Embedded-Internet Devices: A Means of Realising th Pervasive Computing Vision

This paper explores the feasibility of applying newly emerging low-cost embedded-Internet devices in support of pervasive computing; a new vision whereby domestic appliances are provided with Internet connections enabling them to be accessed and controlled from anywhere, anytime, via any web based interface. The principal challenges addressed by this work were how to design an embedded-Internet computing architecture that supported appliance control, multimode heterogeneous clients interfacing and mixed wired and wireless communication. We present a generic architectural solution for the design of Internet appliances. We show how this can be realised by describing a practical implementation based around a novel, “botanical plant care” embedded-Internet appliance. In this the server-side utilised a Dallas Semiconductors TINI embedded-Internet device, as this product typified the available off-the-shelf technology. The client side was based around PCs, PDAs and mobile phones using Web and WAP interfaces. The communication mediums were wired-IP, WiFi and Bluetooth. The choice of these technologies was driven by their widespread public use which is leading them to become the de-facto standards in this area. From this work we show that it is feasible to use the new generation of low-cost embedded-Internet devices, with minimal development facilities, to “quickly” create interesting high-tech applications for the new ranges of Internet products that are envisaged by the pervasive computing vision.