Google is embracing the Internet of Things (IoT) with Android Things, bringing the Android platform beyond mobile devices. By making Android Things free and compatible with existing Android and Google services, Google aims to eliminate barriers to entry for IoT development, similar to how it enabled the mobile ecosystem. Android Things provides developers with a familiar Android environment to build IoT devices, while introducing APIs tailored for IoT with support for sensors, communication protocols, and local AI/machine learning capabilities. Real projects show the potential for Android Things in applications like smart homes, drones, industrial equipment, and more.

1. Beyond the phone: Google
embraces IoT with Android Things
By giving away the hard stuff,
Google does to IoT what it did to mobile.
Carl Whalley
OTAMate
https://www.linkedin.com/in/carlwhalley

2. IoT: Connect, Command, Control

3. 8.4 billion devices online in 2017
Earth’s population 2017:
7.6 billion
30 billion devices online in 2020
Market value $7.1T in 2020
Anything electrical can be online

4. IoT’s past is similar to mobile
No clear market leader OS
Nodes not powerful enough
Separate interfaces, protocols + UI’s
No enabler to standardise

5. Android outside mobile isn’t new

6. The Hardware/Software tipping point
RAM, CPU power sky rocketed
Fewer wheels re-invented
Local networks became the Internet
Software evolved to make use of it
- Multitasking
- Better real world modelling

7. Google spots another perfect storm
IoT ready for prime time
The brand:
- 90% of smartphone users already know Android.
Established Cloud infrastructure
- Google Cloud IoT
- Managed services/Analytics/Security

8. Eliminated barriers to entry
Android Things is free
Ultra low cost hardware
Android support already available in
terms of docs, skills, apps, marketing
Guaranteed compatibility with Googles
Mobile & Cloud services

9. Much more than just Android on a Pi
“Fleet” management
Device certification
Security
Scalability

10. The Android Things console

11. What’s development like?
Platform is current Android
- Familar AndroidManifest.xml etc
- Keeps up with latest Kotlin (Yay!)
- No emulator (yet)
- The familiar Android env is all there:
- Activities
- Lifecycles
- Views etc
- Distinguishes between production
and development boards
- Heavy emphasis on drivers for I/O

12. And the code?
No default UI!
- No home screen/status bar/navigation
- Roll your own UI or use hardware
- Ooops: Google always said don’t code
a back button
Many API differences & restrictions
- Permissions can’t be asked for interactively
- Google services missing: Ads/Pay/Play Store
- Does support Firebase/Maps/Location

13. Sensors and comms
GPIO
- General Purpose IO
- “Pins” with easy on/off detection
- Industry standard I2C, serial Tx/Rx
- Networking
- WiFi
- Bluetooth
Native
- C++ via JNI for when you need to hit the metal

14. Local AI
Tensorflow Lite
- Image classifier via camera
- AI Training performed off device
- Machine Learning:
data deployed as one processed image
- Can act as Edge Computing device
- Tensorflow has full Android Studio support
- Local AI means offline continuity support

15. Call your Driver!
Drivers Managed by Developers
- Display: LCD screen, OLED
- Location: GPS, WiFi
- HID: Touch pads, keyboards etc
- Supports sensor fusion:
combines data from different physical
devices into a single virtual one
- LoWPAN:
Low-power Wireless Personal Area Networks

16. Real projects
Hackster
- Air Quality monitoring via Taxis
- Home brewery
- 3 Axis CNC
- Smart home security monitoring
- Drain clog detector
- Drone controllers
https://www.hackster.io/google/products/android-things