<p id="isPasted">This lightweight protocol <a href="https://www.avsystem.com/blog/iot/lightweight-m2m-lwm2m-overview/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">revolutionizes IoT device control</a> by offering robust security and seamless IoT device management. Today, we'll dive into how to master device control using LwM2M, transforming your IoT network into a well-oiled machine.</p><h2>How To Control IoT Devices With LwM2M</h2><p>At its core, LwM2M aims to streamline device management using a simplified, one-stack approach for both device and application levels. This sharply contrasts with traditional M2M protocols that require multiple stacks of technologies, making them more complex and less efficient.</p><p>So, what sets LwM2M apart from other IoT protocols like MQTT? Unlike MQTT, which lacks a well-defined data model, LwM2M employs a simple, hierarchical data tree with a maximum depth of four levels. This structure comprises Objects, Object Instances, Resources, and Resource Instances. This standardized model fosters a high degree of interoperability across vendors and platforms, eliminating the dreaded vendor lock-in scenario.</p><p>Advantages of using LwM2M for IoT device control:</p><ul><li><strong>Simplified Tech Stack</strong>: One technology stack handles device and application-level management, reducing complexity.</li><li><strong>Interoperability</strong>: LwM2M's standard data model promotes cross-vendor and cross-platform compatibility, providing flexibility for service providers.</li><li><strong>Security</strong>: Incorporating DTLS (Datagram Transport Layer Security) ensures robust security features right from the get-go.</li><li><strong>Modularity</strong>: The protocol's object-oriented structure makes adding or removing device features and functionalities easy without altering the entire system.</li><li><strong>Quick Time to Market</strong>: The protocol is ready for immediate deployment, significantly accelerating the time-to-market for new services and applications.</li></ul><h2>Device Control Through Operations</h2><p>LwM2M facilitates a nuanced approach to device control through specific operations: Read, Write, and Execute. These operations allow providers to interact directly with object instances and resources on the device. For example, a provider can retrieve data like device status or sensor readings using the Read operation. The Write operation allows modification of device settings, such as adjusting sensor sensitivity or setting threshold alerts. Execute takes it further, enabling action triggers like device reboots or firmware updates.</p><p>These operations offer unprecedented granularity in controlling device behaviors and parameters. You're not just flipping switches; you're tuning a complex machine to behave precisely as you intend.</p><p>Benefits of fine-tuned control in diverse IoT scenarios:</p><ul><li><strong>Adaptability</strong>: Different devices and applications require unique configurations. LwM2M's granular control allows customization to fit specific needs.</li><li><strong>Efficiency</strong>: Fine-tuned control minimizes resource waste by ensuring devices operate at optimal settings.</li><li><strong>Responsiveness</strong>: Quick adaptation to changes in the environment or requirements, from sensor adjustments to immediate action triggers, enhances system agility.</li><li><strong>Security</strong>: Ability to lock down device features or enact emergency procedures, offering an extra layer of protection.</li></ul><h2>Observations and Notifications</h2><p>LwM2M elevates device control by incorporating a robust mechanism for observations and notifications. Utilizing a publish/subscribe interaction model, it enables real-time monitoring and reporting. When a device encounters an issue or crosses a pre-set threshold, LwM2M can immediately notify the provider. Similarly, providers can query the device status whenever needed, ensuring constant oversight and quick identification of issues.</p><p>The benefits of real-time updates and notifications are multifaceted. They provide an additional layer of control, allowing for immediate responses to critical events like system failures or security breaches. The constant flow of data is also invaluable for proactive maintenance, enabling the identification and resolution of potential issues before they escalate into major problems.</p><p>Use Cases:</p><ul><li><strong>Immediate Response</strong>: Critical issues such as device malfunctions or unauthorized access can be quickly identified and addressed, reducing downtime and potential damage.</li><li><strong>Proactive Maintenance</strong>: Real-time data allows for predictive analysis, helping to preemptively identify wear and tear, thus reducing maintenance costs.</li><li><strong>User Experience</strong>: Providers can send updates or adjustments to devices based on user behavior, enhancing the overall experience.</li><li><strong>Resource Optimization</strong>: Real-time insights into device performance and usage help in resource allocation, ensuring efficient operation.</li></ul><h2>Remote Configuration and Management</h2><p>LwM2M's capabilities in <a href="https://www.avsystem.com/blog/iot/remote-firmware-updates-for-iot-devices/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">remote configuration and OTA updates</a> make it a robust tool for maintaining and optimizing an IoT network, ensuring it is adaptable, up-to-date, and secure. How?</p><p>Providers can adjust device parameters from afar, eliminating the need for physical access. This feature is particularly useful for adapting to changing requirements, be it a seasonal adjustment for HVAC systems or dynamic tuning of industrial sensors.</p><p>The protocol also excels in facilitating firmware and software updates. LwM2M leverages its secure architecture to deliver over-the-air (OTA) updates, ensuring that devices receive the latest features and security patches. Because of its efficiency, these updates can be executed with minimal disruption, allowing the IoT ecosystem to maintain consistent performance.</p><p>Benefits:</p><ul><li><strong>Dynamic Adaptability</strong>: Easily tailor device settings to meet evolving needs without manual intervention.</li><li><strong>Simplified Updates</strong>: LwM2M streamlines the OTA update process, making it easier to keep devices current.</li><li><strong>Enhanced Security</strong>: Secure, encrypted channels for updates bolster device security, mitigating risks associated with outdated software.</li></ul><p><img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1701264377627-1701264377627.png" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><img data-fr-image-pasted="true" alt="" data-src="../../../../../media/master-iot-device-protocol-with-lwm2m-screen.png" src="https://www.avsystem.com/media/master-iot-device-protocol-with-lwm2m-screen.png" class="fr-fic fr-dib"></p><p>Firmware Updates with <a href="https://www.avsystem.com/coiote-iot-device-management-platform/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Coiote IoT Device Management Platform</a></p><h2>Addressing Common Client Questions on LwM2M IoT Device Management</h2><p><strong>Can LwM2M handle real-time device control?</strong><br>Yes, LwM2M's operations and notifications offer real-time control and monitoring. It supports immediate responses to events and dynamic adjustments.</p><p><strong>Can LwM2M handle a diverse range of IoT devices?</strong><br>Absolutely. LwM2M's modular architecture and well-defined data model make it adaptable for various device types and applications, from simple sensors to complex industrial equipment.</p><p><strong>Is LwM2M suitable for mission-critical applications?</strong><br>Yes, LwM2M is designed with robust security features and reliable real-time controls, making it ideal for mission-critical applications where reliability and data integrity are paramount.</p><h2>Final Thoughts</h2><p>LwM2M offers a comprehensive suite of features, making it an excellent choice for IoT device control. From its simplified tech stack and robust security measures to real-time operations and dynamic remote management, LwM2M encapsulates the needs of modern IoT ecosystems. Its flexibility and reliability make it adaptable for various devices and mission-critical applications. If you're looking for an <a href="https://www.avsystem.com/coiote-iot-device-management-platform/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">IoT device management platform</a> that offers precise, secure, and efficient control over your IoT devices, our LwM2M-based platform is the way to go. Adopt it as part of your IoT strategy to ensure your network is agile, secure, and future-proof.</p>

Device control is the backbone of any IoT ecosystem. Without it, connected devices are just isolated islands of data. In today's expanding IoT landscape, efficient, secure IoT device control matters more than ever. Enter LwM2M. 

Mastering IoT Device Control with LwM2M

<p id="isPasted"><span data-contrast="auto" lang="EN-US">Cities around the world are experiencing a period of rapid expansion. According to the United Nations (UN), 57 percent of people already live in urban areas - and this is set to increase to almost 70 percent by 2050.&nbsp;</span>&nbsp;</p><h2>The environmental cost of urbanization</h2><p>This shift is having a significant environmental impact. The amount of solid waste produced by cities is predicted to grow from 1.8 billion tonnes in 2016 to 3.1 billion tonnes in 2050. And, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), 9 out of 10 people in urban areas are already breathing polluted air, while almost 40 percent don’t have access to safe sanitation and clean water - posing serious health concerns. &nbsp;<br><br>And yet existing waste removal methods are both outdated and inefficient. A study in New Zealand by services company Ventia found that most of the time half the garbage bins being collected were empty, while 10 percent of bins in the most popular locations filled up again in just three or four hours. Such uneven usage not only wastes time and resources, but also creates more exhaust emissions from the trucks that travel around to empty the bins. &nbsp;<br><br>Traditional methods of air quality monitoring are also flawed. Today’s monitoring equipment is large and expensive, limiting installation to a few permanent locations. That makes meaningful data sparse and limits real-time monitoring - according to a report by the global mobile networks industry association GSMA.&nbsp;</p><h2>Optimizing waste collection with cellular IoT</h2><p>The cellular IoT has opened the door to a new approach to maintaining clean cities. Low-cost and widely deployed wireless sensors monitor relevant conditions—like full rubbish bins or changes in air quality—and then, using network connectivity, the sensors can send that data to city administrators. When combined with AI and data analytics, the information can lead to more environmentally friendly decisions.&nbsp;</p><p>For example, ‘smart bin’ solutions already use sensors to monitor gas and humidity levels, allowing them to detect when bins need to be collected. Christian Wedekind, Senior Product Manager at adhoc networks—a developer of a <a href="https://www.nordicsemi.com/Nordic-news/2022/11/the-adhoc-smart-waste-solution-uses-the-nrf9160-sip" rel="noopener" target="_blank">smart waste solution</a> based on Nordic’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nordicsemi.com/products/nrf9160" rel="noopener" target="_blank">nRF9160</a> SiP and cellular IoT connectivity—claims solutions like these have reduced waste disposal emissions by 40 percent.&nbsp;<br><br>In addition to using cellullar IoT tech to reduce the number of trips, AI solutions are optimizing the garbage collection routes. Ventia discovered that the technology shortened route times from seven-and-a-half hours to four. As a result, the company reduced its truck fleet by eight vehicles, decreased carbon emissions, and generated less noise pollution.&nbsp;</p><h2>Dynamic air pollution monitoring &nbsp;</h2><p>A 2017 report found that 95 percent of London’s population has been exposed to air pollution levels exceeding WHO limits by more than 50 percent. To address this issue, a proof-of-concept in Greenwich, in collaboration with GSMA, employed portable air quality sensors on people, bikes, vehicles, and buildings. This allowed the devices to measure air quality at many different locations throughout the day.&nbsp;<br><br>While dynamic tracking like this doesn’t directly reduce air pollution, it does provide authorities and policymakers with much more specific data so they can understand the root causes and introduce targeted solutions. These include introducing increased toll pricing in high-traffic areas, restricting or closing pollution-heavy facilities, and building support for longer-term plans, like new public transport systems powered by renewable energy. &nbsp;</p><h2><span data-contrast="auto" lang="EN-US">Combatting invisible wastewater issues&nbsp;</span><span data-ccp-props='{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}'>&nbsp;</span></h2><p>IoT solutions are also helping cities gain visibility into sewerage issues and manage them before they cause problems. Take, for example, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nordicsemi.com/Nordic-news/2021/09/metasphere-uses-nrf9160-in-art-sewer" rel="noopener" target="_blank">ART Sewer</a> wastewater and sewerage spill monitoring solution by Metasphere. This compact, battery-powered device fits under a manhole cover where it measures wastewater levels using radar every 15 minutes. Using cellular connectivity, it transmits this information to a data analytics platform, helping prevent wastewater spills caused by heavy rain, blockages, or damaged pipes. &nbsp;<br><br>Products that can detect leaking pipes—especially in below-ground applications where they may not be visible otherwise—can help by warning companies before there’s significant damage. Predictive maintenance—which uses AI and sensor data to identify signs of future servicing needs—can also benefit sewerage systems by preventing any leaks or broken pipes before they even occur.</p><h2><span data-contrast="auto" lang="EN-US">The benefits of cellular connectivity&nbsp;</span><span data-ccp-props='{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}'>&nbsp;</span></h2><p>According to the&nbsp;<em>Financial Times</em>, while sensors are getting cheaper, the need for connectivity, computing power, and energy to collect, transmit, and analyze data remains a barrier. &nbsp;<br><br>Fortunately, the rise of cellular IoT is helping address these issues. Cellular technologies not only offer great coverage in cities, but are also ideal for IoT applications, especially when long battery life is needed. LTE-M supports mobile applications like tracking garbage trucks, while NB-IoT is more suited to stationary devices in areas with poor network coverage, such as sewer monitors.&nbsp;<br><br>Whether it’s measuring water levels, temperatures, or the health of critical infrastructure, the IoT will soon become vital to cities because the cost of addressing the negatives impacts of these challenges is much higher than solving them with technology.&nbsp;</p><hr id="isPasted"><p>This article was first published on Nordic's&nbsp;<a href="https://blog.nordicsemi.com/getconnected" target="_blank" rel="nofollow"></a><a href="https://blog.nordicsemi.com/getconnected?utm_campaign=2021%20wevolver" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Get Connected Blog</a>. &nbsp;</p>

