People’s Choice: HOP into the IoT through IPv6-Ready Bluetooth Smart Devices

HOP Ubiquitous captured the IPSO CHALLENGE People's Choice Award AND the Sensor's Expo Attendee's Choice Award

HOP Ubiquitous captured the IPSO CHALLENGE People’s Choice Award AND the
Sensor’s Expo Attendee’s Choice Award

HOP into the IoT with IPv6-Ready Tiny and Wearable Bluetooth Smart Devices

Contestants: Dr. Antonio Jesus Jara Valera, David Fernandez Ros, Pablo Lopez Martinez, Jose Felix Castillo Moya
Affiliation: HOP Ubiquitous S.L
Discover HOP Ubiquitous
People’s Choice Award Winner
Award: Dc900B SmartMesh IP Starter Kit, Courtesty of Linear/Dust Networks
Contact Information: jara@hopu.eu


Summary

HOP Ubiquitous presents HOPs: tiny and versatile Bluetooth Smart devices with an Open SDK to interconnect them to Smart Phones (Android and iOS), Internet and Cloud Computing platforms, through a simple and intuitive IPv6 and RESTFul API. Thereby, HOP is enabling innovative IoT & IPv6-enabled products for personal area networks (activity monitoring/healthcare), home automation (energy efficiency), and proximity marketing (interacting with the world).



How does “HOP into the IoT through IPv6-Ready Bluetooth Smart Devices” use Internet Technology?

HOPs are enabled with IPv6 through an innovative Internet profile powered by GLoWBAL IPv6 protocol. GLoWBAL IPv6 is the result of several years of work on IPv6 adaptation protocols to offer a low overhead and flexible IPv6 protocol integration.

Why did you choose to invent your prototype? What problem do you see that it can solve?

We have been working for several years on 6LoWPAN and the Industrial Integration of IPv6. For example, last year we presented our street lighting solution for Smart Cities. This work has presented some serious challenges in its deployment and commissioning. For that reason, we made the strategic decision to move towards a much more personal market, where we could interoperate with existing personal devices, such as smart watches, smart phones, tablets, and residential platforms.

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Therefore, we needed a residential, personal and mobile solution that enables the Internet of Things closer to the end-users. For that reason, Bluetooth Low Energy (Bluetooth Smart) was the best technology to offer the best trade-off between flexibility, performance and market availability.

The main issue we faced was the requirements for Internet integration, and for that reason HOP Ubiquitous chose to provide an innovative Internet profile with end-to-end IPv6 connectivity, offering all of the potential of the Web of Things with the support of RESTFul (CoAP) and OMA Web Objects in order to manage the resources for Bluetooth Smart devices.

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What is the practical application of your invention for the everyday user?

HOP Ubiquitous provides the HOP Basic, which is the tiniest Bluetooth Smart chipset within the IPv6 stack. This solution can be integrated into any device that requires Bluetooth Smart and IPv6 connectivity.

Through HOP Basic, HOP Ubiquitous offers a solution for social proximity marketing, which, as opposed to the classic iBeacon, is the support of remote management and advertisement updates thanks to the end-to-end IPv6 connectivity and Cloud Computing integration.

HOP Ubiquitous also has created the HOP Extended as a tiny activity monitor sensor that can be integrated into personal and wearable devices, such as a keyring for activity monitoring in fitness and mobile health solutions.

Finally, HOP Ubiquitous offers an integral solution for tele-management of energy efficiency applications, with the integration of LED controllers, smart plugs and smart meters powered by Bluetooth Smart and IPv6.

Are there plans to produce your prototype for the marketplace, or is it already a product that can be purchased/obtained?

The HOP Basic, HOP Extended, and UbiBox can be already purchased. Please contact us at info@hopu.eu for more information and availability.

People's Choice Award

Why would you consider “HOP into the IoT through IPv6-Ready Bluetooth Smart Devices” to be “innovative”?

HOP provides the first IPv6-ready Bluetooth Stack for Bluetooth 4.0. This stack does not require any upgrade of the Bluetooth Stack, since it is designed in the profile level. Thereby making it totally compatible with the currently available Bluetooth Smart personal devices, such as Smart Phones and Tablets.

What would you like to see in the future for the Internet of Things? Why should more companies utilize IP?

I would like to see all Internet Service Providers offer, at the subscriber level, a new generation of residential modems that support Bluetooth Smart and/or IEEE 802.15.4 for residential and personal area networks, which will extend the existing WiFi networks and provide more control and a management oriented approach. I think that the current approach from oneM2M, in collaboration with OMA and the IPSO Alliance, will make this reality feasible in the close future.

The motivation to use IP is to be able to simplify the solutions in a way that everyone can understand and use. Thus, everyone will receive all of the benefits from well-known and tested protocols, solutions and technology, at the same time as reducing development costs. IP enables a market of cooperation and development where the potential of the composition of advanced services is unlimited.

In summary, HOP Ubiquitous aims to integrate sensors and actuators in daily objects, maximizing miniaturization and minimizing the economic cost of these hardware components.

Want to check out the other entries? Watch all 10 IPSO CHALLENGE 2014 Semi-Finalist Entries!