysis of strengths/weaknesses showed a strong lack of efficiency in the management of
RTIs circulating within the supply chain, with no common commitment among participants in
the supply chain to achieve better RTI control. Only some parties undertake actions to im-
prove the follow-up of assets. Moreover the level of non-commitment from other parties
makes it difficult, or even impossible, to control assets in the whole supply chain. This analy-
sis resulted in the compilation of a list of requirements needed for improving RTI manage-
ment.
Requirements analysis: This task described the business and technical requirements to solve
Asset Management issues. Based on the initial survey, the scope was limited to the pooling
and exchange models for pallets and crates and mainly focused on the food and beverage sec-
tors. Analysis showed that in order to improve asset management, all actors of the supply
chain require more visibility on use of RTIs, tracking and tracing assets within their own in-
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ternal processes as well as during the trading partner processes. An accurate visibility on as-
ing
sets flow could give the opportunity to improve asset use with better rotation, reducing over
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stock or pool size, identifying companies responsible for causing problems, reducing damages,
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losses, fraudulent uses or counterfeiting, as well as optimizing exchanges with partners and
therefore reducing the quantity of disputes, and enabling the tracking and tracing of the goods
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contained in the asset by tracking and tracing the asset itself.
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Visibility improvement depends on three functional requirements:
Identification: Assets can be “traced & tracked” in the supply chain if and only if they are
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uniquely identified in a way that allows a company to distinguish one type of asset from an-
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other (kind of asset, dimension, brand, composition, etc) and one unique asset among oth-
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ers (for reasons of traceability)
Automated data capture: Companies need to automate their processes in order to improve
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their productivity (i.e. reduce time per process) and their efficiency (better quality of data
collected). Barcode and RFID tags are the best data carriers to use for this automated iden-
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tification
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Data exchange: The supply chain is an “open loop” world and Asset Management involves
multiple trading partners. To improve their visibility, companies need to exchange relevant
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information with their partners about asset movement in the flow. Certain information
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needs to be stored in an Information System and shared with partners such as: Asset code,
Asset quantity, Asset location, Asset disposition.
For these functional requirements, GS1 and EPCglobal have developed a set of standards such
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as the GRAI code, the GS1 128 Barcode, the UHF Gen2 RFID air interface, EDI messages and
EPCIS events. The pilot was then conducted to find how they could be used by trading part-
ners to reach the objectives.
CERP-Io
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Business case analysis: Two business cases were developed; one concerning a manufacturer
and another concerning a retailer. The goal was to use these business cases to launch two
semi-closed loop pilots and one global open loop pilot. To reproduce a typical supply chain,
the work team consisted of a food manufacturer (Bénédicta), its logistic provider (FM Logis-
tics), a retailer warehouse (Carrefour but operated by Kuehne Nagel), a store (Carrefour) and,
of course, two pool providers (LPR and Smart Flow pooling). It was decided to only focus the
analysis on pallets in a pooling model, which represents one of the most commonly used asset
management practices in European retail. The two business cases addressed all the different
ways to solve the business requirements using technology like RFID and EPCglobal Network.
For the actors, they detailed the scenarios of GRAI codification, asset tagging with RFID tags,
use of RFID readers in the logistic processes, generation and exchange of EPCIS events be-
tween IT systems of the trading partners, and evaluated the cost/benefit of the solution.
Pilot preparation: Two pilots were planned; one with Bénédicta (manufacturer) and one with
Carrefour (retailer), but only the retailer pilot took place. The Carrefour pilot aimed to track
and trace empty pallets and their shipments (the goods) from a warehouse to a store and vice-
versa. It ran from June-November 2008 and resulted in the exchange of a total of 5264 RFID
pallets. Each pallet was tagged with two tags encoded with the same GRAI and was identified
at each step of the logistic flow. The pilot results showed that two tags fixed in diagonal oppo-
site plots of the pallet achieved a high rate of readability during all the logistic processes.
However, the location of the tags has to be studied, especially to ensure robustness to electro-
magnetic phenomena (detuning, absorbing, and reflection) and damages due to the harsh
environment. The results also showed that it is possible to track and trace goods by tracking
and tracing pallets if an aggregation between the SSCC(s) and the GRAI is managed in the
database and shared with authorized trading partners. Finally, the pilot demonstrated positive
improvements of visibility due to RFID and EPCIS event exchange.
Results and recommendation analysis: This task consisted of matching the pilot results with
the business cases and requirements in order to validate the expected benefits and propose a
set of recommendations of GS1 and EPC standards for asset management improvement. The
pilot was able to confirm business opportunities such as increase of number of rotations per
pallet, the identification of locations where problems occur, improvement of process produc-
tivity and efficiency or optimization of partners account management. Moreover, the possibil-
ity to track and trace goods by tracking and tracing assets offer a fantastic opportunity to im-
prove Asset Management as well as Supply Chain Management. The experimentation in a real
context during the pilot phase allowed development of a set of technical requirements con-
cerning tag selection, tag encoding, placement of tags, reader configuration, and of course
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Information System infrastructure for companies who want to improve their asset manage-
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ment by using RFID and EPCglobal standards.
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Guidelines and dissemination: The final task concerned the dissemination of the work done
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since the beginning of the project. Based on the conclusions of WP9 and other work packages,
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4 deliverables were issued to improve reusable asset management:
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A Technical Guideline to help solution providers to understand the market needs and de-
velop efficient solutions
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An Application Guideline to help end-users to implement the technology
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A Financial tool to help companies to evaluate the costs/benefits of the solution
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A training toolkit to help companies to plan training sessions on RFID asset management
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Products in Service work focused on the consumer electronics sector, investigating many
benefits of unique serialization, not only within supply chain logistics up to the retail store, but
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also in after-sales processes such as warranty management and improved repair processes.
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The Sony pilot extended across the supply chain from a factory in Barcelona, where Bravia TV
sets were manufactured, through a distribution centre in Tilburg, to the Sony Style retail store
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in Berlin, then onwards to Sony’s network of authorised repair centres. Much of the initial
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work was concerned with upgrading manual data capturing processes to fully automatic proc-
esses, to improve the efficiency of operations. An example of this is paperless warranty man-
agement, through which it is possible to determine the date when a specific product was pur-
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chased by the customer - and to determine whether or not the product is eligible for repair
under warranty, even if the customer can no longer find the original printed receipt or returns
the product to a store or service centre other than the store where they originally purchased
CERP-Io
the product.
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Although the number of organizations involved in the current pilot was relatively small, the
deployment of Discovery Services allowed first hand experience with EPC data sharing con-
cepts in terms of usability, technical performance and functionalities. It also paved the way for
a larger roll-out, since it provided an important scalability mechanism for extending to include
a wider range of products as well as additional factories, distribution centres, retail stores,
service centres and repair centres that were associated with them.
Like the pharmaceutical traceability pilot, the Sony pilot also experimented with the use of
RFID in addition to optical data carriers such as barcodes and DataMatrix symbols. RFID tags
are typically only attached to the packaging during supply chain logistics, whereas optical
identifiers such as barcode and DataMatrix are used to uniquely identify each product in-
stance, avoiding any privacy issues. Associations between identifiers (including associations
resulting from changes of aggregation and containment) are recorded via the EPCIS interface
provided by the RedBite system installed at each site. For almost all products, Sony already
allocated serial numbers. Together with their solution provider, Sony made use of the EPC Tag
Data Translation standard and the open source TDT implementation from Fosstrak in order to
construct serialised SGTIN EPC identifiers from their EAN-13 barcode identifiers and serial
numbers.
The use of Auto-ID technologies such as RFID and EPC enables easier data capture at key
points in the supply chain e.g. on arrival and departure at each site. Automated data capturing
and the ability to identify several objects simultaneously without line of sight enable compa-
nies to increase the visibility of product flows whilst at the same time reducing the effort for
manual object identification. The underlying assumption however is that the read rates are
always at 100%, which is not the case in a real life situation. The Sony pilot installation and the
developed applications demonstrate how to introduce RFID into an operational environment
and how to handle read rate issues in order to reap the benefits of increased productivity and
visibility.
Because each product instance can be uniquely identified, each can have its own life history
with details about its creation, distribution, usage and any maintenance/repair activities, in-
cluding details about parts or components that were replaced during its service life. At the
level of an individual product, this has the potential to help make more informed decisions
during repair or servicing, as well as for extracting maximum residual value at the end of life,
especially if some particularly valuable components were only installed recently. Furthermore,
when this information can be collected across a ‘fleet’ of products of the same type, it is possi-
ble to do data mining to analyse for any systematic performance issues across a particular
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product line or production batch - and to be able to take more effective and responsive reme-
ing
dial action. The availability of more granular information in searchable electronic format can
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ultimately provide better decision support tools for streamlining repair and maintenance
processes.
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The improved visibility enabled through the use of Discovery Services and track and trace
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techniques enables manufacturers such as Sony to make more selective phased product recalls
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to remove any dangerous or defective products from the supply chain, even before they reach
the retail stores - and potentially to send more targeted advisory notices if there are any issues
with the products in the inventory of particular stores or distribution centres. Through ex-
on the
perimental pilots, this work strand investigated and demonstrated how deployment of RFID
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and the EPC Network architecture could yield benefits not only within the supply chain but
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beyond the point of sale.
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2.9
Item level tagging for non-food items
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This work package investigated item level tagging for non-food items sold to consumers. Four
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pilot activities were executed - two pilots on cultural products (CDs, DVDs, computer games
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and accessories) - initially at HF, then using UHF technology, a pilot on textiles and finally a
pilot on tagging of books.
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For each pilot phase, the same five-step methodology was used: 1) reviewing current business
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processes for the selected products, 2) studying RFID usage and defining target scenarios for
the pilots, 3) building the business case, 4) implementing and running the experiment in a live
environment, then 5) reporting on lessons learned during the pilot.
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The pilot on CD, DVD, video games and accessories demonstrated benefits in receiving, inven-
tory/cycle counting & reverse logistics with time efficiency improvements varying from 57% to
85%. The first pilot used HF technology because of regulatory constraints at the time - but
CERP-Io
then repeated with UHF and with collaboration with suppliers. Initially UHF gave disappoint-
ing results, but after a root cause analysis and redesign, a good solution was found using a mix
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of far field and near field UHF tags. Particular challenges were the difficulties in reading tags
in regions with high concentration of products on the sales area (several thousand tags).
For the textile pilot, the initial focus was on business processes within the retail store and the
warehouse, including the distribution centre of one international textile supplier, with tagging
at the manufacturer DC and the retailer warehouse, using detachable RFID paper labels. The
second step involved successful source tagging at manufacturer factories, with minimal adap-
tation to existing processes. Staff working in sales area of retail store found RFID to be a real
improvement of their working conditions, especially by reducing time spent on inventory
counting for stock control by around 80-94%. The textile pilot involved Belgium, France and
China, using UHF/EPC technology.
The goal of the book tagging pilot was to re-use infrastructure from the textile sub-pilot, in-
cluding adaptation of the mobile trolley reader. Improvements were demonstrated in reverse
logistics and in general productivity of between 74% and 92%. The book pilot also involved a
collaboration with UPC and Keonn to evaluate smart shelves developed in WP1 within the live
environment of a retail store. Their smart shelf solution gives a quasi real time inventory and
product shelf location, with potential for improved customer service through improved avail-
ability based on advanced interactivity.
In summary, RFID tagging at item level has been found to require low effort for adapting ex-
isting processes, so the potential of industry rollout is high, although the costs of infrastruc-
ture and its management are still important variables in decision-making.
2.10
Training and Education
This work package began by investigating training requirements from various stakeholders to
assess topics and preferred delivery mechanisms for each target audience. Particular empha-
sis focused on provision of training for SMEs, either locally or electronically and in local lan-
guages and blended learning solution on EPC / RFID were therefore developed combining
classroom material, webinars, e-learning and other training delivery mechanisms.
BRIDGE developed five training courses, publicly available in both classrooms and e-learning
formats, beginning with an introduction to the basics of EPC and RFID, followed by 3 ad-
vanced courses covering business, technical and implementation aspects of EPC / RFID in
more detail. The final course is targeted at senior managers and demonstrates how EPC/RFID
impacts the business processes of the supply chain, as defined in the Supply Chain Operations
Reference (SCOR) model.
s
All courses have been tested live and thoroughly reviewed by additional experts. The training
ing
requirements analysis and final version of these training courses are publicly available from
h T
the BRIDGE website.
t of
2.11
Dissemination and Adoption Tools
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WP13 developed tools to enable any interested organization to inform and educate their
Int
stakeholders about the findings and results of the various BRIDGE work packages, as well as
the impacts and benefits of EPC/RFID in general. Six concept animations were developed,
consisting of multi-media learning objects (in Macromedia Flash), that can be used for e-
on the
learning courses, presentations etc. to clearly present key applications of the technology. A
ctse
portable demonstration software tool was also developed to show how the EPCglobal network
works in real supply chain conditions and to simulate the kind of information each trading
Proj
partner would see as goods are transferred between trading partners. WP13 also prepared two
arch
impact reports - a market sizing study forecasting the market for passive RFID in Europe for
se
the next fifteen years and a report evaluating the impact of RFID technology on the European
Re
economy. A conference package was also prepared, consisting of brochures, white papers,
reports and a demonstration setup and presentation material. It can be freely reused by any
ean
organization hosting an EPC/RFID related event or wanting to learn more about the findings
of the BRIDGE project.
Europ
To help with consumer acceptance, WP13 has contributed to the development and translation
r of
of the website www.discoverRFID.org to help consumers understand the basics of RFID and
EPC and how the technology helps companies, institutions and organizations to make their
life easier and safer. WP13 also developed and maintains the BRIDGE website www.bridge-
T – Cluste
project.eu , where all the adoptions tools are publicly available.
CERP-Io
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3
Enhancing European operations with RFID and fine-grained
information sharing
Over the past three years the BRIDGE project became a significant hub of European activity
on RFID research. Both the application and the technical work packages brought valuable
lessons to European practitioners and researchers, helping to define the future directions of
RFID in Europe. The technical work packages delivered next generation technology such as
track and trace algorithms, discovery services, security algorithms and low cost high read
range hardware. The application work packages trialled RFID in production, supply chain,
retail and asset management. Where possible, they made use of developments in the technical
work packages. Some of the key learnings from BRIDGE are summarized below:
The modular design of the track and trace analytics framework enabled easy extension to
other developments in BRIDGE, for example anti-counterfeit detection leveraged the event
gathering layer, then added a complex rule system to detect cloned tags, while an high-level
application programming interface was designed to support business-level queries and
alerting criteria from the various business work packages. The pharmaceutical pilot pro-
duced a particularly comprehensive data set, including some interesting features especially
in the early stages of a pilot while the staff were still familiarizing themselves with the
equipment. These features in the data were useful for developing some of the criteria for
alerting about possible anomalies or deviations in the supply chain. Another important les-
son was that of data smoothing as it was noted that spurious data could alter the accuracy
even if some smoothing was done. It is therefore advisable to try to first improve the physi-
cal installation to improve reliability and eliminate spurious reads, rather than relying only
on the algorithms to smooth the data.
BRIDGE has contributed significantly to the development of open global standards for Dis-
covery services, which will finally enable sharing of serial-level information within open
supply chain networks. However, there is opportunity for further development to deter-
mine a viable business model for operators of Discovery Services and also to integrate sup-
port for trading of serial-level information between partners, without incurring significant
transaction costs. Future developments could also see Discovery Services providing sup-
port for integration of sensor information and agents; discovery of relevant sensor re-
sources allows gathering of information about the state or condition of each individual
product instance, while software agents could assist with automation of information discov-
ery. Other key areas that might gain momentum in the near future include ad-hoc wireless
networks, semantic tagging of entities, the mapping of digital, virtual and real entities,
s
processing, filtering and aggregation of data and processing of data streams in order to im-
ingh
prove quality of service.
T
A key learning from the anti-counterfeiting work was the importance of supply chain data
t of
sharing, since an accurate system is very much based on traceability and its automated data
erne
analysis. Although it was difficult to produce a business case for deploying an RFID infra-
Int
structure solely for the combating counterfeiting, anti-counterfeit solutions represent only a
small marginal cost when a company is already committed to deploying RFID for other rea-
sons, such as efficiency improvements within the enterprise or supply chain. Key areas of
on the
future research in security could be in energy-efficient encryption and data protection tech-
ctse
nologies, models for decentralized authentication and trust, and privacy-preserving tech-
nology for heterogeneous sets of devices. Reducing the cost of security is key to realization
Proj
of RFID based systems in the supply chain.
arch
The pharmaceutical pilot showed that a combination of identification technologies such as
se
2-D matrix codes, barcodes and RFID can co-exist in a supply chain and all be used to
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achieve unique identification of packages. An important outcome of this pilot was to high-
ean
light the various benefits of networked based traceability, as opposed to document-centric
traceability. Prior to BRIDGE, work was already in progress to develop a standard for an
electronic pedigree document that could be appended and digitally signed at each step as it
Europ
is passed downstream along the supply chain with the goods. Although the EPCglobal Drug
r of
Pedigree messaging standard satisfies the requirements of the US states introducing pedi-
gree legislation, the approach results in a very asymmetric visibility, with no improved visi-
bility benefit for manufacturers, despite their cost of tagging. It also lacks many of the
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benefits of a more networked approach to pharmaceutical traceability, such as those dem-
onstrated in the BRIDGE pilot. These include opportunities for improved inventory man-
agement, improved downstream visibility for manufacturers and the ability to do rapid and
CERP-Io
selective product recalls.
151
The manufacturing pilot provided systematic methods for RFID opportunity identification,
application development, and implementation, filling a gap in operations management lit-
erature. In terms of installation, it was important to think out of the box to reduce costs. In
Nestle UK the solution was built by using a mobile fork lift truck with readers attached, in-
stead of static read points at a large number of processing machines. In COVAP, a mobile
reader was used instead of readers at every inventory point. Another important lesson was
the importance of human factors. Where it was difficult to obtain high read rates, operators
facilitated a higher read rate by following certain process steps. Operators need to be
trained and informed of RFID technology and what automation means for them. The work
package mostly took existing processes and improved them. A future extension shall be the
examination of more innovative applications such as distributed manufacturing or machine
maintenance. Another research effort that needs to be continued is the modelling of soft
benefits of RFID, such as the prevention of recalls by raising alerts as soon as products go
into the wrong state. Such additional benefits are important for justifying the adoption of
RFID, although they are difficult to quantify.
Consumer electronics companies have been using serialized ID for many years but with
proprietary systems. The products in service work package demonstrated that existing iden-
tification codes could be mapped into Electronic Product Codes (EPCs) for use with EP-
Cglobal architecture standards. As a result, the logistics of the repair process is improved,
and so is the repair process by using the information gathered to help technicians to carry
out the repair process. However, this approach might not be able to offer a business case for
consumer electronics, since these products are becoming smaller and hence more difficult
to repair, it may be appropriate for higher value products and industrial assets, especially
those with more mechanical parts and equipment that can be repaired.
In the item level tagging for non-food items, significant time savings were found particu-
larly during inventory checks. The pilot demonstrated greater sale-to-orders ratio than
other stores not using RFID, primarily due to fewer inventory discrepancies. RFID also
helped staff to adjust orders from suppliers according to remaining stock especially in situa-
tions where they were not allowed to return stock to suppliers. The most important result
was that significant benefits could be achieved without staff having to do additional work or
modify the existing processes in store.
Despite the BRIDGE initiative, industry-wide deployment in RFID is still at an early stage,
which leads to a lack of understanding of organizational change management in the de-
ployment of RFID systems. In addition to leaner processes, future areas of focus could in-
s
clude global cost savings and optimization of supply chain carbon footprint. To this end, en-
ingh
terprise software development companies could look into further development and com-
T
mercialization of business analytics using RFID data.
t of
4
Conclusions
erne
The BRIDGE project created a state of the art framework for consolidating the use of stan-
Int
dardized RFID technology and for contributing to the development of business solutions for
global supply chain applications, thereby making a number of lasting contributions that are
on the
likely to impact the research in RFID, not only in Europe, but also in the rest of the world.
cts
Among these contributions, this chapter presented a number of technology developments,
e
such as the low-cost readers, Gen 2 sensor-enabled tag as well as improvements to the security
Proj
of hardware and network layers, design and development of discovery services, standardisa-
tion activities and track and trace analytics to help business users to make sense of the vast
arch
amounts of data. The business work packages have developed business cases in various indus-
se
try sectors and implemented pilots, generating best practice guidelines.
Re
In summary, BRIDGE has significantly advanced the state of the art in RFID Europe, while
ean
highlighting future directions in research that European organizations could pursue for
maximizing their return on investment from RFID enhanced operations. In this paper we
Europ
highlighted a number of key areas of address. These include the impact of spurious data in
r of
tracking and tracing, the integration of sensor information and agents in discovery services,
energy-efficient encryption and data protection technologies, privacy-preserving technology
for heterogeneous sets of devices, reducing the cost of security, examination of more innova-
tive applications such as distributed manufacturing or machine maintenance, modelling of
T – Cluste
soft benefits of RFID, billing of RFID data and infrastructures, and using RFID to reduce sup-
ply chain carbon footprint. We urge researchers and practitioners to spend time helping to
address these since networked RFID can play a vital role in preparing the economy for the
CERP-Io
manufacturing and supply chain landscape in Europe.
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4.8
Open Source Middleware for
Networked Embedded Systems
towards Future Internet of Things
ASPIRE & HYDRA Project
Neeli R. Prasad, Center for TeleInFrastruktur (CTIF), Aalborg University, DK;
Markus Eisenhauer, Fraunhofer Institute for applied Information Technology FIT,
DE; Matts Ahlsén, CNET Svenska A.B., SE; Atta Badii, University of Reading, UK;
André Brinkmann, University of Paderborn, DE; Klaus Marius Hansen, University
of Aarhus, DK; Peter Rosengren, CNET Svenska A.B., SE
Abstract: The European Commission (EC) funded Integrated Projects (IPs) ASPIRE and Hydra
develop open source middleware for networked embedded systems and focus on the integration
of devices with energy and computational power constraints. These devices like sensors, actua-
tors, or RFIDs are the foundation of the Internet of Things (IoT), which will connect objects of
our daily life, enabling e.g. their tracking as well as their interaction in service oriented environ-
ments. The aim is to reduce time-to-market for developers and total cost of ownership (TCO) for
SMEs. Therefore, ASPIRE delivers a lightweight and privacy-friendly middleware, which eases
the standard-compliant development of RFIDs, while Hydra enables the connection of heteroge-
neous devices, offering a secure environment to build model-guided web services on multi-
protocol wired and wireless networks. This chapter shows that the combination of both ap-
proaches will significantly simplify and speed-up the transformation from manually configured
sensor-actor environments to service-oriented architectures.
1
Internet of Things
s
The users of today’s networked world are swamped with information coming from a myriad of
ingh
applications and services present on their devices, communication infrastructures, and on the
T
Internet. In the near future, this information overload will be magnified many times when the
t of
Internet of Things (IoT) becomes a reality, i.e. objects, smart devices, services, sensors, and
RFIDs can interact with the user and among themselves to provide services or information.
erne
Despite the simplicity of the operational principles of IoT technology (i.e. tags responding to
Int
readers requests), the design of a complete IoT system encompasses complex interactions not
only between different layers of the OSI (Open Systems Interconnection) model, but it also
on the
involves several market, privacy, security, and business issues. This heterogeneous landscape
cts
calls for a middleware platform which is able to consider all these complex variables in a flexi-
e
ble and modular way, which is able to provide a starting point for future upgrades and innova-
tions, and which considerably reduces the implementation costs of IoT solutions.
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arch
1.1
IoT Scenarios
se
The IoT is expected to include everything from simple RFID tags and sensors of everyday ob-
Re
jects like cars and fridges to intelligent devices with high computing power. One of the main
ean
challenges of the IoT is to handle the complexity of the huge number of heterogeneous devices
interacting in these environments, which cannot be envisioned by the developers of these de-
Europ
vices. Dedicated scenarios discussed both in ASPIRE and HYDRA are the health sector, the
apparel industry, and the agriculture domain. Specially being used for tracking and tracing.
r of
An example from the agriculture domain is the creation of an irrigation system, which inte-
grates various systems to enable intelligent control. On the one hand, such systems have to
have complex irrigation models with an expert system for advanced scheduling and decision
T – Cluste
support and dynamic search for up-to-date weather information. This central system is re-
sponsible for the optimisation of water distribution on the entire farm, relating to topography,
weather and barometric pressure. These parts of the irrigation system typical run on a per-
CERP-Io
sonal computer connected to the Internet and have access to Bluetooth, wireless Ethernet and
cabled Ethernet networks. On the other hand, input to the irrigation control system is today
153
also coming from distributed electrical conductivity sensors that allow mapping of soil charac-
teristics, but new systems will be able to integrate even more accurate water demand predic-
tions based on subsurface soil moisture sensors in preset depths in the fields. The sensors will
be spread on the fields and ploughed into the ground. They communicate via RFID technology
and a robotic radio transmitter to the irrigation system.
In a different part of the farm, the irrigation control system may also interfaces to the irriga-
tion system installed in the greenhouses, where the farmer grows tomatoes, peppers and cu-
cumbers. A new precision irrigation system based on estimation of crops’ water stress with
acoustic emission (AE) technique has been installed in the greenhouse. The system acquires
real-time acoustic signals and transpiration data from the tomato crop. The system also col-
lects environment parameters of the greenhouse such as temperature, air humidity, sunlight,
and carbon dioxide density.
1.2
Requirement Analysis
The presented IoT scenario for agriculture environments contains a number of interesting
challenges, which have been the motivation for the ASPIRE and Hydra projects. This section
contains a short requirement analysis concerning middleware development for the IoT based
on this example scenario.
The first observation is that the amount of different devices interacting in an IoT environment
is much bigger than for comparable scenarios in standard IT environments. Nevertheless, the
time to market for products and solutions has to be as short as possible, as each single device,
like a subsurface soil moisture sensors, has to be as inexpensive as possible, and each single
installation, like an irrigation system, can only be cost-effective, if each adaptation can be done
in very short time.
These requirements create a demand for middleware solutions, which support both individual
device development as well as the interoperability of very different devices, which might be
connected by different network technologies and therefore need proxies which help to bridge
between these boundaries. The huge amount of sensors and actuators working together in IoT
environments also require service discovery procedures as well as means to enforce semantic
compatibility between devices. Otherwise it would become too costly to manually configure
each device on its own.
Additional complexity arises, when sensor values trigger services inside the IoT. Today’s IT
environments overcome comparable complexity by introducing service-oriented architectures,
which are based on web service interfaces. Similar mechanisms for embedded devices seem a
s
promising approach to introduce service-oriented concepts for the IoT.
ingh T
Another aspect imminent in many IoT environments, especially in e-Health or home automa-
t of
tion, is integrated support for enforcing security, privacy, and integrity policies, which ensure
that no information leakage takes place.
erne
This chapter presents the European research projects Aspire and Hydra, which tackle the
Int
above mentioned challenges by introducing open source middleware on the device and net-
work level, which will help to significantly reduce time to market for devices and applications,
on the
while ensuring security and semantic interoperability.
ctse
2
ASPIRE
Proj
In order to fill the gap in the development of middleware for RFID applications, ASPIRE will
develop and deliver lightweight, royalty-free, programmable, privacy friendly, standards-
arch se
compliant, scalable, integrated, and intelligent middleware platform that will facilitate low-
cost development and deployment of innovative fully automatic RFID solutions. The ASPIRE
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middleware will be licensed under LGPL v2 (Lesser General Public License). ASPIRE aims to
ean
bring RFID to SMEs.
