IP-enabled smart sensor and actuator node for ambient intelligence systems

Ambient Intelligence (AmI) is achieved using ubiquitous sensing and autonomous control implemented on distributed and embedded computing resources hidden within the environment. Modern AmI systems are typically built on wireless sensor and actuator networks (WSANs). The most recent trend is to implement such systems using small embedded devices, such as wireless sensor nodes, with Internet accessibility. Such nodes allow AmI systems to be implemented based on the concept of Internet of Things (IoT), which not only enables autonomous sensing and control, but also allows information to be accessed and processed remotely. In this paper, we present an IP-enabled smart sensor and actuator node that can interface with various digital/analogue sensors and actuators, and communicate with each other using 6LoWPAN protocol. The node can be programmed in a system-level programming language, SystemJ, which supports the design of distributed, reactive and concurrent AmI systems. The high-level programming abstraction and system-level design methodology provided by SystemJ removes the needs of additional middleware and significantly reduces the complexity of designing highly distributed AmI systems.