Global Problems: Include burning fossil fuels, air pollution, acidic oceans, climate change, poverty, hunger, disease, gender inequality, and access to water and sanitation.
Organizations Doing Global Good: Some companies and organizations provide funds to help solve these global problems, such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and The Musk Foundation.
The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs):
In 2000, leaders from 189 countries made a list of 8 goals to be achieved in 15 years.
These were called the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is working on fulfilling these goals.
Progress on MDGs:
The percentage of people living on less than 1.25 per day has dropped by more than half.
The number of young children attending school is up by almost half.
The number of people receiving HIV treatment has increased by over 15 times.
The child mortality rate has been lowered by almost half.
Solving Global Problems (Cont.)
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):
In 2015, 189 world leaders at the United Nations Sustainable Development Summit unanimously adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
The result was a set of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
These SDGs go much further than the MDGs, addressing the root causes of poverty and the universal need for development that works for all people.
The Institute of Globally Transformative Technologies (LIGTT) (pronounced ‘light’) is part of LBNL and was created in 2012.
The goal of LIGTT is to leverage LBNL’s resources to develop and deploy breakthrough technologies for sustainable global development.
Institute of Globally Transformative Technologies:
The LIGTT released a top "50 Breakthroughs" study in 2014.
It identified some of the most important breakthrough technologies that are required for sustainable global development.
LIGTT aims to develop many of these breakthroughs, which will make substantial impacts on poverty.
Breakthrough #42 is directly related to using the IoT to enable new services.
6.2 Designing a Solution
6.2.1 Designing Solutions
The Engineering Design Process:
The engineering design process is a proven method to help solve global challenges.
The five steps are cyclical, meaning they can be repeated to improve the design process.
The steps include: Inspire/Empathize, Define/Ideate, Prototype, Test/Refine, and Present/Communicate.
6.2.1 Designing Solutions (Cont.)
Security Design:
Security should be included from the beginning, in the design phase.
Ensure new devices facilitate software updates, and all hidden backdoors are removed.
On pre-manufactured devices used in projects, ensure the following:
Default passwords/usernames are changed.
UPnP is disabled on IoT devices if possible.
Remote device management is protected with strong passwords, and access is limited to trusted personnel.
Ensure all devices are updated with the latest software updates and patches.
Ensure all devices support and use encryption and certificates.
Secure the physical location of IoT devices as much as possible.
6.3 Create an IoT System
6.3.1 The IoT System Project
Project Overview:
Identify a problem that can be solved by an IoT device.
Example: Building a device that senses the amount of light and determines sunrise and sunset.
The Circuit Layout:
Electronic components have specific power, polarity, and connection requirements.
The circuit layout identifies/describes these requirements.
The sunrise/sunset example requires a voltage divider, which produces an output voltage that is a fraction of its input voltage by distributing the input voltage among the components of the divider.
6.3.1 The IoT System Project (cont’d)
REST API in an IoT System:
REST APIs use HTTP methods to exchange data between systems or applications.
RESTful systems use Uniform Resource Identifiers (URIs) to represent their services to external systems.
Sample URIs:
GET /people/michael to receive Michael's user profile dataset.
POST /people/michael to update Michael's profile with new data.
The IFTTT web service allows for special resource URIs to be created and mapped to specific IFTTT actions.
Example IFTTT URI: https://maker.ifttt.com/trigger/SunRise/with/key/.
The sunrise/sunset example uses both IFTTT and Google Calendar services.
6.3.1 The IoT System Project (cont’d)
Flowcharts, Electronic Schematics, and Sequence Diagrams:
Documenting the project is very important for building the devices, testing, troubleshooting, and creating a business model.
Flowcharts use standardized symbols to represent the processes and workflows.
Electronic schematics are a graphical representation of a circuit diagram using internationally standardized components.
Sequence diagrams represent interactions between entities along a timeline.
6.3.1 The IoT System Project (cont’d)
The Code:
The sunrise/sunset example is written in Python using a Raspberry Pi.
The Arduino is connected to the Raspberry Pi.
Programming is done on the Raspberry Pi to send the level of voltage drop from the Arduino to the RaPi.
Firmata, a generic protocol for communicating with microcontrollers, is used to communicate between the Arduino firmware and the RaPi.
The Python code used for the sunrise/sunset example is explained line by line.
6.3.2 The IoT System Prototype
Overview of the Problem:
A simple problem identified that can be solved by an IoT system: remote access to determine if a garage door is open or closed.
A switch can determine if a door is open or closed.
The switch attaches to a controller, which keeps track of the switch status.
The controller is connected to the Internet to provide remote access.
Prototyping and Testing System:
Create an electronic schematic, flowchart, and sequence diagram for the prototype.
Packet Tracer 7 is used to create and test the prototype.
Update documentation once the prototype works successfully.
Documenting is important not only for future reference but also for situations where marketing material or patent applications are to be created.
6.4 The Business Aspects
6.4.1 Business Model Canvas
Business Model Canvas Overview:
Helps organizations and entrepreneurs map, discuss, design, and invent new business models.
A business model consists of nine building blocks:
Customer Segments, Value Proposition, Channels, Customer Relationships, Revenue Stream, Key Resources, Key Activities, Key Partnerships, and Cost Structure.
Customer Interface:
Customer Interface is comprised of Customer Segments, Value Proposition, Channels, and Customer Relationships.
Infrastructure Management:
Defines how to build the value proposition.
Key Resources, Key Activities, and Key Partnerships make up the Infrastructure Management.
6.4.1 Business Model Canvas (Cont.)
Business Finances:
Include the cost structure and revenue streams created by the value proposition.
Business Model Canvas Example:
Example of a completed business model canvas for a custom computer manufacturer.
6.5 What is Next?
6.5.1 Lifelong Learning
21st Century Skills:
The 21st-century job market is looking for employees who can accomplish one or more job roles, such as designing a project, prototyping a device, creating and maintaining documentation, and creating a business plan.
IoT employees also need learning and innovation skills:
Creativity and innovation
Critical thinking and problem-solving
Communication
Collaboration
6.5.1 Lifelong Learning (cont’d)
Resources for Continued Learning:
There are many resources available to enable you to continue learning about the IoT, including:
Cisco Networking Academy
Cisco Learning Network
Cisco DevNet
IEEE Computer Society (IEEE-CS) and the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM)
Many other online resources, including forums, wikis, blogs, and more.
There are also IoT communities of practice consisting of other like-minded individuals who want to share ideas with others.
6.6 Chapter Summary
There are many global social and environmental problems that can be solved by IoT systems. The Institute for Globally Transformative Technologies (LIGTT) has compiled a list of 50 breakthrough technologies that will drastically improve the work on these global problems.
The Engineering Design Process is a proven method to develop a product.
The first step to design an IoT solution is to identify a problem that can be solved with an IoT device. To test the idea, a prototype could be built simply by using a Raspberry Pi with an attached Arduino. To provide an example, a sunrise/sunset tracker was built.
Another prototype was designed on Packet Tracer to remotely check to see if the garage door was open or closed.
Documentation is a very important component of any project. Flowcharts, Electronic Schematics, and sequence diagrams are often used to provide documentation.
The Business Model Canvas helps organizations and entrepreneurs map, discuss, design, and invent new business models based on a value proposition, customer interface, infrastructure management, and finances.
IoT professionals should be individuals who espouse life-long learning. They need to be flexible, take the initiative, lead when necessary, and be able to produce something new and useful.