This document discusses retrofitting existing devices with intelligence and connectivity through "smart skins" or wrappers. It argues that wrapping existing devices can save the sunk costs associated with replacing them, addressing the "dark matter" of existing devices not currently part of the Internet of Things. Some examples of wrapping technologies discussed include using power lines, gas lines, audio and video fingerprinting, and near-infrared spectroscopy to retrofit intelligence onto existing devices and enable new IoT use cases. The document advocates that wrappers can help accelerate IoT adoption by leveraging existing infrastructure rather than requiring entirely new connected devices.

1. IoT : Don’t Scrap it, Wrap it
Retrofitting intelligence & connectivity into Smart Environments
Venu Vasudevan, PhD
venuv62@gmail.com
@venuv62

2. IoT Pre-History : The Promise
Quiet computing that helps
in the ‘real world’?
Swell! I need it.

3. IoT : The Long Lean Years
Great idea :
Big Picture ‘Too early’ products
‘Too Broad’
Standards
Right Idea - decommoditize
a single ‘thing’
Whimsical Implementations
Cost/complexity
precludes
killer product
Great idea:
Little Picture
Not quite what the consumer ordered ..
1990 2000 2010

4. IoT : and then ..
Great idea :
Big Picture ‘Too early’ products
‘Too Broad’
Standards
Right Idea - decommoditize
a single ‘thing’
Whimsical ImplementationsCost/complexity
precludes
killer product
Great idea:
Little Picture
Gets it right.
Full stack-ness of:
experience
service
startup

5. Nest fuels IoT rejuvenation

6. 1000 Points of Light Enthusiasm

7. Or is that 20 points of light funded
50x?

8. Inconvenient Truth :
Smart Home ‘Dark Matter’
Sources. Kleiner Perkins. GigaOm
New.CleanPblm.Exciting.’Small’$
Dark.UntidyPblm.Large$
$10-50B
$5T

9. Can Smart Skins
save ‘sunk cost’ devices?
Consumer IoT :
Sunk technology
without
a sunk cost
solution?
Sources. a16z, http://goo.gl/A3NNCL

10. Use Cases
Media Babysitting
Can my ‘smart’ TV tell me if
my kid is staying within the
agreed upon ‘TV Budget’?
Flood Anxiety
let me know if my sump pump is
running hard(er) than should
be
when I’m away from home
Oblivious Spouse Notification.
Notify spouse over NFL Football
din,
to deliver 5-minute warning on
clothes folding chore

11. IoT Wrappers :
the many ways to skin the device
adjacent inline
Specialized
General
Gas-line)
Power-LineIoT Audio Fingerprinting
Near-Infrared Spectroscopy

12. Handicapping the Wrapper race
Gas-line)
Power-Line
IoT Audio Fingerprinting
Near-Infrared Spectroscopy
IoT Video Fingerprinting
more powerful
morecreepy

13. End
Complementary to IoT Standards.
Ongoing while IoT standards battle rages on
.
.
.
venuv62@gmail.com @venuv62