This project aims to realize a vision of the Internet-of-Things (IoT) that is ubiquitous and accessible to all. Today, the IoT is siloed with a few niche applications containing smart devices that do not interoperate across vendors. The goal of this project, Constellation, is to create the software needed to allow embedded IoT devices to be easily discovered, shared, managed, connected, and protected to enable the IoT to scale. Constellation contains a new programming language that allows programmers to easily specify semantic intent allowing the system to locate the best devices, handle failures, resolve conflicts, and meet performance goals. Constellation relies on the presence of edge computing nodes located near the IoT devices that form a web of computation and communication services needed to realize this vision.
The IoT revolution is at its infancy yet the impact on society is already evident. Self-driving cars promise convenience, smart meters promise energy savings, and smart homes promise safety. Yet the IoT is fragmented, siloed, and isolated. To realize the vision of a smart campus, smart city, and beyond, requires that the IoT be interconnected across these silos to enable new applications that promote greater safety, energy savings, productivity, and wellness. That is the ultimate goal of Constellation. The growth of the IoT envisioned in this proposal will also require partnership with industry thus stimulating the creation of new frontiers of innovation that lead to job creation.
This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
