IPSO Alliance names semifinalists in IoT competition
May 1, 2014. The IPSO (Internet Protocol for Smart Objects) Alliance announced ten semifinalists for the IPSO CHALLENGE 2014. “Our judges had a difficult time choosing just ten semifinalists from the many innovative entries,” said Eaton Corporation's Nick Ashworth, IPSO Alliance chairman. “The diversity of ideas, industry and geography of the entries emphasizes the global relevance of the IoT.”
Dr. Vinton Cerf, vice president and chief Internet evangelist at Google, remarked, “We are sponsoring the IPSO CHALLENGE because Google believes in supporting innovators and those who define new frontiers for the Internet. I wish all the contestants the best and urge them to continue pursuing the simultaneous need for innovation, interoperability and security as the Internet of Things takes us to billions of connected devices.”
The IPSO CHALLENGE, now in its second year, is a competition for the most innovative concepts using an IP-based approach to connecting smart objects. IPSO CHALLENGE 2014 received entries in a wide range of industry categories, including: automotive, healthcare, logistics, smart homes and buildings, and gaming. Entries were received from 10 different countries, and represent a mix of company sizes, government, academia, and individuals. Here are the ten semifinalists and the countries they come from (in alphabetical order by entry name):
- “CarKnow—Enabling 'Avacar' Virtual Vehicles” from CarKnow LLC, USA.
- “CenLab Portable Chemistry Analyzer” from Centero, USA.
- “GameReality—remote controlled laser tag robots” from GameReality, Sweden.
- “HOP into the IoT with IPv6-ready tiny and wearable Bluetooth smart devices” from HOP Ubiquitous S.L., Spain.
- “IoTSys Control Logic Editor” from Vienna University of Technology, Austria.
- “IPv6 Enabled Indoor Positioning System” from ELIKO, Estonia.
- “Predictive House Fan Controller” from the USA.
- “Ripple” from the Discovery Lab at the Wright Brothers Institute and U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory, USA
- “SmartTap” from Aqualligence, Cyprus.
- “Yanzi IoT Devices and Services” from Yanzi Networks AB, Sweden
Semifinalists have eight weeks to submit functional prototypes to a panel of judges at the IPSO CHALLENGE, colocated at Sensors Expo & Conference in Chicago. The top three most innovative IP-based solutions will be announced on June 25, 2014, and will receive awards of $10,000 for first place, $5,000 for second place, and $2,500 for third place.
IPSO Alliance is also hosting an “Internet of Things Pavilion” at Sensors Expo 2014. The Pavilion will not only showcase the innovative designs from CHALLENGE finalists but will also include IP-connected solutions from Alliance members and partners in sensor, control, and M2M applications. IPSO CHALLENGE 2014 sponsors include Atmel and Sigma Designs/Z-Wave (both sponsoring for the second year), Google, and Micrium.
The IPSO Alliance is a global collaborative forum, including many Fortune 500 high tech companies, each a leading player in their industry segment. IPSO Alliance serves as a thought leader for the various communities seeking to establish the Internet Protocol as the network for the connection of Smart Objects. The IPSO Alliance provides a foundation for industry growth through providing education, promoting the industry, generating research, and creating a better understanding of IP and its role in the Internet of Things.
Promoter members include ARM, Atmel, Bosch, Cisco, Eaton, EDF, Ericsson, Freescale, GreenWave Reality, Grid Connect, Itron, Landis&Gyr, Linear Technology, Micrium, NXP Semiconductors, Oracle, SICS, Sigma Designs, Silicon Labs, Silver Spring Networks, STMicroelectronics, and Tridium. Contributor Members include Aidon, Centero Tech, Connode, Cyberlightning, ElectroTest, ELIKO, Elster, Emerson Climate Technologies, EPRI, Google, ISMB, Lulea University, Maxfor, Nokia, Proto6, Sensus, Synapse Wireless, Texas Instruments, and Tampere University of Technology.