https://iot-uoe.github.io/Edinburgh IoT Initiative2018-05-30T14:04:55+00:00Edinburgh Internet of Things InitiativeEwan Kleinhttp://homepages.inf.ed.ac.uk/ewan/Jekyllhttps://iot-uoe.github.io/events/2017/12/iot-research-workshop-2/2nd University of Edinburgh IoT Research Workshop2017-12-11T00:00:00+00:00Ewan Kleinhttp://homepages.inf.ed.ac.uk/ewan/<h2 id="overview">Overview</h2>
<p>Building on the success of the first <a href="/event%20report/2017/07/edinburgh-research-workshop-report/">Internet of Things Research Workshop</a> last July, we are expanding our scope to embrace new disciplines such as electrical engineering, civil engineering and design informatics. This is giving us an exciting line-up of topics.</p>
<p>We are using a deliberately generous interpretation of “Internet of Things” in order to cast our net as wide as possible. As before, our goal is to bring together people from across the University whose research contributes to this complex picture, to facilitate new collaborations, and to identify new research opportunities. Not all of the talks in the programme will present solutions or explicitly address IoT issues — we are also covering areas which are promising targets for future IoT research and applications.</p>
<h2 id="programme">Programme</h2>
<table>
<tr>
<th>Time</th>
<th>Speaker</th>
<th>Title</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>09:45</td>
<td>Kevin Collins</td>
<td>Opening</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>10:00</td>
<td><b>Session 1: University IoT Research & Innovation Service</b></td>
<td></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td></td>
<td>Simon Chapple</td>
<td>Introduction to the Research & Innovation Service</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td></td>
<td>Mark Strevens / Jimmy Angelakos</td>
<td>Demo of the Iot Research & Innovation Service</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>10:30</td>
<td><b>Session 2: Communications for IoT Applications</b></td>
<td></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td></td>
<td>John Thompson</td>
<td>Theme Overview</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td></td>
<td>Mahesh Marina</td>
<td>Network Slicing for 5G Wireless IoT</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td></td>
<td>Tughrul Arslan</td>
<td>Automatic Crowd Sourcing of IoT and Sensor Big Data for Driving the Next Generation Location Based Services</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td></td>
<td>Wasiu Popoola</td>
<td>Optical Wireless Communications for IoT</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>11:15</td>
<td><b>Coffee break</b></td>
<td></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>11:30</td>
<td><b>Session 3: Ethics and Governance for IoT</b></td>
<td></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td></td>
<td>Ewa Luger</td>
<td>Theme Overview</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td></td>
<td>James Stewart</td>
<td>Ethics and Governance for supporting the University IoT Research and Innovation Service</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td></td>
<td>Renate Gerz</td>
<td>Rena's 5 Top Tips for Data Protection</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td></td>
<td>Michael Rovatsos</td>
<td>Responsible Algorithmic Governance in IoT systems</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>12:15</td>
<td><b>Session 4: Infrastructure and Built Environment 1</b></td>
<td></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td></td>
<td>Gordon Masterton</td>
<td>Theme Overview</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td></td>
<td>David Rush</td>
<td>Fire Warning in Informal Settlements</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td></td>
<td>Rory Hadden</td>
<td>Wildfire Sensing and Response</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>13:00</td>
<td>Lunch</td>
<td></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>14:00</td>
<td><b>Session 5: Infrastructure and Built Environment 2</b></td>
<td></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td></td>
<td>Yuner Huang</td>
<td>Big Data for Offshore Structures</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td></td>
<td>Stefanos Papanicolopulos</td>
<td>The Internet of Grains: Tracking Granular Flows</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td></td>
<td>Cristina Nan</td>
<td>Architectural Robotics</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td></td>
<td>Miguel Paredes</td>
<td>Collective Sensing and Mapping for the Urban Environment</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>14:45</td>
<td><b>Session 6: IoT and Blockchain</b></td>
