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pipeline. There are three primary visions [16] around which most of the
research in this area is focussed:
Things-oriented Vision:
This vision is largely supported by the
RFID vision of tracking objects with tags [108]. This vision sup-
ports the use of the
Electronic Product Code (EPC)
in conjunction
with RFID technology to collect and track sensor data. The EPC-
global framework [118] is based on this vision of unique product
identification and tracking.
The
things-oriented vision
is by far the dominant vision today, and
RFID technology is often (mistakenly) assumed to be synonymous
with the internet of things. It is important to note that while
RFID technology will continue to be a very important enabler of
this phenomenon (especially because of the unique identifiability
provided by the EPC), it is certainly not the only technology which
can be used for data collection. The things-vision includes data
generated by other kinds of embedded sensor devices, actuators,
or mobile phones. In fact, more sophisticated sensor technology
(beyond tags) is usually required in conjunction with RFID in or-
der to collect and transmit useful information about the objects
being tracked. An example of this is the
Wireless Identification
and Sensing Platform (WISP)
[121] being constructed at Intel.
WISPs are powered by standard RFID readers, and can be used
to measure sensing quantities in the physical environment, such
as temperature. The overall vision is that of
RFID-based Sensor
Networks
[22], which integrate RFID technology, small sensing and
computing devices, RFID readers (which provide a key intermedi-
ate layer between the “things” and the “internet”), and internet
connectivity.
Internet-oriented Vision:
The internet-oriented vision corre-
sponds to construction of the IP protocols for enabling
smart ob-
jects
, which are internet connected. This is typically spearheaded
by the
IPSO
alliance [122]. Typically, this technology goes beyond
RFID.
A theoretical concept, which has emerged in this direction is that
of the
spime
, [99] an object, which is uniquely identifiable, and may
of its real-time attributes (such as location) can be continuously
tracked. Examples of this concept include
smart objects
,which
are tiny computers which have sensors or actuators, and a com-
munication device. These can be embedded in cars, light switches,
thermometers, billboards, or machinery. Typically these objects
