MidFlex

Objectives

This PhD thesis aims to provide a middleware harnessing the flexibility and configurability of underlying technologies and protocols to achieve end goals such as minimal energy consumption of a network, or the support for device mobility. Furthermore, in light of the Future Internet initiatives and the upcoming Internet of Things, this thesis has a strong focus on the interconnection of networked objects to the Internet and common consumer devices such as smartphones and tablets.

Results

CETIC studied the implementation and deployment of WSN application based on technologies currently in standardisation, such as 6LoWPAN and RPL, IETF’s IPv6 Routing Protocol for Low Power and Lossy Networks. These studies rely on three distinct test environments: a software time-accurate simulator for wireless sensor networks (COOJA), physical sensor platforms part of CETIC’s Wireless Lab, and large-scale academic wireless sensor testbeds open for experimentation. In particular, tests on the SensLAB testbed of INRIA Lille and the TWIST testbed of TU-Berlin validated the stability of RPL and the embedded IPv6 stack of Contiki.

The middleware components were made available in the public domain, with CETIC as an enabler for technological transfer. It mainly concerns an implementation of a 6LoWPAN Border Router, the 6LBR component.

Added-value

This research project has a direct impact for local Walloon companies keen to integrate Internet of Things solutions in their products. As of today, CETIC’s expertise is already guiding companies in design choices for sensor network hardware and software.