<td></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td></td>
<td>Chris Speed</td>
<td>Theme Overview</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td></td>
<td>Aydin Kheirbakhsh Abadi</td>
<td>Applications of Blockchain Technology and Smart Contracts in Charities</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td></td>
<td>Andriana Gkaniatsou</td>
<td>Bitcoin Wallets</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td></td>
<td>Ella Tallyn & Larissa Pschetz</td>
<td>Using a Technology Probe to Investigate the Effect of IoT Devices on Coffee Consumers</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>15:30</td>
<td><b>Final discussion</b></td>
<td></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>16:00</td>
<td>Close</td>
<td></td>
</tr>
</table>
2017-12-11T00:00:00+00:00https://iot-uoe.github.io/event%20report/2017/07/edinburgh-research-workshop-report/University of Edinburgh IoT Research Workshop2017-07-03T00:00:00+00:00Ewan Kleinhttp://homepages.inf.ed.ac.uk/ewan/Connecting things, connecting people<h2 id="overview">Overview</h2>
<p>We held our first Internet of Things Research Workshop on 3rd July 2017, in the Informatics Forum. The event generated a great deal of interest amongst participants, and was particularly interesting for the issues that were raised for medical applications of IoT. We are grateful to ARM for contributing a final pair of talks.</p>
<h2 id="programme">Programme</h2>
<p><br /></p>
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>09:45</td>
<td><strong>Introduction and Welcome</strong></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td> </td>
<td>Ewan Klein – <a href="https://iot-uoe.github.io/pdfs/klein-intro.pdf">IoT Research Perspective</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>10:00</td>
<td><strong>Session 1: Ubiquitous and secure computing</strong></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td> </td>
<td>Paul Patras – <a href="https://iot-uoe.github.io/pdfs/patras.pdf">From Ubiquitous Computing to Internet of Everything</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td> </td>
<td>Jane Hillston – <a href="https://iot-uoe.github.io/pdfs/hillston.pdf">IoT: the case for quantitative analysis</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td> </td>
<td>Kami Vaniea – <a href="https://iot-uoe.github.io/pdfs/vaniea.pdf">Usability Security, Privacy and Trust in the IoT</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td> </td>
<td>Pramod Bhatotia – <a href="https://iot-uoe.github.io/pdfs/bhatotia.pdf">PrivApprox: Privacy-Preserving Stream Analytics</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>11:00</td>
<td><strong>Session 2: Medical Applications</strong></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td> </td>
<td>Colin Simpson – IoT: Medical Applications</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td> </td>
<td>Thanasis Tsanas – Objective characterisation of activity, sleep and circadian rhythm patterns using wearables</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td> </td>
<td>Riinu Ots – <a href="https://iot-uoe.github.io/pdfs/ots.pdf">TWIST: Tracking Wound Infection with Smartphone Technology</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td> </td>
<td>Hilary Pinnock – <a href="https://iot-uoe.github.io/pdfs/pinnock.pdf">Technological support for self-management</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>11:45</td>
<td><strong>Session 3: Argyle House Monitoring Project</strong></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td> </td>
<td>Ewan Klein – <a href="https://iot-uoe.github.io/pdfs/klein-occupancy.pdf">Project overview</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td> </td>
<td>Cat Magill – <a href="https://iot-uoe.github.io/pdfs/magill.pdf">Perceptions of IoT and Possibilities for Engaging ‘Users’</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td> </td>
<td>Benjamin Bach – <a href="https://iot-uoe.github.io/pdfs/bach.pdf">Visualizing Spatio-Temporal Data</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>12:15</td>
<td><strong>Session 4: ARM — Research Challenges</strong></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td> </td>
<td>Hannes Tschofenig – <a href="https://iot-uoe.github.io/pdfs/tschofenig.pdf">Iot Security: A journey through standardisation</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td> </td>
<td>John Goodenough – <a href="https://iot-uoe.github.io/pdfs/goodenough.pdf">ARM IoT Research Challenges</a></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
