Webinos is known to be aimed at delivering an Open Source platform which will enable apps and services to be used and shared constantly over a broad spectrum of connected devices. However, what happens if those devices are sensor based, also known as zero screen? Ajit Jaokar from Open Gardens discusses on their blog the possibilities of implementing webinos in sensor based scenarios, as they are present in Smart Cities for example. After a comprehensive introduction in webinos‘ infrastructure and functionalities, Ajit presents two possibilities for webinos scenarios using sensor technologies.
In general, he is essentially reflecting upon a group of managed devices under some secure, distributed, private and managed data scenario (for example – the data is owned by the customer)
Consider a standard bluetooth heart rate monitor which could be worn by a customer. In this case, the data is stored on the mobile device and accessed by the customer. However, a variant of this use case is – the data could be transmitted to the physician. This is no different than wearing the more expensive heart rate monitors which doctors normally prescribe – except that the data in this case could be transmitted to the doctor in close to real time. In this case, the PZP would be on the mobile device and the PZH would be on the server or with the doctor. In this case, we could even conceive of a ‘managed third party service’ which is specialized in handling data from multiple customers on their behalf and which the doctor can access. Such a managed service would need the security framework which webinos provides but would be far cheaper than existing medical alternatives since it is based on inexpensive devices which can be hooked together
According to Ajit, a second scenario could be based on an open energy monitor based device such as emonbase. It is based on the idea that customers own their own data and consequently could use that data to either negotiate or switch energy providers. Once again, you could have many devices within the home each running a PZP connected to a PZH which runs on a PC or a home gateway. The above principles apply for distributed and secure data management and also for a secure, third party managed service independent of the specific energy provider (in which case, the PZH is managed by the third party).
We’d be happy to discuss with you further possible sensor scenarios and hear your thoughts on the ones Ajit has described – leave your comments below.
