Control systems and the internet of things — Shrinking the factory

In this paper we discuss the Internet of Things (IoT) by exploring aspects which go beyond the proliferation of devices and information enabled by: the growth of the Internet, increased miniaturization, prolonged battery life and an IT literate user base. We highlight the role of feedback mechanisms and illustrate this with reference to implemented computer enabled factory control systems. As the technology has developed, the cost of computing has reduced drastically, programming interfaces have improved, sensors are simpler and more cost effective and high performance communications across a wide area are readily available. We illustrate this by considering an application based on the Raspberry Pi, which is a low cost, small, programmable and network capable computer based on a powerful ARM processor with a programmable I/O interface, which can provide access to sensors (and other devices). The prototype application running on this platform can sense the presence of human being, using inexpensive passive infrared detectors. This can be used to monitor the activity of vulnerable adults, logging the results to a central server using a domestic Internet solution over a Wireless LAN. Whilst this demonstrates the potential for the use of such control/monitoring systems, practical systems spanning thousands of sites will be more complex to deliver and will have more stringent data processing and management demands and security requirements. We will discuss these concepts in the context of delivery of a smart interconnected society.