With some other people, I am currently working on a quite interesting project called OpenSpime, which is by itself software – to tell the truth, OpenSpime is “just” a protocol, now being developed as a set of libraries – but has a lot of hardware implications, being an infrastructure for the upcoming Internet Of Things revolution. Also, this work goes in the social and ambient awareness direction.

under this umbrella, we are developing (or have already developed):

1) a small, wireless CO2 sensor device, to detect air pollution level (here, we ran out of batteries… demo effect. I SWEAR it’s wireless :) )

2) a social noise pollution detection software called WideNoise, running on iPhone. This will hit the Apple Store soon. We are testing. Here comes a screenshot:

3) a smart power outlet, to measure power consumption in real-time your . This one is called SEM, Social Energy Meter.
4) an Arduino-based, multicolor table lamp, with accelerometer and bluetooth link, to be used as a somewhat esoteric IO device.
5) a social music application based on a novel synthesis engine and UI, also on iPhone. Brainstorming.
6) …and more. The list grows faster and faster.

all of this, by using OpenSpime, is connected to the Net. We have developed mashups to report air pollution levels from CO2 spimes on Google Maps. Also, OpenSpime turns iPhones in social noise sensors you can use to measure noise pollution. The iPhone built-in GPS is used to send geographical data, and server side apps (“scopenodes”) create mashups which cluster and display data. And so on. OpenSpime is an open, free, easy, smart protocol to send, collect, aggregate, filter, crypt etc, HUGE amounts of sensor data around the Net.

We call these sensors “Spimes”, after a word Bruce Sterling invented and gave us permission to freely use.

With OpenSpime, a sensor-loaded robot can become an autonomous, walking spime. Nabaztags will start to shiver, soon.

You can find more on the OpenSpime project here:

http://www.openspime.com/
http://www.openspime.org/
http://developer.openspime.com/

And we are working under this umbrella – right now, absolutely for free and in stealth mode:

http://www.widetag.com/

So, if you believe that OpenSpime could be useful for your projects, please have a look at it and contact us. Constructive criticism is absolutely welcome and NEEDED: we are developing it RIGHT NOW and we NEED real world feedback. Let’s not reinvent the wheel. Let’s build something useful, all togheter. The Internet Of Things is just ’round the corner.

On behalf of the OpenSpime Developers Community,
Aaron Brancotti AKA Babele Dunnit

Good Spiming!