2017-07-03T00:00:00+00:00https://iot-uoe.github.io/event%20report/2017/06/pycom-hackathon/Team Flow invited to the Pycom Hackathon2017-06-12T00:00:00+00:00Ewan Kleinhttp://homepages.inf.ed.ac.uk/ewan/Edinburgh students visit Eindhoven<p>As a prize for their winning contribution to the <a href="http://iot.ed.ac.uk/iotchallenge/">Edinburgh IoT Challenge</a>, Team Flow — a multidisciplinary student team from the University of Edinburgh — has been invited to attend the <a href="https://www.pycom.io/pycom-eindhoven-hackathon/">Pycom Hackathon</a>, Eindhoven, Saturday 17th June 2017.</p>
<p>Team Flow consists of four students from different degrees and schools:</p>
<ul>
<li>Ondrej Bohdal (Artificial Intelligence and Mathematics, 3rd year undergraduate)</li>
<li>Wojciech Jakub Nawrocki (Physics and Computer Science, 2nd year undergraduate)</li>
<li>Yining Zhou (Electronics and Electrical Engineering, 3rd year undergraduate)</li>
<li>Catherine Chi Wang (MSc in Design and Digital Media)</li>
</ul>
<p>The Edinburgh IoT Challenge, which took place during the 2017 <a href="http://www.festivalofcreativelearning.ed.ac.uk">Festival of Creative Learning</a>, was organised by David Richardson, Simon Chapple and Ewan Klein as part of the broader University IoT initiative, and was sponsored by a number of organisations including Pycom. Team Flow developed an IoT-based system for route-detection to improve commuter safety by informing car drivers about the presence of cyclists and pedestrians. In addition to sponsoring their trip to Eindhoven, Pycom will also give the students an exclusive tour of their offices.</p>
<p>During the Pycom Hackathon, teams will have the opportunity to develop their innovative solutions using Pycom devices to address an interesting challenge announced on the day of the event.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.pycom.io">Pycom</a> bulds a wide range of products for IoT, most notably integrated communication technologies (Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, LoRa, Sigfox, LTE-M) on a <a href="https://www.pycom.io/hardware/">small, low-cost boards</a>.</p>
<p>We look forward to seeing what our team can create at the Pycom Hackathon. Good luck, Team Flow!</p>
2017-06-12T00:00:00+00:00https://iot-uoe.github.io/event%20report/2017/02/iot-challenge-report/2017 IoT Challenge2017-02-24T00:00:00+00:00Ewan Kleinhttp://homepages.inf.ed.ac.uk/ewan/Hacking with LoPy Devices<p>The <a href="https://iot-uoe.github.io/iotchallenge">IoT Challenge</a> was a 5-day student hackathon focussed on building innovative uses with low-cost IoT devices and sensors. Modelled loosely on the School of Informatics <a href="http://smartdatahack.org">Smart Data Hack</a>, the event took advantage of the break in teaching offered by 2017’s <a href="http://www.festivalofcreativelearning.ed.ac.uk">Festival of Creative Learning</a>.</p>
<h2 id="mondaytuesday">Monday–Tuesday</h2>
<p>The first couple of days were devoted to getting the basics in place for participants: hearing the challenges, forming teams, getting everyone registered on <a href="https://slack.com">Slack</a>, learning how to use LoPy devices, how to capture data from sensors and how to send data across the LoRaWAN network to the <a href="https://www.thethingsnetwork.org">TTN</a> server.</p>
<p>We started Monday with presentations from three partner organisations. <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/george-lowder-mbe-6b343919/">George Lowder</a>, CEO of <a href="http://transportforedinburgh.com">Transport for Edinburgh (TfE)</a> gave an overview of TfE’s new five year strategy, and emphasised the need to base transport decision-making on good evidence. He then posed the challenge of identifying gaps in the current data around travel, and exploring whether IoT technology could help close those gaps. <a href="https://iot-uoe.github.io/resources/IoT-Challenge-TfE.pdf">[TfE Slides]</a> Next, <a href="http://www.chem.ed.ac.uk/about-us/tercentenary/tercentenary-events/tercentenary-graduation-ceremony/dr-simon-gage">Simon Gage</a>, Director of the <a href="http://www.sciencefestival.co.uk/">Edinburgh International Science Festival</a>, explained the goals and activities of the Festival, and raised two challenges for IoT: how can we improve the experience of visitors to the Festival; and how can we provide event organisers with better mechanisms for collecting feedback from attendees. Finally, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/ritchie-somerville-a1607910/">Ritchie Somerville</a>, Innovation and Futures Manager at The City of Edinburgh Council, picked up on the travel theme, and challenged participants to develop techniques for measuring the volume of different types of traffic — motorised, cycling, pedestrian — using only fixed sensors. <a href="https://iot-uoe.github.io/resources/IoT-Challenge-CEC.pdf">[CEC Slides]</a></p>
