17-05-2014, 03:51 PM
The X-Internet - Connecting the Physical World with the Cyber World
X-Internet.pdf (Size: 344.16 KB / Downloads: 26)
Executive Summary
In just 20 years, the Internet has fundamentally changed the way we live,
learn, do business and entertain ourselves. What makes the Internet so
revolutionary is that it provides a standard way for people to connect
anywhere around the world.
Now, the Internet is entering a new generation of Seamless Mobility,
thanks to affordable mobile devices that take advantage of new options
and increased coverage for wireless connectivity. Standards-based wireless
technologies and infrastructure are growing at a rate that promises to
completely remove all remaining barriers to truly seamless personal
interaction and knowledge transfer.
But even a ubiquitous wireless Internet isn’t the complete fulfillment of the
Seamless Mobility revolution. Today’s Internet connects people to people,
providing information in text, video, sound and other formats intended for use
by people. The next step is to Internet-enable physical objects — connecting
people with things and even things with things.
INTRODUCTION
Twenty years ago, it was almost unimaginable how the brick-sized cell phone device that
some top-level businesspeople were using would soon change our lives. A few years later,
when e-mail was introduced, it was hard to imagine all the information, entertainment,
convenience and communication that today’s Internet would bring. Similarly, the X-Internet
can be difficult for people to “get” upon first hearing about it.
But, without a doubt, the X-Internet will transform lives and businesses in much more
powerful ways than the PC or even today’s Internet itself. Today’s Internet connects people
to people. Oftentimes it’s not a direct connection, but think about it: retail sites, databases,
games, content, search engines and more are all ultimately created by people, using
display formats that make sense to people, with the sole purpose of serving other people.
The X-Internet goes much further: It adds connectivity for physical objects, creating a
wealth of new opportunities for intelligent interaction between people and things, and even
between things and other things.
Like pieces of a puzzle, many of the enabling technologies and early implementations are
already in place. Inexpensive radio frequency identification (RFID) tags are being placed in
parts, products, access cards and more to uniquely identify each item. These passive tags
are tiny, inexpensive and require no battery power. Devices designed to read these RFID
tags can be placed in doorways, turnstiles, and other portals to track objects entering and
leaving the area.
New form factors
Finally, new form factors will be required to enable nodes that can be deployed in virtually
any environment. Today’s wireless security sensors that are typically placed adjacent
to window and door frames will, in the future, be part of the frame itself. Sensors that
can survive caustic environments and extreme temperatures will enable new kinds of
applications for industrial control, agriculture, traffic management, homeland security,
climate modeling and more.
Small, affordable sensors will be developed that can be embedded in commodity products —
similar to RFID tags, but with additional capabilities that include intelligent sensing, control
and connectivity. Sensors that can be injected subcutaneously or even ingested orally
by animals and people will enable new methods of healthcare monitoring, emergency
response and other similar applications.
IPv6 addressing
The X-Internet will eventually incorporate billions, perhaps trillions, of new network nodes.
IPv4 is the current packet-switching protocol that provides a unique address for every
attached device. It supports 4.3 billion IP addresses, which is less than one address for
every person on the planet. As it becomes the norm for people to own multiple IP-enabled
devices, it’s clear that IPv4 will soon become inadequate to handle the existing Internet, let
alone the X-Internet.
IPv6 is already making inroads on the Internet. It supports 128-bit addressing, potentially
providing unique addresses for as many as 3.4×1038 nodes. That’s more than one address for
every atom in the earth’s continents and oceans. Although there’s no need to address individual
atoms, IPv6 will allow addresses to be allocated in large blocks to avoid fragmentation, keep
routing tables manageable, and simplify administration. Widespread adoption of IPv6 will be
essential for complete penetration of X-Internet technology. Motorola is a front-runner in the
introduction of IPv6 along with IPv4 compatibility across all product categories.