ASPIRE middleware architecture that is fully compliant with the EPC suite of standards
Europ
[EPC]. The EPC set of standards is mainly concerned with the processing of data in centralized
r of
RFID architectures [FLOER]0. This means that this set of standards assumes that a central
node or core is in charge of the coordination, configuration, collection and other functions of
the platform.
T – Cluste
Programmability features in the middleware aim at easing the configuration of ASPIRE solu-
tions. The ASPIRE programmability functionality will offer the possibility to deploy RFID
solutions through entering high-level metadata for a company (including the business context
CERP-Io
of its RFID deployments), rather than through writing significant amounts of low-level pro-
gramming statements. At the same time programmability functionalities also aim at treating
154
personal data as specified by ePrivacy protection directives. For example through algorithms
that clean up unnecessary data and maintain principles of data quality, limitation, and conser-
vation.
Figure 4.8-1: ASPIRE Overview.
2.1
General Architecture
The ASPIRE architecture [AS43b] (see Figure 4.8-1) implements the set of EPC standards and
complements it by a set of added value features. Figure 4.8-2 shows the main components of
the architecture. Heterogeneous landscape of readers from different providers is displayed.
Note that readers that are not under EPC or ASPIRE standards are connected to the platform
via a HAL or hardware abstraction layer, which basically converts proprietary into ASPIRE
s
semantics, and vice versa. Readers that deploy EPC reader protocols are directly connected via
ing
RP or LLRP to the Filtering and collection (F&C) server, which in turn implements the ALE
h T
interface standard to upper layers. The F&C server filters unwanted data and forwards refined
streams to different subscribers. In ASPIRE the main subscriber is the BEG (Business Event
t of
Generator), which interconnects the F&C and the EPCIS modules and which constitutes and
erne
added value solution provided by ASPIRE. The EPCIS module is finally connected to particu-
Int
lar end user applications via, for example, web-services. A key element in the ASPIRE archi-
tecture is the Integrated Development Environment, which allows a rapid and efficient man-
agement of the ASPIRE middleware platform. The management solution is not part of EPC
on the
standards and hence it also constitutes an added value solution of ASPIRE.
ctse
Proj
arch se
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ean
Europ
r of
T – Cluste
CERP-Io
Figure 4.8-2: ASPIRE Architecture for Programmability, Configurability and End-to-End In-
frastructure Management.
155
The ASPIRE architecture identifies the following main middleware modules:
Middleware modules for virtualising/abstracting reader access i.e. enabling the ASPIRE
platform to be flexible in supporting different reader vendors and types.
Middleware modules for filtering and collection, which decouple the ASPIRE middleware
platform from the physical readers’ configurations and details, as well as from how tags are
sensed and read. The filtering and collection middleware produces application level events.
Middleware modules for generating business events in a configurable and automated fash-
ion i.e. enabling the ASPIRE middleware to generate business events on the basis of reports
produced by the filtering and collection modules.
Middleware modules and repositories for storing and managing business events.
Middleware modules acting as connectors to legacy IT (Information Technology) systems
such as Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems, Warehouse Management Systems
(WMS), as well as corporate databases. Note that some of the above modules are prescribed
as EPC (Electronic Product Code) compliant modules i.e. ensuring compliance with a major
set of RFID standards. This is particularly true for specifications relating to reader access
and filtering.
The ASPIRE architecture novelty lies in following innovative modules and tools which are not
yet in any standard:
A business event generation (BEG) middleware module, which translates filtered reports
into business events in an automatic fashion.
Management modules enabling the end-to-end management of the whole RFID infrastruc-
ture, comprising both RFID hardware and middleware.
A set of tools enabling business process management over the ASPIRE middleware.
Business Event Generator: The architecture introduces a Business Event Generator
(BEG) module between the F&C and Information Sharing (e.g. EPC-IS) modules. The role of
the BEG is to automate the mapping between reports stemming from F&C and IS events. In-
stead of requiring developers to implement the mapping logic, the BEG enables application
builders to configure the mapping based on the semantics of the RFID application.
With the help of the AspireRfid IDE, it is possible to create required business events. In EPC
s
terms, BEG can be seen as a specific instance of an EPC-IS capturing application, which parses
ing
EPC-ALE reports, fuses these reports with business context data using the assigned business
h
event from the company’s business metadata to serve as guide and accordingly prepares EPC-
T
IS compliant events. The latter events are submitted to the EPC-IS Repository, based on an
t of
EPC-IS capture interface and related bindings. The specification of the BEG is a valuable addi-
erne
tion over existing RFID middleware architectures and platforms.
Int
Information Sharing Repository: At the heart of the architecture is the EPC-IS reposi-
tory. The ASPIRE Information Sharing repository is responsible for receiving application-
agnostic RFID data from the filtering & collection middleware through the Business Event
on the
Generation (BEG) application and to store the translated RFID data in corresponding busi-
ctse
ness events. These events carry the business context and make business events and master
data available and accessible to other upstream applications through the query interface.
Proj
Generally, the ASPIRE information sharing repository is dealing with two kinds of data:
arch se
RFID event data i.e. data arising in the course of carrying out business processes. These
Re
data change very frequently at the time scales where business processes are carried out.
ean
Master/company data i.e. additional data that provides the necessary context for interpret-
ing the event data. These are data items associated with the company, its business locations,
Europ
its read points, as well as with the business steps comprising the business processes that
r of
this company carries out.
At a glance Information Services of the ASPIRE Information Sharing middleware itself con-
sists of three parts, a capture interface that provides web services for storing data, a repository
T – Cluste
that provides persistence, and query interface that provides web services that retrieves the
business events/master data from the repository.
Connector Application: RFID middleware components described in the previous para-
CERP-Io
graphs provide a foundation for translating raw RFID streams to meaningful business events
comprising business context such as where a tag was seen, at what time and in the scope of
156
which process. Enterprises can then leverage these business events through their legacy IT
systems, which are used to support their business processes. To this end, there is a clear need
for interfacing these legacy systems with the information sharing repositories, established and
populated as part of the RFID deployment. Interfacing between IT systems and the informa-
tion sharing repository, as well as other middleware blocks of the RFID deployment is realized
through specialized middleware components that are called “connectors”.
The main purpose of connector components is to abstract the interface between the ASPIRE
information sharing repository and enterprise information systems. Hence, connectors offer
APIs that enable proprietary enterprise information systems to exchange business information
with the ASPIRE RFID middleware system.
Connectors therefore provide:
Support for services and events: Composite applications can call out to existing functional-
ity as a set of services, and to be notified when a particular event type (for example, “pur-
chase order inserted,” “employee hired”) occurs within an application.
Service abstraction: All services have some common properties, including error handling,
syntax, and calling mechanisms. They also have common access mechanisms such as JCA
(Java Connector Architecture), JDBC, ODBC (Object Database Connectivity), and Web ser-
vices, ideally spanning different platforms. This makes the services more reusable, while
also allowing them to share communications, load balancing, and other non-service-specific
capabilities.
Functionality abstraction: Individual services are driven by metadata about the transac-
tions that the business needs to execute.
Process management: Services embed processes, and process management tools call ser-
vices. Hence, connectors support the grouping of several service invocations to processes.
Management: The architecture specifies also the implementation of end-to-end manage-
ment functionality based on JMX (Java Management Extension) technology. To this end, a
JMX wrapper is specified for each middleware and hardware component. JMX wrappers in-
terface to underlying readers based on the Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP)
and the Reader Management (RM) protocol, while they interface to middleware components
using MBeans, which access their low-level control properties. Based on these JMX wrappers
composite, sophisticated management applications can be implemented. Management appli-
cations can be used to interface and control actuators as well. Based on JMX, actuator control
s
commands can be issued upon the occurrence of certain events at any middleware layer.
ingh
Actuators: The actuator control framework defines interfaces and connectors that third
T
party applications will be able to utilize in order to successfully interact with analogue or digi-
t of
tal devices, based on sensor events. These sensors may either be RFID or other ASPIRE sup-
erne
ported physical sensors. Applications will be able to register an event handler that will, for
example, interact with a flashlight when a specific group of tags pass through a RFID aggrega-
Int
tion gate.
Integrated Development Environment: As far as ease of development and deployment
on the
is concerned, the architecture specifies the existence of an IDE enabling the visual manage-
ctse
ment of all configuration files and meta-data that are required for the operation of an RFID
Proj
solution.
arch
2.2
ASPIRE Middleware features
se
ASPIRE solutions will be open source and royalty free, which will bring an important reduc-
Re
tion of the Total Cost of Ownership, and at the same time programmable and lightweight in
ean
order to be backwards compatible with current IT SME infrastructure. Additionally, ASPIRE
will be designed as privacy friendly, which means that future privacy features related to RFID
can be easily adopted by the platform. Finally, ASPIRE will act as a main vehicle for realizing
Europ
the proposed swift in the current RFID deployment paradigm. Portions (i.e. specific libraries)
r of
of the ASPIRE middleware will be hosted and run on low-cost RFID-enabled microelectronic
systems, in order to further lower the TCO in mobility scenarios (i.e. mobile warehouses,
trucks). Hence, the ASPIRE middleware platform will be combined with innovative European
T – Cluste
developments in the area of ubiquitous RFID-based sensing towards enabling novel business
cases that ensure improved business results.
CERP-Io
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ASPIRE Innovative filtering solution
As observed in previous subsections, filtering has a prominent position in the RFID middle-
ware blocks. Legacy middleware products concentrate on
Low-level filtering (Tags, Tag Data)
Aggregation of readings
Provision of basic low-level application events
Advancing on this legacy features, ASPIRE introduces a new approach to RFID middleware
through a two-tier filtering:
Conventional filtering (e.g., EPC-ALE paradigm)
Open Source Tools (Stored/Save, Edit, Delete Filters) compliant to ALE specifications
Filtering of business events (i.e. based on the paradigm of BEG module)
Combination of filtered data with business metadata according to declared/configured
processes
Specifications for mapping sensor reading events into business events
Filtering of many types of sensors other than RFID, like ZigBee (IEEE 802.15) and HF sen-
sors.
The ASPIRE FML (Filtering Markup Language)
The filtering functionality in an RFID platform is not only used to get rid of extra information
that is not relevant for upper layers, but it represents the connection between the low level
RFID world, and the business and application level semantics, therefore being a critical point
for middleware integrators and developers. To provide a clear consensus for open source con-
tributors around this important interface, a straightforward solution is to use a high level pro-
gramming language oriented to describe business semantics and to isolate them from the low
level details of RFID platforms. Among such languages, one that has received special interest
due to its flexibility and great acceptance between Internet and application developers is the
extensible markup language (XML). XML is a set of rules for encoding documents electroni-
cally. It is defined in the XML 1.0 Specification produced by the W3C (world wide web consor-
tium) and several other related specifications; all are fee-free open standards. As the name
suggests, by using a set of markups, the language is able to be adapted to a variety of purposes,
including the filtering functionality of an RFID system as described in this document. The
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filtering markup language proposed by ASPIRE not only helps in the programmability of the
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tool but it also provides modularity and the possibility of reusing filtering rules. In this way
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future developers can start building up new and interesting filtering policies from previously
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tested and mature solutions. Code reusability has been widely used in the software world, for
example in the context of compilers for object oriented languages, and in the open source
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community itself. Reuse of filters with business meaning will allow SMEs and untrained per-
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sons on RFID to deploy new applications in short periods of time and at low cost.
Integration of Low-Cost reader within the ASPIRE Architecture
on the
This hardware platform will enhance the ASPIRE middleware programmable architecture by
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providing capabilities for flexibly handling physical quantities data (e.g. temperature, pres-
sure, humidity). The ASPIRE reader will come into facets (which can be considered as two
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distinct readers) in particular:
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A classical fixed reader
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A portable low-cost reader
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The ASPIRE architecture includes an interface to the low-cost readers. In connection to, a
hardware abstraction layer (HAL) implementation for the low-cost readers will be provided.
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This HAL implementation will enable ASPIRE applications, as well as ASPIRE management
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and development tools to use the low-cost reader exactly in the same way with other readers
(e.g., using the EPC-RP, EPC-LLRP or RM protocols). As a result of this interface, in the scope
of the ASPIRE trials, as well as other deliverable of the project, system architects will be able
to conveniently choose between the low-cost reader and other commercial readers (e.g., based
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on end-user requirements and trial objectives).
3
Hydra
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The first objective of the Hydra project is to develop middleware based on a service-oriented
architecture, to which the underlying communication layer is transparent. The middleware
158
will include support for distributed as well as centralised architectures, security and trust, self-
management and model-driven development of applications.
The Hydra middleware will be deployable on both new and existing networks of distributed
wireless and wired devices, which operate with limited resources in terms of computing
power, energy and memory usage. It will allow for secure, trustworthy, and fault tolerant ap-
plications. The embedded and mobile service-oriented architecture will provide interoperable
access to data, information and knowledge across heterogeneous platforms supporting true
ambient intelligence for ubiquitous networked devices.
The second objective of the Hydra project is to produce tools that will simplify the develop-
ment process based on the Hydra middleware: software and a device development kit (SDK
and DDK) to be used by developers.
3.1
General Architecture
The Hydra middleware is an intelligent software layer placed between the operating system
and applications. The middleware contains a number of software components - or managers -
designed to handle the various tasks needed to support a cost-effective development of intelli-
gent applications for networked embedded systems (see Figure 4.8-3). The middleware distin-
guishes between application elements and device elements, where the main differentiation is
the resources required to run the manager.
Application elements are components, which are usually running on powerful machines in-
tended to serve as managing instance inside, e.g. a home automation environment. Device
elements are deployed in machines, which are restricted in computing power or battery life-
time.
The middleware can be incorporated in both new and existing networks of distributed devices.
It provides easy-to-use web service interfaces for controlling different types of physical devices
irrespective of their network interface technology. It is based on a semantic model-driven ar-
chitecture (MDA) for easy programming and also incorporates means for device and service
discovery, peer-to-peer communication and diagnostics. Hydra-enabled devices offer the po-
tential for secure and trustworthy communication through distributed security and social trust
components of the middleware.
The Hydra middleware specifically facilitates the realisation of context-aware behaviour and
management of data persistence on resource-constrained devices. Context-aware services can
ubiquitously sense the user's environment and obtain information about the circumstances
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under which they are able to operate and thus adapt their behaviour based on rules defined in
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the application or set directly by the user.
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Figure 4.8-3: Hydra Architecture.
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3.2
Semantic Device Discovery and Ontologies
Semantic Device Discovery: The basic idea behind the Hydra semantic model-driven
architecture (MDA) is to differentiate between the physical devices and the application’s view
of the device. A Hydra device is the software representation of a physical device. This repre-
sentation is either implemented by a Hydra software proxy running on a gateway device or by
embedded Hydra software on the actual device. A Hydra device is said to Hydra-enable a
physical device.
The concept of semantic devices, which is based on Hydra devices, supports static as well as
dynamic mappings to physical devices. Mappings can be both 1-to-1 from a semantic device to
a Hydra device or compositions of multiple devices into an aggregate. An example of a 1-to-1
mapping would be a “semantic pump” that is exposed with all its services to the programmer,
whereas a “semantic heating system” is a composition of three different underlying Hydra
devices – a pump, a thermometer and a digital lamp [1]. Hydra supports the semantic MDA
approach from two perspectives:
At design-time through the use of the Hydra Device Ontology, whereby it supports both
device developers as well as application developers. When a new device type is needed, the
adequate concept in the device classification ontology can be further sub-classed by more
specialised concepts and the new properties can be added. Specific device models are cre-
ated as instances of device ontology concepts and serve as templates for run-time instances
of physical devices.
At run-time, whereby Hydra applications can use knowledge provided by various device
management services (e.g. discovery and updates). In the device discovery process, the dis-
covery information is resolved using the ontology and the most suitable template is identi-
fied. The identified template is cloned and a new unique run-time instance representing the
specific device is created.
These device descriptions can be defined at a fairly general level, e.g. the application may only
be interested in a "Hydra SMS Service" and any device entering the network that fits this gen-
eral category will be presented to the application. This means that an application need only
know the types of devices and services. The application may use a device that may have been
designed and built after the application was defined, as long as it can be classified through the
device ontology as being of a device type or using a service that is requested by the application.
The Hydra SDK is available in an object-oriented language environment providing class librar-
ies developers can use to program with existing devices, and to generate new ones. Specific
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tools exist for accessing and maintaining the Device ontology.
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Device Discovery Architecture: The Hydra MDA includes a three-layer discovery archi-
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tecture. The discovery process operates both locally and remotely so that devices that are dis-
covered in a local Hydra network can also be discovered in a Hydra network over the P2P pro-
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tocol implemented by the Hydra Network Manager.
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The lowest discovery layer implements the protocol-specific discovery of physical devices. This
is performed by a set of specialized discovery managers listening for new devices at gateways
on the
in a Hydra network. The second layer uses UPnP/DLNA technology to announce discovered
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physical devices in the local network and to peer networks. At the top most layer the device
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type is resolved against the device ontology and is mapped to one or more Hydra device types.
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Hydra Device Ontology: The Hydra Device Ontology is expressed in OWL-DL [5,7] and is
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structured in several modules connected to the core ontology concepts, describing device ca-
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pabilities like hardware and software properties, services, device malfunctions, QoS-
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properties, energy profiles, and device security properties [1]. The Hydra device ontology was.
as illustrated in Figure 4.8-4, initially based on the FIPA Device Ontology, which specifies a
ean
frame-based structure to describe devices [3]. The initial device taxonomy has been extended
based on the AMIGO project vocabularies for device descriptions [2] and has been further
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extended with additional subsets for specific device capabilities.
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Figure 4.8-4: Hydra Device Ontology.
3.3
Security
There are many security challenges in a homogeneous environment, but are even larger when
we move to enable interoperability across heterogeneous platforms and protocols, which oth-
erwise are incompatible. It is expedient that users inside ambient environments should be able
to simply specify their security, privacy and trust requirements as policies.
The Hydra security framework deploys a policy enforcement framework comprising of a policy
administration component, a policy decision component, a policy enforcement component, a
policy conflict resolution component and the core Hydra policy language. The confluence of
these components ensures that security decisions made by the individual user are enforced as
and when necessary [11].
A further concern in ambient intelligence is that of context-awareness and securing context
information. Context information can be shared in a “push” or “pull” approach. Context man-
agers, the components within the Hydra middleware responsible for context acquisition and
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sharing, can assign security policies to context data, which in general identify Hydra principals
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who are authorised to access context data. For the “pull” approach, the enforcement is
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straightforward, as context consumers make themselves known and the distribution can be
dealt with on a case-by-case basis. For the “push” approach to context sharing, a blackboard
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has been realised. Whenever data is published onto the blackboard, it is accompanied by a
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security policy, which will be used for the authorisation decision about who can subscribe to
the published data.
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A third paradigm, originating from MobiPets, is virtualisation [10]. Hydra applies virtualisa-
on the
tion mechanisms to different entities: virtual devices or proxies act as logical representations
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of devices to protect the actual device from possible attacks by adding another protection
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layer. By defining a proxy for a physical device, it is possible to integrate non-Hydra-enabled
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devices into a Hydra-enabled network and to enable further high-level concepts, such as se-
mantic description of device capabilities or resolution of security. In addition, physical de-
arch
vices can be assigned to specific virtual device classes in a way that best serves their control
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within an application context – e.g. it is possible to define a “virtual” global light-switch that
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controls all lights within a building.
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3.4
Service oriented Architectures and Hydra
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The term Service-Oriented Architecture, i.e., describes an architectural style in which units of
functionality are exposed by ‘service providers’ in a network-accessible and loosely coupled
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way as ‘services’ used by ‘service consumers’, is used both inside the Hydra middleware and
encouraged in applications built using the Hydra middleware on top of it. As an example in
the agriculture scenario, the robotic radio transmitter and the irrigation system itself could be
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exposed and interact through services. Inside Hydra, the managers of the middleware expose
their functionality as services and interact through services. Outside Hydra, applications may
use Hydra managers through services and the Hydra SDK/DDK contains tools to service-
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enable elements of applications.
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Concretely, Hydra uses web services in the form of SOAP [SOAP] over HTTP for communica-
tion. The ‘Limbo’ tool [LIMBO] creates service stubs for service providers and consumers to be
deployed on embedded devices. Based on a description of the service (through a WSDL inter-
face description [WSDL]) and the device do deploy on (through the Hydra Device Ontology), a
service- and device-specific service stub is generated. Devices are described by a static profile
(through, e.g., a hardware description) and a dynamic profile (through a state machine de-
scribing device runtime states). Artefacts generated from the dynamic profile allow Hydra
services to tie into the self-management functionality of Hydra (through the ‘Flamenco’ ser-
vice), which includes self-protection and self-adaptation functionality realized using semantic
Web technology [SeMaPs].
4
Summary and Future Steps
RFID and Sensor technology has advanced significantly over the past few decades. Rapid de-
velopments of low cost microelectronics and radio frequency transceivers have considerably
reduced size and costs of high frequency and ultra-high frequency RFID transceivers/sensor
nodes allowing longer reading ranges and faster reading rates than before. The technology is
now viable to newer novel applications with higher mobility and large number of tagged items.
However, unlike conventional scenarios, these new applications require a more robust and
complex middleware platform in order to cover issues at different layers of the communication
architecture, from different business contexts. This complexity has left several open research
issues in middleware design that still pose a high entry cost for RFID/Sensor technology
adopters, mainly SMEs.
The research carried out in ASPIRE and HYDRA will provide a radical change in the current
RFID/WSNs deployment paradigm through distributed as well as centralised architectures,
security and trust, self-management and model-driven development of applications innova-
tive, programmable, royalty-free, lightweight and privacy friendly middleware.
The ASPIRE solutions will be open source and royalty free, which will bring an important re-
duction of the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO), and at the same time programmable and light-
weight in order to be backwards compatible with current IT SME infrastructure. Additionally,
ASPIRE will be designed as privacy friendly which means that future privacy features related
to RFID can be easily adopted by the platform. Finally, ASPIRE will act as a main vehicle for
realizing the proposed swift in the current RFID deployment paradigm. Portions (i.e. specific
libraries) of the ASPIRE middleware will be hosted and run on low-cost RFID-enabled micro-
electronic systems, in order to further lower the TCO in mobility scenarios (i.e. mobile ware-
houses, trucks). Hence, the ASPIRE middleware platform will be combined with innovative
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European developments in the area of ubiquitous RFID-based sensing (e.g., physical quanti-
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ties sensing (temperature, humidity, pressure, acceleration), mobile, low-cost); towards ena-
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bling novel business cases that ensure improved business results.
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The HYDRA middleware will be deployable on both new and existing networks of distributed
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wireless and wired devices, which operate with limited resources in terms of computing
Int
power, energy and memory usage. It will allow for secure, trustworthy, and fault tolerant ap-
plications through the use of distributed security and social trust components. The embedded
and mobile Service-oriented Architecture will provide interoperable access to data, informa-
on the
tion and knowledge across heterogeneous platforms, including web services, and support true
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ambient intelligence for ubiquitous networked devices.
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The new middleware paradigm will be particular beneficial to European SMEs, which are ex-
perience significant cost barriers to RFID deployment. In-line with its open-source nature this
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platform aims at offering immense flexibility and maximum freedom to potential developers
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and deployers to incorporate heterogeneous physical devices into their applications by offer-
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ing easy-to-use web service interfaces for controlling any type of physical device irrespective of
ean
its network technology such as Bluetooth, RFID, ZigBee, RFID, WiFi, etc.. This versatility in-
cludes the freedom of choice associated with the hardware.
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5
Acknowledgment
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This work has been performed in the framework of ASPIRE and HYDRA, ICT Projects partly
funded by the European Commission. The Authors would like to acknowledge the contribu-
tion of their colleagues from the ASPIRE and HYDRA Consortium.
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6
References
[1] Kostelnik P, Ahlsen M, Axling M, Sarnovsky M, Rosengren P, Hreno J, Kool P, Semantic Devices
CERP-Io
for Ambient Environment Middleware, proceedings of the TrustAMI 2008, Sophia Antipolis Sep-
tember 2008
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[2] Amigo middleware core: Prototype implementation and documentation, Deliverable 3.2. Technical
report, Amigo Project, IST2004004182, 2006.
[3] FIPA Device Ontology Specification, Foundation for intelligent physical agents, 2002.
[4] HYDRA: Networked Embedded System middleware for Heterogeneous physical devices in a dis-
tributed architecture”, Project Proposal, September 2005.
[5] D.L. McGuinness, F. van Harmelen, OWL Web Ontology Language Overview, W3C Recommenda-
tion, 2004.
[6] Naval Research Lab. Nrl security ontology, http://chacs.nrl.navy.mil/projects/4SEA/ontology.html,
2007.
[7] OWLS: Semantic Markup for Web Services, 2004.
[8] Ian Horrocks, et. al., SWRL: A Semantic Web Rule Language. W3C Member Submission, 2004.
[9] Delivery Context Ontology. W3C Working Draft 2007
[10] Badii A, Hoffman M, Heider J, MobiPETS: Context-aware mobile service provisioning framework
deploying enhanced Personalisation, Privacy and Security Technologies (.PETS), the Proceedings of
1st International Conference on COMmunication System softWAre and MiddlewaRE
(COMSWARE).
[11] Badii A, Adetoye A O, Thiemert D, Hoffman M, Hydra Semantic Security Resolution Framework,
Proceedings of DIComAe 2009, Paderborn, September 2009
[SOAP] W3C (2000) Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) Version 1.1. http://www.w3.org/TR/soap/
[Limbo] Hansen, K. M., Zhang, W., and Fernandes, J. (2008a). Flexible Generation of Pervasive Web
Services using OSGi Declarative Services and OWL Ontologies. In Proceedings of the 15th Asia-
Paci c Software Engineering Conference, pages 135–142, Beijing, China
[WSDL] W3C (2001) Web Services Description Language (WSDL) 1.1. http://www.w3.org/TR/wsdl
[SeMaPs] Zhang, W., Hansen, K.M., Kunz, T. (2009). Enhancing intelligence and dependability of a
product line enabled pervasive middleware. Elsevier Pervasive and Mobile Computing,
doi:10.1016/j.pmcj.2009.07.002, in press.
[EPC] Application Level Events 1.1(ALE 1.1) Overview, Filtering & Collection WG, EPCglobal, March 5,
2008 , available at: http://www.epcglobalinc.org/standards/ale
[FLOER] C. Floerkemeier and S. Sarma, “An Overview of RFID System Interfaces and Reader Proto-
cols”, 2008 IEEE International Conference on RFID, The Venetian, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, April
16-17, 2008.
