Abstract
The Internet of Things (IOT) has emerged from the convergence of embedded systems and network technologies. Its basis is the direct integration of computerized objects into the existing Internet network, possibly augmented by specific sub-networks that are themselves uniformly accessible via standard Internet protocols. Equipped with sensors and actuators, these computerized objects can be of extremely varied types: pacemakers, communicating biochips implanted in the body, automobiles, intelligent home automation equipment, and so on. Information is processed in two ways: on the one hand, by microprocessors and embedded software, with strong constraints on real-time response; on the other hand, via the network, enabling decision-making algorithms to be implemented in the cloud, enabling rapid response to events, predictions of future behavior and optimization of resources.
The presentation will set out the vision behind the Internet of the Future and explore its actual feasibility. We will show that the field is leading to major challenges in our ability to design and build systems that couple hardware and software in a safe and optimal way. These challenges can only be met by rigorous system specification and realization techniques. We will present the state of the art and discuss the major scientific problems to be solved: the link between physics and computation, the development of systems by assembling components, and intelligence in terms of the adaptability of systems enabling them to function even in the presence of unforeseen conditions.
The vision of the future provided by the Internet of Things will lead to considerable societal, technical and scientific impacts. In particular, it will help to reinvigorate computing itself, enriching it with new scientific foundations.
