Review of the theory, principles, and design requirements of human-centric Internet of Things (IoT)

Abstract

The rapid evolution of Internet of Things (IoT) technologies, with ever more profound implications for humans and societies, has triggered visions and initiatives to re-align the Next-Generation IoT with what works for humans and humanity first. However, despite the increased push towards “human-centric” IoT, it is still poorly understood what “human-centric” actually means in this context, how it is interpreted and embedded into the design, by whom, and for which purposes. To address these questions, we conducted a systematic literature review (N = 84) on the theory, principles, and design requirements of human-centric IoT. A key observation is that, despite the recent increase in research on humane perspectives for IoT, “human-centredness” often still seems to be used primarily as a label and overarching paradigm, not leading to a profound change in the underlying practices. We found no shared understanding of what “human-centric” implies in this context or common agreement on which principles human-centric IoT should be built upon. Furthermore, our analysis confirmed the predominance of technology-oriented fields, with a traditional approach towards user involvement and limited involvement of other disciplines. Overall, our findings point towards an apparent discrepancy between how contributions are positioned and framed (“human-centric”), the practices and assumptions they are based on, and their actual impact and ability to orient existing efforts towards genuine human-centric outcomes and key values. Based on the results, we formulate directions for future research aimed at building a more human-centric and empowering IoT.

IoT-Based Framework for Digital Twins in the Industry 5.0 Era

“…Human-centricity requirements synthesized from [ 49 ] pivot on safeguarding human potential and prioritizing humanity over the exploitation of vulnerabilities. These requirements, rooted in a commitment to placing human welfare at the forefront, can be summarized as follows: Emphasize the role of both the designer and the human user in shaping the overall experience with the result of active human involvement, where the synergy between human creativity and technological design contributes to a richer experiential landscape; Consider the human user as belonging to a society, and this society, restricted to the corporate system and not, builds the experience and thus the wisdom that constitutes the know-how of humans at the basis of a system, in this case, of a production system; Promote an environment that empowers individuals to exercise their self-direction and creativity (not individualism, but the enhancement of the individual); Value people beyond their role as “users,” recognizing the needs and contributions of the individual, transcending conventional labels and standardization to ensure a holistic and respectful approach to human interactions with technology.…”

Security and Privacy for Low Power IoT Devices on 5G and Beyond Networks: Challenges and Future Directions

“…Websites that operate and are accessible to EU citizens must comply with the stringent requirements of the GDPR that guarantee a right to anonymity with harsh financial penalties in place for companies who fail to abide by the laws [126]. While the introduction of GDPR laws to enhance privacy online do introduce levels of certainty to personal data protection for EU citizens, these laws are not applicable worldwide, and as identified by the authors in [127], the GDPR framework has also been criticised for unclear responsibilities in some complex scenarios and offers only limited protections in others. Consequently, IoT on 5GBN introduces new paradigms of uncertainty for privacy online.…”

Current Applications and Challenges of the Internet of Things

“…Objects connected to the global Internet contribute both to improving the quality of life of the population and influence the processes taking place in the surrounding world. Such interconnection of devices in a single network brings colossal opportunities, opening up new and broader prospects in the field of management, analytics, and security (Ystgaard et al, 2023).…”