Peer-it: Stick-on solutions for networks of things

An integrated, autonomous stick-on computing platform is proposed, consisting of (i) the Peer-it stick-on, multi-sensor, multi-actuator computer hardware, (ii) the Peer-it component-based software framework, and (iii) the Peer-it profile markup language PeerML, supporting spontaneous interaction among such platforms. The platform implements Peer-to-Peer computing principles in a self-contained, miniaturized, universal and scalable way, giving raise for application scenarios where the real-world artefacts like e.g. machines, tools or appliances-literally every thing-equipped with Peer-it technology can operate in spontaneously interacting, goal-oriented ensembles. Technically, preferences (like capabilities and goals) and context (like time, geo-position, owner, environmental conditions, etc.) of peers are kept as a profile encoded in PeerML in the local memory of Peer-its, and carried along wherever they move in space. Once peers come into spatial proximity of each other, profiles are exchanged via wireless communication, and the "similarity" of preferences is analyzed. In the case of "matching" preferences, an associated application is notified on both peers. Besides a fully functional autonomous hardware platform integrating multiple sensors, actuator arrays and wireless communication technologies, the Peer-it stick-on computer, a low-memory footprint, OSGi compliant Peer-it software framework has been implemented. We demonstrate in a flexible manufacturing systems (FMS) scenario, how the Peer-it technology can improve over centralized FMSs with respect to fault tolerance, scalability, flexibility in reconfiguration, productivity and efficiency.