[AS43b] ASPIRE D4.3b Programmable Filters – FML Specification
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4.9
Usage of RFID in the Forest &
Wood Industry and Contribution
to Environmental Protection
Indisputable Key Project
Janne Häkli; Kaarle Jaakkola; Kaj Nummila / Åsa Nilsson /
Ville Puntanen; Antti Sirkka
VTT, Finland / IVL, Sweden / Tieto, Finland
Abstract: Novel RFID technology and solutions for the wood products industry have been devel-
oped in the Indisputable Key project: pulping compatible biodegradable UHF transponders and
robust RFID readers for use in the forest in the harvesters and at saw mills. The new technology
allows tracing of individual logs from the tree felling to the sawing of the logs at the saw mill. In-
troduction of traceability in the forestry and wood sector facilitates maximization of the raw ma-
terial yield, and optimisation and monitoring of environmental impact, by linking the relevant in-
formation to the traced objects. By implementing and extending the EPCIS standard the new so-
lution allows the environmental efficiency of a product to be computed accurately at item level,
because information regarding processes at each stage of the distributed supply chain can be
tracked, analyzed and allocated to the product. Special Key Performance Indicators (KPI) have
been established that give easily accessible information on the environmental performance of the
product. The environmental KPIs are calculated using the life cycle assessment (LCA) methodol-
ogy outlined in the ISO 14040 standard. The industrial benefits of monitoring environmental
KPIs are e.g. awareness of the current environmental performance of the production, detection of
potential new products with a competitive edge and enhanced environmental management. Fur-
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thermore, traceability in the wood sector is a way to guarantee that a particular product is made
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of wood coming from certified forests.
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Introduction
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The Indisputable key project (10/2006-03/2010) develops tools and knowledge to enable a
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significant increase in raw material yield and in utilisation of production resources in the for-
est and wood industry, thus decreasing the environmental impact. The main means to achieve
these benefits is utilisation of traceability at item level, i.e. at log and board level. This trace-
on the
ability requires novel technology solutions to be developed. The results are also applicable to
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other biological raw materials at large extent, thus opening up opportunities for a wider use.
The project consortium includes 29 partners from 5 countries: Estonia, Finland, France, Nor-
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way, and Sweden.
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The novel technology development focuses on marking technology for logs and boards and on
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Traceability Services (TS) software – the repository for item level traceability data and process
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level data, and services to access and utilise this information by using selected parts of EPCIS
ean
interfaces. For log marking, passive EPC C1G2 compatible UHF transponders and readers
were developed. Inexpensive printed ink marking methods are used in the board marking.
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The Indisputable key systems are implemented at different nodes of the forestry-wood pro-
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duction chain: at harvesting of logs in the forest, at log to board conversion in the saw mill and
at the product refinement of the secondary manufacturer. The traceability at item level – logs
and boards, allows monitoring and optimisation of the environmental impact by linking the
relevant information to the individual logs and boards for calculation of environmental key
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performance indicators (KPIs). In addition to these, economical KPIs are used to study and
optimise the production chain for increased profitability.
CERP-Io
The developed technology and the benefits of its use are to be demonstrated in Sweden in
2010 in a case covering the complete wood supply chain – from the tree felling in the forest to
165
a secondary manufacturer using the boards. Parts of the system are also demonstrated in
France and used to study and develop the manufacturing processes in Finland and Norway.
2
Traceability in the forest and wood industry
Making information available at different stages along the forestry-wood production chain
requires automatic traceability systems. The developed systems are based on the Individual
Associated Data (IAD) concept; the measurement and processing data are related to the indi-
vidual logs or boards so that the traceability includes the data associated with the items. For
complete traceability, the items have to be automatically identified at all processing steps and
all the associated data has to be stored and be retrievable.
Automatic and reliable identification of each item requires a highly readable unique ID-code
for each log or board. The forestry and wood products industry set additional requirements on
the item marking technologies: operation in harsh outdoor conditions and industrial envi-
ronments, suitability for the processing steps of the items, etc. For the logs the selected tech-
nology is EPCglobal Class 1 Generation 2 compatible passive UHF RFID-transponders that
have a long reading distance and allow a globally unique ID-code for the logs with 96 or 198
bits of data with SGTIN-96 or SGTIN-198 (Serialized Global Trade Item Number). In the
board marking inexpensive ink marking is used and sufficient uniqueness of the ID-code is
achieved in each process step for the boards in the production chain at the saw mill.
2.1
RFID system for the log identification
The RFID system consists of the transponders, their applicator to the logs, RFID readers and
the middleware. The following requirements are set to the transponder used for log marking:
High readability for reliable and automatic log identification
Pulping compatibility; the transponder materials need to be harmless in the pulp and sub-
sequent paper making
Automatic applicability, i.e. fast and reliable attachment of the transponder onto the logs
Low price
The transponders are attached to the logs automatically by the harvester during the log cutting
after the tree felling, the logs are identified using an RFID reader and data collected by the
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harvester are associated with them. RFID readers are also used in two locations at the saw
mill; in the log sorting and in the saw intake. The special requirements for the harvester
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reader include the following:
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Tolerance to four-season Nordic weather conditions in the forest
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Tolerance to extreme shocks and vibration in the operating harvester during tree felling and
log cutting
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Tolerance to liquids, dirt and impacts
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Operation in proximity of large metallic bodies in the harvester.
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The readers at saw mills are subject to industrial conditions including outdoor temperatures,
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dust, dirt, vibration, shocks and impacts.
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The requirements for the RFID systems are such that no satisfactory commercial solutions for
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log tracing existed prior to the project and therefore novel technology was developed.
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2.1.1
Transponders
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High readability of automatic log identification requires a long reading distance in excess of 1
metre. In addition to the long reading distance, high transponder survivability is needed as
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only functioning transponders can be read. To achieve high readability the UHF technology
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was selected. For improved survivability, the transponder is inserted into the log so that it is
protected by the surrounding wood during the log handling (transporting on conveyors and
with forklifts and cranes) at different processing steps. Wood as a natural material is a chal-
lenging environment for the transponder; its electrical properties are strongly affected by the
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varying moisture content. For automatic application into the wood, the transponder size and
shape need to be optimised for penetration into the wood. High electromagnetic losses in
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moist wood with large variation as well as variations in the permittivity in and between the
logs make the transponder antenna design challenging. The main challenge was to achieve a
166
sufficiently long and consistent reading distance also in the worst reading conditions, with a
transponder that can be easily automatically inserted into a log.
Wood chippings, made from the parts of the logs that are not sawn into boards, are used as
raw material at pulp mills that supply the raw material to the paper mills. In principle, the
material to be pulped is not allowed to contain any plastics, metal or coal. The commercial
transponders usually contain plastic, which is forbidden to end up in the pulp and in the sub-
sequent paper making. Transponders made of pulping compatible materials with only a
minimal amount of less harmful plastics than the commonly used transponder materials were
developed. The transponder materials need to have low electrical losses to allow a good trans-
ponder reading range and to be mechanically durable for the transponder insertion into the
logs. The materials also have to be inexpensive and suitable for mass production of the trans-
ponders to keep the transponder price low. The casing of the transponder developed for log
marking is made of durable artificial wood material that is suitable for the pulping processes,
has reasonably low electrical losses and is relatively inexpensive.
A novel transponder (patents pending) encased in artificial wood material was developed to
meet the requirements on transponders for automatic marking of logs. The developed trans-
ponder is an approximately 80 mm long wedge that is inserted into the log end by the har-
vester. The transponder is shown in Figure 4.9-1. The reading range of the transponder was
measured to be over 2.5 m inside a fresh moist log at the European UHF RFID frequencies.
Figure 4.9-1: Developed UHF transponder for marking logs.
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2.1.2
Transponder applicator
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The transponders are inserted into the logs using an applicator – a manual insertion tool or an
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automatic device on the harvester machine. Both manual and automatic applicators were de-
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veloped. Manual marking of logs with the transponders is shown in Figure 4.9-2. An experi-
enced applicator user has a success rate exceeding 95 % in the application attempts. The
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automatic application is expected to be more reliable and repeatable than the manual applica-
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tion.
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Figure 4.9-2: Manual application of the transponder into the log end.
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2.1.3
RFID readers
The logs are marked and identified when the tree is cut into logs by the harvester. A robust
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RFID reader with a patented adaptive RF front-end that compensates the effects of metal in
the vicinity of the reader antenna was developed for installation in the harvester head. The
167
reader was tested to survive the outdoor temperatures and to operate under vibrations and
shocks at the levels specified in ISO 15003 (2 G vibration at 10–2000 Hz, 50 G shocks), which
specifies the environmental resistance testing for electronic devices for agricultural machines.
The reader is enclosed into a robust IP67 casing. The reader prototype is shown in Figure
4.9-3 together with a reader set-up at a saw mill.
The RFID reader is controlled over a CAN-bus in the harvester using EPCglobal’s Reader Pro-
tocol. For implementing the Reader Protocol over the CAN-bus a new Messaging/Transport
Binding (MTB) was developed.
Figure 4.9-3: Developed RFID reader for the harvester and a test reader set-up at a saw mill.
At the saw mill, commercial RFID readers (Sirit IN510) were used with specially developed
software for log identification and singulation. The readers were placed into robust aluminium
casings to protect them from possible impacts, dirt and dust. Robust metal antennas (Inter-
mec IA33D Antenna Cell) were integrated to the reader casings. The integrated reader set-ups
were positioned over the conveyor at the log sorting, where the logs are received at the saw
mill, and at the saw intake, before the logs are sawn into boards, at two saw mills; one in Swe-
den and another one in Finland. The reader position over the conveyor allows the reader in-
stallation at the saw mills with minimal changes to the existing conveyors. A read rate of ap-
proximately 100 % was achieved for operating transponders inside the log ends in the tests at
saw mills. The read rate is affected by the survival of the transponders in the logs, which de-
pends on the success of the application into the log end. Transponders that are not fully in-
serted are vulnerable to damage during the handling of the logs.
s
ing
2.2
Traceability services
h T
Indisputable Key project’s view of traceability is more than just knowing the location of an
t of
object. In addition to location information, the information related to the produc-
tion/processing throughout the supply chain is gathered, e.g. processing conditions and wood
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quality parameters.
Int
Traceability Services (TS) enables traceability and visibility of products in the distributed sup-
ply chain. By rolling out Traceability Services the organisation can monitor and analyse the
on the
efficiency of its processes and value chain in real time.
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Traceability Services
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Connects the steps of the supply chain together
arch
Provides a common data model for the whole supply chain
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Enables statistical and logical analysis of large sets of transaction data which can be used in
Enterprise Resource Planning
ean
Provides the metrics to monitor and analyse the performance of a company.
Europ
By combining the process information of the supply chain and the traceability data about
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products travelling through the supply chain Traceability Services enables new methods for
analyzing the performance of the organisation. The modules of Traceability Services have the
capability for receiving and processing environmental product and process properties.
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The performance of products can be compared and analyzed between different steps; e.g. how
the environmental performance of products is affected by the use of different transport proc-
esses having varying environmental properties (diesel vs. biodiesel as the energy source). An-
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other possibility is to analyze how a certain product property affects another product property.
For example, how the area of origin of the log affects the board quality.
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The purpose of Traceability Services is to act as a repository for item level trace¬ability data
and process level data and to provide services based on this information. This is realised by
utilizing the extension point provided by EPCIS Standard [1].
The solution connects the steps of the supply chain together and provides a common data
model for the whole supply chain. The solution offers services for monitoring environmental,
economic and social performance of an organisation.
2.2.1
Traceability Data Repository
The Traceability Data Repository is a set of databases and data warehouses designed for stor-
ing traceability data and master data from the supply chain. Data warehouses enable detailed
analysis of data and the calculation of the economic and environmental KPIs.
TS KPI Calculations are a set of configured formulas that are used to calculate economical,
environmental and quality key performance indicators. Different kind of formulas for KPI
calculations can be fed to the calculation engine and presented in TS Reports and TS Ana-
lytics. The Environmental KPIs used in the Indisputable Key are presented in Chapter 3.
2.2.2
Visualisation and Analysis of the traceability information
Traceability Services consists of a set of different business intelligence tools to visualise and
analyse the traceability information.
TS Reports offers KPI visualization and different reporting possibilities, including export of
the reported data for local use by the researcher. TS Reports is implemented on Performance
Point Server and Microsoft Office Sharepoint Server 2007. By using TS Reports the user can
monitor the performance of the organisation.
TS Analytics provides a user interface through Pro Clarity tool to advanced users for detailed
analysis of the collected data exploiting the data from TS Repository database and data ware-
houses. ProClarity Analytics provides a powerful yet simple to-use analysis tools to cover eve-
rything ranging from ad-hoc querying to sophisticated analytic modelling. In Figure 4.9-4
there is an example where the user compares log diameter measurements in the forest and in
the saw mill. Based on this information a company can calibrate its measurement devices
automatically.
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on the
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Figure 4.9-4: Analysing in TS Analytics.
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2.2.3
Integration to source systems
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The integration to source systems is realized with adapters to acquire and share the traceabil-
ity data together with the process data. Traceability Services allows integrating EPC compliant
readers into the system by supporting the Reader Protocol [RP 1.1] standard [2]. The new in-
169
terfaces introduced in the Indisputable Key project support integration of non EPC standard
readers to Traceability Services.
TS Visibility offers comprehensive visibility of products in the distributed supply chain by
implementing selected parts of the EPCIS Query and Capture interface.
Figure 4.9-5: Visibility throughout the supply chain.
The IK extension to EPCGlobal interfaces enables Traceability Services to connect product
traceability data to process information which provides means to monitor and analyse the
performance of a company in real time.
3
Monitoring environmental performance
Continuous monitoring and control of processing conditions and product quality is normal
procedure in most of today’s industrial production. Introduction of the necessary tools for a
similar follow-up on the environmental performance of the production processes and the gen-
erated products gives the industry the opportunity to be more actively involved in the envi-
ronmental protection. This is part of the traceability system developed in Indisputable Key,
where it is applied and tested in the wood products industry. The impact on the environment
is registered in the traceability system and easily accessible to the user.
On-line monitoring of the environmental performance brings the potential to detect appropri-
s
ate improvements in the process to limit the environmental impact caused by the production.
ingh
The methodology can be used either for the entire wood supply chain or for a separate process
T
in the supply chain. On-line monitoring of environmental performance is not restricted to the
t of
wood products industry. The same methodology can be applied in any production chain or
process. A similar application was developed and applied at a municipal wastewater treatment
erne
plant in the EU FP6 project HIPCON [3].
Int
The conventional approach for analyzing the environmental impact of product manufacturing
is to calculate the yearly average impact based on annual information. Compared to that ap-
on the
proach the more detailed information recorded in the traceability system, collected from dif-
cts
ferent parts of the supply chain and related to an individual product or a product batch, pro-
e
vides a much more effective base for proactive environmental management in the industry.
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3.1
Key Performance Indicators
arch se
In order to keep the information presented to the industrial user at a comprehensible level,
whilst still meeting the project objective to create a tool that includes environmental impact
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from a life-cycle perspective, a set of environmental Key Performance Indicators (KPI) for use
ean
in the wood industry were defined. The majority of the proposed KPIs were established in line
with the international LCA standard (ISO 14040 and ISO 14044) with some additions of spe-
Europ
cific KPIs of particular interest for the wood products industry. 11 indicators are used in the
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project:
1. Climate change
7. Human and ecological toxicity
2. Acidification
8. Biodiversity
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3. Eutrophication
9. Resource use
4. Stratospheric ozone depletion
10. Generated waste
5. Ground level photochemical ozone
11. Water emissions
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6. Depletion of non-renewable resources
170
An overview of the LCA procedure, creating the base for these KPIs, is presented in the White
Paper - How to gain from measuring environmental impact from wood products [4].
The indicators are calculated and presented in Traceability Services (TS). The TS allows the
environmental impact from production of a product to be computed at item level, because
information regarding processes at each stage of production is tracked and used as input to
the calculation of the KPIs. Typical information which is needed in the KPI calculation is di-
rect emissions to air (e.g. CO2 and particles), raw material use, resource consumption, energy
use, generation of waste, production volumes and the ratio of different products. An initial
inventory of the current situation is required for correct configuration of the KPIs in TS. When
inputs are not measured on-line, and thus not available for automatic tracking in TS, results of
the inventory can be used as default values. The more detailed information that is gathered in
TS from each stage of production the higher the specificity of the KPI and the higher the po-
tential benefits for the users.
The KPIs reflect the environmental impact of production. Thus the aim for an industrial user
is to keep the values of the KPI as low as possible. The front page of the environmental inter-
face of the system developed in Indisputable Key can be configured according to user prefer-
ences, with information on e.g. values of the most interesting KPIs and contribution to a KPI
from the different processing stages, see Figure 4.9-6.
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Figure 4.9-6: Front page of the environmental interface provides the industrial user with his
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preferred information. The example shows information on KPI values, colour indicator on KPI
level compared to defined limits and the contribution to the KPI Climate Change from the
different production stages.
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The user can view the result with different levels of detail. The most aggregated level is to pre-
sent the accumulated KPI value for all the stages of the entire production chain. From that it is
possible to drill down and get information on the contribution from separate stages (e.g. har-
CERP-Io
vesting, transport and saw mill) and different processes within a production stage (e.g. log
sorting, sawing and green sorting in the saw mill). It is also possible to analyse which of the
171
used resources has the largest contribution to the selected KPI. The impact from resources
stems from their production and the transport to the location where they are used (i.e. impact
is based on LCA results for the resources). Direct emissions occurring in the supply chain are
also presented.
3.2
Environmental benefits
The environmental KPIs should be viewed as a tool for the industrial user to enhance the
company's environmental management and thus taking an active part in contributing to envi-
ronmental protection. As such, the tool brings great potential benefits. The actual magnitude
of the environmental benefits for an industrial user depends on the involvement and interest
of the personnel. Company policies can play an important role. A company with a clearly
stated policy for environmental management, with the goal to reduce its impact on the envi-
ronment, has already the necessary incentive to motivate the personnel into active use of the
KPIs.
In order for a company to take actions towards a more environmental friendly production, the
first step is to assess the current environmental impact of the product. When this is known,
potential improvements can be identified and actions can be taken. The current status of envi-
ronmental impact is documented in the initial inventory that precedes the configuration of
KPIs in Traceability Services. The industrial user can then follow-up on the KPIs in the TS and
benchmark against the inventory results, aiming for improved production compared to the
annual averages that were the outcome of the initial inventory. The important extra benefit
from a more detailed follow up on the environmental performance is the possibility to study
and take action on variation over time. Allocation of KPIs to individual items, such as logs and
boards, which is the novel idea developed in Indisputable Key adds an extra dimension to the
production control and refinement. The information collected in the traceability system en-
ables a continuous improvement and fine-tuning of the production stages.
The methodology developed in Indisputable Key, which introduces traceability in the wood
supply chain and a tool for calculating environmental KPIs, has a major advantage in prevent-
ing the risk of sub-optimisation caused by overlooking effects in other parts of the supply
chain. Traceability enables the complete view of the entire supply chain, as exemplified in
Figure 4.9-7. With this kind of information available, the industry can easily identify which
parts of the supply chain are the "hot spots" with respect to the environmental impacts moni-
tored by the KPIs. Collaborative action can then be taken by the actors in the supply chain to
reduce the impact, starting with the most critical stages.
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Figure 4.9-7: Information about direct emissions contributing to the KPI Climate Change (in
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the unit CO2 equivalents) from production of a window frame is collected from the different
ean
stages in the supply chain. The tracked item is illustrated with the colour red. The total value
for the window frame consists of the contribution from harvesting, transport from the forest to
the saw mill, production of boards at the saw mill, transport from the saw mill to the secon-
Europ
dary manufacturer and finally production of a window frame.
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The system architecture developed in Indisputable Key creates a link between the final prod-
uct and its origin. This makes it possible to trace information up-streams in the supply chain
all the way to the harvesting of the tree. In other words, the origin of a wood product (e.g.
T – Cluste
when and where the tree was cut) is possible to read from the traceability system. This feature
can help prevent illegal cutting and it can provide the information needed to guarantee that a
product is made from wood coming from certified forests.
CERP-Io
172
The environmental KPIs harmonize with the required content of an Environmental Product
Declaration (EPD), thus facilitating the creation of EPDs for the products of the industrial
user. EPDs describe the environmental characteristics of a product or a service from a life
cycle perspective. The overall goal is to provide relevant, verified and comparable information
to meet the customer and market needs. An EPD can be used for benchmarking the product
against other products that could serve the same purpose. In a time with increasing environ-
mental awareness, the fact that a product or service is “green” creates added values amongst
the customers.
Active monitoring and control of the environmental impact of production has the additional
advantage that it can raise attention to process improvements that might otherwise be over-
looked. The fact that the KPIs take into account the environmental burden from manufactur-
ing of resources used by the wood products industry (e.g. electricity, diesel and glue) makes it
possible to detect excessive use of external resources. Limiting the use of resources has a posi-
tive effect on the environment as well as the economy of production, which is sometimes of
higher priority for the industrial user.
4
Conclusion
Novel technology for traceability in the forest and wood industry was developed; pulping
compatible UHF transponders for log marking, robust RFID readers for harvesters and saw
mills and Traceability Services software. Traceability Services connects the steps of the supply
chain together and allows new methods to analyze the performance of the whole chain and
any process, service and or product within. The traceability system and its benefits are to be
demonstrated in 2010 in a complete forest supply chain in Sweden.
Indisputable Key has provided the tools necessary for the wood industry to become more pro-
active with respect to environmental protection. Monitoring of environmental KPIs makes it
possible to achieve the following advantages for the industrial user:
Status of environmental performance
Detection of potential improvements
Basis for optimisation of environmental impact
On-line monitoring and control of environmental impact
Environmental benchmarking
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Environmental management
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Marketing purposes such as EPDs or support for eco-labelling
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The magnitude of the achieved benefits are very much dependant on the industrial users en-
gagement and interest in making use of the developed technology.
erne
Int
5
References
[1] EPCglobal, “EPC Information Services (EPCIS) Version 1.0.1 Specification,” EPCglobal Ratified
Standard, September 2007,http://www.epcglobalinc.org/standards/epcis/epcis_1_0_1-standard-
on the
20070921.pdf.
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[2] EPCglobal, “EPCglobal Reader Protocol Standard, Version 1.1,” EPCglobal Ratified Standard, June
Proj
2006, http://www.epcglobalinc.org/standards/rp/rp_1_1-standard- 20060621.pdf.
[3] Holistic Integrated Process Control (HIPCON), EU FP6 project, NMP STRP 505467-1,
arch
http://www.hipcon.org.
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[4] Erlandsson M, Nilsson S, Nilsson Å (2008): White paper - How to gain from measuring environ-
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mental impact from wood products, available at http://www.indisputablekey.com.
ean
Europ
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173
4.10 RACE networkRFID – Stimulating
the take-up of RFID in Europe
Ian G. Smith
Chairman RACE network-RFID Management Board, President of AIM UK
Abstract: The RACE networkRFID project has been developed to raise awareness of Radio Fre-
quency Identification across Europe through the establishment of a federating platform for all key
European stakeholders in the development and use of RFID technology and applications.
The global RFID market is forecast to grow from $5.3 billion today to $27 billion by 2018. Whilst
the USA and China are currently the biggest RFID spenders it is confidently anticipated that the
European market will show significant growth over the next 10 years.
For precisely these reasons RACE has been structured as a truly international network or forum,
open to partners across the Community. This is essential for the optimum exchange of ideas on
best practices in RFID and for continued international progress on standards and applications.
1
Introduction
The three-year RACE networkRFID project was launched in March 2009 and in its first year
of operation the partners have made good progress. Membership will double in this first year.
Direct contact has been made with SME organisations across Europe who represent millions
s
of small businesses – a major target of the project. A comprehensive new website is under
construction which will be launched at the March 2010 General Assembly providing a com-
ingh
prehensive guide to Radio Frequency Identification that should be of interest to end users and
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educators as well as suppliers and integrators. It will link with a very comprehensive database
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of “applications and deployments” allowing companies to share with the network their RFID
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projects and “know how.” The database will also give the general public a tool to access RFID
case studies from around Europe.
Int
One of the early deliverables has seen the production of an RFID Market Analysis Report
which summarises information from 20 published reports highlighting current state of the art
on the
in both technology and market conditions.
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Partners are working energetically on a number of key European initiatives including the de-
Proj
velopment of Europe’s Privacy Impact Assessment, developing a harmonized RFID sign, and
defining common terminology. The key goal in 2010 is to engage with the appropriate Gov-
arch
ernment Department’s of all Members States and ensure the widest possible dissemination of
se
the benefits of RFID to the widest possible audience.
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ean
1.1
Project description and objectives
The objectives for RACE networkRFID have been developed from the needs identified by the
Europ
ICT PSP for a thematic network for RFID, namely:
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1. Creating a federating platform to the benefit of all European Stakeholders in the devel-
opment, adoption and usage of RFID.
2. Positioning the European Union as a world leader in RFID excellence.
T – Cluste
3. Establishing the market position for RFID in Europe, defining the roadmap and address-
ing the barriers to adoption and deployment as well as fragmentation in the market.
CERP-Io
4. Promoting best practices, case studies, reports, guidelines, events and services to increase
awareness at European and national level.
175
5. Involving a large number of Member States’ authorities dealing with public RFID issues,
including involvement of major industry (automotive, aerospace, etc…), civil society,
RFID advocacy groups and research agencies where relevant.
In addition RACE networkRFID will include the following key objectives:
6. Providing a structure for initiating, developing, and sustaining a large variety of support
measures to promote the take-up of RFID with appropriate attention to associated auto-
matic identification, data capture and communication technologies and their potential
within application designs.
7. Focusing attention upon the SME business communities and the potential that exists
within these communities for product, process and services innovation.
8. Addressing the requirements of policy-makers and the general public to ensure that both
businesses and consumers benefit from RFID with a specific focus on consumer trust and
acceptance, innovation and enterprise.
The objectives are seen as being mutually inclusive and tempered by the need to accommodate
consideration for sustainability, change management in relation to market needs, concept and
technological developments and thought leadership for positioning Europe as a world leader
in RFID and associated technologies. The concept on how to fulfil the vision of a central plat-
form will be developed and should be approved by a general assembly of interested stake-
holders over the period of the project.
A logical approach to achieving a self-sustaining federated network structure, offering both
collaboration and independence of contributory stakeholders, is to provide a framework and a
set of deliverables for creating member-state-funded national centres for RFID and object
connected technologies.
The founding Management Board of RACE networkRFID propose to link this framework to
what they are calling a supporting central platform that can accommodate, on an on-going
basis, key objectives which will help achieve a coherent and effective platform for informing
and involving Member States of key European and international issues concerning RFID. This
will accommodate new developments, concepts, research outcomes and event services (semi-
nars, enterprise events and conferences), building upon and extending the European Commis-
sion’s RFID Expert Group activities in a new form for strengthening Europe’s involvement,
understanding and exploitation of RFID.