<p><a href="http://censis.org.uk/about/team/technical/kevin-power/">Kevin Power</a>, CENSIS</p>
<p><img src="https://iot-uoe.github.io/images//iot-challenge-2017/devices.jpg" alt="" />
<img src="https://iot-uoe.github.io/images//iot-challenge-2017/team-transport.jpg" alt="" /></p>
2017-02-24T00:00:00+00:00https://iot-uoe.github.io/events/2017/02/iot-challenge/IoT Challenge: Festival of Creative Learning2017-02-20T00:00:00+00:00Ewan Kleinhttp://homepages.inf.ed.ac.uk/ewan/<p>The <strong>IoT Challenge</strong> is a 5-day hackathon (20–24 February 2017) during the University of Edinburgh’s <a href="http://www.festivalofcreativelearning.ed.ac.uk">Festival of Creative Learning</a> which will bring students and researchers together to build tools and applications using Internet of Things technology.</p>
<p>For more information, see the main <a href="https://iot-uoe.github.io/iotchallenge/">IoT Challenge 2017 page</a>.</p>
2017-02-20T00:00:00+00:00https://iot-uoe.github.io/event%20report/2016/12/nairobi-lopy-workshop-report/IoT Workshop in Nairobi2016-12-02T00:00:00+00:00Cat Magillhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/catherinermagill/LoRaWAN Doing-It-Together<p>2 December 2016 — it was a sunny morning at the campus of <a href="http://www.strathmore.edu/en/">Strathmore University</a> in Nairobi, Kenya. The voices of students gathered in the student centre canteen echoed throughout the atrium, reaching all the way to the 4th and 5th floors, where
<a href="http://www.ilabafrica.ac.ke">@iLabAfrica</a> is located and where our Internet of Things (IoT) workshop with <a href="https://www.pycom.io">Pycom</a> was about to take place.</p>
<p>The workshop was part of the Nairobi Energy Data Challenge, a series of events hosted by the University of Edinburgh’s <a href="http://dataforall.io/">Energy Data for All</a> initiative, which is investigating how data collected through pay-as-you-go and off-grid solar systems is collected, managed, understood and shared. The Challenge engaged with stakeholders and people interested in off-grid energy, pay-as-you-go technology, IoT and design through a brainstorming workshop and a hackathon-type event as well as the IoT workshop. The aim was to develop new ideas and opportunities to create value in the context of data and off-grid energy access, with a particular focus on end users.</p>
<p>The Energy Data for All initiative includes a focus on IoT because of its potential for applications in pay-as-you-go tech and off-grid energy services. As an emerging technology that could offer lower-cost, longer-range connectivity than current models, IoT has particular relevance for countries without highly developed wireless communication networks. However, experimentation and careful research is needed to identify where and how it has value and who it will create value for.</p>
<p>The vibrant and youthful tech scene in Nairobi is always on the alert for new technologies and ways to employ them. Numerous tech incubators, among them Strathmore’s @iLabAfrica, offer hackathons, trainings and other events as well as financial support to help young people develop and implement new ideas. Among these people is <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Leonard_Mabele2">Leonard Mabele</a>, a current Masters student at Strathmore, who approached iLab with the idea of starting an IoT lab.
<img src="https://iot-uoe.github.io/images//nairobi-iot-workshop/single-coder.jpg" alt="" />
<img src="https://iot-uoe.github.io/images//nairobi-iot-workshop/strathmore-students.jpg" alt="" />
<em>Strathmore students working in the IoT lab</em></p>
<p>Combining the relevance of IoT to Energy Data for All, iLab’s space and logistical support, Leonard’s passion, and a connection with Pycom through the University of Edinbugh’s IoT network pilot, the IoT workshop was born.</p>
<p>Twenty-seven people attended the workshop, including students from different universities across the city; engineers, developers and IT analysts from established local companies, start-ups, social enterprises and consultancies; and an auto mechanic and self-taught programmer. They came for various reasons — interest, curiosity, and the desire to discover, learn and find new opportunities.</p>
<p>Roberto Marques from Pycom began the workshop by introducing the group to the basics of IoT and different communication networks. He then explained the details of LoRaWAN (low-range wide-area), which is one of three network protocols supported by the LoPy, one of Pycom’s multi-network communication boards. Roberto brought along ten LoPys and a collection of light sensors for participants to experiment with.
