Definition of web 3.0

There are many discussions and definitions out there which define the term „web 3.0“. I think it is much to early to judge as I can recognize only convergence in technology and who should know what this finally means…

Here are some theses I’d like to share.

First, I believe that today’s millions of embedded software systems and the Internet will get connected. Many people think that Internet invades embedded systems. I see it differently. As embedded systems are much more natural to work with it is the embedded systems replacing PCs and laptops while using the same network infrastructure created for the PCs.

Often people say the web 3.0 is the Internet of things. e.g. this quote „It’s not the documents, it is the things they are about which are important“ from timbl’s blog. Even stronger is the concept of RFID chips in each object of the world. Of course this gives a unique ID to every peace on the planet but how to make use of this.

Other people argue that web 3.0 is all about semantic webs.

I am thinking more like a dualism in web 3.0 of 1. physical objects connected and 2. information about the objects and there connection. Only if objects are somehow accessible in the Internet and semantic meta-data about them is in the Internet the story will work. This gives some heavy philosophical questions. There has been the century long discussion about existence and essence which is strongly linked to the fact what human can observe to be existent. If you put the above bold „and“ literally this would mean a object is only existent if a human can physically recognize it and its semantic meta-information is in the Internet. The latter could even be the essence of the object. If you think this is strange, I have an interesting question: How much of you is physically visible, touchable, or in general sens-able and how much information about you is in the Internet. If you are a very famous person there is a lot information in the Internet. This might even be wrong but has a strong impact on you „physically“. Dualism looks like the right concept for this phenom.

Finally, the development of web 3.0 depends heavily on the societies trust, security, and stay-in-charge needs.  It looks like that you people are very open to share very private information in the web. Older people are much more reluctant. Data security flaws are not new but the impact and the amount of data is much higher today putting much higher risks at stakes. I see this a the wild card in the game.

My tiny web 3.0 project

I questioned myself how I could learn about and contribute to web 3.0. I thought a small project connecting a non-internet device to the internet and add some service would be nice. As I live in a house with a brand new heating and solar system which is not connected at all this looks like a promissing candidate for such a project. As far as I know the optimizing of energy delivery and consumption is not possible in this system set-up like it is right now. Connecting both systems to the internet and adding a service could be a solution.

So, I decided to start with an analysis service first. I’d like to answer the question: How is the heating system and the solar system controlled? How much energy do the deliver, require, and consume?

Technically, I have to get some sensor data to the internet. Does not sound that complicated. Let’s see…

How to participtate in Web 3.0?

If you belive that almost every device is connected to the internet that gives very interesting applications. Just imagine all temperatur sensors in heating and air conditioning systems deliver always the current and local temperature…

So, I deceided to connect my heating and solar system to a web-service. My application is to log the data and to improve the energy efficiency and the hand-shake of the two systems. Let’s see how complicated this gets and how practicale this can be.

What is Pachube?

Pachube (called „patch bay“) is a web-service with a world-wide accessable network of sensors from real objects or virtual entities like in second life. Pachube uses several well known concepts like Youtube, Google Maps, share charts and Blogs.

Technology

Pachube defines and uses the Extended Environments Markup Language (EEML) and a approriate EEML Processing library. For a more simpler access sensordata can also be send over CSV.

Projekt

The project started in March 2007 managed and sponsored by the company Haque Design + Research with the following people:

  • Usman Haque, creative director
  • Sam Mulube, technical producer, website development
  • Chris Leung, EEML developer
  • Ai Hasegawa, designer

Weblinks

Sensors everywhere?

The world is full of electrical sensors. Each heating system, air conditioning, refrigerator, car, and laptops are full of them. I don’t understand why we don’t use this data source more…

Up to now I identified two possible standards to connect the world. One is a big consortium called Open Geospatial fueled by Google, NASA, and many more companies (see wikipedia). Anotherone is a small project called Pachube .

As this is not enough to connect sensors to the internet infrastructure we need also a embedded electronic and software platform like that from Sentilla.

Hello, anybody out there for Web 3.0

After Web 2.0 looks like almost finished I was dreaming about Web 3.0. I guess then the internet will not only connect people with their PCs and handhelds but nearly every device that can be connected with reasonable costs to the internet. If this is really a future scenario I deceided I’d like to participate actively in Web 3.0.

Hence, what means “reasonable costs”. Mhhm. Looks like this needs more investigation.