The RACE networkRFID consortium recognises the need to consider and accommodate a
s
number of specific issues of direct significance in seeking to achieve the aims and objectives of
ingh
a European thematic network for RFID. These issues include:
T
t of
Lack of awareness and understanding of the technology dimensions, attributes and founda-
tions for selection both within the prospective end-user community and a percentage of the
erne
vendor and support communities
Int
Take-up requires greater attention to SME and end-user needs and business development
and assist initiatives supported by accredited advisors and appropriate follow-through sup-
on the
port
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Enterprise awareness and follow-through initiatives are required to assist SMEs exploit the
Proj
potential on offer through RFID and the ‘Internet of Things’, using existing SME applica-
tion examples of enterprise and innovation
arch se
RFID requires positioning with respect to other automatic identification and data carrier
technologies – more appropriately object-connected technologies and real world awareness
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(RWA)
ean
Consumer trust and security, as well as “privacy friendly development” aspects
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Positioning is also considered important with respect to the emerging concept of the ‘Inter-
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net of Things’ and the associated developments in the Internet (Web 2.0 and semantic web)
Greater attention to integration capabilities is required with respect to other identification
(including natural feature identification), location, security, sensory and local communica-
T – Cluste
tion technologies
The RACE network RFID consortium will collaborate with the relevant EU projects relating
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to all standardisation issues
Attention to design, risk assessment socio-economic issues and application principles
176
Implementation practicalities, coexistence and layered interfacing and networking issues.
In paying collective attention to the ICT PSP aims and objectives and these additional issues
the prospect is seen for a network, orchestrated through a central platform that will provide
the necessary transformational conduit linking the current EU investment outcomes with a
user community receptive to the potential and the opportunities for innovation and enterprise
and the need to establish and maintain competitive advantage. The proposed central platform
would also be seen as a vehicle for sharing knowledge and expertise arising from member
states and as a point of promotion and roll-out for thematic initiatives, such as business devel-
opment programmes that will have relevance across member states.
RACE networkRFID is also seen as a platform for sharing knowledge and expertise arising
from Member States and as a point of promotion and roll-out for thematic initiatives, such as
business development and assist programmes that will have relevance across member states.
2
The Vision
The Vis
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The collective vision for the federated network is to provide a network of excellence for raising
ing
the wealth creating and competitive status of European member states in the area of RFID
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usage, thought leadership and development, and positioning within mainstream information
and communications technology (ICT). The network will draw upon expertise of Member
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States and the evolving RFID community to create a dynamic, change-responsive capability
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that not only aligns with the initial Information and Communication Technologies Policy Sup-
Int
port Programme (ICT PSP) objectives, but extends that capability to accommodate emergent
and future needs.
on the
The proposed central platform will provide the conduit for deriving user-facing potential from
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EU RFID initiatives and outcomes, together with structured support services, and convey
e
them effectively to the European Community, initially through a network of members, but
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ultimately through a network of member state centres. With some member states government
representatives and national administrations already supporting such centres, a move towards
arch
growing the network and federating these facilities is both logical and possible.
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The full set of RACE networkRFID objectives map into a framework of work packages which
will meet the intrinsic requirements, identified in the ICT PSP objectives for 2008, for actions
ean
aimed at mobilizing stakeholders to:
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Share experiences
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Build consensus around common approaches
Prepare roadmaps for facilitating the uptake of innovative ICT RFID based solutions
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The work will further develop and promote the platform aims of the European concerted effort
on RFID and will:
Foster on-going RFID consultations
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Federate existing local/national initiatives into a co-ordinated European initiative on RFID
177
Maintain a roadmap of the relevant technologies, their applications and how to deal with
the potential privacy and security issues
Create an environment for progress in related European standardisation and critical gov-
ernance infrastructure issues.
Monitor and, where appropriate, link to RFID policy initiatives in other regions of the world
Identify best practices to achieve progress towards a single market for RFID applications by
raising awareness and removing barriers to its effective, secure and privacy-friendly de-
ployment
Support the EU/US transatlantic “lighthouse priority project” on RFID
2.1
Policy background and EU dimension
Policy decisions are extremely critical as they constitute a fundamental pillar in assisting the
development of an environment that is favourable to the adoption of RFID applications. Poli-
cies at EU and national level can play an important role in lifting non technical barriers to the
adoption of RFID, by giving an appropriate level of certainty to the market actors and confi-
dence to consumers and citizens in general.
These are indispensable prerequisites to the firm take up of RFID technology in Europe. For
this reason, RACE networkRFID has gathered together international participants from the
industry, standards organizations and consumer groups from diverse origin, interest, size and
points of view but each have in common the desire for a stable successful take up of the tech-
nology, for the benefit of the society in general.
2.2
Towards an EU internal market of RFID and its applications with a
focus on SMEs
Any approach taken by a particular area of public policy in the EU is then executed at national
level, so it is important to assure coordination of national initiatives and policy measures in
order to guarantee an internal market for the technology and the multiple applica-
tions it serves. In this sense, RACE networkRFID has foreseen a specific Work package on
“Harmonization of Related Projects” (WP 4), which intends to identify collaboration possibili-
s
ties and liaise with existing projects and organizations.
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In addition work packages dedicated to “Dissemination” and “Awareness” will also facilitate
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the task of contributing towards an internal market, as the dissemination and awareness aim
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to happen across multiple member states.
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2.3
Enhancing the competitiveness of the European industry in a
global world
on the
The analysis of current policies, their impact on RFID applications implementation on the one
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hand, and the identification of policies that contribute to enhancing the competitiveness of
industry sectors and Small and Medium enterprises on the other, will be an integral part of
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RACE networkRFID throughout all its Work Packages. This multifaceted approach will result
arch
in a more enriching view and contribution to policy makers, based on practical experience and
se
gaining from the synergies created by the work within the RACE networkRFID.
Re
In addition, the linkage between different policies that converge in the use of RFID technolo-
ean
gies cannot be seen in an isolated manner either geographically or by sector. This is why RACE
networkRFID will not only connect with major European industry sectors, but also with SMEs
Europ
and their customers as they will play an essential role in the adoption and usage of RFID. Fur-
thermore, RACE networkRFID will address competitiveness not only from a European per-
r of
spective but also in the context of policy developments in other parts of the world, principally
Asia and the United States, so underlining the fact that the advancement of RFID applications
and standards is truly global phenomenon.
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178
2.4
i2010 Consumer confidence in the information society era
In determining the focus on policies that are relevant for RFID adoption, the activities of
RACE networkRFID will also be informed by the i2010 EU Strategy- a European information
Society Framework for Growth and Employment, which promotes the positive contribution
that ICT technologies can make to the economy, society and personal quality of life, and with
special attention to consumer confidence, privacy and security of RFID applications as well as
awareness about the benefits that these bring to the European society at large. It will also be
essential for the network to contribute to enhancing consumer confidence in RFID by address-
ing underlying ethical, trust and security concerns, in particular by considering potential pri-
vacy - friendly development aspects.
3
Impact
3.1
Expected outcomes
There are four principal outcomes to be expected from the work and activities of the thematic
network. These outcomes will address each of the three policy implementation themes identi-
fied in the ICT PSP Work Programme.
1. Extended platform for developing and promoting policy for RFID in line with the objec-
tives of ICT PSP, and embodying the principle of consultation as a basis for deriving pol-
icy.
2. European–wide awareness and adoption of RFID and associated technologies concen-
trating upon awareness, business assist, business development, innovation and enter-
prise and the collective goal of wealth creation and competitive advantage for Europe –
growing the market ‘cake’ and enjoying a greater slice of it.
3. Empowering of the greater SME community in exploiting the potential of RFID, associ-
ated technologies and the realistic potential arising from radical concepts such as the
‘Internet of Things.’
4. A Thematic Network able to grow into a central platform providing an infrastructure for
promoting a consistent, coherent European-wide message and policy with regard to
RFID.
3.2
Expected impacts
RACE networkRFID expects to achieve significant impact across Europe in the take-up and
s
exploitation of RFID and associated technologies by SMEs, larger organisations and the Public
ing
Sector.
h T
To foster RFID deployment and increase awareness across a wide array of relevant communi-
t of
ties, the RACE networkRFID consortium relies on the broad range and expertise of its part-
ners.
erne
Engaging appropriately with the vast SME community provides a concrete opportunity for
Int
exploiting the revolutionary and radical potential of RFID. It is revolutionary because of its
relevance to virtually every sector of industry, commerce and services; and radical in the po-
on the
tential it provides for improving and realising new processes, services and products. There-
ctse
fore, one of the partners in the RACE networkRFID project is UEAPME, the European SME
umbrella organisation which incorporates 87 member organisations across Europe. They con-
Proj
sist of national cross-sectoral SME federations, European branch federations and other asso-
ciate members which support the SME community. UEAPME represents more than 12 million
arch se
enterprises which employ more than 55 million people across Europe.
Re
By engaging with larger organisations and by closely linking with activities promoting existing
ean
and generating new standards, the network is expecting to have a direct impact on the remain-
ing bottlenecks that hinder RFID deployment. In particular, by addressing application stan-
dards, significant impact can be expected in open systems and supply chain applications.
Europ
r of
In 2010 the key project objectives are to create greater awareness of the benefits and potential
of RFID among SMEs across Europe; engage with appropriate Government departments
across the 27 Member States; and significantly increase the number of project partners.
T – Cluste
CERP-Io
179
4
Members
The RACE networkRFID community involves both Contractual Members and Associate Mem-
bers. The Contractual Members are signatory to the contract with the European Commission,
and Associate Members are partner organisations joining the network after its contractual
start.
Contractual Members:
ERCIM (France)
ARDACO (Slovakia)
GS1 (Europe)
ITT (Ireland)
FHG IML (Germany)
ROBOTIKER (Spain)
FILRFID/CNRFID (France)
ETSI (Europe)
VTT (Finland)
IF RFID (Germany)
TREVI (Italy)
IBERLOG (Portugal)
RAND Europe (UK)
AIM (UK)
SINTEF (Norway)
AIDC (UK)
RFID NORDIC (Sweden)
RFID PLATFORM (Netherlands)
AUEB (Greece)
UEAPME (Europe)
RFIDSEC (Denmark)
BIBA (Germany)
ISMB (Italy)
INTERNET VECI (Czech Republic)
UNIMAN (UK)
Associate Members:
CNIPA (Italy)
Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Cir-
cuits (Germany)
Institute of Shipping Economics and Lo-
gistics (Germany)
AIM-D e.V. (Germany, Austria, Switzer-
land)
Mondi AG (Austria)
CLECAT (Belgium)
s
Link (Portugal)
ing
K.U. Leuven Association (Belgium)
h
CYCLOPS (Turkey)
T
National AIDC Centre for Wales (UK)
t of
Aston University (UK)
Cheshire Henbury (UK)
erne
VDEB (Germany)
Int
METRO Group (Germany)
CEDT (Portugal)
BITKOM e.V. (Germany)
CATTID (Italy)
on the
Intel GmbH (Germany)
cts
Pepperl+Fuchs GmbH (Germany)
e
Not Innovated Here (Finland)
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Consejo General de Colegios Oficiales de
Farmacéuticos de España (Spain)
Trinity Systems (Greece)
arch se
Research Group RI-ComET at HTW des
CISC Semiconductor Design+Consulting
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Saarlandes (Germany)
GmbH (Austria)
ean
Friendly Technologies (United Kingdom)
Picosoft Solutions (Ireland)
Georgia Tech Ireland (Ireland)
AIDC Global (UK)
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University of Craiova (Romania)
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180
4.11 Outlook on Future IoT Applications
EPoSS – European Technology Platform
Ovidiu Vermesan
SINTEF, Norway, ETP EPoSS
Abstract: Internet of Things technology opens the way towards multi dimensional, context
aware, and smart environments. The technology is bridging the real, virtual and digital worlds by
using wireless connectivity for energy efficient and environmentally friendly applications and ser-
vices and by respecting the security and privacy of individuals and organisations.
1
Introduction
Tackling the challenges that European society and the world will face in developing the “Fu-
ture Internet” will require a multidisciplinary approach and coordinated efforts.
Today, there are 36 European Technology Platforms (ETPs), and five Joint Technological Ini-
tiatives (JTIs) originated directly from ETPs, covering the most important technological areas.
They connect thousands of European companies, knowledge institutes and policy makers and
have facilitated the development of a common vision and research agenda for each of the 36
technology fields they represent.
s
In the context of “Future Internet” there are 10 ETPs
that have become important inter-
ingh
locutors for the European Commission for the development of strategic research agendas de-
T
fining the technologies required for implementing the future internet.
t of
erne
Int
on the
ctse
Proj
archse
Re
ean
Europ
r of
T – Cluste
CERP-Io
Figure 4.11-1: European Technology Platforms – IoT technology research and development.
181
EPoSS has close links with other ETPs addressing the IoT technology. Coordination meetings
have been held with the other Platforms, facilitated by the fact that several industrial partners
were members of these Platforms. An agreement was reached on the different core competen-
cies, but care was taken to insure a smooth integration among different activities, to avoid
missing to cover critical elements for the full integration of planned applications.
Figure 4.11-2: Core competences for IoT provided by ARTEMIS, ENIAC and EPoSS ETPs.
The three ETPs (ARTEMIS, ENIAC and EPoSS) have cooperated in the definition of the Stra-
s
tegic Research Agendas and (for ENIAC and ARTEMIS) of the content of the JTI.
ingh
These technology platforms are organized by final applications, but they target different layers
T
as presented in Figure 4.11-2:
t of
ENIAC focus is on the development of the Nanoelectronics components, and related
erne
equipment, materials and design tools; development of nanoelectronics technologies, de-
Int
vices, circuits architectures and modules
ARTEMIS focus is on system architecture, system design tools and methodologies and
on the
software development;
ctse
EPOSS, which is closer to the final application, focuses on the full integration of the elec-
Proj
tronic smart system, which combines components developed by ENIAC, software and archi-
tecture designed by ARTEMIS, with additional electromechanical technologies.
arch se
This paper will focus on the activities of EPOSS, which is the European Technology Platforms
Re
that is active in the field of Internet of Things and smart systems integration.
ean
The Internet of the Future, or as it’s commonly called, the “Future Internet”, will result from
the synergic merging of today’s computer networks with the Internet of Media (IoM), the
Internet of Services (IoS) and Internet of Things (IoT) into a common global IT platform.
Europ
Complete definitions of these terms have been provided by the Strategic Research Agenda of
r of
the CERP-IoT SRA 2009 that is included in this book.
While the current Internet is a collection of rather uniform devices, albeit heterogeneous in
some capabilities but very similar for what concerns purpose and properties, the future IoT
T – Cluste
will exhibit a much higher level of heterogeneity, as totally different objects, in terms of func-
tionality, technology and application fields will belong to the same communication environ-
ment.
CERP-Io
182
The IoT as a concept describes a wireless network between objects that would include ad-
dressable objects that could be anything from home appliances, food, flowers and pot plants
that become connected to the Internet. Some of the things, which are very sensitive to the
environment in which they travel, will have sensors attached. This will allow participants to
monitor conditions and climate during the entire journey. Under this vision, objects will be
able to transport themselves, implement fully automated processes and thus optimise logis-
tics; they will be able to harvest the energy they need; they will configure themselves when
exposed to a new environment, and show an “intelligent” behaviour when faced with other
objects and deal seamlessly with unforeseen circumstances. Finally, at the end of their lifecy-
cle, they will manage their own disposal or recycling/remanufacturing, helping to preserve the
environment.
In this context the technologies such as nanoelectronics, communications, sensors, smart
phones, embedded systems and software together with smart wireless identifiable devices will
form the backbone of “Internet of Things” infrastructure allowing new services and enabling
new applications.
Those smart wireless identifiable devices will provide the means for the fusion of the real,
virtual and digital worlds, creating a map of the physical world within the virtual space by
using a high temporal and spatial resolution and combining the characteristics of ubiquitous
sensor networks and other wireless identifiable devices, while reacting autonomously to the
real world and influencing it by running processes that trigger actions, without direct human
intervention.
1.1
ID
As their basic functionality, simple tags/devices provide an ID number wirelessly. The devices
require no line-of-sight and can be read as long as the tagged item is within range of the
reader. The tags are simple, low cost, disposable, and implemented using polymers, SAW
(Surface Acoustic Wave), or low cost silicon technologies. Radio-frequency tags are used to
identify animals, track goods within the logistics chain and replace printed bar codes at retail-
ers. RFID tags include a chip that typically stores a static number (ID) and an antenna that
enables the chip to transmit the stored number to a reader via electromagnetic waves. When
the tag comes within range of the appropriate RF reader, the tag is powered by the reader's RF
field and transmits its ID to the reader. RFID middleware provides the interface for communi-
cation between the interrogator and existing company databases and information manage-
ment systems.
s
1.2
Beyond ID
ingh
The development of smart systems implies new devices that go beyond wireless identification
T
and include processing capabilities, sensing/monitoring, larger non-volatile memories and
t of
combining multiple standards and multiple communication protocols (NFC, RFID, UWB,
erne
Rubee, Zigbee, Wi-Fi, or others) to interconnect with other ubiquitous sensor networks and to
implement Real Time Location Systems (RTLS). Applications of wireless identifiable smart
Int
systems will go beyond mere identification in many areas such as:
Ambient Intelligence and ubiquitous computing
on the
cts
Hybrid wireless sensor networks that are characterised by modularity, reliability, flexibility,
e
robustness and scalability.
Proj
Systems using different communication protocols
arch
RFID, NFC
ISA100.11a
Ultra low power Bluetooth
se
ZigBee
UWB
Wi-Fi
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6LowPAN
Rubee
Wi-Max
ean
WirelessHART
Wireless monitoring of different ambient parameters (video, audio, temperature, light, hu-
Europ
midity, smoke, air quality, radiation, energy, etc)
r of
Mobile robotic sensor networks.
These developments will enable the development of new context and situation based personal-
ised applications and services:
T – Cluste
User context identification
Biometrics
Gesture
CERP-Io
Privacy mode
Posture
Attention
183
Social context
Environmental context
Surrounding people and/or objects/things
Location, position
Type of group
Time
Link to people and/or objects/things
Condition
Net link - Internet of Things
Physical data
1.3
Beyond RF
The devices used in the future IoT will employ wireless communications using the frequency
spectrum beyond the radio frequency range. The table below present the mapping between the
frequency spectrum and the existing standards and protocols that are used for implementing
wireless identifiable devices.
Table 4.11-1: Summary of standards used for IoT applications.
Frequency
Range
Wavelength Frequency Standard
Range
30-50kHz
USID
LF
Low Frequency
30kHz to 300kHz 10km to 1km
125/134kHz1 ISO/IEC 18000-2
131/450kHz IEEE P1902.1/ RuBee
ETSI EN 300 330
MF Medium Fre-
quency
300kHz to 3MHz 1km to 100m
ETSI EN 300 330
6.78MHz2
7.4-8.8MHz
13.56MHz
ISO/IEC 18000-3
ISO/IEC 15693
HF
High Frequency
3MHz to 30MHz 100m to 10m
ISO/IEC 14443
ISO/IEC 18092/NFC
ISO/IEC 10536
EPCglobal EPC HF C1G2
27MHz
ETSI EN 300 330
VHF Very High Fre-
30MHz to
10m to 1m
125MHz
s
quency
300MHz
ingh
433MHz
ISO/IEC 18000-7
T
840-956MHz ISO/IEC 18000-6 Types
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A, B. C, D
EPCglobal EPC UHF C1G2
erne
Int
2.45GHz
IEEE 802.11
UHF Ultra High Fre-
300MHz to 3GHz 1m to 10cm
ISO/IEC 18000-4
quency
IEEE 802.15 WPAN
on the
IEEE 802.15 WPAN Low
cts
Rate
e
IEEE 802.15 RFID
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ETSI EN 300 220
ETSI EN 300 440
arch
ETSI EN 302 208
se
3.1-10,6GHz IEEE 802.15.4a WPAN
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SHF Super High Fre-
3GHz to 30GHz
10cm to 1cm
5.8GHz
quency
UWB
ean
24.125GHz
ETSI EN 300 440
30GHz to
Europ
EHF Extremely High
Frequency
300GHz
1cm to 1mm
MMID
ETSI EN 300 440
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1, 2 According to Annex 9 of the ERC Rec 70-03, inductive RFID Reader systems primarily
operate either below 135 kHz or at 6.78 or 13.56 MHz.
T – Cluste
The correlated transponder (TRP) data return frequencies reside in the following ranges:
LF Range Transponder Frequencies: fC = < 135 kHz, f TRP = 135 to 148.5 kHz
HF Range Transponder Frequencies: fC = 6.78 MHz f TRP = 4.78 to 8.78 MHz
CERP-Io
fC = 13.56 MHz f TRP = 11.56 to 15.56 MHz.
184
2
Technology
The technological developments that are offering the technology basis for IoT are the expo-
nential increase of the processing and storage power of the devices, miniaturisation, ubiqui-
tous connectivity and autonomous behaviour and the ability of devices to connect and to sense
i.e. the ability to be intelligent. From the technological point of view, in order to realise the
vision of the IoT, several technological advances must be carried out by the research commu-
nity
The social impact of these three technological trends is the key driver to the Internet of
Things.
2.1
Energy
Energy in all its phases of harvesting, conservation and consumption is a key issue
in the future. There is a need to research and develop solutions in this area, having as an ulti-
mate objective a level of entropy as close as possible to zero. Current technology development
is inadequate and existing processing power and energy capacity is too low to cope with future
needs.
The development of new and more efficient and compact energy storage sources such as bat-
teries, fuel cells, and printed/polymer batteries etc; as well as new energy generation devices
coupling energy transmission methods or energy harvesting using energy conversion, will be
the key factors for the roll-out of autonomous wireless smart systems.
2.2
Intelligence
The Intelligence of devices, in particular as regards context awareness and inter-machine
communication, is considered a high priority for the IoT. This context awareness is strongly
related to information received via sensors, corresponding sensor networks and the capabili-
ties of localisation, as well as the possibilities to influence via appropriate actuators. Besides
this, environmental context identification can also be user related or social. Communication
capabilities will have to include multi-standard as well as multi-protocol compatibility.
Furthermore, the development of ultra low power designs for mobile IoT devices and a new
class of simple and affordable IoT-centric smart systems will be an enabling factor. In that
context the terminology of ultra low power design is a broad one - from high efficiency front-
ends, ultra low power processors/microcontroller cores, ultra low power signal processing
capabilities, ultra low power sensors to low power base stations. however the intelligence of
s
local IoT nodes will be heavily restricted by size, cost and need to mass-produce in high speed,
roll-to-roll manufacturing processes, thus keeping the distributed intelligence on a rather low
ingh
level and accordingly specific. Processing of accumulated information will take place sepa-
T
rately.
t of
2.3
Communication
erne
Communication, in terms of physical wave transmission and protocols, will be the cornerstone
Int
of the novel IoT architecture. Integration of smart devices into the products themselves will
allow significant cost savings and increase the eco-friendliness of products. In the future, ap-
on the
plication- specific antennae will need to be developed, in order to allow the smooth function-
cts
ing of applications and services; those antennae will eventually evolve into smart devices
e
themselves, able to reconfigure themselves, and to adapt to the specific application needs and
Proj
to their surrounding environment.
arch
2.4
Integration
se
Re
The integration of chips and antennae into non-standard substrates like textiles and paper,
even metal laminates and the development of new substrates, conducting paths and bonding
ean
materials adapted to harsh environments and for environmentally friendly disposal will be-
come mainstream technologies. RFID inlays with a strap coupling structure will be used to
Europ
connect the integrated circuit chip and antenna in order to produce a variety of shapes and
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sizes of labels, instead of direct mounting. Inductive or capacitive coupling of specifically de-
signed strap-like antennae will avoid galvanic interconnection and thus increase reliability
and allow even faster production processes. The target must physically integrate the RFID
structure with the material of the object to be identified, in such a way as to enable the object
T – Cluste
to physically act as the antenna. This will require ultra-thin structures (< 10 μm) as well as
printed electronics, which are both robust and flexible.
CERP-Io
185
2.5
Interoperability
It is common knowledge that two different devices might not be interoperable, even if they are
using the same standard. We define interoperability as the capability of two or more networks,
systems, devices, applications, or components to exchange information between them and to
use the information so exchanged. Future tags and interrogators/readers must integrate dif-
ferent communication standards and protocols that operate at different frequencies and allow
different architectures, centralised or distributed, and be able to communicate with other net-
works unless and until global, well defined standards emerge. The interoperability issues have
to be differentiated at different levels like physical, syntactical, services, devices, functions, the
communication layers, radio protocols, frequencies, application and semantics and a holistic
approach is required in addressing and solving the interoperability of IoT devices and services
at one or several layers.
2.6
Trust and Security
There is a need to have a technically sound solution to guarantee privacy and the security of
the customers in order to have a widespread adoption of any object identification system.
While in many cases the security has been done as an add-on feature, it seems that the public
acceptance for the IoT will happen only when strong security solutions are in place. Long term
security protection is a necessity, one which takes into account the product lifecycle.
3
Applications
Under the current vision, the IoT will have an even more fundamental impact on our society
than the impact of the Internet & mobile technologies or even today’s acclaimed “Information
Era”. The future ubiquitous IoT will make it possible for virtually any object around us to ex-
change information and work in synergy with each other in order to dramatically increase the
quality of our lives.
We will be wearing smart clothes, made of smart fabrics, which will interact with the Climate
Control of our cars and homes, selecting the most suitable temperature and humidity levels
for the person concerned; smart books of the future will interact with the entertainment sys-
tem, such as a multi-dimensional, multi-media Hypertext bringing up on the TV screen addi-
tional information on the topic we are reading in real time; and so on.
Many application areas are foreseen for the future IoT and they range from automatic meter
reading, home automation, industrial monitoring, military, automotive, aeronautics, consum-
ers (Personal Area Networks), retail, logistics (shipping tracking storing, managing supply
s
chain), food traceability, agriculture, environment and energy monitoring to healthcare with
ingh
pharmaceutical or public and private safety and security.
T
Initially, RFID technology was studied in order to replace the bar code in retail. While cur-
t of
rently tested in a variety of pilot projects, the adoption of RFID has been slowed down by sev-
erne
eral factors, such as the much higher cost of an RFID tag over bar code labels, necessary tech-
nological improvements to overcome attenuation by metals and liquid items, and privacy con-
Int
cerns. The electronic tags offer multiple benefits over the bar code for both retailers and con-
sumers. The retailers will have item identification which is integrated from the producer,
on the
through to the storage, the shop floor, cashier and check out levels. RFID tags will also ensure
cts
enhanced theft protection. The shelves will be able to issue refill orders automatically, and the
e
history of any item from production to the shelf can be stored offering increased quality man-
Proj
agement along the supply chain. For the consumers this offers the possibility to avoid long
check-out queues, and having the product history available will improve food safety and pro-
arch
tect consumer rights in case of faulty or tainted products. RFID tags will also prove a great tool
se
to fighting counterfeit goods.
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Another important application field is logistics. Today, RFID technology is mainly being used
ean
for identification purposes. In the future, using the autonomous routing of data packets in
today's internet as a model, the next evolution step will be an integrated automation and indi-
Europ
vidualization of material flows. For that purpose, logistics objects will be equipped with RFID
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tags which contain not only identification attributes but also information regarding the desti-
nation, routing, priority, and processing steps of the object. The logistics environment will be
composed of standardized modules (e.g., conveyors, junctions) with an integrated intelligence
based on powerful microcontrollers. This will allow for intelligent communication between
T – Cluste
logistics objects and other modules; via this set up, actions of the different modules and the
logistics objects can be negotiated between themselves. A complex central material flow com-
puter therefore becomes obsolete.
