Chapter 4 Articles
4.5 An EU FP7 Project defining and accommodating international issues
con-cerning RFID with particular reference
to the emerging “Internet of Things.”
CASAGRAS Project
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xx The importance of identity management within the world-wide ICT infrastructure.
x A major Public relations initiative with respect to services and applications.
The CASAGRAS recommendations for progressing the realisation of an IoT and the associated international cooperation needed to achieve such a goal can be partitioned into those which will impact on IoT development and those upon which an action plan can be based.
The findings of a Support Action initiative such as CASAGRAS, can only provide a superficial look at the detail that is necessary, particularly with a concept that is so far reaching in respect of the technological multi-disciplinary factors, principles and issues involved.
The partners believe the real value of CASAGRAS has been to draw attention to the wider, overarching issues and provide the framework for an appropriately funded future interna-tional platform for development.
2 CASAGRAS Conclusions
The development of an IoT requires attention to foundational features as well as those of in-frastructure, architecture and technological significance. There is an initial requirement for the overarching framework to define and accommodate the development of the IoT, without the diversion of attention presented in considering detail in the absence of a defined goal. The foundational features are significant in this respect.
2.1 The foundational features The foundational features relate to:
x Further understanding and exploitation of object space, object grouping and object-based connections as a basis for identifying applications and services and developing a design methodology to facilitate more effective solutions.
x Further development of the applications and services framework, through better under-standing of processes and service requirements, and again as a basis for identifying applica-tions and services and developing a design methodology to facilitate more effective solu-tions.
x Identification and development of services infrastructure and particular global network services geared to exploiting international sources of information, knowledge and resources that can better serve international needs through cooperation.
x Foundation principles for direct Internet connection applications and services.
x Further extending the principles of object-connected ICT to encompass the evolving ICT features of the IoT and as a basis for accommodating the attributes of supporting technolo-gies and underpinning design and application methodology.
x Attention to harmonised and non-harmonised standards in respect of regulatory control and issues of interoperability.
x Establishment of a central, global library of regulations regularly updated to satisfy design and support needs.
x Attention to social and economic issues, including privacy and security of personal informa-tion and their significance with respect to IoT applicainforma-tions and services development.
x Governance and the need to establish a model that is built on transparent, fair and non-discriminatory international principles, free of commercial interest.
x Policy issues in respect of international cooperation, including their significance with re-spect to governance.
It is recommended that all these topics be pursued through research as a foundational base for the IoT and as a framework for supporting on-going IoT development.
2.2 Infrastructural and architectural features
While it is possible to distinguish the principal architectural features for an IoT in terms of physical interface and data transfer structures, host information systems, networks and Inter-net access, the definition will change as relevant new technology comes into use. However, the CASAGRAS team believe the key architectural requirements for implementing a technologi-cally inclusive IoT include:
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xx Development of an identification resolver approach for accommodating the need for global coding for identification, designed to accommodate legacy identification systems, and ex-tendable to cover other issues of identity and identity management.
x Development of the architecture and infrastructure for direct object-to-Internet applica-tions and services.
x Exploitation of Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) and associated network architecture for IoT services design.
x Development of universal data appliance protocol (UDCAP) for plug-and-play exploitation of conventional AIDC technologies and other object-connectable edge devices.
x Developing a unified approach to exploiting wired and wireless communications which will exploit appropriate developments in identity management to ensure the most efficient and effective use of the communications capabilities.
x Monitoring and adoption of relevant developments in ubiquitous computing and networks, wireless sensor networks, and translating relevant technologies and adopting an approach to unified solutions.
x Development of predictive analytical techniques, automated network management and self-repair networks, through exploitation in identity management to facilitate automatic com-puting across the IoT infrastructure; accommodating developments in advanced data man-agement which, through open implementation of the main standards will lower the barrier of entry to the IoT for smaller organisations.
The latter is particularly significant for the elements of the IoT infrastructure handling object-connected to object-object-connected functionality, independent of human intervention to handle problems. Self-configuring auto-discovery as well as self-diagnosis and repair should also be a consideration in the automated network management. Identity management is crucial to such developments.
2.3 Technological Development
With RFID having been recognised as a primary technology driver for the IoT in the remit presented to CASAGRAS it is important to view RFID as a key on-going consideration in fur-ther international cooperation. Whilst RFID remains a significant platform for IoT it must be recognised that its take-up is still constrained by the perceived high costs of application. Tech-nological developments, including printable devices that are geared to reducing device costs will clearly need to feature in on-going collaboration. Parallel considerations must also ac-commodate the exploitation of other lower cost AIDC technologies including linear bar codes and two-dimensional codes.
Further recommendations for technological development include:
x Development of standards-compliant RFID devices and readers.
x Lower cost, lower power sensor and processing platforms, to support the design and reali-sation of sensory networks.
x Development of location and positioning technologies to support IoT applications and ser-vices.
x Development of object-connectable communications platforms, including near field com-munication structures.
x Lower cost, higher performance energy harvesting and other powering techniques to sup-port the development and exploitation of IoT wireless devices.
x Biometric-based interfaces for IoT applications and services.
x Privacy and security support technologies, including cryptographic devices based upon natural feature identification (physical one-way function devices).
x Intelligent embeddable processing and communication devices to facilitate automatic nodal functionality, including developments to support automated network management, self configuration and self-repair.
x Physical natural feature identification readers and IoT interfaces for exploiting natural fea-ture identification.
