ICT SHOK: Device and Interoperability Ecosystem

UbiSpace project proposal (2008)
(Agent-based Semantic Middleware Platform for Device Interoperability in Smart Space Environments)

Being predominantly small-scale, specialized and often isolated, smart space environments are penetrating into our life at an increasing pace. They gracefully weave themselves into surrounding physical infrastructure to bring specific non-obtrusive value-added functionality to human users and thereby act as their invisible servants carrying out these functions largely autonomously and in the background. Aside from apparent but complicated challenge of value-added autonomous functionality design, there is a fundamental challenge for seamless device interoperability which must be solved in the first place, as devices form the backbone of any smart space. This interoperability quest is also identified as crucial in many adjacent science and technology areas such as future Internet and flexible service architectures. However, it receives key importance and a rather comprehensive view particularly within the smart space research and development area. Specifically, we see at least the following two interoperability problems: interoperability between the devices produced and programmed by different vendors and/or providers, and the need for seamless and flexible collaboration (including discovery, coordination, conflict resolution and possibly even negotiation) amongst the smart space devices and services. To tackle these problems, UbiSpace intends utilization of semantic languages (based on semantic technologies such as RDF) for declarative specification of devices’ and services’ behavior, application of software agents as engines executing those specifications, and establishment of common ontologies to facilitate and govern seamless interoperation of devices within smart spaces.

The major project objective is to provide the basis for creation of fully interoperable (though heterogeneous), highly dynamic and extensible smart space environments. To achieve that, a specialized agent-driven middleware platform UbiSpace will be designed. It is envisioned that each ubiquitous smart device (as well as each individual service exposed as an individually accessible entity through the environment) will be assigned a representative agent within UbiSpace. The resulting multi-agent system will be exploited as a mediation facility enabling rich cooperation capabilities (e.g., discovery, coordination, adaptability, and negotiation) amongst the devices inhabiting the smart space environment. Utilization of semantic technologies in UbiSpace will ensure efficient and autonomous coordination among UbiSpace agents and will thus ensure interoperability between associated devices and services.

Also, UbiSpace Upper Ontology and UbiSpace device and service ontologies will be designed as an important asset contributing to interoperability realization within future smart space environments and in stringent conformance with the major principles laid out in ICT-SHOK Devices and Interoperability Ecosystems Strategic Research Agenda (D&I-SRA). These ontologies will be used not only for the benefit of UbiSpace middleware architecture, but also and most importantly for facilitation of interoperability and integration of existing and brand-new future devices, services and methodologies which will be later developed within D&I-SRA field. The core ontology-driven UbiSpace platform as well as a few demonstration cases of its utilization in various application scenarios will be developed during the project period. Through appropriate declarative specification of smart space components’ behavior and using sophisticated choreographic control of agents in an infrastructure less networked environment, the UbiSpace will enable various devices and services to automatically discover each other and to configure complex services functionally composed of the individual services’ and devices’ functionalities.