CERP-Io
186
As a result, this allows for a completely decentralized material flow. Changes in topology, rout-
ing order, etc, will not require costly adaptation work – the system recognizes them on its
own. This increases not only efficiency, flexibility and robustness of material flow systems but
also decreases costs and energy needs through the better usage of existing capacities. In the
end, logistics objects will find their way through the production site, to the customer and back
to recycling facilities independently – just like the data packets in today's internet.
Advanced RFID technologies will also reshape pharmaceutical and medical applications. Elec-
tronic tags will carry information related to drug use making it easier for the customer to be
acquainted with adverse effects and optimal dosage. RFID enhanced pharmaceutical packag-
ing can carry not just all related information, but also control medical compliance. Finally,
smart biodegradable dust embedded inside pills can interact with the intelligent tag on the box
allowing the latter to monitor the use and abuse of medicine and inform the pharmacist when
a new supply is needed. The smart dust in pills could also detect incompatible drug mixtures,
and in case a dangerous mix is detected the medicament carrier could refuse to activate or
release the active substances. The combination of sensors, RFID and NFC (near field commu-
nication) will allow a significantly improved measurement and monitoring methods of vital
functions (blood pressure, blood glucose etc). The enormous advantages are to be seen on the
one hand side in prevention and easy monitoring (and having therefore an essential impact on
our social system) and on the other side in case of accidents and ad hoc diagnosis. Especially
passive RFID could act as communication as well as power interface for medical implants.
Implantable wireless identifiable devices could be used to store health records that could save
a patient's life in emergency situations especially for people with diabetes, cancer, coronary
heart disease, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cognitive impairments, seizure
disorders and Alzheimer's, and people with complex medical device implants, such as pace-
makers, stents, joint replacements and organ transplants and have particular use in an emer-
gency room when the patient is, unconscious and unable to communicate. Edible, biodegrad-
able chips that can be introduced into the body and used for guided action. Paraplegic persons
could have muscular stimuli delivered via an implanted radio-controlled electrical simulation
system in order to restore movement functions.
In this context security, privacy and safety by design will be a first priority for the implantable
wireless identifiable devices development and use.
RFID and wireless identifiable systems will benefit the aeronautics industry, helping it to op-
timise its existing processes, improve reliability, offer new services and realise the advantages
of rationalisation.
s
ing
Dynamic monitoring systems will employ RFID and wireless identifiable sensing devices to
h T
provide input during the life-cycle phases of production, operation and disposal of aircraft and
components. This will require robust RFID and sensor technologies. These will need to have
t of
in-service lives of 25-30 years, and be able to operate in harsh environments (for example,
erne
with large variations in temperature, humidity, material use, and corrosion).
Int
The wireless identifiable devices attached to the aircraft components and parts can be updated
with warranty and repair information to provide a virtual pedigree on each device, and these
on the
devices can help ensure that manufacturers comply with regulatory mandates for disposal of
cts
toxic substances (products that contain lead, mercury and other hazardous substances - Re-
e
striction on Hazardous Substances - RoHS directive). This will result in the development of a
Proj
complete systematic scheme to assess the environmental impact of the products throughout
their entire life cycle, targeting design, procurement, manufacturing, transport, in-service
arch
operations, including maintenance, aircraft end of life and recycling (from cradle to grave).
se
Re
Wireless identifiable systems will be developed using RFID tags correlated with luggage in
containers, RFID tags for tracking passengers/luggage/cargo, RFID tags and sensors on con-
ean
veyors.
Applications in the automotive industry include the use of RFID devices to monitor and report
Europ
everything from pressure in tyres to proximity of other vehicles. RFID technology is used to
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streamline vehicle production, improve logistics, increase quality control and improve cus-
tomer service. The devices attached to parts contain information related to the name of the
manufacturer and when and where the product was made, its serial number, type, product
T – Cluste
code, and precise location in the facility at that moment. RFID technology provides real-time
data in the manufacturing process and maintenance and offers a new way of managing recalls
more effectively.
CERP-Io
The use of wireless identifiable devices helps factory workers to gain insights into where every-
thing is so that it is possible to speed assembly processes and locate cars or components in a
187
fraction of the time. RFID technology is ideal in enabling real-time locating systems (RTLS),
improving vehicle tracking and management and supporting automotive manufacturers better
manage the process of testing and verifying vehicles coming off the assembly line while track-
ing them as they go through quality control, containment and shipping zones. The future IoT
will enable car-to-car communication based on ad hoc dynamically composed local data net-
works. Cars will inform each other about their current position, speed, direction etc and about
threats such as a wet road surface around the corner.
The idea of IoT involving the utilization of “the naturally embedded (biological) sensors of
plants and animals” into Internet world is very attractive. Many animals have a “sixth sense”
that can be used for life-saving services: for instance, snakes can sense earthquakes, fire and
other calamities, while even plants are able to send some signals about threats, like potatoes
when attacked by the “Colorado beetle”. As much as it sounds science fiction, it is reasonable
to think that if we can sense animals’ signal we can give them the required support, and pre-
vent natural catastrophes. A much easier application could be linked to plants, in order to give
them the right amount of water, and to animals, to prevent illnesses and optimize group be-
haviour. Wireless sensors are already part of current home applications, in systems like air-
conditioning or security. They cooperate in a strictly defined system to fulfil a precisely de-
fined task. Normally, those systems are closed and can’t exchange any kind of information.
The future IoT will increase the prevalence of the development of self-managed smart homes
which will be “embedded into the Earth eco-system”. We can only imagine a few of the ser-
vices and application that will be enabled by the IoT: for instance, the personal RFID body
temperature sensors (embedded into the fabric of our clothes) will communicate with air-
conditioning system that will decide upon the most comfortable temperature and humidity
considering the users general preferences, its health condition, the outside temperature and
short and long term weather forecasts delivered by Internet.
4
Research Priorities
The research priorities are built on the five pillars that will form the basis for developing smart
wireless identifiable systems:
Multidisciplinary: different disciplines are involved spanning from micro/nano to
communication protocols and integration
Convergence: the convergence of different technologies like nano/micro, sensor, flat
batteries/printed, printed antennae, silicon/polymer,
s
Heterogeneity: heterogeneous communication protocols, sensor technologies, and com-
ingh
binations of different antennae, batteries, power generation and displays.
T
Multifunctionality: multi functional miniaturised and smart RFID devices and readers
t of
operating at different frequencies and protocols, that have improved quality, performance
erne
and cost effectiveness, security/privacy friendliness, are world-wide compatible and trans-
Int
parent for the user. Flexible and adaptable RFID devices (passive/active) that incorporate
sensing and actuating devices in a wide range of materials depending on the application re-
quirements.
on the
cts
Integration: very high levels of miniaturization and integration, small size, low power and
e
low cost requirements that implies high integration using a combination of system on chip
Proj
(SoC) and system in package (SiP) implementation
arch
In this context key research priorities for the next few years are presented in the following
se
sections.
Re
4.1
Intelligent systems
ean
Intelligence of the systems will be central to the development of IoT and the focus will be on
context-awareness and inter-machine information exchange. In the coming period, there is
Europ
therefore the need to study a global architecture for the IoT, where peer-to-peer communica-
r of
tion models, the shift of already existing bio-inspired approaches from a centralized view to a
distributed one, in which intelligence is pushed towards the edge of the system, and the devel-
opment of autonomous devices able to generate automatic code and behaviours, will play a
central role.
T – Cluste
The research priorities will focus on increasing and adapting the intelligence at the device level
by the integration of sensors and actuators, new power efficient hardware/software security
CERP-Io
architectures, high efficiency, multi-standard and adaptive communication sub-systems,
adaptable antennae (smart beam steer able phased array antennae, multi frequency band an-
188
tennae, on chip antennae (OCA), coil on chip, printed antennae, embedded antennae and mul-
tiple antenna using different substrates and 3D structures).
4.2
Energy sustainability
A strong emphasis will be put on energy efficient and self-sustainable systems. Novel ways to
harvest energy from the environment must be explored and developed, in order to create sys-
tems that require little external energy, if any. Efficiency in processing and in communication
must also be achieved through novel programming paradigms and the further development of
energy efficient protocols and smart antennae.
Research efforts will focus on multimodal identifiable sensing systems enabling complex ap-
plications such as implants monitoring vital signs inside the body and drug delivery using
RFID and harvesting the energy from different sources.
Research on printed batteries manufactured with sensors, thin film solar (thermal) cells for
energy harvesting, vibration and piezoceramic devices for energy harvesting, (or even micro
fuel cells for long term power generation) wireless power supply to sensors and thin batteries
with a life of 10 years.
4.3
Privacy and Security
Many of today's concerns about the wide adoption of the IoT lie in the popular belief that both
privacy and security will be at risk. In order to reverse this belief, sound technological solu-
tions must be developed, together with legislators at national and supra-national level. Exten-
sive dissemination of the results of these discussions must also be undertaken by all IoT ac-
tors.
The research will focus on RFID with privacy control and energy efficient cryptography algo-
rithms and using non-linkable digital transfers for disguising digital transactions. Combining
different identification technologies to increase the security and privacy by using private,
revocable ID to enable users to be the sole owners of an object's identity.
4.4
Harsh Environments and Integration into Materials
Current trends show that the research process from application specific antenna design to
smart antennae, suitable in different applications and materials, will finally lead to the inte-
gration of devices into non standard substrates. These substrates, and their operational fields,
might have very specific requirements, and the resilience of these smart electronic compo-
nents must therefore be extremely high.
s
ing
Research will focus on RFID devices with sensing capabilities that are embedded in composite
h T
parts, by using antennae, integrated electronics, micro sensors, materials and special assembly
techniques for operation in harsh environments (large temperature, pressure variations, etc)
t of
or implanted, requiring biocompatible functionality.
erne
5
Future outlook
Int
The Internet of Things will change our society, and will bring seamless 'anytime, anywhere'
business, entertainment and social networking over fast reliable and secure networks. This
on the
means the end of the divide between digital, virtual and physical worlds.
ctse
In this new context technical architecture that addresses point of control issues for tracking
Proj
objects across networks, companies and business processes will become essential. Simple,
distributed, architectures to enable multiple identifier authorities supporting the interests of
arch
local, regional and national business, policymakers, and individuals and addresses concerns
se
over security and privacy will be the answer.
Re
Today, the web services are standard and widely adopted technology for the Internet. The
ean
future Internet will bring new challenges where the wireless identifiable embedded systems at
the edge of the network need to have and utilise similar functionalities.
Europ
Wireless identifiable devices and embedded distributed systems will implement service ori-
r of
ented architectures to solve the complexity of distributed embedded applications and propa-
gate web services as a cross domain technology.
Wireless sensor networks and ubiquitous networks, where the sensors will be connected to
T – Cluste
and controlled by embedded systems will use this approach, where services encapsulate the
functionality and provide unified access to the functionality of the system through a middle-
ware layer.
CERP-Io
189
The middleware solutions for these systems will need to provide, monitor, and manage quality
of service aspects, such as response time, resource consumption, throughput, availability,
reliability and security. This will determine the encapsulation of access to the system resources
that will increases reliability of the overall communication network.
In the vision of Internet of Things, intelligent/smart wireless identifiable devices and embed-
ded devices will offer their functionality as a web service, and will be able to discover and co-
operate with other devices and services in a peer to peer manner.
Discovery processes distributing knowledge about the availability of services, capability de-
scriptions and publish/subscribe mechanisms will give full control to the stakeholder for man-
aging complex work processes.
s
ingh T
t of
erne
Int
on the
ctse
Proj
arch se
Re
ean
Europ
r of
T – Cluste
CERP-Io
190
Chapter 5 Projects in
the Cluster
AmI-4-SME
Ambient Intelligence Technology
for Systemic Innovation in Manufacturing SMEs
he AmI-4-SME project is address- Moreover, the AMI-4-SME Software Platform
ing Ambient Intelligence (AMI) was realised to easily set-up the required
T technology, oriented to surround runtime environment as well as software
people with electronic environments, infrastructure to provide a cost and time effi-
sensitive and responsive to their de- cient realisation of a human centric turn-key
sires.
solution.
The AMI-4-SME Project
To guide the innovation approach of both the
manufacturing SME and the IT provider, the
It was searched for process innovation poten- AMI-4-SME Methodology was developed. It
tials for manufacturing industry based on a provides clear instructions, guidelines and
revolutionary next step in systemic innova- templates for realising the successful utilisa-
tion. Based on manufacturing SME business tion of new AmI technologies. It is based on a
cases, the research and IT partners clearly traceable improvement process, driven by the
identified, that AmI is facilitating the collabo-
company staff, enabling informed decisions
ration between humans themselves and with of the management.
their ambience such as machines on the shop
floor or existing IT systems (e.g. ERP, PPC, AmI-4-SME was completed in September
MRP). On top of that, feedback from proto-
2008. The consortium is continuing its work
type testing in the SME environments indi-
in their fields of expertise and is providing
cated SMEs’ urgent need for highly tailored the following consultancy and products: AmI
turn-key solutions, when aiming at the ex-
turn-key solutions, AmI software services &
ploitation of AmI enabled innovation poten-
hardware easy to be integrated in SMEs in-
s
tials, required to guarantee the realisation of frastructures as well as Consultancy, based on
the AMI-4-SME Methodology.
ing
business benefits and competitive advantage.
h T
Project Results
t of
For effectively serving SME needs concerning
erne
turn-key solutions in a suitable price range as
Int
well as to empower suppliers of AmI based
solutions to serve those needs, the AMI-4-
on the
SME project elaborated three Building Blocks
cts
for realising innovative AmI as well as human
e
centred solutions:
Further information:
Proj
RFID based sensor system, mobile readers
Partners: ATB, Brüggen, CARSA, DERi,
arch
& middleware, highly compatible for inte-
EuroCoach, OAS, PRO DV, Sidheán, Softrónica,
se
gration with SME infrastructures.
Telefónica, TNS, TRIMEK
Re
Speech recognition system, for implement-
Contact: Harald
Sundmaeker;
ean
ing configurable natural human interaction
ATB Institute for Applied Systems Technology
on mobile devices; easy to generate &
Bremen GmbH
Europ
maintain; using standard interfaces.
Wiener Str. 1; D-28359 Bremen
Germany
r of
AmI system adaptor for mobile device,
service & system integration. Enabling a
Tel.: +49-421-220920
flexible, secure & efficient configuration,
E-mail: Sundmaeker@atb-bremen.de
T – Cluste
mapping & interfacing of legacy systems,
Internet: www.ami4sme.org
AmI services as well as mobile devices.
Duration: 01.10.05 – 30.09.08 - 36 Months
CERP-Io
193
ASPIRE
Advanced Sensors and lightweight
Programmable middleware for Innovative RFID
Enterprise applications
he ASPIRE project is addressing
Conventional filtering (e.g., EPC-ALE
RFID deployment paradigm, by
paradigm): Open Source Tools
T introducing and boosting a shift (Stored/Save, Edit, Delete Filters) com-
towards lightweight, royalty-free pro-
pliant to ALE specifications
grammable, privacy friendly, stan-
Filtering of business events (i.e. based
dards-compliant, scalable, integrated
on the paradigm of BEG module):
and intelligent RFID middleware. The
Combination of filtered data with busi-
ASPIRE middleware is being placed at
ness metadata according to declared/
heart of RFID infrastructures. This
configured processes
will be freely offered to end-users (par-
Specifications for mapping sensor
ticularly SMEs).
reading events into business events
Filtering of many types of sensors other
The ASPIRE Project
than RFID, like ZigBee (IEEE 802.15)
ASPIRE is developing an innovative royalty
and HF sensors.
free middleware platform. This middleware ASPIRE Low-cost hardware and Tools
platform is a primary target of the open ASPIRE Trails: The trails are being per-
source “AspireRFID”, which has been estab-
formed in the areas of Logistics, Textiles-
lished in the scope of the OW2 community.
Apparel, Cold Chain Management, Process
The open nature of the “AspireRFID”, re-
Management and Retail to lower SME en-
quires versatility of the hardware and tools
try cost barrier and Total Cost of Owner-
that will support the RFID solutions being
ship (TCO) for RFID technology solutions
built based on the ASPIRE middleware plat-
Provide efficient inventory and smart ser-
s
form. The ASPIRE middleware is vendor- and
vices.
ing
frequency independent. The ASPIRE mid-
h T
dleware can also support different tag for-
Moreover, the ASPIRE Middleware Platform
t of
mats. Also, it is able to be programmed and will be user-friendly especially focusing on
configured so as to “bring it closer” to RFID SME demands. To guide the innovation ap-
erne
systems “illiterate”.
proach of both the manufacturing SME and
Int
the IT provider, the ASPIRE Methodology
This freedom of choice is perfectly in line was developed. It provides clear instructions,
with both the “open” nature of the middle-
guidelines and templates for realising the
on the
ware and the requirements of Small Medium successful utilisation of RFID technologies
cts
Enterprise (SMEs). Avoiding vendor and
e
and ASPIRE Middleware.
technology lock-in and the reconfiguration
Proj
ability is a major requirement from the SME
Further information:
community with respect to RFID solutions.
arch
Partners: AAU, AIT, INRIA, UJF, Melexsis, OSI,
se
Project Results
UEAPME, SENSAP, PV and IT.
Re
For effectively serving SME needs concerning
Contact: Prof. Neeli R. Prasad;
ean
turn-key solutions in a suitable price range as
Center for Teleinfrastruktur (CTIF)
well as to empower suppliers of RFID-based
Aalborg University
Europ
solutions to serve those needs, the ASPIRE
Niels Jernes Vej 12;
r of
project elaborated three parts for realising
DK-9220 Aalborg
innovative SME oriented solution:
Denmark
Tel.: +45-994-09835
ASPIRE Middleware Architecture and so-
T – Cluste
lution (http://forge.ow2.org/project/show
E-mail: np@es.aau.dk
files.php?group_id=324): ASPIRE intro-
Internet: www.fp7-aspire.eu
duces a new approach to RFID middleware
CERP-Io
Duration: 01.01.08 – 31.12.10 - 36 Months
through a two-tier filtering:
194
BRIDGE
Building Radio Frequency Identification
Solutions for the Global Environment
RIDGE (Building Radio fre- tors. Finally, a considerable set of education
quency IDentification solutions material has been made publicly available.
Bfor the Global Environment) is a
European Union funded 3-year Inte- This project has been a great opportunity for
grated Project addressing ways to re- Europe to build on a standardised RFID
solve the barriers to the implementa- technology for use in global supply chains.
tion of RFID in Europe, based upon The BRIDGE project has clearly contributed
GS1 EPCglobal standards. The project to the development of new solutions for all
consisted of a series of business, businesses, from small to large. Improving
nical development and horizontal skills and expertise on RFID technology and
tivities. It started in July 2006 and network information sharing is leading to
ended in August 2009.
enhanced competitiveness of European com-
panies and to benefits to customers and citi-
Project Objectives
zens.
The implementation of RFID and EPCglobal
standard solutions is hindered by a number
of technical, social and educational chal-
lenges. The objective of the BRIDGE project
was to research, develop and implement tools
to enable the deployment of EPCglobal appli-
cations in Europe.
s
Project Activities
ingh
The project included an important research
T
and development programme in various as-
t of
pects of RFID hardware, software, network
and security.
erne
Int
Seven Business work packages were set up to
identify the opportunities, establish the busi-
Further information:
ness cases and perform trials and implemen-
on the
tations in various sectors including anti-
Partners: GS1 organisations: Global Office
ctse
counterfeiting, pharmaceuticals, textile,
(Coordinator), France, UK, Germany, Spain,
manufacturing, re-usable assets, products in
Poland, China;
Proj
service and retail non-food items.
Universities: Cambridge, ETH Zurich, Fudan,
arch
UPC Barcelona, TUG Graz; Users: Carrefour,
A series of horizontal activities provided
se
Bénédicta, Kaufhof, Gardeur, Nestlé UK, So-
training and dissemination services, enabling
Re
ny, El Corte Inglés, Northland, COVAP;
the adoption of the technology on a large
ean
scale in Europe for the sectors addressed by
Solution Providers: BT, SAP, AIDA, Caen,
BRIDGE and beyond. BRIDGE involved 31
Confidex, AT4wireless, UPM Raflatac, Veri-
partners and was coordinated by GS1.
sign UK, Melior, Domino, JJ Associates.
Europ
Contact: GS1
r of
Project Achievements
Avenue Louise 326 – Bte10
The project delivered truly innovative hard-
B-1050 Brussels ; Belgium
ware and software products. It also issued
Tel.: +32-278-87800
T – Cluste
several important contributions to standard
E-mail: info@bridge-project.eu
bodies in the areas of sensors, security and
Internet: www.bridge-project.eu
Discovery services. The lessons learned from
CERP-Io
the multiple pilot implementations will be
Duration: 01.07.2006–31.08.2009 - 38 Months
inspiring for many companies in various sec-
195
CASAGRAS
Coordination and Support Action (CSA) for
Global RFID-related Activities
and Standardisation
ASAGRAS aim to provide an in-
Recommendations for future research and
cisive framework of foundation
development and international collabora-
Cstudies that can assist the Euro- tion
pean Commission and EU mem-
ber states in influencing and accom-
Recommendations to encourage participa-
modating international issues and de-
tion of SMEs
velopments concerning radio fre-
An ongoing collaborative research platform
quency identification (RFID) and the
for RFID
emerging "Internet of Things".
The CASAGRAS Project
Field of Application
CASAGRAS Work Packages:
The framework studies will draw particular
1. Standards and Procedures for Interna- attention to Objective ICT-2007-1.3: ICT in
tional Standardisation in relation to RFID, support of the networked enterprise and the
including applications and conformance call within that objective for a Support Action
standards.
(SA) for global RFID-related standardisation
2. Regulatory issues in respect of RFID stan-
activities involving in particular organisations
dards
from China, Japan, Korea and the USA.
3. Global coding systems in relation to RFID
standards
s
4. RFID in relation to Ubiquitous Computing
ingh
and Networks
T
5. Functional, including sensory, develop-
t of
ments in RFID and Associated Standards
erne
6. Areas of Application, existing and future,
Int
and associated Standards.
7. Socio-economic components of RFID us-
on the
age
ctse
Project objectives
Proj
To Provide:
Further information:
arch
A Platform for international collaboration
Partners: AIM UK Ltd; YRP Ubiquitous Network-
se
on all aspects of standards and regulations
ing Laboratory; Hong Kong Science Parks Cor-
Re
relating to RFID
poration; AIDC UK Ltd; Electronics and Tele-
ean
communication Research Institute; FEIG Elec-
A framework and supporting documenta-
tronic; ETSI; QED Systems
tion for incisive and analytical review of in-
Europ
Contact: Ian Smith; AIM UK Ltd
ternational RFID standards
r of
The Elsie Whiteley Innovation Centre
Recommendations with respect to interna-
Hopwood Lane, Halifax, West Yorkshire, HX1
tional standardisation and regulatory de-
5ER, UK
velopments for RFID
T – Cluste
Tel.:
+44 1422 399 499
Recommendations with respect to applica-
E-mail: ian@aimuk.org
tions methodologies and positioning
CERP-Io
Internet: www.rfidglobal.eu
Duration: 01.01.08 – 30.06.09 - 18 Months
196
CASCADAS
Component-ware for
Automatic Aware Situations Communications
for a Dynamic and Adaptable Service
oday’s Internet is rapidly evolv-
Optimization of Telco-ICT Service Frame-
ing towards a highly distributed
works (Capex savings);
T and communication-intensive
collection of services. In the future, Simplification of Management (Opex sav-
these services would be expected to
ings) of above Frameworks.
detect automatically data and to self- CASCADAS framework, called the Toolkit,
configure, in order to meet the needs provides a running-time environment capa-
of various Users, in diverse situations, ble of supporting ACEs in all their features.
without requiring explicit human in-
tervention.
CASCADAS Toolkit
To achieve this, a re-thinking is needed of the ACE Toolkit is available for download at:
current way of developing and deploying http://sourceforge.net/projects/acetoolkit/
distributed systems and applications. One
approach consists in developing an “open Project deliverables are available at:
ecosystem", which can prosper and thrive. http://www.cascadas-project.org
This vision is attractive: it provides new and Toolkit has been successfully used to build a
better services to Users.
prototype system to suit a potentially indus-
CASCADAS goal is to provide an automatic trial future scenario, called Behavioural Per-
component-based framework that can sup-
vasive Advertisement, which takes a crowded
port the deployment of a novel set of services, venue, with many public screens. The adver-
via distributed applications, which can cope tising screens display information independ-
ent of the context. Smart services could then
s
with dynamic and uncertain environments,
i.e. having Self-Configuration, Self-Healing; gather publicly information on Users and
ingh
Self-Optimization; Self-Protection (self-
advertise their particular interests. This
T
CHOP) capabilities.
would transform the effectiveness of advertis-
t of
ing service! Hence, the level of business in-
Technical and innovation
vestments would be higher, in buying and
erne
approach
allocating advertising time slots, by "auction-
Int
ing" these advertising time slots. CASCADAS
CASCADAS is a robust modular framework has an auction paradigm whereby advertisers
can acquire the rights of advertising, on a
on the
and acts as a high-level reference model for a specific screen, at a specific time.
cts
new generation of programmable elements,
e
which can be reused at different stack levels.
Proj
Such a model, is the core of the fundamental
software Autonomic Communication Ele-
arch
ments (ACE).
Further information:
se
Partners: Telecom Italia, BT, Budapest University,
Re
Target users and benefits
Fraunhofer, Imperial College London, Eurecom,
ean
CASCADAS proposes a do-it-yourself innova-
Politecnico di Milano, Uni Kassel, Uni di
tive services and knowledge management,
Modena e Reggio Emilia, Uni Trento, Uni
Europ
which will allow real People to be the target
Ulster, MIP School of Management, Uni Athens,
r of
Users. CASCADAS has identified the follow-
Uni Libre de Bruxelles
ing main areas of benefits and industrial ex-
Contact: Antonio Manzalini; Telecom Italia
ploitation of results:
Via Reiss Romoli 274;
T – Cluste
IT-10148 Torino; Italy
Introduction of innovative SAC “services”
(and new business models)
Tel.: +39-011-2285817
E-mail: Antonio.manzalini@telecomitalia.it
Future Internet development;
CERP-Io
Internet: www.cascadas-project.org
197
Duration: 01.01.06 – 31.12.08 - 36 Months
CE RFID
Coordinating European Efforts for Promoting
the European RFID Value Chain
ithin the Coordination Action
plied research to those close to market in-
“CE RFID” European stake-
novation.
W holders discussed and
lysed all major issues concerning Generic, interoperable and easily applica-
RFID: technology, R&D, standards,
ble standards are needed and a close coop-
guidelines and regulation.
eration between the existing international
standardisation organisations should be
The CE RFID Project
established.
From 2006 to 2008 European RFID users
Users need application-specific guidelines
and vendors cooperated within the initiative
to implement RFID.
