On Deploying IoT Indoor: An Incremental Approach

Deploying radio-connected Internet-of-Things in an indoor environment is challenging. Most deployment methods are based on the radio range to determine the density or distance to place the nodes. Unfortunately, the surrounding obstacles such as walls and furniture make the communication pattern unpredictable. It follows that a well-planned IoT deployment plan that guarantees full connectivity on the drawing board may result in disconnected system when deployed on-site. A practical IoT deployment tool must cope with the difference in offline planning and on-site deployment. In this paper, a practical tool is introduced that deploys a network of IoT incrementally for indoor environments. The tool ensures node connectivity in the field despite environmental obstacles. The deployment process is divided into three main phases: offline deployment, online deployment and optimization. Each phase of the tool aims to place as few relay nodes as possible but always ensure full connectivity. The effectiveness of the tool is evaluated through real deployment.