Cities around the world are experiencing a period of rapid expansion. According to the United Nations (UN), 57 percent of people already live in urban areas - and this is set to increase to almost 70 percent by 2050.  

Using the IoT to create a greener future for smart cities

The Year of the Linux Desktop may get postponed every year, but Linux has come to dominate pretty much every other market segment - from servers, industrial machines and mobile phones (via Android), to a host of embedded devices.

Everything you ever wanted to know about updating Linux devices

<h2 id="isPasted">Goals and Issues when Implementing the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) in Factories of All Sizes</h2><p>There have been efforts to promote digital transformation (DX) in a number of countries, with examples including the announcement in 2011 by the German government of Industry 4.0 (the Fourth Industrial Revolution) (approved in 2012) and the initial proposal by the Japanese government in 2016 of Society 5.0 as part of its 5th Science and Technology Basic Plan. It has therefore been some time since the expression Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) started spreading and eventually became established, and there has been a great deal of discussion related to <a href="https://article.murata.com/en-eu/article/what-is-the-fifth-industrial-revolution" target="_blank">Industry 5.0 (the Fifth Industrial Revolution)</a>. Against this background, the concept of IIoT has begun to shift from one centered around things to one centered around people, and a large number of solutions and use cases have emerged with the aim of providing a more sophisticated user experience (UX).</p><p>The common thread is that they are all undeniably useful means of boosting the efficiency of operations and increasing productivity, such as by accumulating data and putting it to use in the monitoring and management of the production process or operating status, or in trend analysis, predictive maintenance, and identification of improvement tasks. Nevertheless, regardless of the scale of the company or factory, it is not always easy to find the ideal solutions for deploying IIoT in all processes.</p><p>Reasons for this include cases where implementing factory automation, the most representative change associated with the Third Industrial Revolution, and the associated in-line data collection, is difficult due to the characteristics of particular processes or how they differ from other processes. It is therefore not surprising that the idea has taken hold that implementing a smart factory utilizing IIoT, the symbol of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, is not an easy task.</p><p><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width: 768px;"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNzAwNDg1MzQxMzM4LWltZzAxLmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTUwLCJmaXQiOiJjb3ZlciJ9fX0=" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><span class="fr-inner">There is a preconception that processes where implementing factory automation is difficult are not amenable to IIoT.</span></span></span></p><p>Today problems or bottlenecks deploying IIoT have emerged alongside diverse solutions and services. Below we introduce ways to choose smart IIoT implementation methods that solve earlier problems or issues and provide some related hints.</p><h2 id="isPasted">Examples of Problems or Bottlenecks Implementing IIoT</h2><p>We will review as typical problems or bottlenecks implementing IIoT, processes involving human workers, securing DX personnel, affinity with environment and conditions, and concerns regarding overabundance of options, costs, and effectiveness. In the discussion that follows we introduce representative examples of each.</p><h3>Processes Involving Human Workers</h3><p>Some processes simply require the involvement of human workers to perform mechanical operations, use of tools, or manual labor, and this can mean that tasks such as moving work between processes or performing inspections can only be performed off-line by human personnel. Also, depending on the product, autonomation may be difficult with current technology, and there are cases where meticulous, delicate tasks performed by human workers are required in almost all processes.</p><p>In cases such as these, management of uptime and identification of problems and improvements based on data acquisition and visualization of conditions, as well as analysis, are difficult, and often reasons such as this can impede the deployment of IIoT.</p><p><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width: 768px;"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNzAwNDg1Mzg3MjgxLWltZzAyLmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTUwLCJmaXQiOiJjb3ZlciJ9fX0=" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><span class="fr-inner">In processes involving human workers, data acquisition through the implementation of IIoT is perceived as particularly difficult.</span></span></span></p><h3 id="isPasted">Securing DX Personnel</h3><p>Knowledge and expertise related to Information and Communication Technology (ICT) are essential in order to construct IIoT devices and systems in factories for transferring and storing data in such a way as to ensure that they operate stably and as intended, and in order for IIoT to be useful for improving operations by making use of collected data for visualization and analysis. However, securing DX personnel with such knowledge and expertise can often present a bottleneck for the manufacturing site. What’s more, there are sometimes cases where even if an IIoT solution is deployed, it is not possible to obtain the desired results from the collected data. There are probably not a few factories where fears that support may not be available from persons with specialized knowledge present a hurdle to the implementation of IIoT.</p><h3>Affinity with Environment and Conditions</h3><p>In most cases, the implementation of IIoT requires the autonomation of the various processes, of course, as well as a network system to control and manage them. No matter the size of the factory, there may be some processes that use machinery and equipment that cannot connect to the network or are unable to input and output data, or where operations involving human workers account for a large share of the total. This can mean that the network system is incomplete or was not constructed in the first place.&nbsp;</p><p>Also, even if a network system was constructed, a variety of concerns, such as that the complexity of wiring to provide power and wired communication links to IIoT devices such as sensors will increase the workload when rearranging or replacing equipment, or that using wireless links will result in signal interference, can prove worrisome when considering IIoT deployment.</p><p>Finally, with regard to network security, there may be limitations or restrictions on the use of cloud-based services operated by third parties due to security-related agreements with corporate clients or in-house rules.</p><h3>Concerns Regarding Overabundance of Options, Costs, and Effectiveness</h3><p>Today there is such an abundance of IIoT solutions and services on the market that it can be difficult to decide which of the available options are the best fit for one’s own factory.</p><p>In addition to the initial deployment costs, we cannot ignore as additional factors increasing the difficulty of IIoT adoption considerations about running costs, such as the usage fees for cloud services, concerns about whether or not the solutions chosen will be a good fit for the worksite and target processes, and uncertainty as to whether they will work as intended.</p><p><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width: 768px;"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNzAwNDg1NDA3OTg0LWltZzAzLmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTUwLCJmaXQiOiJjb3ZlciJ9fX0=" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><span class="fr-inner">There is also the difficulty of finding IIoT solutions whose effectiveness and cost match the environment and conditions of your company.</span></span></span></p><h2 id="isPasted">The New Age of Making a Small Start in IIoT Deployment that Can Be Supplemented Later</h2><p>As stated above, the IIoT concept has taken root in the marketplace, and a wide variety of IIoT devices, solutions, and services are available for purchase. Businesses can choose the options that best meet their needs and deploy them. Solutions are also emerging that enable “small start” IIoT implementation of processes that previously would have been considered too difficult and to supplement partially incomplete implementations.</p><p>As the term implies, making a “small start” means beginning with deployment on a small scale by starting with the operations of a specific process or set of machinery or equipment. This approach provides the major advantage of making it easy to implement a “proof of concept” to determine if the desired results can be achieved in cases where deploying a large-scale system would be too difficult. In addition, it avoids the substantial initial cost of deploying a large-scale system all at once and minimizes risks associated with whether or not the solution is a good fit and the possibility that the running cost may exceed the benefits achieved. Making a small start is a good way to gain knowledge and experience, and expertise of IIoT by starting on a modest scale.</p><p><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width: 768px;"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNzAwNDg1NDI4NDMwLWltZzA0LmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTUwLCJmaXQiOiJjb3ZlciJ9fX0=" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><span class="fr-inner">Making a small start targeting a specific process or set of machinery or equipment is an easy way to implement a proof of concept.</span></span></span></p><p id="isPasted">What’s more, this sort of solution may also be appropriate in cases where IIoT has been deployed to most of the factory, allowing IIoT solutions to be implemented in particular processes where digitization and visualization have not yet been realized, such as those involving human workers. Scaling up in this way makes it possible to make up for gaps in data collection.</p><h2>How to Select Solutions for Making a Small Start or Scaling up IIoT and Related Hints</h2><p>Below, we present advice and hints on how to select solutions for making a small start to get around issues that previously prevented IIoT deployment or to scale up by supplementing areas that were lagging behind.&nbsp;</p><h3>Collecting Data without Autonomation of Processes</h3><p>Previously, it was typical to install IIoT devices such as sensors in-line as part of factory automation, to collect and store data, and to use it for monitoring, visualization, analysis, and the like. However, now there are ways to introduce, even into off-line processes involving human workers, IIoT devices that can subsequently be installed to allow the collection and utilization of data.</p><p>For example, DX can be easily achieved for each process or task using solutions that just require operators to perform simple and intuitive operations such as pressing buttons or moving small devices, or simple manipulations using tablets or other input devices, in order to gather uptime or progress data that can be used to identify problems and make improvements under the 3M (Muri, Muda, Mura) concept associated with the Toyota Production System. The important thing is to select IIoT solutions that minimize the burden on operators and the effect on takt time.</p><h3>Availability of Specialized Support from Deployment through Operation</h3><p>Securing DX personnel with specialized knowledge is an important issue at the manufacturing site. Simply purchasing IIoT devices and purchasing or leasing software for analyzing the data they collect may not be sufficient to ensure that the system operates as intended and the data can be utilized fully.</p><p>Even in the case of a small start, to avoid spending too much on the initial investment and running costs it is important to obtain attentive consultation before deployment and support afterwards from personnel having specialized knowledge.</p><p><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width: 768px;"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNzAwNDg1NDUyMjE1LWltZzA1LmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTUwLCJmaXQiOiJjb3ZlciJ9fX0=" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><span class="fr-inner">Trial runs and support are essential throughout IIoT deployment, data collection and visualization, and finally management and implementation of improvements.</span></span></span></p><h3 id="isPasted">Using Wireless Devices to Avoid Complex Wiring</h3><p>Considering the complexity of wiring to provide power and communication cabling to IIoT devices such as sensors, the increased workload when installing, rearranging, or replacing equipment can present a barrier to deployment.</p><p>With this in mind, one option that should be considered is IIoT devices such as sensors with support for wireless communication. Many such devices are available in rechargeable versions with extended battery life, eliminating the need both for power cables and wired communication links. What’s more, many such sensors can easily be mounted afterwards on equipment that is already in use.</p><p>Nevertheless, even though IIoT devices supporting wireless communication are available, data transfer may be unstable in factory layouts containing large numbers of obstacles, such as machinery and equipment. Selecting devices that support the sub-GHz band, which is less affected by obstacles, may be a solution for ensuring stable communication and operation in such environments. Sub-GHz networking allows you to select wireless devices that are very power-efficient and therefore offer extended battery life, effectively killing two birds with one stone.</p><p><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width: 768px;"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNzAwNDg1NDc2MDA5LWltZzA2LmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTUwLCJmaXQiOiJjb3ZlciJ9fX0=" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><span class="fr-inner">Avoiding complex wiring by using wireless communication. Selecting the appropriate communication band and device charging cycle for the installation site are key to achieving smooth operation.</span></span></span></p><h3 id="isPasted">Making a Small Start with Specifications and Costs Matching the Goals and Environment</h3><p>Making a small start with IIoT can have a high level of difficulty when it involves your company independently constructing a system consisting not only of devices such as sensors of various types, but also combining them with gateways, software, and your own premises, as well as cloud services, etc., with their own running costs. Also, the requirements of the system that needs to be constructed to match your goals will differ significantly based on questions such as whether to use sensing to monitor machinery and equipment or whether to digitize and collect data on operation uptime.</p><p>Selecting solutions that are easy to adapt to your goals and environment will simplify the process of making a small start. These include not only IIoT devices but also devices that include software that simply needs to be installed on your company’s PCs to enable visualization of data and that can easily be configured to meet your needs.</p><p>Another important basis for making a selection is whether it is possible to conduct a trial before full-scale deployment to confirm that a solution matches your goals and environment. Implementing a proof of concept beforehand enables you to avoid excess costs.&nbsp;</p><p><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width: 768px;"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNzAwNDg1NDk3NDcwLWltZzA3LmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTUwLCJmaXQiOiJjb3ZlciJ9fX0=" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><span class="fr-inner">Before deploying an IIoT solution, check the availability of expert consulting and support, and the ability to conduct a trial.</span></span></span></p><h2 id="isPasted">Summary: Key Points when Selecting an IIoT Solution</h2><p>We have described some of the problems or bottlenecks faced by factories that have not yet begun to implement IIoT or have deployed it only partially, and we have explained how to select solutions for making a small start at IIoT and provided some related hints. In closing, we will list some key points to guide you toward a successful small start at IIoT deployment or scaling up of an existing implementation.&nbsp;</p><p><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width: 768px;"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNzAwNDg1NTE4MzI3LWltZzA4LmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTUwLCJmaXQiOiJjb3ZlciJ9fX0=" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><span class="fr-inner">By keeping these key points in mind, you can focus on solutions that are easy to deploy and operate.</span></span></span></p><h3 id="isPasted">Affinity with Processes Involving Human Workers</h3><p>When used to collect and analyze data on worker operating time, will the IIoT devices you are considering be easy for operators to configure and operate, not impose a burden on managers, and have minimal impact on takt time?</p><h3>Availability of Support and Ability to Conduct a Trial</h3><p>Is specialized support available from the pre-deployment stage through operation at the actual manufacturing site? Also, is it possible to conduct a trial before full-scale deployment?</p><h3>Wireless Communication and Battery Life</h3><p>Will you be able to avoid complex equipment setup associated with power and communication cabling for the IIoT devices? Also, in settings where physical barriers or the like might impede communication signals, make sure to look into devices supporting the sub-GHz band as a way to achieve both stable communication and extended battery life through power efficiency.</p><h3>Support System for Easy Deployment</h3><p>Is specialized support available from the manufacturers or publishers supplying the IIoT devices such as sensors and the software, etc., for visualizing and analyzing the data collected by them to enable you to smoothly deploy and operate a setup matched to your company, including costs?</p><hr id="isPasted"><p><img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1700485625834-1700485625834.png" class="fr-fic fr-dii"></p><p>If you have any questions based on this article that you would like to discuss with an expert at Murata, don't hesitate to reach out. There's an entire team ready to support you with your question.</p><p><a href="https://www.murata.com/en-eu/contactform?&Detail=Wevolver%20request" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" class="button-main-action">GET IN TOUCH</a></p>

