The Web of Things (WoT)
- [Cornell University]
- Overview
The enablement or implementation of IoT/IoE is done using Web of Things (WoT). The Web of Things (WoT) is a term used to describe approaches, software architectural styles and programming patterns that allow real-world objects to be part of the World Wide Web. Similarly to what the Web (Application Layer) is to the Internet (Network Layer), the Web of Things provides an Application Layer that simplifies the creation of Internet of Things applications. Rather than re-inventing completely new standards, the Web of Things reuses existing and well-known Web standards used in the programmable Web, semantic Web, the real-time Web and the social Web.
The WoT focuses on software standards and frameworks such as REST, HTTP and URIs to create applications and services that combine and interact with a variety of network devices. It is intended to enable interoperability across IoT Platforms and application domains. Primarily, the WoT provides mechanisms to formally describe IoT interfaces to allow IoT devices and services to communicate with each other, independent of their underlying implementation, and across multiple networking protocols. Secondarily, it provides a standardized way to define and program IoT behavior.
The Web will enable a transition from costly monolithic software to open markets of apps. "The Web of Things (WoT) vision", going beyond the Internet of Things and where real world objects and cloud services interact through the Web, will produce large volumes of data related to the physical world, and intelligent solutions are required to enable connectivity, inter-networking, and relevance between the physical world and the corresponding digital world resources.
In the Web of Things, any device can be accessed using standard Web protocols. Connecting heterogeneous devices to the Web makes the integration across systems and applications much simpler. The use of Web technologies is expected to dramatically reduce the cost for implementing and deploying IoT services. Correspondingly, WoT brings into focus a wide variety of challenges and opportunities while paving a way to a variety of exciting applications for individuals to industries. The reality of a hyper-connected world is here today.
