CKAN

The third, and the most important, part of the equation is data. The SmartMe.IO platform uses open source CKAN [3] data management software to manage the collected data, which is openly available to developers in raw format and can be downloaded for use.

The real value add-on of SmartMe.IO is extrapolating that data and offering meaningful metrics so the municipality can correlate data to understand, for example, the cause of pollution and mitigate it.

However, SmartMe.IO is not stopping at running the cloud and managing the IoT devices. They want to make these devices smarter, so they can offer more value. Now they have started to use cameras with these devices to offer smart camera services, such as help with head counts in crowded places. Some projects are already running in places like airports to assist in safety and security. However, cameras increase the risk of privacy invasion. To mitigate such concerns, SmartMe.IO is pushing machine learning to these devices so that no image is sent to or saved on the server. Data processing happens on the edge device and only statistical data is sent to the server. Once again, it's all powered by open source, with the use of Darknet on the cameras to protect privacy.

Future

The next plan for the project is to offer complete end-to-end solutions, all the way from Arancino boxes to the cloud, so interested parties don't have to worry about the infrastructure and can consume the data that they need.

The SmartMe.IO team is also working on using mobile devices like smartphones to expand their scope. To make the project financially sustainable, SmartMe.IO is planning to sell services, consulting, and integrated systems. What they are not selling is datasets; at the moment, data is meant to be open.

The SmartMe.IO platform is part of the Fiware [4] community, a European initiative to "build an open sustainable ecosystem around public, royalty-free and implementation-driven software platform standards that will ease the development of new Smart Applications in multiple sectors."

The SmartMe.IO efforts are a great example of how open source technologies enable anyone in the world to come up with innovative solutions to their problems. As the project matures, it holds so many possibilities, such as helping cities cope with pollution, infrastructure management, wear and tear of roads, water leakage, wildfire control, traffic control, security at public places, and more.