A modular and open software and hardware architecture for internet of things sensor networks

Abstract

We are experiencing a new industrial revolution, a cyber-physical systems revolution. The Internet of Things (IoT) is at the core of this development, and it is changing the way we perceive the world around us, impacting both business and technology. Smart cars, smart thermostats, home automation hubs, smart lighting, and smart weather stations are common technologies met in most cities and households. The number of these devices is going to increase even more, and it is predicted to reach billions over the next few years. Although the IoT technology has reached maturity, we are still unprepared for the large number of devices predicted to reach the world in the near future. Managing high numbers of IoT devices requires stable infrastructures for deployment and management. It also requires creating sustainable infrastructures to minimise the impact on the environment. In this thesis, we hypothesise that using flexible, open, modular, and reconfigurable hardware and software architectures at the base of smart city infrastructure can increase device longevity and minimise device management complexity at scale, while promoting sustainable development. The main contributions are: (1) identification of design requirements for building the next generation IoT device (2) reference architecture for flexible, modular IoT devices, (3) a novel, modular, open-source sensor board for building plug-and-play smart devices, allowing for complete removal/replacement of sensors and computing module, (4) a novel, modular, open-source software architecture, including: minimal Operating System (OS), over the air (OTA) updates, containerisation and remote device management, and (5) demonstration using a real-life application of environmental monitoring. The reference architecture presented in this thesis provides a robust, persistent, and reliable long-term solution for IoT deployements that addresses concerns regarding the negative impact of IoT on long term sustainable development.

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