Realizing the Internet of Nano Things: Challenges, Solutions, and Applications

Sasitharan Balasubramaniam, Jussi Kangasharju
2013 Computer  
The world of IoT has enabled user's to interact with the environment, in order to perform various tasks that best suits their requirements and daily lives. This includes the ability for end users to interact with miniature sensors within the environment, where such sensors can provide vital information (e.g. ECG from on-body sensors). However, extending the IoT to include nanoscale sensors and devices can further expand the application base of IoT. Connectivity of nanosensors can be realized
more » ... ough nano communication, leading to miniaturized nanonetworks. By interconnecting nanoscale networks to the wider Internet, collecting sensed information at microscopic level and in hard-to-access areas will be possible. In this article, we first present an overall vision of Internet of Nano Things (IoNT) before diving deep into two main challenges. These challenges are focused on immediate connection between nanonetworks and the wider Internet, in particular data collection processes and middlewares of devices connecting to nanonetworks. The article also provides a brief outlook on extensions to current pervasive computing environment that could benefit from IoNT, and potential applications of IoNT. Parallel to the advancement of the Internet and the sensing world, are also the advances in the field of nanotechnology. Since Richard Feyman's famous Nobel Prize speech in 1959, the field of nanotechnology has advanced tremendously, resulting in sophisticated devices with numerous healthcare applications (e.g. improved sensing at molecular level, accurate and targeted drug delivery). In recent years, the field of nano and molecular communication has emerged, where the objective is to develop new communication paradigms that can enable nanodevices to communicate. Enabling communication between nanodevices will further enhance and improve their capabilities, where these miniature devices can cooperate and possibly lead to new application scenarios [1] .
doi:10.1109/mc.2012.389 fatcat:jgj32et4xfeypj5utezvsz23se