The concept of IIoT has begun to shift from one centered around things to one centered around people, and a large number of solutions and use cases have emerged with the aim of providing a more sophisticated user experience (UX).

Choosing Solutions You Can Use Now for Making a Small Start and Scaling Up the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT)

<p id="isPasted">In the modern era it’s reasonable to assume that expensive items moving around the world are carefully tracked and protected and therefore never go astray. But no, there are still a disturbing number of mishaps resulting in key assets disappearing – sometimes forever. For instance, Popular Mechanics magazine reports over one million spare parts needed to keep F-35 fighter aircrafts in the air have gone missing, with an estimated total value of at least $85 million.</p><p>Fighter aircraft are one thing, but the challenge of knowing where everything is becomes vastly more complex when scaled up to myriad items being transported across vast distances. For example, some 68 million containers are used to move cargo around the world (according to statista) and any one could contain millions of dollars of manufactured goods or materials. Keeping track of these assets is a logistical nightmare for companies. Wireless tech is providing the answers.&nbsp;</p><h2>Navigation and tracking using GPS</h2><p>One tech solution is the Global Positioning System (GPS) - the principal component of Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS). Billions of people already rely on GNSS daily to help them find their way around, and it’s now also providing a foundation for many IoT applications to help keep track of valuable assets that might otherwise go missing.</p><p>Made up of 24 satellites positioned around 20,000 kilometers above the Earth, the GPS constellation is arranged to ensure four satellites can be observed at any point on the planet. These satellites transmit their locations, status, and the precise time from onboard atomic clocks to an earthbound GPS receiver. The receiver notes the arrival time of the signal and then calculates the distance to each satellite (using the time difference between signal transmission and reception, and then multiplying by the speed of light). Information from four satellites can then be used to pinpoint the receiver’s position on the surface of the planet. Attach the receiver to the valuable cargo and you’ll always know where it is.&nbsp;</p><h2>The challenges of GNSS</h2><p>Well, perhaps not quite always. Despite its sophisticated design, GNSS is still subject to several issues. For instance, inaccuracies with the onboard clocks can cause timing errors. To combat these issues, GNSS systems compare multiple satellites and use algorithms to determine which clocks are in error and then reset them.<br>Other problems occur because the relatively weak signal between satellites and earthbound receivers can easily be disrupted. With an average GPS signal strength at Earth’s surface of just -130 dBm (as reported by gps-repeaters.com), obstructions such as rows of tall buildings—known as ‘urban canyons’—can block the transmission.</p><p>And even in instances when the data is successfully transmitted, so-called multipath errors can occur. These involve the signal reflecting off buildings before reaching the receiver, causing timing errors and leading to incorrect positional information. Other errors can occur because of density variations in the Earth’s atmosphere, which can delay or distort the GNSS signal.</p><p>Electromagnetic interference (EMI) from other radio sources can also cause timing errors. To mitigate these problems, techniques such as filtering, correlation, and signal power measurement, as well as ionosphere and troposphere modeling, are employed. But despite all this technology there are times when GNSS just doesn’t work and logistics companies need alternatives to keep track of everything.</p><h2>Maximizing battery life with Wi-Fi SSID scanning</h2><p>Another downside of GNSS is that it can take several minutes to determine the initial location of a tracked item - taking a heavy toll on batteries. Some relief for the power source can come from using technologies such as Assisted- and Predicted-GPS (A-GPS and P-GPS). These methods, supported by Nordic’s <a href="https://www.nordicsemi.com/Products/Cloud-services" rel="noopener" target="_blank">nRF Cloud Location Services</a> in conjunction with the company’s <a href="https://www.nordicsemi.com/Products/nRF9160" rel="noopener" target="_blank">nRF9160 SiP</a>, a multimode cellular IoT solution, use satellite assistance data stored in a database. This information is transmitted to the nRF9160 via the LTE-M or NB-IoT network, speeding up the first satellite fix and saving power.</p><p>But even with A-GPS and P-GPS, the battery requirements for GNSS remain significant. This becomes important consideration for certain applications, such asset trackers that are typically equipped with smaller batteries while still requiring long lifetimes. If you need precision down to few meters, only GNSS will do, but if accuracy of tens of meters is acceptable, there are alternatives that can lead to reduced power requirements.&nbsp;</p><p>One such locationing technique, which provides a reasonably precise alternative to GNSS while also consuming less power, is Wi-Fi Service Set Identifier (SSID) scanning. Every Wi-Fi access point (AP) network is identified with an SSID - a technical reference for the AP’s name. With knowledge of the network’s SSID, it’s possible to cross reference against databases that will detail its location.&nbsp;</p><p>Wi-Fi chips such as Nordic’s <a href="https://www.nordicsemi.com/Products/WiFi/Products#infotabs" rel="noopener" target="_blank">nRF70 Series</a> of companion ICs devices can use the technique to determine location by scanning any nearby Wi-Fi AP for its SSID. In the Nordic case, a partner nRF9160 SiP can then forward the SSID (and other useful information) to nRF Cloud using cellular connectivity. nRF Cloud then checks one or more Wi-Fi SSID databases and returns the tracked item’s location based on the position of nearby APs, plus a degree of uncertainty for that location, either to the nRF9160 or elsewhere as directed.&nbsp;</p><h2>Striking the right balance between precision and battery life with Wi-Fi locationing</h2><p>While it’s hard to beat the accuracy of GNSS, when a slightly lower precision is acceptable and battery life is critical, or in asset tracking applications where the GNSS signal is likely to be interrupted, Wi-Fi SSID locationing is an excellent alternative.&nbsp;</p><p>With Nordic’s nRF91 and nRF70 Series, and nRF Cloud, it’s simple to switch seamlessly between GNSS and Wi-Fi locationing methods in an asset tracker to trade-off location precision against battery life to best suit the situation. There is now no excuse for the loss of expensive aircraft parts or any other valuable assets.</p><hr id="isPasted"><p>This article was first published on Nordic's <a href="https://blog.nordicsemi.com/getconnected" target="_blank" rel="nofollow"></a><a href="https://blog.nordicsemi.com/getconnected?utm_campaign=2021%20wevolver" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Get Connected Blog</a>. &nbsp;</p>

In the modern era it’s reasonable to assume that expensive items moving around the world are carefully tracked and protected and therefore never go astray. But no, there are still a disturbing number of mishaps resulting in key assets disappearing – sometimes forever.