<img src="https://iot-uoe.github.io/images//nairobi-iot-workshop/roberto.jpg" alt="" />
<em>Roberto Marques from Pycom introduces LoRaWAN technology to the workshop participants</em></p>
<p>After the introduction, participants divided into groups of two to three and prepared to set up the LoPys. They downloaded the <a href="https://www.pycom.io/solutions/pymakr/">Pymakr IDE</a>, then connected the LoRa antenna and, for those who were successful, after a short time began sending messages over the network. Roberto set up a LoPy as a nano-gateway to receive the messages, connected it to his computer and the screen and soon people were watching their messages come in. The skilled programmers immediately found ways to spam the network and had a little snicker as their messages rolled across the screen and Roberto searched the room to try to identify the source of the mischief.</p>
<p><img src="https://iot-uoe.github.io/images//nairobi-iot-workshop/two-coders.jpg" alt="" />
<em>Engineers from a local tech company experiment with sending LoRa data from the LoPy</em></p>
<p>Participants had various reasons for coming to the workshop. One young man and a woman both worked at a company well-known in the city for its copying and printing services. Recognising the rapidly changing opportunities in Nairobi, the company had set up an innovation lab and was exploring business possibilities in IoT and sensors, among other things. The young man mentioned — perhaps with a slight note of envy — that one of his colleagues who was based in the innovation lab had recently participated in a hackathon where he and his team won the top prize of Ksh 100,000 (~ £775).</p>
<p>Another participant was about to complete his studies in Computer Science but was taking a break to earn the money he needed to finish. He found a job at an international company in the pay-as-you-go solar home system market. Although he is currently working as a salesman, his real interest is in the technology. Pay-as-you-go solar home systems employ various types of remote monitoring and control systems that allow the system to function only when the customer makes a daily payment. While these systems are lauded for providing energy to the rural poor at an affordable rate, he thinks they are still too expensive. He and his friends have been brainstorming different ways to make them much more affordable to a wider segment of the population. He sees definite possibilities in networks like LoRaWAN that allow data to be transmitted at a much lower cost than through GSM networks.</p>
<p>After lunch, everyone went back to the iLab to begin working on connecting light sensors to the LoPys. By the end of the afternoon, most groups had managed this successfully, and those that were still trying stayed on past the end of the scheduled time for the workshop.</p>
<p><img src="https://iot-uoe.github.io/images//nairobi-iot-workshop/troubleshooting.jpg" alt="" />
<em>Roberto Marques from Pycom helps participants troubleshoot the light sensor</em></p>
<p>Reflecting on why he came to the workshop, a participant who is a self-employed entrepreneur said,</p>
<blockquote>
<p>I have very many ideas. My priority goes to renewable energy ideas, most of which are IoT ideas. Most of my ideas are evolving around IoT.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>He especially appreciated the opportunity to experiment with the LoPy, which offers more connectivity for less expense than the modules currently available to him on the Kenyan market. He was among a number of the participants who decided to stay on and develop ideas and prototypes for applications in energy at the energy data hackathon over the weekend.
<!-- Read more about the ideas that he and others came up with here [link to be added]. --></p>
<p>All in all, the workshop was a great success, giving the participants an oppportunity to discover and experiment with new technology and allowing everyone from participants to organisers to make connections, build relationships and learn from each other. Hopefully this will lead to more in-depth collaborations in the future between Edinburgh and Nairobi.