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xx Middleware and other software developments, including intelligent processing platforms to support IoT functionality and services design.
3 Recommendations
In devising a plan of action for Europe to pursue the development of an IoT it is clear that on-going international cooperation is the key requirement.
Extending the number of international partners and gaining agreement on the structural, gov-ernance and foundational features will help to better define and accommodate the develop-ment of the IoT.
What can be seen from the CASAGRAS study and the CERP-IoT initiative is the substantial investment that has already been made by the EC towards realising this IoT concept, and its importance within the European strategy for ICT development.
However, there can also be seen a need for rationalising this and subsequent investment to better utilise its potential.
Governments, industries and businesses are clearly unaware of what the IoT is and what it offers. Awareness and education programmes are key requirements in creating a better under-standing of the potential and the benefits.
These programmes should be particularly directed to the SME community. Follow-up busi-ness development initiatives will be critical in taking the IoT concept to effective reality.
x The establishment of an overarching, internationally-partnered, organisational platform to help to steer the IoT development. These partners should represent a cross section of inter-est including Governmental and Standards agencies; industry, business and academe.
x The development and delivery of a strategic migration plan for developing an IoT from a minimalist model to a more inclusive model, including identity management and resolver techniques
x The development of a universal or federated data capture appliance protocol to accommo-date migratory inclusion of object-connectable technologies.
x The development of an architectural platform for supporting and demonstrating IoT appli-cation and services, and for addressing problems associated with IoT development, possibly based upon the establishment of a generic top-level Internet domain.
x The development of the rules for governance of the IoT with attention to social and eco-nomic issues including privacy and security
x The initiation of application and service pilot studies and demonstrators, particularly with respect to pathway process applications exploiting extended process functionality and scal-able sensor-network applications.
x International cooperation on pilot developments and promotional initiatives directed at enhancing inclusion of national bodies in cooperative developments.
x The establishment and pursuance of a strategic research and development roadmap for IoT development, drawing upon the findings of the CERP-IoT group report, Internet of Things Strategic Research Roadmap (2009).
In addition the CASAGRAS partners believe there is a need to:
x Agree on a definition of the Internet of Things that can be used as a popular point of refer-ence.
x Reduce the number of overlapping and potentially conflicting projects.
x Undertake major education, training and awareness programmes to explain the IoT. Ideally this should be part of the next round of projects aiming at creating global understanding and awareness.
x Set up key European Centres or academies for AIDC and the Internet of Things, underlining the importance or awareness, training and education. This foundational move will ensure the involvement of academe in the educational process associated with IoT development and will underpin further development of the principles in response to technological change.
CASAGRAS has proved without doubt that there is the need and the will for international co-operation. China, Japan, Korea and the USA are on board. Europe has taken the lead and now needs to drive the initiative as a truly global partnership.
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Josef Preishuber-Pflügl
CISC Semiconductor Design+Consulting GmbH
Abstract: The RFID standardisation world is currently facing a series of challenging issues that are slowing down the development of relevant standards which should support an efficient de-ployment of RFID technology. With a wealth of standards developed by different organisations, the challenges are, among others, a lack of clarity for users who have difficulties to differentiate and identify which standards they actually need, a lack of interoperability of standards which of-ten leads to conflicts and difficulties to apply the standards together, a lack of communication and information sharing between standardisation bodies, often synonym with redundancy of work, etc. In this article, we will present how the GRIFS project, an FP7 support action funded by the European Commission and managed by GS1, CEN and ETSI, offers a set of simple tools and a platform involving key international standards bodies to solve these challenges. A first step in the project work was to identify which standards are currently in place and which areas in particular are in need of collaboration. An online database of international RFID standards was created as a sustainable and dynamic tool of reference for anyone in need of information on RFID standards.
Listing 175 standards at the time, it facilitates the accessibility, comprehension and clarity of RFID standards. In order to reach the objective of getting the standardisation bodies together to encourage their communication and information sharing, the GRIFS project’s main action has been to put in place a Forum of collaboration based on a Memorandum of Understanding. This platform enables the international standards bodies to communicate and collaborate better, without interfering in each other standardisation’s processes. The Forum offers a neutral space to discuss about identified issues and find solutions together, based on the good will and common interest of the participants.
1 Organization 1.1 Members
The Global RFID Interoperability Forum for Standards (GRIFS) is a Support Action Project funded by the European Commission with the aim to improve collaboration and thereby to maximise the global interoperability of RFID standards. The GRIFS project initiated a forum that will continue to work constructively and grow after the end of the project through a Memorandum of Understanding between key global standard organisations active in RFID.
GRIFS is coordinated by three major standards organisations:
GS1 (coordinator) www.gs1.org
European Telecommunications Standards Institute – ETSI
www.etsi.org
European Committee for Standardization – CEN
www.cen.eu