How to optimize asset tracking with Wi-Fi locationing

<p id="isPasted">Maximizing human abilities, passing on skills and abilities to new generations, eliminating societal inequality – achieving these goals will require solving a variety of problems affecting existing educational and training methods and the development and deployment of new methods. Education and training are indispensable to the upbringing of a new generation to shoulder future responsibilities and to generating the driving force needed to change society and industry to make them both more vigorous and more sustainable.&nbsp;</p><p>In response to this social need, efforts making use of the latest technologies to develop and implement new educational methods are becoming more active. Here we describe a movement known as “Edu Tech” that encourages the development of new technology to bring about major changes in educational methods (Figure 1).</p><p><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width: 768px;"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNzAwMTA0NTY4OTEyLXZhcmlvdXMtdGVjaC02LTEuanBnIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><span class="fr-inner">Figure 1 Edu Tech: Using the latest technology to bring innovation to educational methods</span></span></span></p><h2 id="isPasted">Utilizing technology to maximize human abilities</h2><p>The term “Edu Tech” is a neologism coined from the words “education” and “technology.” It is said that teacher-student relationships have existed in the workplace since pre-history, and up until the present day the transfer of knowledge and skills from a person who guides to a person who learns has formed the foundation of education. In fact, in primary and secondary school education, in personal training in the workplace, and in fields such as sports and the arts, the teacher or coach providing guidance to the learner has been the common theme.</p><p>The goals of Edu Tech can be divided into two major categories (Figure 2).</p><p><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width: 768px;"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNzAwMTA0NTkwODAyLXZhcmlvdXMtdGVjaC02LTJfZW4ucG5nIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><span class="fr-inner">Figure 2 The two goals of Edu Tech</span></span></span></p><p id="isPasted">The first is to provide more people with learning opportunities for maximizing individual abilities and expanding possibilities.</p><p>Acquiring knowledge and skills is a process that takes considerable time. But nowadays it is difficult for busy people, whether young or old, male or female, to set aside substantial blocks of time to study. If technology can be used to enable individuals to flexibly devote time between other tasks or on days off to study, the available learning opportunities can be increased.</p><p>Furthermore, if we compare urban areas with well-equipped education infrastructure and rural areas that lack such infrastructure, there is a disparity in the subjects and methods available for study. Even though education is the most effective way to eliminate poverty, which is one of the sustainable development goals (SDGs), there are many people throughout the world who lack educational opportunities. If ICT can be put to use enabling people to receive instruction, educational opportunities will become more flexible, and the likelihood of overcoming the problem of unequal opportunity will increase.</p><p>Another goal is to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of education by providing individualized instruction customized to match the specific characteristics of each learner and the state of their educational progress. When large numbers of students are all taught the same material using the same methods, it is inevitable that some students will find classes insufficiently challenging while others will have difficulty keeping up and eventually fall behind.</p><p>One reason that a uniform approach to education has been the norm until now is that the number of teachers is much smaller than the number of students. If technology makes it possible to carefully monitor factors such as the progress, ability, and personality of each individual student and to tailor the instruction to match, perhaps slumbering talent will blossom, and students will awaken to new possibilities they were not aware of and will be able to acquire knowledge and skills more effectively.</p><h2>Expanding applications of Edu Tech in schools, workplaces, and fields such as sports and the arts</h2><p>Some specific examples of how Edu Tech can be applied in new ways to education and training in schools, workplaces, and a variety of industries are presented below (Figure 3).</p><p><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width: 768px;"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNzAwMTA0NjE2NzQ4LXZhcmlvdXMtdGVjaC02LTNfZW4ucG5nIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><span class="fr-inner">Figure 3 Expanding applications for Edu Tech</span></span></span></p><p id="isPasted">Our first example is the application of Edu Tech in primary and secondary education. In March 2019, Japan launched the “Global and Innovation Gateway for All (GIGA) School Project,”<sup>*1</sup> which aims to promote the training of young people able to meet the demands of the future by distributing a computer terminal to each and every elementary and secondary school student in the country. This initiative is intended to realize an educational environment that encourages the individuality of each student and promotes creativity optimized to each learner. Tablet computers that can connect to the network via a cellular or Wi-Fi® link are used to enable close sharing in the learning process between each student and the teacher as lessons proceed.</p><p>In the past, classes usually proceeded in a style characterized by the teacher speaking from a podium at the front of the classroom, with a few students occasionally answering questions the teacher put to them. By using tablets, the teacher and all the students can share in the taking of notes by individual students or the process of figuring out answers to questions. This has made it possible not only for the teacher to see which students got the right answer, but also for everyone to share the train of thought leading to the answer, for individual students to help each other, and for the proficiency level of the entire class to rise. What’s more, using the camera functionality, students can do things like summarizing the results of their observations in science class or dynamically expressing their thoughts in videos they shoot and edit themselves, thereby developing their ability to make presentations.</p><p>Our second example involves the use of Edu Tech by a company in the manufacturing industry to quickly get new employees up to speed on factory procedures currently being performed by experienced workers. In factories where a wide variety of products are produced in small quantities, with many different products being produced on the same line, substantial variations in production efficiency and the quality of finished products can arise due to differences in the skill level of the workers. The most skilled workers have learned through experience how to perform operations precisely and without wasted effort. Since their know-how and skills are hard to express in writing, it can be difficult to convey the key points and tricks of the trade to the newer workers.</p><p>There are now companies that use cameras to capture the work of experienced employees and their actions on the line. Motion tracking technology is then used to convert the videos into digital data, and AI analysis is employed to determine which actions can be linked to improvements in productivity and quality. Key points for improving skills can then be presented in visual form and used in the training of new workers. Training workers using materials incorporating visualized information, and monitoring the actions of the workers undergoing training and providing feedback in real time make it possible for new employees to attain the same level of skill as the experienced workers much more quickly.</p><p>Our third example involves technology currently in the research stage. It uses Edu Tech to allow learners to experience the techniques of skilled individuals in areas such as crafts, the arts, and sports, enabling them to improve their skills effectively and rapidly. In one method of teaching the subtle aspects of using a brush in painting or Japanese calligraphy, the student holds the brush and the teacher grasps the student’s hand in order to demonstrate aspects such as the correct application of pressure and the experience of moving the brush. A similar method of instruction is often used in the world of sports, where the learner is assisted by the coach and helped to experience the correct posture and movements. By conveying the sense felt only by one who has mastered the skill, the learner is enabled to achieve mastery quickly. This method of teaching can be very effective, but it requires one-on-one training of the learner by an experienced instructor and therefore cannot be easily adopted by everyone.</p><p>Technology currently under development utilizes new technologies such as virtual reality (VR), haptic feedback, motion tracking, and robotics to convert the body posture and movements of the instructor into digital data and then convey them to the learner. For example, there is already technology that reproduces using a robot arm the subtle movements and application of pressure of an expert Japanese calligrapher. By using this technology to store the brush manipulation of the master as digital data, it can then be reproduced anywhere and at any time for practice.</p><p>Education is said to be the surest and most effective investment we can make. It is also indispensable to the continued development of society necessary for a happy human life. Some people worry that the advancement of AI and robots will deprive people of their jobs. But depending on how it is used, technology can expand human possibilities and encourage human growth. The fuller adoption of Edu Tech will surely lead to the advancement of humankind.</p><hr><p>*1 The GIGA School Project is an Initiative of the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology that aims to create an environment in which ICT terminals such as PCs and tablets can be used effectively for education in venues such as elementary, junior high, and senior high schools. GIGA stands for “Global and Innovation Gateway for All.” It promotes innovation in the educational space through efforts that go beyond the provision of hardware to include the provision of software such as digital textbooks and AI-based drills concentrating on areas where the student is weak, and the strengthening of an instruction system utilizing outside input such as requests from local instructors and assistance from ICT support personnel.</p><hr id="isPasted"><p><img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1700104672958-1700104672958.png" class="fr-fic fr-dii"></p><p>If you have any questions based on this article that you would like to discuss with an expert at Murata, don't hesitate to reach out. There's an entire team ready to support you with your question.</p><p><a href="https://www.murata.com/en-eu/contactform?&Detail=Wevolver%20request" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" class="button-main-action">GET IN TOUCH</a></p>

Here we describe a movement known as “Edu Tech” that encourages the development of new technology to bring about major changes in educational methods

