Calling all InnOvaTors!

Over the last few weeks we've been contemplating the processes involved in designing an IoT solution around a specific problem, which we hope will become something of a conceptual blueprint for the industry to see when we take it to them at this year's Elektronica show.

To kick things off you told us all about your workflow process, before covering the fascinating topic of sensor nodes. Which brought us to the last InnOvaTors talk, in which we all discussed what a gateway is, what it needs, and how you'd make one.

Today we want to move beyond the ring fence of your connected things, and out onto the internet as we ask you to give us some insights on the cloud component.

Cloud Consulting

It's an interesting discussion point, pondering whether it's actually an internet of things if your platform doesn't go online in one manner or another. If it's all contained within a private network, perhaps it's only an intranet of things?

So let's take a look at how you add access and control from the outside, and what sort of precautions and protocols are needed to make sure it works smoothly and efficiently, but without any worrisome compromise.

First though, here's a quick recap of the scenario we've posed at each stage, to give some context to your InnOvaTors design solution.

Design a Home Patient Monitoring System with Notification and Alert Capabilities

Background

Among the numerous types of innovations that are expected to be fostered by Internet of Things (IoT) technologies, smart-connected healthcare solutions will perhaps be the most important one for millions of elderly people who live alone. In the UK 3.5 million people over the age of 65 live alone, and almost 70% of the women in this age group. The U.S has a similar trend with 11.8 million, and nearly half of the women over the age of 75 living alone.

This number is expected to increase as the growth in people over age 65 is projected to double from 43.1 million in 2012 to 83.7 million in 2050, according to the U.S Census Bureau. Whether an elderly person lives alone by choice or necessity, this living arrangement can pose a potential health risk as physical and cognitive impairment becomes evident.

Your Challenge: Helping a Stroke Patient Who Falls

A typical example of the challenge that the elderly face while living alone is Mrs. Jones. She is 79 years-old and has been living alone successfully for ten years since her husband passed away. While she has not had any problems during this period of time, Mrs. Jones recently suffered a minor stroke that led to numbness in her extremities and an overall weakness in strength but did not appear to be life-changing until she began losing her balance and falling in her apartment

Mrs. Jones’s daughter suggested to her mother that it was time to consider moving into a nursing home for safety’s sake. Mrs. Jones dismissed the idea out of a desire to remain independent. Her daughter discussed this situation with Mrs. Jones's doctor who said her options were limited. Beyond a live-in caregiver, home nurse visits, or home monitoring systems, which had limited benefits as they are currently designed, there was little else to do.

Head in the Clouds

When we look at taking the IoT out and into the cloud, consider the following:

• Is an off-the-shelf cloud platform the way to go? If so, which do you recommend and why?
  
• Are there any advantages to building your own IoT cloud server? If so, how do you do it?

In the comments section below, we'd like to hear your thoughts and advice on the cloud component of an IoT solution. The advice, ideas and direction you provide here will ultimately wind up in front of suppliers, manufacturers and industry leaders at this year's Elektronica show, so don't hold back!