CE RFID ("Coordinating European Efforts for
The principle of technology neutrality
Promoting the European RFID Value Chain")
needs to be preserved in the regulatory ap-
in order to improve the market conditions
proach.
and development of RFID technology in
Europe and to reinforce the political envi-
A continued dialogue between all relevant
ronment of RFID at European level.
stakeholders should be ensured.
Project Results
Additionally, the partners elaborated the
“RFID Reference Model” which clusters more
The activities of CE RFID centred around five than 100 examples of RFID use cases into
main topics:
eight RFID application fields with 41 subcate-
gories.
RFID application and technology roadmap,
s
All reports of CE RFID and the presentations
ing
European RFID research & development
given at the closing conference “Towards a
h
policy,
T
European Policy on RFID” are published on
the project website: www.rfid-in-action.eu.
t of
RFID standards and radio regulations,
The partners summarised their findings also
erne
RFID application and implementation
in the book:
Int
guidelines, and
Gerd Wolfram, Birgit Gampl, Peter Gabriel
Regulatory framework for RFID.
(Eds.): The RFID Roadmap: The Next Steps
on the
for Europe. Berlin/Heidelberg: Springer
For each topic an in-depth analysis of the
cts
2008
e
state-of-the-art was conducted and detailed
recommendations for European RFID stake-
Proj
holders and decision makers from policy,
economy, and society were provided.
Further information:
archse
About 200European experts from different
Partners: MGI METRO Group Information
Re
stakeholder groups contributed to the work of
Technology, Deutsche Post, FEIG Electronic,
ean
CE RFID by participating in workshops or by
Siemens, NXP, VDI/VDE-IT, RF-iT, EADS,
reviewing reports, thus ensuring that the
AIDA, ADT, UPM Raflatac, Pleon
Europ
detailed recommendations for a supportive
Contact: Matthias
Robeck
European policy on RFID are based on a
METRO AG, CIO-Office
r of
broad societal basis.
IT Strategy and Innovation
The main recommendations of CE RFID
Postbox 23 03 61;
were:
D-40089 Duesseldorf; Germany
T – Cluste
Tel.: +49-221-9694-224
There should be an active sponsorship and
E-mail: Matthias.robeck@metro.de
funding for RFID-specific cooperative re-
CERP-Io
search which covers all activities from ap-
Internet: www.rfid-in-action.eu
Duration: 01.04.06 – 30.09.08 - 30 Months
198
CoBIs
Collaborative Business Items
he CoBIs project developed a A new service description language called
radically new approach to busi-
CoBIL (CoBIs Language) to describe ser-
T ness processes involving physical vices for wireless sensor networks, their in-
entities such as goods and tools in
terface, their composition and dependen-
terprise environments, integrating cies as well as technical constraints regard-
wireless sensor networks with enter-
ing their deployment.
prise systems using a service-oriented
architecture.
A set of reusable collaborative services that
were applied in a set of demonstrators and
The CoBIs Project
application trials.
Wireless Sensor Networks are seen as one of
Hardware adaptation and integration of
the most promising technologies that will
three different sensor network platforms,
bridge the physical and virtual worlds, ena-
namely Particles, Nodes and Sindrion,
bling them to interact. Expectations go be-
through a common abstraction layer.
yond the research visions, towards their de- Application trials were conducted to show
ployment in real-world applications that how the technology developed can be applied
would empower business processes and fu- to a real-world setting. In the first one, a self-
ture business cases.
configuring RFID smart shelf was developed
Advances in networked embedded systems for the clothing industry, increasing stock
were applied to embed business logic in the visibility. The second one was conducted at a
physical entities to create so-called Collabora- chemical plant of BP in the UK, showing how
tive Business Items. These items enable to the technology can be applied to monitor
s
relate more closely the state of an enterprise storage regulations for hazardous chemicals
ingh
as represented in a business process with and thus reinforce storage and workers’
T
what is actually happening in the real world. safety regulations in the domain of the oil and
t of
Thereby, business processes can be extended gas industry.
to the “point of action” rather than via a cen-
erne
tralized back-end system.
Int
Project Results
on the
The central concept of the CoBIs project was
ctse
to use a common service paradigm through-
out all layers, from the enterprise application
Further information:
Proj
down to the logic executed on sensor nodes.
Solutions especially concern, the integration
Partners: SAP AG, Ambient Systems, BP Inter-
archse
of sensors and actuators with enterprise sys-
national Ltd., Infineon Technologies Austria
tems as well as the management, monitoring
AG, Lancaster University, University of
Re
and administration of a system with highly
Karlsruhe, University of Twente
ean
distributed logic. The main results can be
Contact: Stephan
Haller;
summarized as follows:
SAP (Schweiz) AG
Europ
SAP Research
A middleware based on a service-oriented
r of
Kreuzplatz 20; CH-8008 Zurich
architecture (SOA). The middleware allows
Switzerland
the deployment of business logic in the
form of services to the edge of the network.
Tel.: +41-58-8717845
T – Cluste
CoBIs provided the basic SOA framework
E-mail: Stephan.haller@sap.com
as well as the tools to monitor and manage
Internet: www.cobis-online.de
the network.
CERP-Io
Duration: 1.8.2004 – 31.1.2007 - 30 Months
199
CONFIDENCE
Ubiquitous Care System to
Support Independent Living
onfidence: Innovative care sys- Technical Approach
tem. The main objective of this
C project is the development and The result of this multidisciplinary research
integration of innovative tech- will be a working prototype. The end-users
nologies to build a care system for the will be involved in the RTD activities by co-
detection of abnormal events (such as defining the specifications, monitoring and
falls) or unexpected behaviours that testing the project. This early user involve-
may be related to a health problem in ment will contribute to meet the user’s re-
elderly people.
quirements and will increase the acceptability
of the final system.
The Confidence Project
Impact
Nowadays, most of the care systems in the
market are limited to detect falls. The innova- ICT in combination with other technologies
tion of the system developed in the Confi-
can play a major role in prolonging the per-
dence project is that it will not only detect sonal autonomy and active participation in
falls, but also identify short and long term society of elderly people. In this respect, Con-
unexpected behaviours that could indicate fidence has the potential to enhance the in-
health problems.
dependence of elderly people.
Confidence will be a cost effective, non-
Confidence’s goals are twofold:
intrusive and reliable system that will in-
There is the social advantage of a better qual-
crease the quality of life and security of the ity of life for elderly people who live alone
elderly and their families and caregivers.
s
and their relatives. The elderly will prolong
ing
their active participation in the society, and
h
Features of the system
T
their relatives will be less concerned.
Reliable
t of
– Low false alarm rates
The economic advantage has to be taken into
account. As elderly people will be able to live
erne
Non intrusive
longer on their own, with a higher quality of
Int
The system will adapt itself to the user
life and not in care institutions, there will be a
– Learn the user behaviour
cost reduction for the welfare state.
on the
Small and low cost changes in the user’s
ctse
home
Easy to setup and to use
Proj
– No limit to the user’s daily activity
Further information:
arch
Customized alarm protocol
se
Portable
Partners: Fraunhofer, Jozef Stefan Institute,
Re
– Operates both outdoors and indoors
Ikerlan, COOSS Marche, University of
ean
Jyväskylä, Umeå Municipality, eDevice,
Target Group
CUP2000 S.p.A/Ltd, ZENON S.A.
Europ
Elderly over 65 years
Contact: Igone
Vélez;
Centro de Estudios e Investigaciones Técnicas
r of
Cared or not by some kind of home assis-
de Gipuzkoa
tance provided by Public Administration
Pº. de Manuel Lardizabal,15, 20.018, San
Mobility independent and with no particu-
Sebastián (Spain)
T – Cluste
lar difficulty with activities of daily living
Tel.: +34-943-212800
With fear of falls
E-mail: coordinator@confidence-eu.org
CERP-Io
At risk of social exclusion
Internet: www.confidence-eu.org
Duration: 01.02.08 – 31.01.11 - 36 Months
200
CuteLoop
Customer in the Loop: Using Networked Devices
enabled Intelligence for Proactive Customer
Integration as Drivers of Integrated Enterprises
uteLoop has the strategic objec- Context
tive of exploring how Intelligent
C Networked Devices such as en- CuteLoop intends to address these problems
hanced RFID-based systems and in an SME driven integrated enterprise sce-
Global Navigation Satellite Systems can nario, which is, due to its high complexity and
be used to effectively “integrate cus- requested flexibility, the most critical sce-
tomers within an Integrated Enter- nario from both technical and organisa-
prise” and with this to provide an im- tional/ business points of view. CuteLoop is
portant step towards ‘real’ Integrated, focusing on SME in two sectors: construction
Real Time Enterprise.
and food industry.
Scope
Field of Application
Such real time enterprises shall be supported The Field of Application ranges from logisti-
to realise highly flexible and dynamic busi- cal Tracking and Tracing, over Production
ness interconnections for agile coordination Maintenance and Product Safety, to Quality
in business networks and supply chains, hav- and Information. Including, but not limited
ing customers as key drivers. Moreover, the to, Peer-to-Peer Networking, Distributed and
project will address just-in-time interaction Asynchronous Interaction, Ad-hoc interac-
of actors and exchange of knowl- tion of anonymous actors; decentralised co-
edge/experience among Large Enterprises ordination of activities and enabling a coor-
(LEs), SMEs and customers.
dinated extension of existing networks.
CuteLoop includes two application scenarios
s
Project Description
(food and construction industry) for techno-
ingh
CuteLoop intends to explore how to radically logical as well as organisational proof of con-
T
improve the interaction of diverse actors in cept for the new approach to be realised. On
t of
the integrated enterprise. Specifically includ-
top of that CuteLoop will realise generic ser-
ing the customer dimension as an integral vices for supporting typical, while still generic
erne
part of these complex relationships, while Interaction Models, being cross sectorial.
Int
focusing on the usage of “Network Devices
Enabled Intelligence” to realise distributed
on the
and autonomous control of business proc-
cts
esses. CuteLoop is aiming at realisation of a
e
holistic approach on:
Proj
An innovative architecture by integration
arch
of event-driven and SOA based principles,
Further information:
se
Intelligent and agile agents combined with
Partners: ATB, CAPEB, ETSI, ETS, EuroPool,
Re
an event-driven architecture,
TraceTracker, TheOpenGroup,
ean
UniBonn, UNINOVA
Decentralised approach for assuring secu-
Contact: Harald
Sundmaeker;
rity and trust as well as supporting a cus-
Europ
ATB Institute for Applied Systems Technology
tomer oriented privacy of data and
Bremen GmbH
r of
New interaction models and patterns for
Wiener Str. 1; D-28359 Bremen
the real time enterprise.
Germany
Tel.: +49-421-220920
T – Cluste
E-mail: Sundmaeker@atb-bremen.de
Internet: www.cuteloop.eu
CERP-Io
Duration: 01.02.08 – 31.01.11 - 36 Months
201
DACAR
DACAR
Data Capture and Auto Identification
Reference Project
he aim of this collaborative re-
search is to develop, implement,
T validate, disseminate and com-
mercialise a novel, highly secure, “in-
the-cloud” infrastructure for capture,
transmission, storage and viewing of
data within a health care domain.
The DACAR Project
This aim will include novel patented technol-
ogy recently developed for digital forensic
applications at Edinburgh Napier University.
At present an in-the-cloud solution supports
much greater levels of resilience, and reduces
complexity, but often suffers from a lack of
auditability, compliance and integrated secu-
rity. This project overcomes this by using a
novel domain-based approach, with role defi-
nitions within each domain, of which roles
exposed across domains, and then the access
to data is controlled by a strict interdomain
security policy. The system will be imple-
s
mented in a major London teaching hospital,
ing
which will enable the project to study novel
h T
risk assessment and management strategies
t of
to support a novel pervasive adaptation fea-
ture to enhance security.
erne
Int
Aims and Objectives
This project thus has the potential to provide
on the
an alternative strategy for real time data inte-
cts
gration in health care. The objectives include:
e
1. Develop novel distributed and secure in-
Proj
frastructure based on role and interdo-
main security polices;
Further information:
archse
2. Smart device and system integration plat-
Partners: Edinburgh Napier University; Chel-
Re
form based on novel digital forensic secu-
sea and Westminster NHS Foundation
ean
rity technology (DDNA);
Trust; Imperial College London, Department
for Acute Medicine; Kodit Database Ltd; GS1
3. In-the-cloud connectivity to improve resil-
UK Ltd; CipherLab UK Ltd
Europ
ience;
Contact: Dr. Christoph Thuemmler,
r of
4. Integration of existing international codes
Chelsea and Westminster
and standards including HL7 and GS1
NHS Foundation Trust
RFID standards;
London , UK
T – Cluste
5. Generic risk assessment strategy for smart
E-mail: c.thuemmler@rfidworksuk.com
device and system integration; and
Internet: www.dacar.org.uk
CERP-Io
6. Clinical evaluation, dissemination, and
Duration: 1.10.2009 – 31.09.2011 - 24 Months
commercialisation.
202
DiYSE
Do-it-Yourself Smart Experiences project
he DiY Smart Experiences pro- Supporting a Web of Things
ject will enable people to direct
T their everyday ‘smart’ environ- The ITEA 2 project will contribute substan-
ment – together with the objects, de- tially to the open Internet-of-Things world
vices and media involved – into a and the transition to Web 3.0. This is the so-
highly personalised meaningful com- called ‘semantic’ intelligent web, where the
munications and interaction experi- meaning of information and services is de-
ence that can span the home and urban fined, making it possible for the web to un-
domains. The project aims to create a derstand and satisfy the requests of people
sustainable marketplace for user- and machines to use web content, and with
generated applications and compo- this project also connected objects, in a
nents for an ‘Internet-of-Things’ world, meaningful way.
in which non-technically-skilled people DiYSE will enable people to direct their eve-
can participate – creating and sharing ryday environment into a highly personalised
their own smart, interactive applica- meaningful communications and interaction
tions.
experience. Driven by a user-centred design
Increased mobility and the drive towards methodology and concrete proof-of-concept
efficiency in modern life are a premise for the demonstrators, the project envisions innovat-
growth of technologies and services that en-
ing on new valuable interactive user experi-
able intelligent and seamless interaction with ences based on intelligent, privacy-
a smarter environment. DiYSE is conceiving, respecting, self-aware services and objects,
designing and creating viable technologies, sensors, actuators and collaborative media
s
applications and business models based on devices.
ing
smart objects, middleware and application-
h
The approach proposed in the project is sup-
T
creation environments – promoting growth ported and motivated by visions of an open
t of
in an area of significant strategic importance society, the continuing trends towards global-
to Europe for an increasingly connected isation and localisation, the anticipated long-
erne
world.
tail marketplace for user generated Internet-
Int
DiYSE aims to create a sustainable market-
of-Things applications, the rapid urbanisa-
place for user-generated applications for non-
tion of the world’s population and the quanti-
on the
technically-skilled people. The proposed do- fiable emergence of new functional elements
cts
it-yourself (DiY) approach in which non-
that can be part of the smart space experi-
e
professional users get the tools and the sup-
ence.
Proj
port to create and share their own smart ex-
periences is supported and motivated by vi-
Fostering innovation
arch
sions of an open society in which citizens are
se
through shared knowledge
empowered to form and share their own view
Re
of reality.
This project involves a particularly large con-
ean
sortium of European technology and applica-
Modern technology has a key role to play in tions developers and equipment manufactur-
realising this vision of an open society. Con-
ers, each making use of their own specific
Europ
sidering the impact of web blogs, grassroots expertise to deliver end-user focused solu-
r of
journalism and the low barrier to create per-
tions based on qualified business models.
sonal websites on the Internet as well the Representation from all stages in the value
effects of mobile phone communications and chain is encouraging the development of end-
text messaging, it is clear that 21st century
T – Cluste
to-end solutions, whilst fostering innovation
citizens are significantly more empowered to through shared knowledge and know-how.
create such a new society.
CERP-Io
203
The main objectives of DiYSE are to:
Creating a pool of European
Allow people to control their smart envi-
expertise
ronment at home and in the urban area as
part of an open Internet-of-Things world.
The ITEA project will create a pool of exper-
DiY tools, services and application tem-
tise, providing unprecedented common
plates together with an Internet-of-Things
ground for consortium partners – ranging
application-creation environment will
from SMEs to multinational companies – to
lower the barrier to application creation
share knowledge and experience across
and distribution for non-technical people;
Europe. The level of interoperability de-
manded by the concepts developed will be
Create an interoperable cross-domain sub-
underpinned by a unified service infrastruc-
strate on which these smart experiences
ture and standards.
can flourish and co-exist;
Conceive a layer on the smart elements in
European-centred involvement at this fun-
the environment, so that interaction with
damental stage of development of an open
these elements can be carried out on a se-
Internet-of-Things will promote adoption of
mantically-meaningful level, with the ur-
shared communications principles and infra-
ban area defined as an open platform for
structure to enhance the mass-market appeal
innovations – sharing data, mutualising
of the concept and its commercial viability.
resources and making resources interoper-
The resulting interactive environment will
able;
empower users to create, deploy and control
s
Create a sustainable marketplace for these
their smart surroundings that promise to
ing
user-created applications;
become a pervasive feature of everyday life.
h T
The consortium of European organisations
Evolve from unconnected to networked
developing this concept will drive the success
t of
and finally ambient service blocks – both
of its component companies on an individual
erne
hardware and software; and
level, and place Europe at the forefront of this
major new initiative.
Int
Integrate the project results into demon-
strators of the DiY toolkit and user cases.
on the
Major visible results will include: a DiY smart
ctse
application creation environment for non-
professional users; demonstrators of concrete
Proj
Further information:
Internet-of-Things services and applications
based on cross-media and multi-device user Partners: Alcatel-Lucent coordinates the DiYSE
arch se
experiences; an advanced service infrastruc-
project; for a complete list of project partners please
ture that offers cross-domain interoperability,
visit the project website
Re
service exposure awareness and concurrency, Contact: Marc
Roelands;
ean
fitting the requirements set by the DiY ap-
Bell Labs, Alcatel-Lucent
proach selected; and physical building blocks Copernicuslaan 50, B-2018 Antwerp
Europ
for smart spaces interaction with the envi-
Belgium
r of
ronment.
Tel.: +32-324-041-44
E-mail: Marc.roelands@alcatel-lucent.com
Internet: www.dyse.org
T – Cluste
Duration: March 2009 – December 2011
22
Months
CERP-Io
204
DYNAMITE
Dynamic Decisions in Maintenance
he project objectives of DYNA- Project description
MITE (Dynamic Decisions in
T Maintenance) are to produce an The maintenance of machinery is a huge cost
infrastructure for global e- to European industry. Studies over the last 20
maintenance to allow mobile monitor- years have indicated that around Europe, the
ing of machinery and processes. It in- direct cost of maintenance is equivalent to
cludes hardware and software as well between 4 percent and 8 percent of the total
as mobile devices for access to and re- sales turnover. The monitoring of machines
porting from the e-maintenance infra- and processes for predictive maintenance and
structure. Further tools and methods control is crucial for a sustainable and com-
are developed for cost-effective appli- petitive industry in Europe. Distributed,
cations of maintenance technologies autonomous monitoring is fundamental to
for continuous enhancement of com- the penetration of e-maintenance to the cut-
panies' profitability and competitive- ting edge of a high capital and highly produc-
ness.
tive plant. DYNAMITE will create an infra-
What is DYNAMITE?
structure for mobile monitoring technology
and create new devices which will make ma-
DYNAMITE is a European joint research and jor advances in capability for decision sys-
development project running 2005-2009 tems incorporating sensors and algorithms.
within the European Union 6th Framework The key features include wireless telemetry,
Programme.
intelligent local history in smart tags, and on-
line instrumentation.
DYNAMITE has created new technological
s
solutions to meet the future challenges.
ingh T
DYNAMITE is the project that created Dy-
t of
naWeb.
erne
DYNAMITE created, developed and demon-
strated in industrial use the DynaWeb plat-
Int
form including 28 novel hardware and soft-
ware components as an advanced e-
on the
maintenance solution.
Further information:
ctse
DYNAMITE includes new solutions for smart
Partners: VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland
tags (RFID), MEMS maintenance sensor plat-
coordinates the DYNAMITE project; for a com-
Proj
form, on-line lubricant monitoring, mobile
plete list of project partners please visit the project arch
handheld maintenance computer (PDA),
website
se
wireless communication, condition monitor-
Contact: Kenneth Holmberg, VTT Technical Re-
Re
ing, diagnostics, prognostics, cost effective-
search Centre of Finland
ness decision support, web services - all inte-
ean
VTT / MK6, P.O.Box 1000, 02044 VTT, Finland
grated to DynaWeb utilising same basic ma-
Tel.:
+358-20-5442285
chinery condition data.
Europ
E-mail: kenneth.holmberg@vtt.fi
DYNAMITE offers a vision to the future - an
r of
Internet: dynamite.vtt.fi
advanced e-maintenance solution for indus-
try and transportation.
Duration: 01.09.2005 - 28.2.2009 , 42 months
T – Cluste
CERP-Io
205
EPoSS
Implementing the European Research Area
for Smart Systems Integration
uropean industry is the world smart systems technologies and integration.
leader in microsystems and re- EPoSS embraces all key players, public and
Elated advanced technologies. The private, in the value chain so as to
further enhancement of product capa-
bilities and services through evolving provide a common European approach on
complexity, integration and intercon-
innovative Smart Systems Integration
nectivity will help to ensure Europe’s formulate a commonly agreed roadmap
competitiveness. The key heading for
these developments is Smart Systems and provide a continuously updated strate-
Integration.
gic R&D agenda
Smart Systems are miniaturised devices define an action and implementation plan
which are able to describe and diagnose a
mobilising public and private human, in-
situation. They are able to decide or help to
frastructural and financial resources
decide in critical conditions and to identify develop options for Public Private Partner-
and address each other. They also may be
energy autonomous and networked.
ships
In this light a group of major industrial com-
promote Smart Systems applications in
panies based in Europe decided to coordinate
sectors of high economic relevance
their R&D activities and to set-up EPoSS, the
strengthen global competitiveness of
European
European industry & SMEs
Technology Platform on Smart Systems Inte-
s
gration, which was launched in July 2006.
ingh T
Priorities
t of
The research priorities of EPoSS were defined
erne
while establishing the Strategic Research
Agenda. They represent the core fields of
Int
interest of the members of the technology
platform:
on the
Miniaturized and integrated smart systems
ctse
with advanced functionality and perform-
ance
Proj
Autonomously operating, power efficient
archse
and networked smart systems
Re
Robust systems, compatible and adaptive
ean
to environment and lifetime requirements
Bridging the gap between research and prod-
Europ
uct development EPoSS is addressing tech-
r of
nology issues from a strict application point The EPoSS Network
of view.
The EPoSS Networks consists of
Objectives
industry representatives including SMEs,
T – Cluste
EPoSS is a major, transnational, pan-
public & private research organisations,
European, mission-oriented initiative aiming
CERP-Io
at strengthening Europe’s capacity to organ-
representatives of the European Commis-
ise and to deliver innovation in the area of
sion,
206
representatives of the Member States,
ber of services will be provided that will allow
you:
other European initiatives and key actors
in the area of smart systems technologies,
to access the internal area of the EPoSS
micro systems, and/or nanotechnologies or
web portal and fully participate in the
in a related applications area.
EPoSS information flow
to have unlimited access to the EPoSS
working groups and to receive first hand
information on newest developments and
on Commission decisions
to receive the EPoSS electronic newsletter
to participate in EPoSS meetings such as
the annual general assembly or expert
workshops organised by EPoSS
to obtain special conditions for other smart
Organisational Structure
systems events connected to EPoSS.
The High Level Group guides the overall stra-
How to benefit from EPoSS
tegic development of the Technology Plat-
form and sets the frame for future priorities You will become eligible for the EPoSS ser-
of EPoSS. The High Level Group is chaired by vices by contributing to the financing of the
a senior industry representative.
EPoSS Office. This financial contribution per
year amounts to (+VAT):
The Steering Committee deals with cross-
sectional issues related to framework condi-
€ 4.000 for large companies
tions for research targets and directions. This
€ 2.000 for SMEs or public research or-
group provides an operational link to the
ganisations
European Commission, other public authori-
ties and to the EPoSS working groups.
€ 1.500 for universities.
The Executive Group as the central manage-
ment unit of EPoSS consists of a subset of
Steering Group members.
The Working Groups – structured according
s
to application areas - are chaired by a repre-
ing
sentative from industry. The working groups
h
involve representatives from industry, private
T
& public research organisations, universities,
t of
public authorities and scientific, industrial
erne
and public associations.
Int
The work of the platform is supported by the
EPoSS Office.
on the
ctse
Proj
arch se
Further information:
Re
Partners: VDI/VDE Innovation + Technik GmbH
ean
coordinates the EPoSS project; for a complete list
of project partners please visit the project website
Contact: Wolfgang Gessner, Sebastian Lange;
Europ
VDI/VDE Innovation + Technik GmbH
r of
EPoSS services offer a se-
Steinplatz 1, D-10623 Berlin
Germany
ries of advantages
Tel.:
+49-30-310-078 (-173) / (-299)
T – Cluste
Being an EPoSS member means to improve
E-mail: contact@smart-systems-integration.org
your position in the EU policy context and to
obtain an efficient forum for networking and
Internet: www.
smart-systems-integration.org
CERP-Io
interest representation. Furthermore, a num-
207
EURIDICE
European Inter-Disciplinary Research on Intelli-
gent Cargo for Efficient, safe and
environment-friendly logistics
uridice is an Integrated Project EURIDICE Service Platform
funded by EU’s Seventh Frame-
E work Programme ICT for Trans- The Euridice Platform will allow to address
port Area. The basic concept of simultaneously the logistics, business and
Euridice is to build an information public policy aspects of freight transporta-
vices platform centred on the individ- tion, by dynamically combining services at
ual cargo item and on its interaction different levels of cargo interaction:
with the surrounding environment and
the user.
immediate proximity services, for direct
interaction with cargo items on the field,
Objectives
like individual shipments or packages:
RFID-based identification services, mobile
The EURIDICE project has the following
user services, vehicle services, site services
main objectives:
supporting freight interaction with fixed
structures such as terminals, warehouses
Supporting the interaction of individual
and intermodal facilities;
cargo items with the surrounding envi-
ronment and users on the field.
supply chain services for interaction with
the actors responsible of shipping, carrying
Improving logistic performances through
and handling the goods, as well as produc-
application of the intelligent cargo concept
ers and consignees of the goods them-
and technologies in the working practices
selves;
of operators and industrial users.
freight corridor services managed by au-
s
Developing collaborative business models
thorities and operators in charge of infra-
ing
to sustain, promote and develop an intelli-
h
structures efficient operation, security and
T
gent cargo infrastructure.
safety control, such as land and port ter-
t of
Realizing more secure and environment
minals, railways and motorways for re-
friendly transport chains through the
sources allocation and traffic control, cus-
erne
adoption of intelligent cargo to support
toms agencies and other entities in charge
Int
modal shift and door-to-door intermodal
of safety and security checks on the goods.
services.
on the
ctse
Proj
archse
Re
ean
Europ
r of
T – Cluste
CERP-Io
208
Approach
spective of the main public and private ac-
tors involved in freight logistics.
