6LoWPAN: The wireless embedded Internet - Part 2: 6LoWPAN history, market perspective & applications

The reason why there are such a large number of technical solutions in the wireless embedded networking market is that the requirements, scale and market of embedded applications vary wildly. Applications can range from personal health sensor monitoring to large scale facility monitoring, which differ greatly. This is in contrast to PC information technology, which is fairly homogeneous and mainly aimed at home and office environments. The ideal use of 6LoWPAN is in applications where:

• embedded devices need to communicate with Internet-based services,

• low-power heterogeneous networks need to be tied together,

• the network needs to be open, reusable and evolvable for new uses and services, and

• scalability is needed across large network infrastructures with mobility.

Connecting the Internet to the physical world enables a wide range of interesting applications where 6LoWPAN technology may be applicable, for example:

• home and building automation

• healthcare automation and logistics

• personal health and fitness (see Figure 1.4)

• improved energy efficiency

• industrial automation (see Figure 1.5)

• smart metering and smart grid infrastructures

• real-time environmental monitoring and forecasting

• better security systems and less harmful defense systems

• more flexible RFID infrastructures and uses

• asset management and logistics

• vehicular automation

One interesting example application of 6LoWPAN is in facility management, which is the management of large facilities using a combination of building automation, asset management and other embedded systems. This quickly growing field can benefit from 6LoWPAN, is feasible with today's technology, and has real business demand. For these reasons it is an ideal example, which is introduced in the next section.