Finally, a big thank-you to Pycom for the generous support that made this event possible!</p>
2016-12-02T00:00:00+00:00https://iot-uoe.github.io/events/2016/12/lopy-workshop-02/IoT LoPy Workshop2016-12-01T00:00:00+00:00Ewan Kleinhttp://homepages.inf.ed.ac.uk/ewan/<p>Come join us for the follow-up to our previous and very popular <a href="(https://iot-uoe.github.io/2016/10/lopy-workshop-report/)">Programming an IoT Device in MicroPython Workshop</a> hosted by Design Informatics in October 2016.</p>
<p>We’ll be working once again with the <a href="https://www.pycom.io/solutions/py-boards/lopy/">Pycom LoPy</a>, but this time with more emphasis on LoPy-to-LoPy inter-communications with LoRa. We will also be connecting up a wider array of sensors.</p>
<p>The workshop will be held in the new uCreate Studio at the Main Library. This has been created as a dedicated workshop space for all kinds of maker activities, and will have have pretty much everything we need.</p>
<p><strong>The event is open to both staff and students, but we are limited to 20 people in total so please <a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/iot-lopy-workshop-tickets-29644817447">book early</a>. Some familiarity with Python programming will be useful.</strong></p>
<p>Please bring your own laptop (Windows, Mac, Linux), and it would be helpful if you could pre-install the latest version of the Pycom IDE, <a href="https://www.pycom.io/solutions/pymakr/">Pymakr</a>. (Note that Pymakr has been upgraded significantly since the October workshop.)</p>
2016-12-01T00:00:00+00:00https://iot-uoe.github.io/event%20report/2016/12/lopy-workshop-2-report/Second LoPy Workshop2016-12-01T00:00:00+00:00Valentin Raduv.radu@sms.ed.ac.ukhttp://homepages.inf.ed.ac.uk/s1055423/Hands-on IoT Communication with LoRa<p>Following the success of our <a href="https://iot-uoe.github.io/2016/10/lopy-workshop-report/">previous LoPy workshop</a>, we ran our second workshop on LoRa technology on Thursday 1st December 2016, this time at the uCreate Studio, University of Edinburgh Main Library. We were joined by an enthusiastic group of 14 students (we appreciate <a href="http://comp-soc.com/">CompSoc</a>’s support in advertising this event) and more mature tech-savvy learners.</p>
<p><img src="https://iot-uoe.github.io/images/workshop2/IMG_20161201_103843_2.jpg" alt="" /></p>
<p>In this session we explored communication between <a href="https://www.pycom.io/solutions/py-boards/lopy/">LoPy devices</a>. Following an introductory presentation of LoRaWAN by Simon, and his vision for a community-based <a href="https://www.thethingsnetwork.org">The Things Network</a> across Edinburgh, we dived into the first exercise: programming a LoPy device to send messages using LoRa, flashing an LED to indicate transmision. These messages were received by a central LoPy node which displayed them on a large monitor for the whole group to see. We don’t remember exactly which team was first to transmitt their message, we believe it was Team 6, congrats! Everyone was fast to master this task, with winners separated only by a photo-finish.</p>
<p><img src="https://iot-uoe.github.io/images/workshop2/IMG_20161201_110125_2.jpg" alt="" /></p>
<p>Once all teams could transmit messages, the second task was to extend device functionality to also receive messages. As a result, the LoPys could exchange messages with each other and acknowledge the event by flashing different coloured LEDs. As Simon accurately described it, we turned the room into a massive Xmas tree with multicolour lights.</p>
<p><img src="https://iot-uoe.github.io/images/workshop2/IMG_20161201_115842_2.jpg" alt="" /></p>
<p>The last task was to connect a light sensor to the LoPy device and transmit the sensor readings between teams. It was a great sunny day outside so we could see differences between light readings throughout the room. Very precious Lux for Scotland and we got to measure them properly — we’ll probably need to wait until next year’s summer to exceed this 1450 Lux value :)</p>
<p><img src="https://iot-uoe.github.io/images/workshop2/IMG_20161201_115235_2.jpg" alt="" /></p>
<p>The workshop received positive feedback fron participants and sparked off very interesting discussions about the potential for this technology. Busses, remote controls, who knows?! — the sky is the limit! This encourages us to continue this series of events. Sign up to our <a href="https://mlist.is.ed.ac.uk/lists/subscribe/iot">email list</a> to be informed about our next event to take place early in the New Year. And keep an eye out for the <a href="http://www.festivalofcreativelearning.ed.ac.uk">Festival of Creative Learning</a> programme!</p>