"Edu Tech" Encourages Individuality and Bridges the Unequal Opportunity Gap

<p dir="ltr">The <a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/connect-for-good-low-power-wireless-sustainability-challenge" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Connect for Good Challenge</a>, a joint initiative by Nordic Semiconductor, Mouser Electronics, Soracom, and Crowd Supply, united a global network of engineers, entrepreneurs, and developers.</p><p dir="ltr">&nbsp;Their mission was clear: to devise low-power wireless solutions that contribute towards achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals while also utilizing the nRF9160 DK.</p><p dir="ltr">This challenge attracted an impressive 116 entries, each entry a testament to the&nbsp;<iframe id="63dd10be17a2d300080113f2" width="250" class="specs-iframe" height="440" src="https://wevolver.com/iframe/specs/nrf9160-development-kit?iframe=true" frameborder="0" scrolling="false" data-lf-form-tracking-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-yt-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-vimeo-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true"></iframe> unwavering commitment towards sustainable development from innovators across the globe.</p><p dir="ltr">From the extensive pool of innovative concepts, ten projects stood out as finalists. These projects presented a diverse range of solutions, from seismic sensor networks designed for earthquake-prone regions to cutting-edge bioreactors capable of carbon capture. The top ten entries met the challenge's high standards and exemplified the immense potential and impact of low-power wireless technology in tackling critical sustainability issues worldwide.</p><p dir="ltr">With the stage set by these trailblazing finalists, we now turn our attention to presenting the Connect for Good Challenge winners.</p><h2 dir="ltr">Grand Winner - Ivan Araquistain from Tecnalia Project: Monitoring and Anomaly detection on sustainable logistics infrastructure</h2><p dir="ltr">Ivan Araquistain’s winning project presents an innovative solution for the green transport of perishable goods, eliminating the need for energy-intensive refrigerated cargo trailers. This achievement is significant for the logistics industry, offering a more sustainable method of transport while ensuring the cold chain's integrity.</p><p dir="ltr"><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dii" style="width: 758px;"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img data-fr-image-pasted="true" src="https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/NshYbRl37Cb-aLTarym3rpMt35cPUxJs9lm3y6Mhqqufr2E7rQFo8bPFbbECXZTtVFdVtzvlbvXDv_3W5gF2TKCStdk8-7eNSmgiKxWUuxgKTPg0ZEIzzevOLQ_Hb7DKTuTeFquVBZLVjntP8I7ZyLw" width="602" height="401" id="isPasted" class="fr-fic fr-dii"><span class="fr-inner">Image credit: Ivan Araquistain</span></span></span>The project's core is an IoT device equipped with a suite of sensors and GPS, enabling efficient tracking and monitoring of goods. Key component of this project is the integration of the NRF9160-DK, chosen specifically for its low energy consumption and reliable cellular connectivity. By leveraging low-energy technology and incorporating mini solar panels, the device can operate autonomously, making it a model for sustainable transport in the logistics sector.</p><p dir="ltr"><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dii" style="width: 758px;"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img data-fr-image-pasted="true" src="https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/B2V5gCBDYosXNk3swpt2I3jeqcKF0bl19narcvtPj5rqi8vIeBbP_Qz4c8SpnvaZ8wnGtJkosOl0CuLxLzkoLxxyIIE-buMk7k8sRrNOk7V_AL2Mr3ijuQIWVMMw3JSY5FqJEtcymFL83vlektHnm5Y" width="698" height="432" class="fr-fic fr-dii"><span class="fr-inner">Image credit: Ivan Araquistain</span></span></span>The practical implications of this project are immense, directly impacting Sustainable Development Goals 7, 11, and 13. It exemplifies a significant stride toward reducing energy consumption in logistics, offering an eco-friendly alternative that can reshape how goods are transported globally. This project's success could pave the way for a more sustainable logistics industry, significantly reducing carbon emissions and operational costs.</p><h2 dir="ltr">Second Place - Patrick Whetman’s Initiative: Ai Honey Bee Swarm Detector / Predictor System</h2><p dir="ltr">In second place, Patrick Whetman's project focuses on the conservation of the native bee species. This endeavor is crucial for ecological balance and biodiversity, as bees play a vital role in pollination. Whetman’s project utilizes LoRa radio technology for communication, specifically designed for rural and remote areas. The system's low power requirement, complemented by compact solar panels, ensures its sustainability and efficiency.</p><p dir="ltr"><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dii" style="width: 758px;"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img data-fr-image-pasted="true" src="https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/BVm91tDSOoMs6upkJMV4AINayDJ8Zk-TXSVdtA8rMGZvRNIcdSDiYqZmcsMIx_76lVzdd02rxiv4qNifl_XG-iEj2bM19_4RxaB51VxtCuU4plfeFCkincgrLa_TFGR3xA_QX-RxxvqwPJ1VUK8SK8o" width="602" height="501" class="fr-fic fr-dii"><span class="fr-inner">Image credit: Patrick Whetman</span></span></span>Addressing Sustainable Development Goal 15, this project is pivotal in conserving life on land. It not only protects a vital species but also educates and raises awareness about the importance of biodiversity. The potential for adaptation in various regions, especially those with similar ecological concerns, is vast, making it a scalable solution for global bee conservation efforts.</p><h2 dir="ltr">Third Place - Aris Maaniq’s Carbonbox Bioreactor</h2><p dir="ltr">Securing the third position, Aris Maaniq’s project, the Carbonbox Bioreactor, targets a crucial environmental concern – industrial CO2 emissions. This biological reactor utilizes microorganisms for carbon capture, converting CO2 from industrial flue gas into oxygen. The project integrates the Nordic nRF9160 for monitoring and controlling the bioreactor environment, ensuring optimal conditions for the microorganisms.&nbsp;</p><p dir="ltr"><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width: 302px;"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjk5OTY5NzcyMzEzLUlNR18yMDIzMTExNF8wNzEwMDBfNTI0LmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTUwLCJmaXQiOiJjb3ZlciJ9fX0=" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><span class="fr-inner">Image credit: Aris Maaniq</span></span></span></p><p dir="ltr">This bioreactor directly contributes to Sustainable Development Goal 13 (Climate Action), offering a novel approach to fighting climate change. It represents a significant step towards sustainable industrial practices, potentially transforming how industries manage their carbon footprint.</p><p dir="ltr"><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width: 246px;"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjk5OTcwMDU3ODAyLUlNR18yMDIzMDMzMF8wMDUzNDMuanBnIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" style="width: 246px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><span class="fr-inner">Image credit: Aris Maaniq</span></span></span></p><h2 dir="ltr">A Step Towards a Sustainable Future</h2><p dir="ltr">The Connect for Good Challenge has successfully showcased the significant role that engineering and technology play in solving environmental issues. The winners, Ivan Araquistain, Patrick Whetman, and Aris Maaniq, have each offered unique and effective solutions that promise a more sustainable future by addressing complex sustainability challenges.&nbsp;<br><br>These projects, along with the other finalists, serve as inspiring examples of how focused innovation and hard work in the field of engineering, paid with low power wireless IoT solutions, can lead to meaningful environmental progress.<br><br>Thank you all for participating in this amazing challenge and we are looking forward to seeing you around to next endeavours!</p>

Spotlighting Innovation: Celebrating the Connect for Good Challenge Winners


Connect for Good Challenge Winners: Logistics Infrastructure Monitoring, Smart Bees and Bioreactors

<p id="isPasted">Efficient device management is paramount as the use of IoT devices continues to expand in sectors ranging from utilities to the electronics industry. Consider a utility company relying on an extensive network of sensors to monitor and optimize their smart meters; even minor interruptions can lead to significant data inaccuracies and operational challenges. This is where Lightweight M2M (LwM2M) comes in—a protocol specifically designed to efficiently and securely manage IoT devices. Understanding the features of LwM2M cannot only enhance operational efficiency but also fortify security across your IoT ecosystem. With this in mind, let's dive into the LwM2M features that support better IoT device management.</p><h2>Understanding The LwM2M Protocol</h2><p>Lightweight Machine-to-Machine (LwM2M) is a protocol designed specifically for the Internet of Things (IoT). Developed by the Open Mobile Alliance, LwM2M operates over CoAP (Constrained Application Protocol) and provides a lightweight, low-bandwidth, interoperable and secure means for managing IoT devices. Unlike general-purpose messaging protocols like MQTT, LwM2M is tailored for IoT device management, offering functionalities like remote configuration, data reporting, and software updates right out of the box.</p><p>While both CoAP and MQTT are commonly used for IoT applications, <a href="https://www.avsystem.com/blog/iot/lightweight-m2m-lwm2m-overview/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">LwM2M by providing a messaging semantics on top of them stands apart</a> for several reasons:</p><ul><li><strong>Resource-Efficiency</strong>: It consumes less bandwidth and power, making it ideal for battery-operated devices or networks with limited capacity.</li><li><strong>Security</strong>: LwM2M provides built-in security features, such as end-to-end security and device authentication, safeguarding your data and network.</li><li><strong>Flexibility</strong>: It allows for seamless bidirectional device-to-cloud communications, making it easier to configure or update device settings remotely.</li><li><strong>Interoperability</strong>: The standardized object model in LwM2M ensures easier integration with other systems, saving time and reducing complexities.</li><li><strong>Over-the-Air Updates</strong>: Provides native <a href="https://www.avsystem.com/blog/iot/remote-firmware-updates-for-iot-devices/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">support for firmware updates</a>, letting you patch security vulnerabilities or add features without manual intervention.</li></ul><h2>Key LwM2M Features for IoT Device Management</h2><h5>Device Registration and Identity Management</h5><p>One of the foundational elements of any IoT device management platform is secure device registration and identity management. LwM2M excels by providing built-in features that facilitate secure handshake mechanisms between the device and the server. Organizations can effortlessly onboard numerous devices through a standardized approach to device provisioning while ensuring that each device's identity is securely authenticated. You can read more about IoT device authentication <a href="https://www.avsystem.com/blog/iot/EST-enrollment-over-secure-transport/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">here</a>.</p><h5>Data Management and Reporting</h5><p>In IoT ecosystems, efficient data management is crucial. LwM2M provides a streamlined data model designed to enable devices to report data and status information in a resource-efficient manner. This model simplifies the complexities inherent in IoT data flows and minimizes the bandwidth needed for communication, making it optimal for constrained networks.</p><h5>Connection with the Cloud</h5><p>LwM2M offers reliable and secure connectivity between IoT devices and cloud systems. This feature ensures that the data collected from edge devices is efficiently transferred to centralized databases or analysis tools, facilitating timely and data-driven decision-making.</p><h5>Firmware and Software Updates</h5><p>Executing over-the-air (OTA) updates is another essential aspect of IoT device control. LwM2M's native support for firmware and software updates enables organizations to patch vulnerabilities or add new device features remotely. This saves time and addresses potential security concerns by ensuring that all devices are operating on the most recent and secure firmware.</p><h5>Remote Monitoring and Control</h5><p>Remote monitoring and control are among LwM2M's most compelling features. The protocol enables real-time status retrieval and the execution of control commands on IoT devices. This functionality allows businesses to perform remote diagnostics and troubleshooting, reducing the need for on-site interventions. Additionally, data collected through this remote monitoring can be used for predictive maintenance, thereby preempting failures and extending device lifespan.</p><h5>Security and Authentication in LwM2M</h5><p>In an era where cyber threats are increasingly sophisticated, LwM2M plays a pivotal role in ensuring secure provisioning and communication between IoT devices and the cloud. The protocol offers secure provisioning, allowing devices to join networks only after undergoing robust authentication processes.</p><p>Additionally, LwM2M mitigates security risks through built-in features like the ability to update cryptographic keys using the bootstrap server. These comprehensive security measures make LwM2M a go-to choice for any organization prioritizing the integrity and confidentiality of their IoT ecosystem.</p><h5>Power Management and Energy Efficiency</h5><p>Effective power management is integral to IoT devices' longevity and operational efficiency. LwM2M contributes significantly to this aspect through features like Queue Mode and ability to wake up a sleeping device. These can be independently enabled and used in conjunction with various communication mechanisms. For example, the LwM2M Server can request operations from the client device, like an "Update" operation, by sending an "Execute" command via SMS. Advanced power-saving modes like Power-Saving Mode (PSM) also play an important role. PSM is a feature of the cellular communication standards, such as Cat-M1 and NB-IoT, which allows the cellular module to enter a low-power state without losing network registration, facilitating rapid reconnection upon waking up.</p><p>Extended Discontinuous Reception (eDRX) comes into play for more aggressive power conservation. Also a part of cellular communication standards, eDRX allows the device to turn off its radio interface for extended periods, waking up only to check for incoming packets. This further minimizes energy usage while maintaining device availability for time-sensitive tasks. You can read more about IoT energy management for low-energy IoT devices <a href="https://www.avsystem.com/blog/iot/iot-energy-management-for-low-energy-iot-devices/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">here</a>.</p><h5>Scalability and Interoperability</h5><p>In the complex landscape of IoT device control, LwM2M actively bridges gaps in scalability and interoperability. Its standardized object model simplifies the integration process, allowing devices from various manufacturers and multiple communication technologies to work together seamlessly. This becomes particularly valuable when you manage a growing network of IoT devices. In addition to device management benefits, normalized object models greatly facilitate processing of device telemetry data, which provides significant savings in operating cloud infrastructure.</p><p><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjk5NjE0MDE4NDA3LTE2OTk2MTQwMTg0MDcucG5nIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><img data-fr-image-pasted="true" alt="" src="https://www.avsystem.com/media/explore-lwm2m-iot_faq_1.png" class="fr-fic fr-dib"></p><h2>Addressing Common Client Questions</h2><p><strong>Is LwM2M suitable for both small-scale and large-scale IoT deployments?</strong><br>Yes, LwM2M scales efficiently, suiting both small and large deployments. Its modular architecture adapts to various network sizes, offering seamless integration as your needs grow. With ready hardware integrations, as those available for <a href="https://www.avsystem.com/anjay/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Anjay IoT SDK</a>, both small and larger IoT projects benefit from reduced time-to-market.</p><p><strong>Can LwM2M be integrated with existing IoT platforms?</strong><br>LwM2M focuses on data delivery from the client to the cloud, not directly to third-party cloud services like Datacake or Influx. However, features like the Data Integration Center in the <a href="https://www.avsystem.com/coiote-iot-device-management-platform/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Coiote IoT Device Management Platform</a> can bridge this gap. This allows for rapidly building end-to-end IoT applications and easily connecting to popular cloud services, all while avoiding vendor lock-in. Learn more <a href="https://iotdevzone.avsystem.com/docs/Cloud_integrations/webhooks/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">here</a>.</p><p><strong>What benefits does LwM2M offer for industries with energy-efficient requirements?</strong><br>LwM2M excels in power management. Features like Power-Saving Mode and Extended Discontinuous Reception help devices consume less energy, making it ideal for energy-sensitive industries.</p><p><strong>How does LwM2M simplify the remote control of devices?</strong><br>LwM2M simplifies remote control of devices by offering a lightweight, standardized protocol for device management. It uses CoAP for minimal data overhead, supports various data formats, and provides built-in security features. This allows for efficient communication and easier integration of IoT devices into larger systems.</p><h2>Final Thoughts</h2><p>In summary, Lightweight M2M (LwM2M) offers a comprehensive, secure, and efficient framework for IoT device management. It excels in key areas such as resource efficiency, security, and scalability, making it ideal for both small and large deployments. With built-in features like over-the-air updates, remote control, and energy-saving modes, LwM2M is tailor-made to meet the multifaceted demands of today's IoT ecosystems. If you want to improve operational efficiency and security in your IoT setup, LwM2M deserves your attention. <a href="https://www.avsystem.com/coiote-iot-device-management-platform/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Learn more about Coiote IoT device management platform</a>.</p>

