Low-Cost IoT: A Holistic Approach

Abstract

Abstract:The key factors for a successful smart-city project are its initial cost and its scalability. The initial cost depends on several inter-related aspects that cannot be designed and optimized separately. After the pilot deployment, scaling-up takes place only if the cost remains affordable: an initial financial support may induce dependencies from technologies that become unsustainable in the long period. In addition, the initial adoption of an emerging technology that fails to affirm may jeopardize investment return. This paper investigates a smart-village use case, the success of which strongly depends on the initial cost and scalability, exploring a low-cost way for Internet of Things (IoT). We propose a simple conceptual framework for cost evaluation, and we verify its effectiveness with an exhaustive use case: a prototype sensor designed and tested with its surrounding eco-system. Using experimental results, we can estimate both performance and cost for a pilot system made of fifty sensors deployed in an urban area. We show that such cost grows linearly with system size, taking advantage of widely adopted technologies. The code and the design of the prototype are available, so that all steps are reproducible.

Design of an Open Remote Electrocardiogram (ECG) Service

“…We use the acronym OpLoC to indicate such a design approach. It needs to be applied to all aspects of the design-with a holistic attitude-to avoid its violation on one design aspect as a consequence of another design options, which, taken alone, appears as valid [19].…”

Optimized Smart Manufacturing Solution for Theory of Constraints based Efficiency Monitoring System (OTBEMS)

“…IoT is capable of decision making, controlling the environment and for providing additional services [1]. Augusto Ciuffoletti et al, [2] approached a low-cost IoT in a holistic manner. It proposed a conceptual framework for cost evaluation and its effectiveness was verified.…”

Special Issue: Wireless Sensor and Actuator Networks for Smart Cities

“…The articles that appear in this Special Issue form a diverse collection of topics studied under the scope of WSANs for smart cities. These include low-cost IoT implementation for smart-village settings [1], smart parking systems exploiting WSNs [2], Machine-To-Machine (M2M) Networking over LTE for smart-city services [3], WSN-driven smart waste-management systems for sustainable cities [4], user-support systems with wearable sensors and cameras [5], a SmartInsoles Cyber-Physical System (CPS) for mobile gait analysis [6], energy-harvesting systems for WSNs [7], and IoT for WSNs in smart cities [8].…”

“…The selection of proper wireless access technologies for smart villages is of paramount importance. The author of Reference [1] presents a smart-village setting and proposes a conceptual framework to evaluate the cost of IoT deployment. The author presents the viability of launching an IoT project in a smart village with limited upfront investment and minimum external funding.…”