2016-12-01T00:00:00+00:00https://iot-uoe.github.io/event%20report/2016/11/iot-in-the-city-collider-report/Colliding with IoT in the City2016-11-12T00:00:00+00:00Ewan Kleinhttp://homepages.inf.ed.ac.uk/ewan/Hacking community ideas for the Internet of Things<p>A <a href="http://www.designinformatics.org">Design Informatics</a> collider is a conceptual design event, bringing together computational thinking and design thinking, to pull informaticians together with designers, and problem holders. The first part of the collider sets the scene before breaking out in to workshop sessions.</p>
<p>The <a href="/events/2016/11/iot-in-the-city-collider/">Collider on IoT in the City</a> (11th November 2016) was framed by the following question:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>In the context of a city-wide network for the Internet of Things, what connections can be made that link together civic, cultural and private activities to foster an open innovation culture?</p>
</blockquote>
<p>The afternoon was <a href="https://iot-uoe.github.io/resources/JO-Collider.pdf">introduced by Jon Oberlander</a>, and then kicked off with three short talks:</p>
<ul>
<li>Simon Chapple gave a <a href="https://iot-uoe.github.io/resources/IoTColliderSC.pdf">quick overview of LoRaWAN</a></li>
<li>Eoghan Howard described community developments and activism in Wester Hailes since it was built in the late 1960s, in part supported by <a href="http://www.communityhacking.org">collaborative projects with Design Informatics</a>, and showed a <a href="#wh-video">video about a campaign to reinstate a crucial underpass</a>.</li>
<li>Ritchie Somerville outlined his vision of how IoT could help underpin a better relationship between residents and the Council in Edinburgh. (Bonus <a href="https://iot-uoe.github.io/resources/IUofE-Collide-RS.pdf">slides</a>)</li>
</ul>
<p>Ewan Klein <a href="https://iot-uoe.github.io/resources/collider-challenges.pdf">reviewed the overall theme</a> of the event, and posed the following challenges:</p>
<div class="panel">
<ol>
<li>How do we balance collection of fine-grained, individual-level data with maintaining confidentiality, protecting privacy and engendering trust?</li>
<li>Concentration of cultural assets in centre of the city – how do we make connections that embrace the outer areas, and the boundary between city and wider region?</li>
<li><a href="https://permacultureprinciples.com/principles/_11/">The interface between things is where the most interesting events take place</a> – where are the urban edges in Edinburgh that provide opportunities for innovation?</li>
<li>What information do people need in order to achieve a positive impact on their communities and the way they want to live?</li>
<li>Can IoT data provide trusted evidence that feeds into contentious policy areas?</li>
</ol>
</div>
<p>For the next hour, participants broke into four teams to discuss, brainstorm and curate project concepts. The projects that emerged featured a wide variety of ideas, briefly described below.</p>
<h4>Group 1: Participatory sensing for community empowerment</h4>
<p>Libraries could lend out not just books, CDs and videos but also sensors that could be deployed by residents to gather data about the city. The project aims to create a community ‘living lab’ where people could place sensors in areas that they don’t feel safe.</p>
<div class="row b50">
<div class="medium-4 columns">
<a href="https://iot-uoe.github.io/images/Collider-ideas-2.pdf"><img src="https://iot-uoe.github.io/images/Collider-ideas-2-thumb.jpg" alt="collider flipboard image" /></a>
</div><!-- /.medium-6.columns -->
<div class="medium-4 columns">
<a href="https://iot-uoe.github.io/images/Collider-ideas-3.pdf"><img src="https://iot-uoe.github.io/images/Collider-ideas-3-thumb.jpg" alt="collider flipboard image" /></a>
</div><!-- /.medium-6.columns -->
<div class="medium-4 columns">
<a href="https://iot-uoe.github.io/images/Collider-ideas-4.pdf"><img src="https://iot-uoe.github.io/images/Collider-ideas-4-thumb.jpg" alt="collider flipboard image" /></a>
</div><!-- /.medium-6.columns -->
</div>
<h4>Group 2: Park Sensing</h4>
<p>Placing sensors on dogs would allow people to gauge how busy parks are at a particular time, and help decide whether to make a trip or not. We could also tag children’s buggies and park benches so that we could map out particular types of usage.</p>
<div class="row b50">
<div class="medium-4 columns">