Exploring LwM2M IoT Device Management Features: A Comprehensive Guide

Exploring LwM2M IoT Device Management Features

<h2 dir="ltr" id="isPasted">Event Overview</h2><p dir="ltr">Hackster's Impact Summit is a free two-day virtual event (14th-15th November, 2023) dedicated to inspiring developers, connecting organizations, and accelerating technological innovation. This year's topic examines how to build resilient and sustainable cities.&nbsp;</p><h2 dir="ltr">Who Should Attend</h2><p dir="ltr">The Impact Summit is inviting technologists, engineers, community trailblazers and technology providers. The event offers an opportunity to examine the transformative role of machine learning, advanced data analytics, and IoT in enhancing the management and maintenance of urban infrastructure, public services, and critical facilities.</p><h2 dir="ltr">Session Highlights</h2><p dir="ltr"><strong>Day 1</strong> commences with Kate Kallot, CEO of Amini, examining the harmony of socioeconomic growth with environmental conservation. Followed by a workshop on predictive maintenance using Nordic Thingy:53, led by David Tischler from Edge Impulse. The day progresses with a demo on SCADA system modernization with Bryan Costanich, Wilderness Labs CEO, and concludes with a panel discussion on urban environment innovation and several workshops.</p><p dir="ltr"><strong>Day 2</strong> opens with a keynote from Tomas Diez, Executive Director of Fab City Foundation, discussing community-driven sustainable urban development. The day continues with a panel on technology resiliency, workshops on sustainable city AI and embedded programming, and concludes with a demo on frugal innovation for urban development by Kevin Schmidt from UNDP.</p><p dir="ltr"><a href="https://wevlv.co/impactsummit2023" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="button-main-action">Learn more now</a></p><h2 dir="ltr">Insights</h2><p dir="ltr">The summit features speakers from leading organizations and companies who are at the forefront of urban technology and development. They will share real-world applications and insights into the impact of technological innovation on city living.</p><h3 dir="ltr">Technical Deep Dive</h3><p dir="ltr">Attendees will benefit from a practical approach to smart city challenges, with in-depth technical workshops on IoT, AI at the edge, and predictive maintenance. These sessions will equip participants with knowledge applicable to real-world urban systems.</p><h3 dir="ltr">Interactive Engagement</h3><p dir="ltr">Live panel discussions provide a platform for interactive dialogue between technology experts, policymakers, and attendees, focusing on the translation of ideas into tangible urban solutions.</p><h3 dir="ltr">Learning Outcomes</h3><p dir="ltr">Participants will leave with actionable strategies for deploying technology in urban infrastructure, insights into sustainable development practices, and a comprehensive understanding of the predictive maintenance landscape.</p><h3 dir="ltr">Event Accessibility</h3><p dir="ltr">Sessions are scheduled in Central Time (CST).</p><p dir="ltr">Post-event access to session recordings will be provided to all registrants.</p><p dir="ltr"><a href="https://wevlv.co/impact-summit-zoom" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="button-main-action">Register now</a></p><p dir="ltr">Would you like to learn more about the Impact Summit? <a href="https://wevlv.co/impactsummit2023" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Visit this page.</a></p>

Accelerating Urban Efficiency through Technology. Explore How AI & IoT Drive the Future of Sustainable Urban Living



Impact Summit 2023 Virtual Event

Born in the ‘80s, the CAN bus helps in carrying reliable electronic communication within your vehicles. This article delves into the basic principles, architecture, protocols, applications, and limitations of the CAN bus.

