Martin Schmid of t8y.com presented on IoT and how it relates to their work. They discussed how iBeacons can be used for indoor navigation and location-based games. As an example, they created an app called DUS Open Playground that used iBeacons installed around Dusseldorf train station to guide users on a scavenger hunt game and provide them information based on their location. The backend for the app was built using Magnolia CMS to manage the beacon locations and app content which was served to users via a REST API. The presentation covered the technology used, lessons learned from testing the app, and how iBeacons can add value for indoor navigation in various

1. Magnolia & IoT
Magnolia Conference 2015, Basel
Martin Schmid, Tech. Consultant, t8y.com Hamburg
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2. t8y.com
t8y.com stands for “technology”.
t[echnolog]y.com
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3. t8y.com, Hamburg
Based in the „Atlantic House“ in
Hamburg, the t8y.com team is
keen on web-based technology
projects and innovative trends.
We are proud to be Magnolia
CMS partner and we endorse
JAVA as our core backend
programming language.
Regarding frontend technologies
we follow the atomic design
pattern to build state-of-the-art
responsive websites.
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4. t8y.com - scope
Our scope of work:
- E-mail marketing using various systems
- Websites of medium and large complexity
- Magnolia CMS backend systems
- Server-side Java development
- Internationalization (i18n)
- Long term maintenance
- Quality Engineering / Assurance
- Technical consulting
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5. Martin Schmid
Martin Schmid
Technical Consultant and Project Manager at t8y.com
gmbh in Hamburg, Germany.
Working for Tribal, DDBTribal and t8y.com since 2008 and
developed Magnolia CMS websites for Volkswagen,
Montblanc and REWE; pitches and migration projects.
Currently I’m leading the system environment migration
and website project development of REWE -- one of the
biggest Supermarkets in Germany and one of the
successfullest online shops for foods.
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6. IoT
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7. Definition of IoT
● Represents real things in the virtual world
● “things” communicate by themselves w/o interaction of humans
● “things” interact indipendently
○ to support users instead the need of user attention
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8. History of IoT
● IoT walk into life many years ago:
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9. Trojan Room coffee pot
-- The coffee is the thing --
● Sent coffee pot fillig level over
network
● University of Cambridge
● 1991 via LAN, RPC
(Client/Server)
● 1993 via Browser & Intenet
● standardized transfer protocol :)
○ Ref: RFC 2324 “Hyper Text
Coffee Pot Control Protocol
(HTCPCP/1.0)”
○ http://tools.ietf.
org/html/rfc2324
Photo: http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trojan-Room-Kaffeemaschine
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10. Parcel Service
-- The parcel is the
thing --
● Parcel “send” status
of delivery
● Technology:
barcode & scanner
● Recipient get
information by email
and website.
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11. iBeacons
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12. Tagging and geolocate
● flexible setting own trigger
points by geolocation
service
● GPS is not always
probable, because it’s not
available indoor
● short range location
service
○ iBeacons
○ RFID...
● iBeacons:
○ send UUID
○ use Bluetooth LE
○ consumer must know
UUID of beacon
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13. geolocate w/ iBeacons: guides
-- The POI is the thing --
● Travel Guide
● Download App on
mobile device
● Preload content
● Palma de Mallorca
● “Walking on Words”
combines iBeacons
and QR Code
Photo: Palma de Mallorca “Camins de Cultura”, by Martin Schmid
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14. iBeacons
● pro:
○ easy to install
○ easy to run
○ favorable price
● con:
○ need BLE phone (iPhones: 4c..6, latest Androids)
○ 2 years runtime not always reached, some batteries run low after a
few months
○ weather conditions and objects reduce range
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15. Tagging and geolocate: games
-- The location is the thing --
● DUS Open Playground
● t8y.com paper chase
● location based gaming
across the Düsseldorf main
station
● indoor navigation and push
messages
Photo: DUS Open Playground, by Martin Schmid
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16. DUS Open Playground
- Project initialized by Ströer (out-of-home advertising)
- Düsseldorf train station covered with iBeacons
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17. DUS Open Playground -
laout plan iBeacons (lower floor)
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18. DUS Open Playground -
laout plan iBeacons (platforms)
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19. DUS Open Playground -
iBeacons integrated in billboards
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20. DUS Open Playground
- The motto: “added value through connection virtual and real life”
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21. Open Playground - Ideas
The ideas:
- find mate ("wait or date”)
- indoor navigation on moving persons
- find shop
- indoor navigation map,
- show the path to store, send discount voucher etc.
- timetable
- train delay
- time need to go to platform
- Schnitzeljagd (paper chase)
- game across the station
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22. Open Playground - Paper Chase
Schnitzeljagd (paper chase):
- Users get a set of ‘caches’ across the Düsseldorf main train station.
- After finding a cache, the user receives a multiple choice quiz.
- The time between finding caches and the time taken to solve the questions
are part of the score.
- Once the user solved a quiz, she or he will be send to find the next cache.
- Daily Highscore
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23. Open Playground - Paper Chase
- The setup:
- an android app with iBeacon capabilities
- Magnolia for managing beacons, positions and app content.
- REST API (Json) enables communication between the app and
Magnolia.
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24. t8y.com & DUS Open Playground
Field test.
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25. t8y.com & DUS Open Playground
We started with a final update of our
test app.
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26. t8y.com & DUS Open Playground
Homescreen
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27. Paper Chase - Field Test
Set severity level.
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28. Paper Chase - Field Test
Search for a cache.
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29. Paper Chase - Field Test
Found the cache.
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30. Paper Chase - Field Test
The Quiz.
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31. Paper Chase - Field Test
The Quiz (2).
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32. Paper Chase - Field Test
Paper Chase - Video.
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33. Paper Chase - Field Test
Learnings
- some iBeacons are not available or
have very short range
- some trigger points commit other
UUID’s
- beacon send intervall can be
relative long
- Content operators must be able to
switch beacons and beacon
positions easily, as it is not
guaranteed that iBeacons work
over an extended period of time.
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34. Paper Chase - Backend
The Backend is based on the Magnolia CMS 5.3.3 CE (Autumn 2014).
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35. Paper Chase - Backend - iBeacons
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36. Paper Chase - Backend - iBeacons
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37. Paper Chase - Backend - iBeacons
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38. Paper Chase - Backend - Caches
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39. Paper Chase - Backend - Caches
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40. Paper Chase - Backend - Caches
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41. Paper Chase - Backend - JSON API
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fetch beacons

42. Paper Chase - Backend - JSON API
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fetch questions

43. Paper Chase - Backend - JSON API
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highscore

44. Technology Stack
The web-based Admin Console use
- Magnolia CMS 5.3.3 CE
- Magnolia Blossom
- Spring 4.0.6
- Apache Commons
- The Application Container is based on
- Tomcat 7 sowie die
- Java Runtime 7.
The Android app is based on SDK API Level 19 (Android 4.4.2)
- Successfully tested with Samsung S4 and Google Nexus 4
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45. IoT bei t8y.com
Conclusion
iBeacons are a valuable support for indoor navigation. The technology works
globally in public and closed areas, like
- railway stations, bus stops
- airports,
- shopping areas and malls,
- city guides
- museum
Combined with a dedicated app, which must be installed on the mobile device,
iBeacons will become an added value.
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46. Q/A
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47. Martin Schmid
Contact: t8y.com gmbh, Hamburg, Germany
mobile: +49 178 500 42 07
mail: martin.schmid@t8y.com
hangout: mn.schmid@gmail.com
XING: https://www.xing.com/profile/Martin_Schmid4
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48. Vielen Dank!
Thank you!
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