<a href="https://iot-uoe.github.io/images/Collider-ideas-5.pdf"><img src="https://iot-uoe.github.io/images/Collider-ideas-5-thumb.jpg" alt="collider flipboard image" /></a>
</div><!-- /.medium-6.columns -->
<div class="medium-4 columns">
<a href="https://iot-uoe.github.io/images/Collider-ideas-6.pdf"><img src="https://iot-uoe.github.io/images/Collider-ideas-6-thumb.jpg" alt="collider flipboard image" /></a>
</div><!-- /.medium-6.columns -->
<div class="medium-4 columns">
<a href="https://iot-uoe.github.io/images/Collider-ideas-7.pdf"><img src="https://iot-uoe.github.io/images/Collider-ideas-7-thumb.jpg" alt="collider flipboard image" /></a>
</div><!-- /.medium-6.columns -->
</div>
<h4>Group 3: Your Glass Bin is Half Full!</h4>
<p>Incentivising people to take and upload photos of how full their local recycling bins are would prevent top-floor tenement dwellers from making a wasted journey (and dumping their recycling into general waste). We could could do this by developing an app which would give Blockchain-based micro-payments to responsible citizens and help to create value within a community.</p>
<div class="row b50">
<div class="medium-4 columns">
</div><!-- /.medium-6.columns -->
<div class="medium-4 columns">
<a href="https://iot-uoe.github.io/images/Collider-ideas-8.pdf"><img src="https://iot-uoe.github.io/images/Collider-ideas-8-thumb.jpg" alt="collider flipboard image" /></a>
</div><!-- /.medium-6.columns -->
<div class="medium-4 columns">
</div><!-- /.medium-6.columns -->
</div>
<h4>Group 4: Sustainable Travel through empowerment and reward</h4>
<p>Placing digital displays on the outside of buses that visualise how full they are and how many car journeys they are saving could help encourage more sustainable travel.</p>
<div class="row b50">
<div class="medium-4 columns">
</div><!-- /.medium-6.columns -->
<div class="medium-4 columns">
<a href="https://iot-uoe.github.io/images/Collider-ideas-9.pdf"><img src="https://iot-uoe.github.io/images/Collider-ideas-9-thumb.jpg" alt="collider flipboard image" /></a>
</div><!-- /.medium-6.columns -->
<div class="medium-4 columns">
</div><!-- /.medium-6.columns -->
</div>
<hr />
<div class="t40">
Collectively, there was a feeling that we need think first and foremost about people and communities, then about data, and finally how IoT technology can play a supporting role.
</div>
<div class="row t30">
<div class="medium-6 columns">
<img src="https://iot-uoe.github.io/images/group-A.jpg" alt="" />
</div><!-- /.medium-6.columns -->
<div class="medium-6 columns">
<img src="https://iot-uoe.github.io/images/group-B.jpg" alt="" />
</div><!-- /.medium-6.columns -->
</div>
<div class="row t30">
<div class="medium-6 columns">
<img src="https://iot-uoe.github.io/images/group-D.jpg" alt="" />
</div><!-- /.medium-6.columns -->
<div class="medium-6 columns">
<img src="https://iot-uoe.github.io/images/group-C.jpg" alt="" />
</div><!-- /.medium-6.columns -->
</div>
<!--
<div class="flex-video">
<div class="storify"><iframe src="//storify.com/UoE_IoT/iot-collider-on-twitter/embed?header=false&border=false&template=slideshow" width="100%" height="750" frameborder="no" allowtransparency="true"></iframe><script src="//storify.com/UoE_IoT/iot-collider-on-twitter.js?header=false&border=false&template=slideshow"></script><noscript>[<a href="//storify.com/UoE_IoT/iot-collider-on-twitter" target="_blank">View the story "IoT Collider on Twitter" on Storify</a>]</noscript></div>
</div> -->
<div class="flex-video">
<a name="wh-video"></a>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/wqLOQp88VzU" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
</div>
<div class="medium-4 columns medium-pull-8">
</div>
<!-- /.medium-4.columns -->
2016-11-12T00:00:00+00:00https://iot-uoe.github.io/events/2016/11/iot-in-the-city-collider/Internet of Things in the City2016-11-11T00:00:00+00:00Ewan Kleinhttp://homepages.inf.ed.ac.uk/ewan/<p><em>In the context of a city-wide network for the Internet of Things, what connections can be made that link together civic, cultural and private activities to foster an open innovation culture?</em></p>
<p>LoRa wireless systems are opening up the ways we can pass data and communicate across the city. This Collider will bring together different organisations from across Edinburgh to see how we can work together and come up with creative solutions.</p>
<p>A collider is a conceptual design event, bringing together computational thinking and design thinking, to pull informaticians together with designers, and problem holders. The first part of the Collider sets the scene before breaking out into workshop sessions.</p>
2016-11-11T00:00:00+00:00