The EURIDICE platform will consist of a Impact creation, including knowledge
fixed and mobile web services infrastructure
sharing, dissemination and training activi-
supporting “on the fly” combination of ser-
ties directed to target scientific and busi-
vices to address ad hoc user-cargo-context
ness communities to ensure proper diffu-
interactions. To this purpose the project will
sion of the project concepts and results. To
integrate and further develop several techno-
maximize impact, business modelling ac-
logical components and approaches:
tivities are carried out throughout the du-
Adapting and integrating state-of-the-art
ration of the project, involving industrial
identification, communication and net-
partners in the Consortium as well as key
working technology (i.e. RFID tags read-
players in the field participating in the
ers/writers; GPRS localization systems;
EURIDICE Business Forum.
mobile devices; software defined radio
technologies) into an Intelligent Cargo In- Partnership
tegration Framework (ICIF).
The project is undertaken by a Consortium,
Realizing Cargo Intelligence applications coordinated by Insiel (Italy), bringing to-
for distributed and centralized data gather- gether 22 partners from 9 countries. The
ing, anomaly detection, analysis and pre-
EURIDICE Consortium has been assembled
diction, based on approaches like semantic to support a multi-disciplinary approach,
web and domain ontologies, advanced con-
involving leading industries and research
text technologies and distributed intelli-
organizations in complementary domains:
gent agents.
mobile and wireless technology, RFID, appli-
cation software, business consultancy and
s
ingh
Implementing interoperability standards logistics. The key stakeholders are
T
and service oriented architectures for pub-
sented in the Consortium by leading
t of
lic and private stakeholders to access and trial companies from different sectors, logis-
use the services they need on a cargo item tic operators, public authorities and infra-
erne
at any point along its route across Euro-
structures.
Int
pean corridors, connecting the cargo with
back-office users and consumers.
on the
Activities
ctse
The EURIDICE integrated project has dura-
Further information:
Proj
tion of three years and an estimated effort of
approximately 1600 person months, subdi-
Partners: Akarport, Assindustria Belluno, Auto-
archse
vided into three main typologies of activities:
rità Portuale Di Trieste, BIBA, CAEN RFID,
CeTim, Enicma, FHV, Gebrüder Weiss, Insiel,
Re
S/T Research, pursuing the required inno-
JSI, LogicaCMG, Omega, Oracle, Proodos Ku-
ean
vations into the four main areas of cargo
ehne Nagel, SDAG, Searail, Singular Logic,
connectivity and communication, service
Telit, TREDIT, VIU, VTT
oriented architectures, cargo information
Europ
Contact: Paolo
Paganelli;
management and decisions support.
r of
Organisation: Insiel
Pilot applications, providing requirements
Via Cesare Battisti 27;
and trial scenarios for test and assessment
IT-40123 Bologna; Italy
of the S/T results. Pilots will be designed
T – Cluste
Tel.: +39-040-3737-001
and implemented taking into account of
two dimensions: the supply chain/sector
E-mail: Paolo.paganelli@insiel.it
dimension, to assess impact from an in-
Internet: www.euridice-project.eu
CERP-Io
dustry viewpoint, and the stakeholder di-
Duration: 01.02.2008 – 01.02.2011 - 36 Months
mension, considering the different per-
209
GRIFS
Global RFID Interoperability Forum
for Standards
he Global RFID Interoperability
standing and ensure that the GRIFS forum
Forum for Standards (GRIFS) is a
will be viable and will be able to continue
T Support Action Project funded by to operate beyond the end of this support
the European Commission’s FP7 Pro-
action.
gramme with the aim to improve col-
laboration and thereby to maximise This support action is focusing on the use of
the global interoperability of RFID RFID in supply chain and related activities.
standards. This two year project These activities primarily encompass the
started in January 2008 and is run by tracking and tracing of physical items as they
GS1 (project coordinator), CEN and move through supply chains in many differ-
ETSI.
ent businesses, both in the public and private
sector.
Project objectives
The forum will continue to enable exchanges
A world of global supply chains requires that of views on all aspects of RFID interoperabil-
RFID tags and associated sensors can oper- ity from the perspective of standardisation,
ate, can be seen and can be interrogated any-
thus facilitating a coherent and consistent
where. For maximum competitiveness and global RFID standardisation policy.
greatest efficiency this requires standards
that are global in definition and in applica-
tion.
The GRIFS project aims at initiating a forum
that will continue to work constructively and
s
grow after the end of the project through a
ingh
Memorandum of Understanding between key
T
global standard organisations active in RFID.
t of
This Forum should improve the collaboration
between standards organisations and in-
erne
crease interoperability of standards.
Int
Project activities
on the
GRIFS is undertaking the following work to
ctse
achieve its objective:
Proj
Analyse the national, regional and global
RFID standardisation activities. The team
arch
has built up an online database listing
se
more than 160 RFID standards.
Re
Further information:
ean
Several workshops and other actions have
Partners: GS1, CEN, ETSI
been organised at regional level to raise
awareness and to identify areas where
Contact: GS1
Europ
standard development coordination might
Avenue Louise 326 – Bte 10;
r of
be required. Those workshops have helped
B-1050 Brussels ;
to prepare the creation of the GRIFS fo-
Belgium
rum.
Tel.: +32-278-87800
T – Cluste
A GRIFS forum has been launched and
E-mail: info@grifs-project.eu
four forum meetings are being organised in
Internet: www.grifs-project.eu
the regions of Asia, America and Europe.
CERP-Io
Duration: 01.01.2008 – 31.12.2009 - 24 Months
The final forum meeting in Europe will aim
to cement the Memorandum of Under-
210
Hydra
Networked Embedded System
Middleware for Heterogeneous
Physical Devices in a Distributed Architecture
he first objective of the Hydra For this situation Hydra develops a middle-
project is to develop middleware ware that will help manufacturers and sys-
T based on a Service-oriented tems integrators to build devices that can be
chitecture, to which the underlying networked easily and flexibly to create cost-
communication layer is transparent. effective high performance solutions. The
The middleware will include support results will reduce design complexity by pro-
for distributed as well as centralised viding well-defined open interfaces between
architectures, security and trust, types of devices.
flective properties and model-driven
development of applications.
The Hydra middleware will have a transpar-
ent communication layer, equally supporting
The HYDRA middleware will be deployable centralized and distributed architectures. The
on both new and existing networks of distrib-
Hydra middleware takes security and trust
uted wireless and wired devices, which oper- into account and will allow building model-
ate with limited resources in terms of com-
guided web services. It will run on wired or
puting power, energy and memory usage. It wireless networks of distributed devices with
will allow for secure, trustworthy, and fault limited resources. The embedded and mobile
tolerant applications. The embedded and service-oriented architecture will provide
mobile Service-oriented Architecture will fully compatible data access across heteroge-
provide interoperable access to data, infor-
neous platforms, allowing to create true am-
mation and knowledge across heterogeneous bient intelligence for ubiquitous networked
platforms supporting true ambient intelli- devices.
gence for ubiquitous networked devices.
s
The second objective of the Hydra project will
ingh
produce two tools that will simplify the de-
T
velopment process based on the Hydra mid-
t of
dleware, a software- and a device develop-
erne
ment kit (SDK/DDK) to be used by develop-
ers.
Int
Project description
on the
Embedded Systems denotes invisible modu-
ctse
lar systems that are combined to form com-
plex higher-order systems and are used, e.g.,
Further information:
Proj
in motor vehicles, airplanes, "intelligent" Partners: Aarhus Universitet, CNET SVENSKA,
arch
buildings or home multimedia systems. Ad-
Fraunhofer SIT, In-JET, Innova, Siemens, T-
se
vanced applications in these fields require to
Connect, Technicka Univerzita Kosiciach, Te-
Re
network growing numbers of devices, typi-
lefonica I&D, University of Paderborn, Uni-
cally from more than just a few manufactur-
ean
versity of Reading
ers.
Contact: Dr. Markus Eisenhauer;
Europ
Given the plethora of heterogeneous devices,
Fraunhofer FIT
sensors and actuators in the field, the large
r of
Schloss
Birlinghoven;
number of manufacturers and the differences
D-53754 Sankt Augustin
in their speed of innovation, there is an ur-
Germany
gent need for technologies and tools that
Tel.: +49-224-1142
859
T – Cluste
make it easier to reap the benefits of net-
worked systems. And the complexity to build
E-mail: Markus.eisenhauer@fit.fraunhofer.de
such technologies and tools grows exponen-
Internet: www.hydramiddleware.eu
CERP-Io
tially with the number of devices, manufac-
Duration: 01.06.2006 – 31.10.2010 - 52 Months
turers and protocols involved.
211
IFM Project
Interoperable Fare Management Project
he project is expected to signifi- The objective is to avoid the establishment of
cantly lower the barriers to mo- enduring isolated national solutions and to
T bility and encourage the use of define route-maps leading the way toward
public rather than private transport, pan-European interoperability.
contributing to a reduction of carbon
emissions and a reduction or elimina- The IFM Project aims to be a European wide
tion of paper tickets, thus further en- initiative dedicated to the establishment of
hancing the impact of smart media on attractive access to public transportation with
environment and on the efficiency of modern fare management which is safe, reli-
public transport. It will be possible to able and convenient for both users and opera-
tailor the media to assist specific tors. Once achieved, this may serve as a
groups (e.g. existing concessionary model for many further countries outside
travellers, benefit recipients or part- Europe faced with the need to strengthen the
use of public transport.
time workers) thereby supporting the
EU’s Social Inclusion Agenda.
The “IFM Project” will be the first step of the
The IFM Project
IFM initiative. The ultimate goal of the IFM
Project at the end of the two-years is a Euro-
The project is based on delivering an ICT pean-wide agreed concept (Route Map) de-
environment that supports nomadic passen- veloping shared back-office rules for cross-
gers. It will be delivered through work pack-
border data exchange and the associated
ages covering trust modelling, privacy model- European Secure Access Module (EU-SAM).
ling, common applications and interoperable It will create a documented framework by
s
media, model of IFM organisations and sup- 2010 to deliver the requirements for secure,
fully-interoperable portable object for seam-
ing
porting back office ICT system interfaces. It
h
less mobility on public transport accessible to
T
will be managed to ensure effective and effi-
all European Citizens. In a second step com-
t of
cient consensus and dissemination of best
practice among all stakeholders.
prising Research and Technological Devel-
erne
The project is designed to provide world lead-
opment (RTD) and field operational tests, a
European interoperable fare management
Int
ership in its segment and to deliver results
which can be transferred to areas outside of standard will be developed and implemented
the transportation sector world-wide. It will by 2010.
on the
allow manufacturers and suppliers to offer Following the definition and information
ctse
the end-to-end, lossless nature of the IFM sharing phase, existing and new schemes will
platform and transactions in other fields, be able to plan convergence strategies based
Proj
thereby reducing time to market and lowering on experience and utilising known technolo-
arch
the cost of implementing other comparable gies to enable a common Interoperable Fare
se
schemes.
Management area.
Re
General Objectives
The beneficiaries will be:
ean
Transport Customers (“users”) that will
The key stakeholders of the IFM Forum per-
be able to use their local IFM transport
ceive the IFM Project as a well-suited frame-
Europ
cards outside their home networks as
work to coordinate their experience and share
r of
well as to use a multi-application con-
it with a wider community of beneficiaries in
tact-less wallet of their choice to upload
Europe through the IFM Forum organised by
the transport applications they need and
the UITP.
carry the virtual transport tickets at-
T – Cluste
tached to each of them.
Transport Authorities that will be able to
build new fare and distribution agree-
CERP-Io
ments with the support of standardised
specifications.
212
This will produce new inputs to set objectives The work plan and its work packages are de-
to complement the existing set of standards. signed to facilitate the following operational
The EU – through CEN – has been very active impacts:
in developing specific standards for the data
elements necessary to support electronic Greater awareness of the benefits of apply-
ticketing. Recently approved, ISO EN 24014-1
ing smartcard enabled ICT Solutions to
was initiated by European proposals and
Implement harmonized Interoperable Fare
complements the data elements described in
Management for scheme for operators,
EN 1545.
customers and government across Europe.
Pilot EU-led projects such as CALYPSO and
The dissemination of knowledge of how to
TRIANGLE have made some progress in im-
set up an Interoperable Fare Management
plementing and demonstrating the concept of
scheme, the ICT systems, the players, their
interoperability.
roles, and how to achieve the maximum
The stakeholders wish to maintain this dy-
benefits.
namic attitude of Europe for this subject.
The spreading of excellence through the
Overall Strategy and gen-
description of best practice in meeting
eral description
European standards.
This project is directed at making the mobil-
The respect of privacy through the adop-
ity of people more efficient and environmen-
tion of a common privacy model compati-
tally sustainable by facilitating informed mo-
ble with the business needs.
dal switching and the seamless accessibility of
The enhancement of security and minimi-
public transport. It aims at innovative, safe
sation of fraud by the adoption of a shared
and reliable ticketing and fare management
trust model.
across Europe using interoperable smart
media with the specific aim of encouraging
increased usage of public transport.
s
ingh T
t of
erne
Int
on the
ctse
Proj
archse
Further information:
Re
Partners: ITSO Limited coordinates the IFM
ean
project; for a complete list of project partners
please visit the project website
Europ
Contact: John Verity, Head of Compliance and
r of
Security, ITSO Limited
Quayside Tower, 252-260 Broad Street
Birmingham B1 2HF
T – Cluste
E-mail: compliance@itso.org.uk
Internet: www.ifm-project.eu
Duration: 24 months
CERP-Io
213
Indisputable Key
Intelligent Distributed Process Utilization and
Blazing Environmental Key
he Indisputable Key project is Main novel developments include:
developing new methods and ICT
T solutions to improve the use of Pulping compatible passive EPC C1G2
wood and optimise forest production
compatible UHF RFID transponders for
by utilising traceability of logs and
marking logs.
boards through the forest-wood supply
Robust RFID reader with an adaptive RF
chain.
front end for use in the forest in the har-
The Indisputable Key
vesters.
Project
Special Key Performance Indicators for
easy access to the environmental perform-
Large volumes of wood are going to waste.
ance of a product.
Knowledge of log characteristics and their
impact on the quality and final end-use of Software for monitoring environmental
wood products can help in the selection of the
and economical performance of a product
most suitable log for a specific product while
on item level.
still in the forest and thus significantly reduce The expected benefits of the project include
the amount of wood wasted. New methods better yield; reduced emissions; better tools
and technology for traceability are needed to for the tracing of timber origin and the pre-
make it possible to mark individual logs and vention of illegal logging and better tools for
boards, and to trace these through the forest-
product and process development. The func-
wood supply chain.
tionality and benefits will be demonstrated at
s
Project Results
locations in France and Sweden. The main
ing
demonstration is in Sweden and will involve
h T
The project covers different areas such as Sveaskog, Setra Group (Malå) and Norsjö Trä
data exchange, models and indicators of eco-
(component manufacturing).
t of
nomic and environmental performance, RFID
erne
technology and other technologies for mark-
Int
ing and reading, and software modules for
integration. The industrial implementation is
supported by exploitation planning, indus-
on the
trial demonstrations and training.
ctse
Further information:
Major achievements of the project include
new RFID technology for log marking; ink- Partners: SP, KTH, FCBA, CIRIS, IVL, VTT, Tie-
Proj
based board marking and reading; an infra-
to, Confidex, Idesco, Tampere Univ. of Tech.,
arch
structure for data exchange based upon exist-
Lappeenranta Univ. of Tech.,Tallinn Univ. of
se
ing standards such as papiNet, Stanford and
Tech., Oskando, Hekotek, Skog-Data, NFLI,
Re
EPCglobal; software for tracing objects and
NTI, Skogforsk, Sveaskog, Ducerf , Raunio,
ean
for monitoring economic and environmental
ESAS, Scanpole, Mauchamp, Setra, Rolpin,
key performance indicators; models for pre-
Rottne
dicting wood properties and models for the
Europ
Contact: Kaj
Nummila;
simulation of supply chain scenarios.
VTT / Wireless Sensing
r of
P.O.Box
1000;
FI-02044
VTT
Finland
Tel.: +358-20-722-5773
T – Cluste
E-mail: Kaj.nummila@vtt.fi
Internet: www.indisputablekey.com
CERP-Io
Duration: 01.10.06 – 31.03.10 - 42 Months
214
IMS 2020
Supporting Global Research for 2020
Manufacturing Vision
MS2020 strives for strengthening Objective 5: Prepare the ground for new IMS
international co-operation under proposals and manufacturing projects.
Ithe IMS Initiative, providing effec-
tive interface ongoing European IMS2020 wants to attract interested people
roadmapping activities and creating and organisations to have the worldwide
research synergies through the estab- most qualified actors in the five IMS Key
lishment of international manufactur- Areas to discover common innovations and
ing communities in the five Key Areas.
potential in manufacturing.
The IMS 2020 Project
These Five Key Areas are:
Sustainable Manufacturing
IMS2020 is a project conducted by an inter-
national consortium of 15 core partners and a
Energy Efficient Manufacturing
large group of supportive members from Key Technologies
Europe, Japan, Korea, Switzerland and the
USA. The project focuses on the creation of
Standards
roadmaps towards Intelligent Manufacturing
Systems (IMS) in the year 2020. The road-
Education
maps highlight the main milestones of inno- Vision
vation activities (research and development,
management and policy actions) needed to With the support of a wide Roadmapping
achieve the desired vision.
Support Group, made of experts, coming
IMS2020 identifies relevant research topics from enterprises, research centers and uni-
s
and supporting actions to shape the future of versities worldwide, the project will discover
ingh
intelligent manufacturing through interna- new destinations for developing Intelligent
T
tional cooperation. IMS2020 is a coordina- Manufacturing Systems in the forth-coming
t of
tion and support action for strengthening decade.
international and interregional cooperation
erne
in Intelligent Manufacturing Systems under
Int
the IMS initiative.
on the
Scientific and technical Ob-
cts
jectives
Further information:
e
In particular, the project has five main scien-
Core Partners: Politecnico Di Milano, Institute
Proj
tific and technical objectives:
for Operations Management, Eigen-
arch
genössische Technische Hochschule Zürich,
se
Objective 1: Prepare a roadmap for future
Europeen Committee for Standardization,
Re
manufacturing research in the five IMS Key
COMAU, Clemson University, Ecole Polytech-
Areas.
ean
nique Fédérale de Lausanne, Fatronik, Insti-
tute for Prospective Technological Studies,
Objective 2: Identify new schemes & frame-
works to support MS research.
Keio University, KAIST, Instituto di Tecno-
Europ
loie, Holcim, Norwegian University of Science
r of
Objective 3: Stimulate small and medium
and Technology, Rockwell Collins
enterprise’s participation in international Contact: Prof. Marco Taisch;
cooperative research and development pro-
Professor of Operations and Supply Chain
jects.
T – Cluste
Management
Objective 4: Establish international and inter-
Tel.:
+39 (02) 2399-4815
regional com-munities in the five IMS Key
E-mail: marco.taisch@polimi.it
CERP-Io
Areas.
Internet: www.ims2020.net
215
iSURF
An Interoperability Framework
for Collaborative Planning
SURF Project develops knowledge- Component Technical Specification
oriented inter-enterprise collabora- (http://www.oasis-open.org/committees
ition tools for European SMEs to /tc_home. php?wg_abbrev=set).
enable them to be more agile, self-
sustainable and responsive to the In addition to this we have developed a tool,
changes in the supply chain. An open called eDoCreator which helps to design elec-
smart product infrastructure is devel- tronic business documents by using the core
oped to collect supply chain visibility components in the UN/CEFACT Core Com-
information and an interoperability ponent Library (CCL) by constraining them to
service utility is provided for seamless the defined context.
exchange of planning documents.
iSURF project provides an open source smart
The Need for Open Collabo-
product infrastructure based on RFID tech-
nology using EPCglobal standards. Through
ration Framework for SMEs this infrastructure, necessary tools and proc-
esses are provided to collect real-time prod-
Trading partners in supply chain have differ-
uct visibility events from massively distrib-
ent competencies based on their business uted RFID devices; filter, correlate and ag-
strategies and varying sources of information. gregate them in order to put them into busi-
Competitiveness of European Companies is ness context. On top of this, iSURF provides
reduced when decision making is inconsistent easy to use interfaces to use GDSN Data
due to incomplete understanding of the im-
Pools.
pact of decision on the supply chain as a
whole. The distributed intelligence of multi-
The iSURF architecture will be deployed in
s
ple trading partners needs to be collabora-
the premises Fratelli Piacenza S.p.A., a manu-
ingh
tively exploited in the planning and fulfilment facturer of noble fibres fabrics and pure
T
of customer demand in the supply chain in cashmere clothing and accessories.
t of
order to achieve “network is the business” iSURF Results are available from:
vision.
erne
http://isurf.svn.sourceforge.net/viewvc/isurf
/trunk/ and http://www.isurfProject.eu
Int
As a response to this need, iSURF project is
providing a knowledge-oriented inter-
enterprise collaboration environment for
on the
SMEs.
ctse
Project Results
Proj
iSURF project provides a Service Oriented
Further information:
arch
Collaborative Supply Chain Planning Process
se
Definition and Execution Platform based on
Partners: METU, SRDC Ltd. , INTEL, Fraunho-
Re
CPFR® guidelines. This tool enables the Col-
fer -IPA, TXT E-Solutions, UNINOVA, Fratelli
ean
laborative Supply Chain Planning Processes
PIACENZA
to be graphically customized to the needs of
Contact: Prof. Dr. Asuman Dogac;
supply chain partners, and provides wizards
Europ
Computer Engineering Department,
to deploy the planning process to the prem-
Middle East Technical University
r of
ises of the supply chain partners as executa-
Campus;
TR-06531
Ankara
ble business processes.
Turkey
iSURF project provides a Semantic Interop-
Tel.: +90-312-2101
393
T – Cluste
erability Service Utility for achieving the se-
E-mail: Asuman@srdc.metu.edu.tr
mantic reconciliation of the planning and
forecasting business documents exchanged
Internet: www.isurfProject.eu
CERP-Io
between the companies conforming to differ-
Duration: 01.02.08 – 31.07.10 - 30 Months
ent standards based on UN/CEFACT Core
216
LEAPFROG
Leadership for European Apparel Production
From Research along Original Guidelines
eapfrog is a joint research and The LEAPFROG Project
innovation initiative of the
L European textile and clothing The LEAPFROG Integrated Project attempts
industry, led by Euratex, aiming to modernise and ultimately transform the
at a technology breakthrough in the clothing sector into a demand-driven, knowl-
clothing industry. It brings together a edge-based, high-tech industry by exploita-
critical mass of European textile and tion of recent advances in a broad area of
clothing companies and research cen- scientific-technological fields ranging from
tres which will attempt to develop and
implement new ways of optimal fabric
nanotechnology and polymeric material
preparation for clothing production,
science,
automated garment manufacture, vir-
robotics and innovative joining techniques,
tual garment prototyping, supply chain
integration and mass customisation. 3D computer graphics and animation, to
The ultimate goal of LEAPFROG is to
e-business and management research.
achieve a step change in productivity
and competitiveness of Europe's cloth- If LEAPFROG research and development
ing sector and to decrease its depend- work reaches its objectives there will be
ence on the labour cost factor.
enormous innovation and new business po-
tential across the entire spectrum of textile,
clothing, machinery and service companies in
Europe.
s
ingh T
t of
erne
Int
on the
ctse
Proj
archse
Re
ean
Europ
r of
T – Cluste
CERP-Io
217
The objectives
In order to achieve the long-term industrial The LEAPFROG research and development
transformation of the Clothing Industry the work has reached a number of its objectives
LEAPFROG initiative will focus on 3 major to develop radically innovative technological
objectives:
and organisational solutions for the (textile
&) clothing business of the 21st Century.
A step-change in productivity, quality and
More details and extended information on
cost efficiency in the garment manufactur-
the major results achieved in the project’s
ing process.
four Research Areas, can be found on the
website.
A radical move towards rapid customised
The effort undertaken through the project has
manufacturing in one of the most demand-
reached the potential to lead to an innovation
volatile sectors through flexibilisation and
and new business development cycle involv-
integration of cost-effective and sustain-
ing a great number of textile, clothing, ma-
able processes from fabric processing
chinery and service companies in Europe
through to customer delivery.
over the coming years.
A paradigm change in customer service
Several results will be available for commer-
and customer relationship management
cial exploitation shortly after the project con-
with a focus on value-adding product-
clusion; others require additional research to
services.
realize their full innovation potential and to
bring them as proven technology into indus-
Results
trial application.
The LEAPFROG Integrated Project was un-
dertaken to develop concepts and technolo-
gies which would radically modernize and
ultimately transform the clothing sector into
a demand-driven, knowledge-based, high-
tech industry.
s
ingh T
t of
erne
Int
on the
ctse
Proj
archse
Further information:
Re
Partners: EURATEX coordinates the LEAP-
ean
FROG project; for a complete list of project
partners please visit the project website
Europ
Contact: Lutz Walter; EURATEX
r of
Tel.: +32-2-2854885
E-mail: Lutz.walter@euratex.org
Internet: www.leapfrog-eu.org/LeapfrogIP/
T – Cluste
CERP-Io
218
PEARS Feasibility
Privacy-Ensuring Affordable
RFID System / Feasibility
easibility study for an improved The objective of PEARS Feasibility is to dem-
RFID system based on Silent onstrate commercial and technical feasibility
F Tags; providing increased of such alternative by exploring the market
vacy, security, affordability, reliability and developing business cases, determining
and performance.
the necessary technology capabilities and
viable costs for high-volume applications, and
PEARS Feasibility
researching on technical alternatives for the
Whilst it is commonly accepted that the eco-
development of a commercial product.
nomic, environmental and consumer benefits Project Results
from the widespread adoption of passive
RFID are paramount; the traditional proposal Although the project has not reached its con-
for item-level tagging is inadequate because clusion, results to date have been very prom-
the typical passive tag can be surreptitiously ising.
read by any compatible reader. This poses
tremendous privacy issues and exposes con-
On the side of technical feasibility, several
sumers and industry to crime.
solutions have emerged, either with existing
technologies. Moreover, advanced simulation
Although some have proposed solutions such software created within the project demon-
as the removal or disabling of tags at the strated that current technology capabilities
point of sale, consumer associations and pri-
(e.g. bandwidth) suffice to support a polling-
vacy advocates are not convinced because based tracking system, even in the most com-
these methods are unreliable, cumbersome or plex retail environments. On the side of the
require extra action by consumers. In particu- commercial feasibility, the added security and
s
lar, it is feared that vulnerable groups such as privacy at a lower device cost has opened the
ingh
children, the elderly or technology-unaware possibility of countless applications, particu-
T
citizens might fail to protect themselves. The larly in the fashion, library and jeweller in-
t of
hitherto proposed solutions also prevent dustries.
valuable applications such as anti-
erne
counterfeiting, domestic uses of RFID and
Int
packaging recycling. Similarly, privacy and
security issues are not limited to consumers
on the
and extend to industry – e.g. misuse of tags
cts
for industrial espionage, counterfeiting or
e
terrorist abuse. Solutions based on encryp-
Proj
tion or authentication render tags too expen-
sive or slow for most industrial applications.
archse
Friendly Technologies has invented a novel
Re
RFID approach that allows the item-level
Further information:
tagging of common objects with very afford-
ean
Partners: Friendly Technologies, TETAS,
able passive tags that pose no privacy or secu-
Thales, ERCIM, OSI
rity issues for consumers and industry. How-
Europ
ever, the proposed system requires the devel-
Contact: Humberto
Moran;
r of
opment of custom-made tags, compatible
Friendly Technologies Ltd
readers and supporting software; none of
Unit 4; Aberdeen Science and Tech Park;
which currently exists at commercial level.
