04-645   Internet of Things

Course description

Traditionally, only computer devices were connected to the Internet. The Internet of Things (IoT) seeks to connect every “Thing” to the Internet. Things may include sensors, vehicles, home appliances, structures, etc. In this course, students will learn how to interconnect different Things to the Internet using web technologies. Using such well-developed and well-supported technologies makes it easier to deploy the IoT network in a cheaper and more secure way. Students will also learn how to send information back to the Things for actuation purposes. Students will learn how to fuse raw sensor data in a meaningful way for large networks. 

The course will also cover the connectivity technologies available for the IoT and how to choose the most appropriate technologies for different scenarios. The course takes a deeper look at low-power, long-range wireless protocols as well as appropriate protocols for constrained devices in the IoT ecosystem. In addition, students learn about PCB design and hardware prototyping. The course combines several labs and a final class project to enhance student learning.

Learning objectives

The objectives of the course are to:

• Understand the differences between the Internet of Things (IoT) and the Web of Things (WoT)
• Understand the architectural principles used to design the WoT
• Design and implement WoT-based systems using RESTful principles
• Understand the technologies, protocols, and standards that influence the IoT such as MQTT, CoAP, HTTP, etc.
• Develop web applications that interact with low-level IoT deployments
• Learn how to fuse and process large amounts of sensor data to reach accurate decisions
• Appreciate privacy and security issues associated with IoT
• Understand the principles behind printed circuit board (PCB) and sensor node design

Outcomes

After completing the course, students will be able to:

• Explain the differences and advantages of designing IoT systems using the WoT approach
• Choose the most appropriate sensors and associated connectivity technologies and IoT platforms for different scenarios
• Build WoT systems based on RESTful principles to connect multiple low-level sensors to Internet-based applications
• Design a PCB to create a sensor node for a given scenario

Content details

• Overview of IoT systems from the edge to the cloud
• Data fusion techniques and Kalman filtering
• Principles of the WoT approach to the IoT
• IoT connectivity technologies
• WoT protocols for constrained devices (e.g., CoAP and MQTT)
• Developing Web APIs for Things
• Implementing the Web of Things
• Design and development of PCBs for IoT deployment

Prerequisites

None

Faculty

Edwin Mugume