Understanding CAN Bus: A Comprehensive Guide

<p id="isPasted">For retailers, selling commodities, apparel, home appliances, etc., the amount of consumer information you collect greatly affects sales. Unless you accurately assess what customers want now and stock up on inventory during the optimal period when they are required, in the optimal quantities and at the lowest possible cost, you cannot grow your revenue. To succeed in the retail industry, it is an absolute requirement that you develop the ability to discern customer needs.</p><p>The retail industry has a long history of continuously developing technologies and business methods for handling customers and products, developing distribution strategies, and managing various other types of information. The industry has always adopted the latest up-to-date information processing technology. Here, we explain the movement called “retailtech,” which develops and uses the latest information technologies and has become widely used in the retail industry.</p><h2>Individually supporting diversifying consumer needs with digital technologies</h2><p>Retailtech is a term that combines “retail,” representing the retail industry, and “technology.” It means the incorporation of artificial intelligence (AI), IoT, and other leading-edge IT technologies into the collection and analysis of customer information, the management of distribution and inventory, settlement, etc. to increase their effectiveness and efficiency. Broadly speaking, robots that help with sales, robots that pick products to be delivered at distribution centers, and the shift to cashless settlement, etc. are also included in retailtech.</p><p>Since the start of the 21st century, the environment surrounding the retail industry has dramatically changed.</p><p>First, the sense of values, interests, and preferences of consumers have diversified due to market globalization and the filter bubble effect<sup>*1</sup> due to the expanded use of search engines, social networking services, and other Internet environments. As a result, it is becoming necessary to not only to grasp what is selling in the consumer market overall, but also to discern what items individual customers need and sell such items to them separately.</p><p>*1 The filter bubble effect refers to the phenomenon in which consumers are only able to see the information that they wish to see on the Internet. By continuing to collect and accumulate only information that matches their preferences without coming into contact with information that does not match their sense of values, individual consumers strengthen the tendency to develop radical preferences that are biased in a specific field only, and it is believed that diversification increases as a result.</p><p>Moreover, the information for retail shops to gain insight into customers is being digitized, and the location of commerce is shifting from real sales floors to Internet sites, which is a significant change. The digitization of customer information that started a long time ago from POS systems<sup>*2</sup> and the point cards issued by mass-market retailers is further evolving with the current spread of online shopping. Now, artificial intelligence (AI) analyzes user registration information, their search history on the Internet, and on-site behavior history to discern individual interests and preferences, what products they currently want, and the amount they might be able to pay to purchase a product. Furthermore, retail methods that propose products that individual consumers might want at the optimal time have become commonplace.</p><p>*2 A POS (Point of Sales) system scans the barcode attached to a product when sales are made at the cash register on the sales floor to manage what products were sold when and where. It is used to collect information for effectively managing products, inventory, and customers.</p><p>The use of digital technologies is essential to individually responding to diversified consumer needs. If you are a skilled marketer, changes in market trends can be picked up from market information using your experience and sense. However, a person cannot make decisions about the individual needs and desired products for a massive number of consumers. Therefore, the use of AI and other forms of IT to replace the skills of a marketer and respond to individual consumers as needed becomes essential.</p><h2>Integrating brick-and-mortar stores and online stores in order not to miss a targeted customer</h2><p>In recent years, the movement to integrate online sales and product sales at brick-and-mortar stores by using the latest technologies is becoming apparent in the retail industry. This sales method, which collects customer information through multiple channels and aims to build a mechanism that can sell according to the method desired by each customer, is called “OMO” (Online Merges with Offline) (Figure 1).</p><p><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width: 768px;"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1699267693485-various-tech-8-2en.png" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><span class="fr-inner">Figure 1 Utilize IoT to integrate customer information from brick-and-mortar and online stores</span></span></span></p><p id="isPasted">Since the start of the 21st century, measures have rapidly developed to increase sales at online stores. However, brick-and-mortar stores and online stores each have their advantages and disadvantages. To increase the degree of satisfaction without missing a customer, it is more rational to separately use the characteristics of both types of stores according to customers’ needs. Therefore, the number of retail companies that are advancing attempts to utilize IoT to make it possible to collect the kind of detailed customer information that is collected online at brick-and-mortar stores is increasing in recent years.</p><p>Two technologies that are being utilized in various applications as a means to follow the movements of store customers and products within a brick-and-mortar store and collect customer information are image recognition and RFID<sup>*3</sup> tags (Figure 2).</p><p><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width: 768px;"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1699267714710-various-tech-8-3.jpg" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><span class="fr-inner">Figure 2 Collecting customer information with RFID, etc. and providing a high-quality customer experience with AR, etc. A product with an RFID tag attached (left) and utilizing AR to consider a furniture purchase (right)</span></span></span></p><p id="isPasted">*3 RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) is a technology that uses radio waves to read and write data without contact. By attaching a small semiconductor chip that stores an RFID mechanism and information as a tag to each individual product, it becomes possible to carry out fine-grained management of products by reading and writing information with RFID as needed.</p><p>Retail shops that have installed a large number of cameras, various sensors, microphones, and RFIDs, etc. and introduced IoT systems with AI that analyzes in real time what store customers picked up. The customer information that was collected with previous POS systems and point cards could not be collected unless a customer actually purchased a product. By utilizing such IoT systems, it becomes possible to know what products a store customer was comparing and what they ultimately bought.</p><p>If you utilize information collected in this way, you can take various measures such as sending special deal information to customer smartphone apps to give them a push, providing a reminder several days later about a product that they were interested in but did not purchase, optimizing the types, placement location, and flow lines of products displayed in the store in order not to miss customers. Moreover, if you install sensors on the product shelves and attach RFID tags to the products, you will become able to assess the product display conditions in real time to enable efficient sales that never miss a business opportunity through highly precise inventory management and just-in-time product replenishment.</p><p>In addition, it also became possible to identify the products to purchase and smoothly complete the checkout process just by placing the shopping basket in the designated location at the self-checkout terminal and scanning the RFID tags attached to the products. For store customers who created an account in advance at a cutting-edge store, it is even possible to automatically check out when carrying goods out of the store even if you do not pay at the register. With such mechanisms, the stress of waiting for the register will be eliminated.</p><h2>Providing a high-quality customer experience utilizing AR and VR</h2><p>Some retail stores are introducing systems that utilize augmented reality (AR) technology to provide assistance in selecting a product to purchase or to make accurate suggestions about how to use a product or what product to purchase on that occasion.</p><p>For example, there is a mass furniture retailer that provides an AR app that enables users to check on a smartphone or tablet device display what a piece of furniture they are thinking about purchasing would look like when actually placed in their own room. The impression given off by a piece of furniture changes considerably from the showroom to the location where it is actually placed. Depending on the situation, it may be too large to get into the room. By utilizing an AR app, you can avoid making the wrong choice and shop with a high degree of satisfaction. In the future, it might become possible to utilize virtual reality (VR) with haptic technology, etc. to check how a sofa feels, etc. online.</p><p>There are also supermarkets providing AR apps that can display the basic ingredients, place of production, allergens, etc. of products lined up in the food section. Recently, there are also stores creating systems that present cooking recipes using those ingredients or the seasonings needed to make a dish so that you can purchase them together.</p><p>In the retail industry, entertainment that moves people is required by sensitively perceiving the customer’s emotions and preparing the expected services in advance. All consumers want to enjoy their shopping. Going forward, more advanced forms of retailtech will appear one after another and likely provide new forms of enjoyment to consumers.</p><hr id="isPasted"><p><img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1699267752774-1699267752774.png" class="fr-fic fr-dii"></p><p>If you have any questions based on this article that you would like to discuss with an expert at Murata, don't hesitate to reach out. There's an entire team ready to support you with your question.</p><p><a href="https://www.murata.com/en-eu/contactform?&Detail=Wevolver%20request" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" class="button-main-action">GET IN TOUCH</a></p>

Here, we explain the movement called “retailtech,” which develops and uses the latest information technologies and has become widely used in the retail industry.

"Retailtech" That Discerns Needs and Creates Moving Customer Experiences

<p id="isPasted">However, alongside these advancements come challenges, from diverse infrastructures to the essential need for predictive maintenance. In this article, we explore the complexities of this landscape and delve into the role of open protocols like <a href="https://www.avsystem.com/blog/lightweight-m2m-lwm2m-overview/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">LwM2M</a> in unleashing the full potential of IoT-based predictive maintenance.</p><h2>Challenges with developing smart grid IoT applications</h2><p>The DSO (Distribution System Operator) model, which is implemented, will maximise the integration of renewable energy sources and accelerate the decarbonisation of the economy, providing improved benefits to customers.</p><p>Smart grids play a crucial role in this transition, employing various measures like advanced metering infrastructure, load control switches, smart appliances, renewable energy resources, and energy-efficient technologies, among others.</p><p>However, this progress is not without challenges. The smart grid landscape faces hurdles in terms of diverse infrastructure, devices, and protocols, as well as scattered knowledge about their functioning. Additionally, a rapidly changing market of IoT standards and protocols further adds complexity to the mix.</p><p>To ensure successful smart grid IoT applications, the need for truly smart infrastructure management becomes evident. Predictive maintenance, which assists in determining live equipment conditions for timely maintenance, emerges as a key requirement to meet the growing demand for efficient uptime and rapid service reactions.</p><h2>Requirements for building IoT-based predictive maintenance</h2><p>Energy utilities require a comprehensive solution to overcome challenges and harness the full potential of IoT-based predictive maintenance.</p><p>The solution should include:</p><ul><li>Seamless and secure process for remote firmware updates (<a href="https://www.avsystem.com/blog/remote-firmware-updates-for-iot-devices/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">FOTA</a>) to IoT devices</li><li>Secure and streamlined device provisioning</li><li>Extensive device bootstrapping functionalities</li><li>Multi-component OTA updates</li><li>Robust device fleet management with real-time health monitoring</li><li>An IoT operation center supporting end-to-end lifecycle management</li><li>Business logic automation capabilities.</li><li>Necessary integrations with existing infrastructure.</li></ul><p>Implementing such a comprehensive solution empowers energy utilities to unlock the full potential of their operations. It enables them to optimize equipment uptime, significantly reduce maintenance costs, and elevate their overall operational performance to new heights.</p><p>On the other hand, neglecting IoT-based predictive maintenance can have serious repercussions. It may lead to non-compliance with legal regulations, escalate infrastructure maintenance costs, and erode their competitive edge. Furthermore, if not implemented correctly, it could result in a closed solution with vendor-lock, leaving no room for innovative suggestions for existing devices, and lacking uniformity across their entire device fleet.</p><h2>What IoT data can you use for predictive maintenance?</h2><p>In a smart grid predictive maintenance use case, LWM2M plays a crucial role in tracking essential telemetry and device data, including real-time energy consumption, power quality parameters, equipment health and status, fault logs, load profiles, and battery health for energy storage systems.</p><p>Utilities can implement proactive maintenance strategies by collecting and analyzing this data. Machine learning algorithms can identify potential equipment failures, enabling utilities to schedule maintenance activities proactively, minimize downtime, reduce repair costs, and optimize overall smart grid performance.</p><h2>Example of possible architecture</h2><p>A practical example of a smart grid IoT project involves integrating legacy devices with limited functionality and new LwM2M devices, offering complete functionality. LwM2M enables seamless interoperability and device management, integrating with the application enablement layer. Integration with HES allows remote monitoring, predictive maintenance, and optimized performance of energy assets, resulting in reduced downtime and enhanced customer experience through proactive fault detection and efficient energy resource utilization.</p><p><img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1699531021394-1699531021394.png" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><img data-fr-image-pasted="true" alt="" data-src="../../../../../media/schemat_blogpost_smart-grid.png" src="https://www.avsystem.com/media/schemat_blogpost_smart-grid.png" class="fr-fic fr-dib"></p><p>The key benefits of this comprehensive solution include:</p><ul><li>Complete knowledge of device availability and service quality.</li><li>Individual assessment of device condition and population analysis.</li><li>Analysis of network and application factors.</li><li>Performing operations on devices.</li><li>Utilizing reusable components.</li><li>Flexibility for expansion on each layer.</li></ul><p>With these advantages, the solution empowers energy utilities to enhance device management, optimize operations, and drive efficiency across their infrastructure.</p><h2>Conclusions</h2><p>In conclusion, IoT-based predictive maintenance, powered by open protocols like LwM2M, offers a transformative opportunity for energy sector decision-makers. Adopting proactive maintenance strategies optimizes efficiency, cuts costs, and advances sustainability. Embracing this approach empowers utilities to strengthen their position as pioneers in a greener, resilient energy ecosystem.</p>

In the rapidly evolving energy sector, smart grid IoT applications are driving a profound transformation towards a greener and more sustainable future. With advanced technologies integrating renewable energy sources, the approach to energy distribution is undergoing a revolutionary shift.