Scotland / UK
T – Cluste
Tel.: +44-122-4824
322
E-mail: Hmoran@friendlytechnologies.eu
Internet: www.friendlytechnologies.com
CERP-Io
Duration: 15.06.08 – 15.10.09 - 36 Months
219
PrimeLife
Privacy and Identity Management
in Europe for Life
hen surfing the web today, Privacy Live
users leave digital traces
W without noticing. This trail of The dissemination activity “Privacy Live”
personal data puts the autonomy of the interacts with the community and other EU
individual at risk in an unprecedented projects to support the use of the developed
way. Unlike footprints on the beach, privacy-enhancing mechanisms. To this end,
which are washed away by the sea, data PrimeLife organises workshops, contributes
stored online do not dissolve after time to standardisation bodies and provides edu-
but remain available for a lifespan and cational material for pupils, students and the
even beyond. But personal information broader public.
must only be carved in stone where the Usability
user is aware of this an explicitly de-
cides to do so.
The best privacy, identity and trust manage-
ment mechanisms are useless if intuitive in-
Approach
terfaces are missing. Users need guidance to
understand privacy-enhancing identity man-
Preserving privacy over a whole lifetime, in agement, trust and assurance models or pri-
collaborative settings and virtual communi- vacy policies. Such interfaces are provided by
ties imposes new challenges to research. The the activity “Usability”.
paradigm of privacy protection by data
minimisation fails for use cases such as web Policies
2.0 applications where users need or want to “Policies” are the central mechanism for ena-
reveal large amounts of personal data. Here bling privacy, identity and trust management.
s
the EC-funded project PrimeLife aims to In particular, policies must govern such a
ing
solve the challenges concerning privacy, iden- system from end-to-end and throughout dif-
h T
tity and trust management. PrimeLife’s vision ferent applications. All other activities will
t of
is to counter lifelong data trails without com-
employ policies for practical implementations
promising on functionality. This requires in tools or demonstrators. The goal of the
erne
substantial progress in the underlying tech- policy activity is to gather the requirements
Int
nologies, and subsequent adoption. To reach and to specify the required languages.
these aims PrimeLife is segmented into
highly interacting activities.
Infrastructures
on the
The activity “Infrastructures” addresses the
ctse
Privacy in Life
question what kinds of infrastructures are
needed for privacy, identity and trust man-
Proj
The project is arranged around the activity
“Privacy in Life” which studies how privacy agement. It collects the requirements of such
arch
can be established in real life. Demonstrators an infrastructure and proposes how these can
se
will be built to validate the research done and be met.
Re
to show how the challenges of lifelong privacy
Further information:
ean
can be met. The demonstrators build upon
the requirements collected and the research
Partners: IBM, ULD, TUD, KU, UNIMI, GUF,
done within PrimeLife’s other activities.
Europ
TILT, W3C, K.U.Leuven, UNIBG, GD, CURE,
EMIC, SAP, UBR
r of
Mechanisms
Contact: Marit Hansen; c/o Unabhängigs Lan-
The activity “Mechanisms” researches on
deszentrum für Datenschutz (ULD)
basic methods for privacy-enhancing identity
Holstenstraße 98; DE-24159 Kiel
T – Cluste
management and trust establishment inter
Tel.: +49-431-988-1200
alia by refining existing cryptographic meth-
E-mail: primelife@datenschutzzentrum.de
ods such as anonymous credentials.
CERP-Io
Internet: www.primelife.eu/
Duration: 01.03.08 – 28.02.11 - 36 Months
220
RACE networkRFID
Raising Awareness and
Competitiveness in Europe
FID will form the basis of better RACE network RFID will:
and safer healthcare, drastically
R improved supply chain man- Create a federating platform to the benefit
agement, low cost environmental of all European stakeholders in the devel-
monitoring for a cleaner, more sus-
opment, adoption and usage of RFID.
tainable future. We need a pro-active
European approach so that we can
Position the European Union as a world
benefit from the advantages of RFID
leader in RFID excellence.
while giving citizens, consumers and Establish the market position for RFID in
businesses choice, transparency and
Europe, defining the roadmap and ad-
control. – Viviane Reding, EU Commis-
dressing the barriers to adoption and de-
sioner for Information Society & Media
ployment as well as fragmentation in the
A New European Union
market.
Thematic Network Project
Promote best practices, case studies, re-
ports, guidelines, events and services to in-
"With founding partners from 17 countries
crease awareness at European and national
and representatives from Europe's leading
level.
research and standards organisations, RACE
networkRFID will build on the EU's already
Involve a large number of Member State
substantial investment in RFID research to
authorities dealing with public RFID issues
increase awareness and grow the European
including major industry, civil society,
market for these rapidly evolving, world
RFID advocacy groups and research agen-
s
changing technologies."
cies.
ingh T
Our vision:
t of
"To provide a Radio Frequency Identification
erne
(RFID) network of excellence that creates
Int
opportunities and increases the competitive-
ness of European Member States in the area
of RFID through innovation, development
on the
and implementation. At the same time it will
ctse
position RFID technology within the main-
stream of information and communications
Proj
technology."
arch
The network draws upon the expertise of
se
Member States and the evolving RFID com-
Re
munity to create a dynamic, change-
ean
responsive capability that not only aligns with
the initial Information and Communication
Technologies Policy Support Programme
Europ
objectives, but extends that capability to ac-
r of
commodate emergent and future needs.
RACE networkRFID will meet the pressing
need to generate greater awareness and up-
T – Cluste
take and the exploitation of user-facing op-
portunities for innovation and enterprise. It
will capitalise on work done by European
CERP-Io
projects and national initiatives to confirm
Europe’s position as a leading force in RFID.
221
In addition it will:
Provide a structure for initiating, develop-
ing and sustaining a large variety of sup-
port measures to promote the take-up of
RFID with appropriate attention to associ-
ated automatic identification, Data capture
and communications technologies and
their potential within application designs.
Focus attention upon SME business com-
munities and the potential that exists
within them for product, process and ser-
vices innovation.
Address the requirements of policy-makers
and the public to ensure that both busi-
nesses and consumers benefit from RFID
with a specific focus on consumer trust and
acceptance, innovation and enterprise.
s
ingh T
t of
erne
Int
on the
ctse
Proj
Further information:
arch
Partners: ERCIM coordinates the RACE net-
se
workRFID project; for a complete list of project
Re
partners please visit the project website
ean
Contact: Philippe
Rohou;
ERCIM, the European Research Consortium for
Europ
Informatics and Mathematics
r of
Route des Lucioles, Sophia Antipolis
F-06410 Biot
France
T – Cluste
Tel.: +33-497-155-306
E-mail: race-networkrfid@ercim.org
Internet: www.race-networkrfid.eu
CERP-Io
Duration: 01.03.2009 – 31.03.2012 36 months
222
SMART
Intelligent Integration of Supply Chain
Processes and Consumer Services based on
Unique Product Identification in a Networked
Business Environment
he SMART project employees
quality and history to supply chain part-
RFID technology, data-stream ners as well as to educated consumers
T management systems and a ser- through innovative electronic services.
vice-oriented architecture in order to
support intelligent business network-
The assessment from a business and mar-
ing and consumer services based on
keting perspective of the impact that the
information/ knowledge sharing and
developed services have on consumers.
collaboration among supply chain The formulation of an integral systematic
partners. The distributed service-
approach to analyse, design, model and
oriented architecture of SMART can
evaluate alternative implementations of
potentially support various RFID-
RFID-integrated supply chain services.
integrated supply chain services. Spe-
cial emphasis has been placed on the SMART was completed in June 2009. The
following two application scenarios:
consortium is continuing its work in their
fields of expertise and is providing the follow-
Dynamic Pricing, enabling supply chain
ing consultancy and products: SMART appli-
partners to monitor back-room/ shelf in-
cation platform, SMART middleware,
ventory and expiration dates of individual
SMART Data Stream Management System,
product items and accordingly adjust
SMART promotion stand as well as Consul-
product prices, and
tancy based on the SMART methodology.
Promotion Management, enabling supply
chain partners to monitor shelf availability,
s
shelf replenishment and promotion-stand
ing
sales for products on promotion.
h T
The two SMART services that showcase the
t of
applicability of RFID in the retail context
have been analyzed, designed and then de-
erne
ployed in three real-life pilot sites. Specifi-
Int
cally, the Promotion Management service has
been deployed in two supermarkets in Greece
and Cyprus, while the Dynamic Pricing ser-
on the
Further information:
vice has been deployed in one supermarket in
ctse
Partners: Intrasoft International S.A., Athens
Ireland.
University of Economics & Business (AUEB) –
Proj
Project Results
ELTRUN research group, WHU School of
Management, Trinity College Dublin, Cam-
arch
The project’s results and overall outcome
se
bridge Auto-ID Labs, Alpha-Mega Papaellinas
include:
Re
Super-markets, Veropoulos Super-markets,
Superquinn Retailer, Rilken-Henkel S.A., Cy-
ean
Innovative in-store consumer services and
berce, Planning Cyprus Ltd.
new supply chain collaboration scenarios
which exploit the capabilities for unique-
Contact: Katerina
Pramatari;
Europ
product identification and real-time infor-
Athens University of Economics & Business
r of
mation.
47A Evelpidon & 33 Lefkados Str.;
GR-11362, Athens
A scalable, reliable and secure infrastruc-
Greece
ture supporting information sharing, col-
T – Cluste
Tel.: +30-210-8203
663
laboration and electronic services in the
above context.
E-mail: K.pramatari@aueb.gr
CERP-Io
Internet: www.smart-rfid.eu
The provision of reliable and real-time
end-to-end information about product Duration: 01.11.06 – 30.06.09 - 32 Months
223
SMMART
System for Mobile Maintenance
Accessible in Real Time
MMART is an innovative ap-
Re-engineered business processes address-
proach of logistic and mainte-
ing technological, organisational and social
Snance services based on ubiqui- aspects to support the SMMART concept
tous availability of “in service” product
implementation within the end-user com-
data for air, road, rail and marine
munity.
transport:
SMMART results
To reduce maintenance cost
Technological breakthrough:
To minimise unscheduled downtime
RFID tag system operating in the harsh,
To assist mobile workers wherever they
metallic, cumbersome environment of en-
operate.
gines
SMMART key challenges
Wireless, auto adaptive sensor networks
To monitor in real-time the usage and RFID tag systems for track and trace in
maintenance data throughout the life-cycle
Maintenance workshops
of critical sub-assemblies of a vehicle.
End to end data security and trust system
To optimise maintenance management
through a worldwide network.
Innovative, high added value software fea-
tures as configuration control, trouble
To provide new services: advanced trou-
shooting, strategic forecasting and optimi-
bleshooting tool, global configuration con-
sation.
s
trol, resource planning tool.
System Integration:
ingh
To remotely exchange information be-
T
tween all life-cycle stakeholders in a 2 demonstrations, on truck and on helicop-
t of
timely, secure and trusted environment.
ter engine successfully validated the end to
end integration.
erne
To provide end-to-end visibility of the lo-
Int
gistic supply chain.
To improve industrial and logistic trace- Further information:
on the
ability.
Partners: Tricon Consulting, 2MoRO, 2MoRO, Com-
ctse
missariat a l’energie atomique, Ecole Superieure des
To optimise maintenance and logistic
Technologies Industrielles Avancees, Eurocopter,
Proj
planning.
TDM, Thales, Thales Communication, Turbomeca,
arch
To further improve transportation safety.
Snecma Services, CAM, Fraunhofer, Uni Stuttgart,
se
TELETEL, Uni Degli Studi di Milano, M&M Service,
Re
SMMART technical
Warsaw School of Economics, Robotiker, MIK
ean
approach
S.COOP, VOLVO Technology, Avonwood Develop-
ments, Microturbo, Universal Pipe Enterprises
SMMART is the combination of:
Contact: Jean-Louis
Boucon;
Europ
Smart items capable of operating and
Turbomeca
r of
communicating wirelessly in the harsh en- av
Joseph
Szydlowski
vironment of vehicles.
BP 39 ; FR-64511 Bordes Cedex, France
Integrated ground information system Tel.:
+33-(0)-559-1251 10
T – Cluste
providing data collection and processing to E-mail: Jean-louis.boucon@turbomeca.fr
supply added value services Worldwide in Internet:
www.smmart.eu
CERP-Io
a fully secured network
Duration: 01.11.05 – 31.10.2008 - 36 Months
224
StoLPaN
Store Logistics and Payment with NFC
he StoLPaN project aims to de- The results are demonstrated in a Host Appli-
fine open commercial and tech- cation developed by the project team.
T nical frameworks for NFC-
enabled services on mobile devices. The Host Application will be the physical
These frameworks will facilitate the embodiment of the Business Rules and Tech-
deployment of NFC-enabled mobile nical Requirements. It simultaneously sup-
applications across a wide range of ports multiple NFC services, will provide
vertical markets, regardless of the access to the phone’s resources and facilitate
phone type and the nature of the the loading, use and maintenance of third
vices required.
party NFC-enabled applications through the
provision of a Common API between the third
The StoLPaN Project
party application and the mobile device’s
operating system.
The StoLPaN project intends to turn NFC
(Near Field Communication) enabled mobile As one of the demonstrations of the new mo-
handsets into multifunction terminals with bile NFC platform StoLPaN specifies a smart
bi-directional interaction between the wire-
retail environment based on item level tag-
less NFC interface and mobile communica- ging and NFC supported smart applications.
tion channels. It will show the use of this The goal of this program is to create a user
generally applicable new technology in the friendly, convenient shopping experience for
retail logistical value chain, and also in mo- the customers and to improve economics and
bile payment, ticketing and other use cases. efficiency of the retail operation.
Mobile NFC services are developed based on
s
their existing contactless use cases and also
ing
on the available infrastructure, but their fea-
h T
tures are enhanced through the functional
t of
capabilities of the mobile handsets and the
remote application management potential.
erne
Int
Project Results
Further information:
StoLPaN defines the Commercial and Techni-
Partners: Motorola Ltd., SafePay Ltd., Deloitte
on the
cal Frameworks required managing multiple
Ltd., Budapest Tech., Auto-ID-Labs St. Gallen,
cts
third party applications on NFC-enabled mo-
e
BULL Ltd., Consult Hyperion, Fornax Plc.,
bile devices. This is achieved by defining the
University of Technology and Economics,
Proj
Use Cases for the major applications and
Banca Popolare di Vicenza, Libri Bookstores
refining them with both the Service Provid-
Ltd., Baker &McKenzie, Consorzio Triveneto
arch
ers, Mobile Network Operators and also with
se
S.P.A., SUN Microsystems Ltd., IQ-Systems
key players in the current Value Chain for the
Re
Ltd., NXP Italia Spa., University of Rome, En-
issuance and management of those products.
nova Research S.r.l, Sheffield Hallam Univer-
ean
The resulting Use Cases are analysed to iden-
sity, NXP France, AFF Ltd.
tify common set of Business Rules that define
Contact: Andras
Vilmos;
Europ
the roles and responsibilities of every player
SafePay Systems. Ltd.
r of
in the NFC Ecosystem. These Rules, in turn
Beg street 3-5; H-1023 Budapest
are used to define the Technical Require-
Hungary
ments for the loading, use, maintenance and
Tel.: +36-1-2124
321
deletion of any NFC-enabled application on
T – Cluste
any mobile device.
E-mail: Vilmos@stolpan.com
Internet: www.stolpan.eu
CERP-Io
Duration: 01.07.06 – 31.12.09 - 42 Months
225
SToP
SToP Tampering of Products
ToP Tampering of Products vestments to counterfeiting, and the return
(SToP) - Understanding and com-
on investment,
Sbating the problem of product
counterfeiting with ambient intelli-
Novel product authentication approaches
gence based solutions.
based on ambient intelligence technolo-
gies, in particular RFID technology and the
The SToP Project
analysis of tracking data,
The markets for counterfeit products are Innovative smart tagging technologies
growing worldwide, comprising virtually all
suitable for authentication,
industry sectors from spare parts and phar-
The product verification infrastructure, a
maceuticals to luxury goods. Counterfeits
software prototype that supports enter-
damage the reputation of brand owners, pro-
prises manufacturing and delivering au-
duce economic losses, promote inferior work-
thentic products to customers and allows
ing conditions, and put the safety and health
consumers and supply chain participants
of consumers at risk.
to check the authenticity of products with a
The SToP project takes a holistic approach at
combination of various approaches,
combating product counterfeiting. Drivers Integration concepts for various industries
fuelling the recent increase in counterfeit
that help organisations to seamlessly inte-
trade, entry points of fake products into licit
grate solutions into their products as well
supply chains, and strategies of counterfeiters
as their business process landscape,
are analyzed to gain an in-depth understand-
ing of the problem and its context.
s
Real-world application trials that assessed
the feasibility and performance of the solu-
ing
Based on this analysis, the SToP project de-
h
tions.
T
veloped secure, reliable, convenient and cost
t of
effective product authentication approaches
as well as anti-counterfeiting services to sup-
erne
port activities that target the reduction of
Int
trade with illicit products. The solutions pro-
vided are based on RFID and related ambient
intelligence technologies. The approaches are
on the
tailored to the specific requirements in differ-
ctse
ent industries and will be used as an integral
element of their anti-counterfeiting strate-
Proj
gies.
Further information:
arch
Partners: SAP AG, Novartis Pharma AG, Ri-
se
Project Results
chemont International SA, Bundesdruckerei
Re
The project’s results and overall outcome
GmbH, Airbus Deutschland GmbH, Space-
ean
include:
code SA, Oria Computers
Contact: Harald
Vogt;
An analysis of the structure, the mecha-
SAP AG
Europ
nisms, and the extent of the illicit market
r of
and the supply- and demand-side drivers
Vincenz-Priessnitz-Str.
1
of trade with counterfeit products,
DE-76131 Karlsruhe
Germany
A business case framework to assist gov-
Tel.: +49-622-7752-551
T – Cluste
ernments and companies (especially small
and medium sized enterprises) to calculate
E-mail: Harald.vogt@sap.com
the impact of illicit trade on brand name
Internet: www.stop-project.eu
CERP-Io
and revenue, the required financial in-
Duration: 01.11.06–30.06.09 – 32 Months
226
TraSer
Identity-Based Tracking and
Web-Services for SMEs
he recently completed three-year
notation, making a start less burdensome
FP6 STREP project TraSer was
for small-scale users.
T called to life with the primary
goal of developing a free, open-source
TraSer is free and open-source, and its
solution platform for tracking and
implementation relies on open-source
tracing of items with unique identity.
frameworks. Interface specifications allow
The main user group targeted by the
easy implementation of special building
project are small or medium-sized en-
blocks, or reimplementing a TraSer solu-
terprises (SMEs) acting in production
tion in a different development environ-
and delivery networks where flexible
ment.
adaptation to varying track-and-trace TraSer offers useful functionalities for
systems as well as existing elements of
handling item-centric data: advanced
the company’s IT infrastructure is vi-
search and aggregation support, views at
tal. With this objective, especially re-
historical data, or backtracking of informa-
garding the targeted user range, tion. These facilitate special actions, such
TraSer ventured beyond the state of
as focused recall campaigns or locating of
the art, as the mainstream of today’s
certain goods in the production chain.
off-the-shelf solution kits are targeting
larger companies with high production
A special release of the TraSer platform is
volumes and sufficient financial power
optimized for tracking virtual artefacts,
for large initial investment.
e.g., CAD files, supporting collaborative
design across company borders.
Aside from developing the solution platform,
s
the TraSer project complemented the soft-
TraSer allows a flexible definition of data
ing
ware package by case studies and tutorials. In
models and facilitates this with its XQuery-
h T
addition to frequent industrial feedback
based interfaces, which is of special impor-
t of
through reference implementations, the pro-
tance for enterprises of high product vari-
ject also explored the scientific backgrounds
ability.
erne
of phenomena related to tracking and tracing. With its versatility and flexibility, the solution
Int
Project description
platform can easily pave the way to providing
services in the “Internet of Things” context.
on the
The project focused on the development of an
cts
industry ripe entry-level solution kit. The
e
platform handles tracked material on the
Proj
level of unique instances (as opposed to stock
levels), and relies on web services for com-
arch
munication. Item-related data are maintained
se
Further information:
by TraSer servers communicating with each
Re
other if queries or updates are forwarded or
Partners: MTA SZTAKI; Helsinki University
ean
broken down to distributed components.
of Technology, University of Groningen; In-
TraSer clients serve as interfaces “to the rest
notec Magyar Kft.; Itella; TNO; ROPARDO
Contact: Dr. Elisabth Ilie-Zudor;
Europ
of the world”, e.g., human operators, auto-
mated checkpoints or other components of
MTA SZTAKI
r of
the given IT infrastructure.
Kende u. 13–17; H-1111 Budapest
Aside from its focus on SMEs, TraSer is set
Hungary
apart from most other comparable frame-
Tel.: +36-12-796-195
T – Cluste
works by following key features:
E-mail: Ilie@sztaki.hu
While being capable of adopting any item-
Internet: www.traser-project.eu
CERP-Io
level numbering scheme, TraSer uses a
Duration: 01.06.2006–31.05.2009; 36 months
provider-independent internal identifier
227
WALTER
Specifying, testing and improving interoperabil-
ity of broadband radio devices
ALTER addresses the need Technical Approach
for broadband testbeds by
W overcoming the technical is- The WALTER project is split into two phases:
sues of measuring low level, high data-
rate radio signals. The resulting The first phase will standardize and vali-
worldwide interconnected testbeds will
date the testbed architecture and test pro-
address the short term needs of indus-
cedures for the first ETSI harmonized
try and regulators but also the longer-
standard on UWB communication devices
term needs of research communities.
(ETSI EN 302 065).
Main objectives
The second phase will deal with the devel-
opment of test procedures for later ETSI
High data rate radio protocols are key devel-
harmonized standards, also including re-
oping technologies for emerging user applica-
search activities, to cover mitigation tech-
tions. However, they raise issues of efficient
niques and coexistence mechanisms using
radio spectrum management and interopera-
Detect And Avoid protocols.
bility within the technologies. New emerging The technical work to be achieved is spread
technologies for future ubiquitous network among four work packages (WP3-WP6). WP3
infrastructures and architectures include high will identify the needs of the project in the
data rate technologies for Intelligent Trans- field of existing and future broadband wire-
port Systems (ITS), delivery of services to the less technology requirements. This will pro-
home (“digital home”), and pedestrian, to the vide input to WP4 and the development of
general vehicular sectors, to the industrial the procedures to meet these needs. WP5 will
s
and supporting sectors, and to the Public be the crucial phase for the conception of the
ing
Protection and Disaster Relief (PPDR) or-
h
testbed and its validation. Finally, test ser-
T
ganizations (national, regional and global). vices and experiments will be offered in the
t of
Ultra Wide Band (UWB) is a very promising last WP (WP6) thanks to this new test envi-
technology for such broadband transmission ronment.
erne
of data using spectrum efficient and flexible
Int
radio techniques. Initiatives by the WiMedia Key Issues
Alliance have developed concepts to use UWB
as a standard radio platform. This allows the The key issues to be addressed by the WAL-
on the
transport of wireless USB (WUSB), wireless TER project are the following
ctse
Firewire and the next generation of Bluetooth
To support convergence and interoperabil-
3.0. The European Telecommunications
ity of broadband wireless networks.
Proj
Standards Institute (ETSI) is producing har-
To support flexible and spectrum efficient
arch
monised standards to foster UWB adoption in
se
Europe.
radio access.
Re
Contributions
To support the establishment of global
ean
standards while addressing complex user
Consolidation of test procedures in ETSI
requirements.
Europ
Harmonized Standards for broadband
wireless devices in support of EU Direc-
To reinforce European industrial leader-
r of
tives.
ship in wireless networks.
Assist future development of UWB Har-
monized Standards including mitigation
T – Cluste
techniques and coexistence mechanisms
with potential radio victim services.
CERP-Io
Assist interoperability between UWB de-
vices using multi developer plug tests.
228
Expected Impact
Dissemination events
WALTER is aimed at giving Europe the tools The main activities to be achieved for dis-
to foster its UWB development, and position- semination purposes are as follows:
ing the EU as a world leader in the domain.
The project is expected to make a number of
Coordination with international organiza-
impacts at the European level.
tions to push ETSI standards forward.
Contribute to the establishment of a WALTER design and implementation to be
worldwide acceptance of European stan-
made publicly available for any test facility
dards for UWB technologies.
wishing to develop a certification program.
Give the tools aimed at ensuring that newly
Website allowing access WALTER docu-
developed UWB technologies do not com-
mentation and allowing public participa-
promise persons and goods protection.
tion through an on-line forum.
Contribute to interoperability of UWB Presentation of the WALTER achievements
technologies and convergence of high ca-
at international level conferences.
pacity based services.
2 multi-vendor plug tests.
Give the European industry a competitive These activities will be complemented by
advantage while opening the door to new publication in specialised newspaper and
innovations in the field of internet tech-
presentation at international conferences.
nologies based on ubiquitous networks.
s
ingh T
t of
erne
Int
on the
ctse
Proj
Further information:
archse
Partners: inno TSD, ETSI, Copsey Telecom-
Re
munications Ltd, AT4Wireless, STMicroe-
ean
lectronics, JRC IPSC, Wisair, TMC
Contact: Franck Le Gall;
Europ
inno TSD
r of
Place Joseph Bermond Ophira 1 - BP63;
F-06902 Sophia Antipolis Cedex,
France
Tel.: +33-49-238-8418
T – Cluste
E-mail: contact@walter-uwb.eu
Internet: www.walter-uwb.eu
CERP-Io
Duration: 01.01.2008–31.12.2009; 12 months
229
European Commission
Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union
2010 — 229 pp. — 17,6 25 cm
ISBN 978-92-79-15088-3
doi:10.2759/26127
HOW TO GET EU PUBLICATIONS
Free publications:
Priced publications:
Priced subscriptions (e.g. annual series of the
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For further information:
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Office: BU25 02/59 B-1049 Brussels
Email: infso-desk@ec.europa.eu
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Informations
Date : 08/09/2010
Langue : Anglais
Pages : 236
Consultations : 3240
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Langue : Anglais
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Résumé
Editeur : Commission européenne
Parution : 01/03/2010
ISBN : 978-92-79-15088-3
Description : Vision and challenges for realising the Internet of things. Ebook publié par la Commission européenne et disponible sur: http://bookshop.europa.eu
Tags : Internet des choses, Commission européenne, media, nouvelles technologies, futur
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