Smart Grid: IoT Predictive Maintenance Guide

<p id="isPasted">Lighting illuminates indoor and outdoor spaces. The use of IoT is also advancing in lighting, which is indispensable for our daily lives.</p><p>Smart lighting for home use is becoming more commonplace, and lighting fixtures equipped with Bluetooth and wireless LAN can be linked to smart speakers, enabling lighting to be turned on and off and light intensity to be adjusted via voice commands or through a smartphone or tablet. However, this is only the beginning of IoT lighting features. In this installment, let’s take a look at evolving IoT lighting features and applications.</p><p>First of all, lighting tends to be installed in high places, such as on ceilings and telephone poles. Because of this, it is expected that combining IoT, artificial intelligence (AI), and lighting will make it possible to establish networks and new services that make use of this “advantageous position.”</p><p>Watching over the elderly, for example. By leveraging the advantageous position of being able to monitor people’s movements from the ceiling, motion sensors can be incorporated into IoT lighting to regularly check the movements of elderly people. Notification of movements to a remote family member’s smartphone can be used to ensure safety, including survival confirmation and crime prevention. At the same time, it is also an important function from the viewpoint of energy conservation, as it can be used to prevent lights from being left on, for example, by automatically turning them off after a certain period of time. In addition, a service has started that automatically adjusts the brightness, temperature, and bed inclination angle according to the sleep state by linking IoT lighting with sensor-equipped beds and air conditioners.</p><p>Cameras can be mounted on IoT lighting for monitoring, but the advantage of using sensors to detect movement in a “lax” manner is that they can be used without feeling the eyes of others watching. On the other hand, IoT lighting integrated with cameras is progressing in factories and warehouses. Integrated lighting and cameras ensure brightness and provide a clearer picture of people’s movements. Services have been commercialized that use AI to analyze big data collected in a cloud environment via a network and issue warnings if people are about to collide with each other at a corner, or to efficiently position people and equipment by analyzing the flow of people.</p><p><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width: 768px;"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1698686505817-advanced-iot-lighting-01.jpg" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><span class="fr-inner">IoT lighting also plays an important role in smart cities that control power consumption across the city.</span></span></span></p><h2 id="isPasted">Making Effective Use of IoT Lighting for Energy Saving and Failure Prediction</h2><p>The Japan Lighting Manufacturers Association (JLMA), of which major Japanese lighting manufacturers are members, has defined smart lighting and other value-added lighting as Connected Smart Lighting and Human Centric Lighting (CSL &amp; HCL), and began publishing their proportion of shipments in April 2020.&nbsp;</p><p>In fiscal 2020, such high-performance lighting accounted for 14% of all shipments, but in fiscal 2021 (April to October), the proportion increased to 18%, and exceeded 20% for home use. In addition, environmental sensors are being installed on streetlights throughout cities to acquire various data such as temperature, humidity, air pressure, and wind speed, and the analyzed information obtained from this data is provided to residents, thereby improving the appeal of the municipality.</p><p>The adoption of IoT lighting is accelerating around the world. Since IoT lighting is also essential for the realization of smart cities, proof-of-concept demonstrations are being carried out in European countries such as Germany and Spain, as well as in Cambodia in Southeast Asia. IoT lighting will create environments leading to improved services for residents by centrally managing IoT streetlights, ensuring appropriate illumination level in each area, and saving energy, as well as knowing when to replace lights and predicting failures.</p><p>Lighting accounts for a big part of the energy consumed by households and businesses. With growing environmental awareness due to the SDGs and the rising focus on carbon neutrality, it is increasingly important not only to save energy by switching to LED lighting, but also to control lighting more efficiently using IoT and AI. Given this trend, IoT lighting is sure to evolve further.</p><hr id="isPasted"><p><img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1698686530059-1698686530059.png" class="fr-fic fr-dii"></p><p>If you have any questions based on this article that you would like to discuss with an expert at Murata, don't hesitate to reach out. There's an entire team ready to support you with your question.</p><p><a href="https://www.murata.com/en-eu/contactform?&Detail=Wevolver%20request" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" class="button-main-action">GET IN TOUCH</a></p>

Lighting illuminates indoor and outdoor spaces. The use of IoT is also advancing in lighting, which is indispensable for our daily lives.

Where We Are Now in the Evolution of Lighting - IoT

<p id="isPasted">Wireless technology saves lives every day, sometimes in extraordinary ways. After spotting flames rising from a residence in Scotts Valley, California, a passing jogger rang the doorbell in an effort to notify the homeowners. The owner wasn’t home, but the wireless doorbell was connected to a smart home hub that alerted her to the jogger’s attempt to make contact. In an instant she provided him with the security code, enabling him to run into the house to rescue her pets from the fire.</p><p>Texan Joey Lowe was equally fortunate when he passed out on his porch on a very hot summer’s day. His wife and son were out of town but received a motion alert from their smart home doorbell app when he collapsed, and were able to contact a neighbor who called 911 to transport Joey to hospital to treat the cardiac episode.</p><p>Not every instance of technology keeping us safe is so dramatic, but as the ‘Internet of Everything’ delivers ubiquitous connectivity at home, at work and at play, wireless devices are keeping a watchful eye on us as never before.</p><h2>Safety begins with a smart home</h2><p>The smart home is still viewed with caution by some observers as interoperability, cost, and ease-of-operation concerns in particular have cooled consumer interest. We are all aware of the tech—from smart lights and energy management, to devices designed purely for convenience—but how many of us actually use it? According to analysts, around 16 percent of homes currently employ some form of smart technology, but the numbers are trending upwards rapidly as the industry addresses standardization concerns.</p><p>Unifying connectivity standard <a href="https://www.nordicsemi.com/Products/Matter" target="_blank">Matter</a> will deliver consumers greater simplicity, ensuring, for example, any Amazon Echo device can control any third party smart home security product, or any other Matter smart home device. This interoperability should act as an accelerant for smart home tech where security above convenience is also driving renewed interest from consumers. As fun as it might be to remotely and wirelessly control our lights, air conditioning or blinds, keeping our castle safe from uninvited intruders is a more pressing concern.</p><p>As such the market has been flooded with simple, user-friendly, easy-to-set-up wireless security systems, fully controlled and programmed via a smartphone app. These systems enable remote, wireless locking and unlocking, and the ability to issue temporary access to tradespeople or babysitters without handing over precious keys or lock combinations. An owner can also be notified if a lock is being tampered with, even if they are on the other side of the world.</p><p>And not every threat to our safety at home comes in human form. Wireless smart smoke and carbon monoxide detectors can alert smart home owners via a smartphone app in the event of an issue – whether they are at home or not. They can detect steam from smoke, can be disabled from the app in the event of a false alarm, and tell you when the batteries are running low, without the device ‘chirping’ at you in the middle of the night.</p><h2><strong>Transforming workplace safety with wireless technology</strong></h2><p>The pandemic may have spawned the work-from-home movement, but not all of us are fortunate enough to be able to earn a living from our living room. For those people—first responders, construction laborers, and farmers for example—who need to venture past their front door for their employment, wireless tech is also transforming workplace safety.</p><p>People working alone are at particular risk of workplace accidents, where the ability to trigger warnings may not be an option if someone becomes incapacitated. Wearable, wirelessly-connected devices employing a raft of sensors that can automatically trigger an alert to an employer or first responders are increasingly commonplace, particularly in potentially hazardous work environments like mines, farms and heavy industry.</p><p>For example, using explosives in mining operations to break mineral-bearing rocks can result in toxic fumes lingering for hours. In-situ or wearable environmental sensors can ensure downtime is minimized and that workers don't re-enter the blast site until it is safe. Similarly, exhaust fumes emitted from underground excavating equipment and drilling machines can be kept within limits by monitoring with gas detectors and particle sensors.</p><p>On farms, checking there is enough grain to feed livestock is traditionally a manual exercise. Aside from the risks of falling, inhaling dust emissions or the aspiration of silage gas can be extremely harmful, and like mines, explosion and fire are also real threats. Wireless connectivity allows tanks in remote agricultural locations to report level sensor data so the farmer can monitor feed, fuel, water, or fertilizer levels through a Cloud platform, using their smartphone, tablet, or computer.</p><h2><strong>The power of cellular IoT wireless technology</strong></h2><p>The catalyst for many of these remote monitoring solutions is the capabilities of mature <a href="https://www.nordicsemi.com/Products/Low-power-cellular-IoT" rel="noopener" target="_blank">cellular IoT</a> technology and the increasing ease with which it can be integrated into new solutions and application areas.</p><p>Mines and farms are often isolated, but cellular IoT network infrastructure is ever expanding and is increasingly available even in remote locations. The technology can either power a gateway to pass data from a group of Bluetooth LE IoT devices to the Cloud or power sensors with end-to-end IP connectivity. Base stations can support tens of thousands of cellular IoT connections, and the communications are fully bidirectional, robust, reliable, and secure. Moreover, NB-IoT can penetrate further below ground than other wireless IoT technologies.</p><h2><strong>Playing it safe with wireless technology</strong></h2><p>Outside of our homes and our places of work, wireless technology is also keeping us safe in other ways. In the last five years wearable devices that double as safety devices have proliferated. Today’s ultra miniaturized <a href="https://www.nordicsemi.com/Products/Bluetooth-Low-Energy" target="_blank">SoCs</a> and SiPs enable designers to embed wireless connectivity in imaginative form factors such as bracelets or necklaces that double as panic buttons.</p><p>For these personal safety device applications, Nordic’s <a href="https://www.nordicsemi.com/Products/nRF9160" rel="noopener" target="_blank">nRF9160</a> low power SiP with integrated LTE-M/NB-IoT modem and GNSS can provide cellular IoT wireless connectivity between the device and the Cloud, eliminating the need for a smartphone or gateway. The nRF9160 SiP combines LTE-M cellular network location data with GNSS trilateration for precise position monitoring, while the nRF9160’s assisted and predictive GNSS also saves power by speeding up time-to-first-fix (TTFF) on the satellites.</p><p>And while wireless wearables have long been synonymous with keeping fit and urging us to increase our daily activity, they are now by design trying to keep us safe in the process. For example, cycling while a hugely popular pastime around the world, is also frequently hazardous. In 2020, The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission reported nearly 426,000 emergency department-treated injuries associated with bicycles.</p><p>Using Bluetooth LE-powered sensors and GPS, cycling helmets can now be transformed into a live GPS tracker, crash detector and safety beacon. Cycling equipment leader, <a href="https://www.nordicsemi.com/Nordic-news/2019/02/ANGi-sensor-based-device-transforms-cycling-helmet-using-nRF52832" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Specialized launched one such device</a> that uses a built-in accelerometer and gyroscope to detect any potentially dangerous incident by the measurement of linear and rotational forces to the cyclist’s head that typically occur during a bicycle crash. When it detects the possibility of a serious accident, it launches a countdown alert on the partner smartphone app. If the rider is uninjured they can then manually cancel the countdown. However, if the rider is injured and unable to cancel the countdown, the app sends a text alert notifying the user’s emergency contacts of a possible accident. In addition, the rider’s location—established by the device’s most recently uploaded GPS coordinates—is immediately sent to all contacts.</p><p>It is one example among many of wireless technology making everyday life simpler, safer, and healthier for billions of us.</p><hr><p>This article was first published on Nordic's&nbsp;<a href="https://blog.nordicsemi.com/getconnected" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" id="isPasted"></a><a href="https://blog.nordicsemi.com/getconnected?utm_campaign=2021%20wevolver" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Get Connected Blog</a>. &nbsp;</p>

Wireless technology saves lives every day, sometimes in extraordinary ways. After spotting flames rising from a residence in Scotts Valley, California, a passing jogger rang the doorbell in an effort to notify the homeowners. The owner wasn’t home, but the wireless doorbell was connected to a smart home hub that alerted her to the jogger’s attempt to make contact.

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