General Description

ClEnSensors is a project developing an Open Source, IoT platform enabling the deployment of a browser managed, cloud based, web accessible environmental management system

ClEnSensors stands for Cloud-based Environmental Sensors, which expresses core nature of this project.

ClEnSensors shall deliver an out-of-the-box solution for an environmental monitoring & control system that can be deployed by anyone in extremely limited time.
Data is collected in a secure cloud storage and can be published immediately to selected audience.

The deployment workflow

This is how ClEnSensors shall be used in its simplest configuration:

  • The owner orders and receives a set of sensors and a Control Node box
  • Sensors are placed in the intended locations
  • The owner register himself in a Virtual Management Platform provider and activates a "Personal Sensor Management Area" (PSMA) accessed via a specific URL
  • The Control Node is configured to access the Internet (wired or WiFi) and is given the URL of the PSMA
  • The control node is activated
  • The environmental management system starts collecting measures and provides controls to the actuators
  • …and works.

More about the design

ClEnSensors design is about an end-2-end architecture. The platform shall provide a solution for the full data & control path from the environmental item to the end user - and vice-versa.

ClEnSensors is a development within the Internet of Things (IoT) paradigm. Thus, its design includes:

  • two-way interactions with every single environmental item, transported by the Internet and other standard data transport networks.
  • cloud based data management
  • web based user interface, supporting multiple client end-point technologies.

System as-a-service

ClEnSensors data flow configuration, storage and access management is delivered as-a-service.
These items are implemented in a remote server and are automatically assigned and preconfigured to the system owner at the moment of the registration. Everything is in the cloud and no configuration hassle is left to the owner.
More complex scenarios and interaction can be developed and configured as a service as well, on top of the minimal system deployment, possibly with a compensation.
Sensors, actuators, storage space and accounts are assigned to one owner as long as the system is needed, then the whole deployment can be released and reused for another purpose.
This means that system design allows for minimal investment by the end user in terms of hardware items and no investment in software licenses.

Open Source

ClEnSensors is Open Source. This choice is based on the observation of the strength of the Open Source development model, especially when it comes to define innovative business models. The contribution of the community ensures cooperation, innovation, quality, reality-awareness, mass testing at lower cost than any proprietary development model.
Being the delivery of a service the business model for which ClEnSensors is developed, there is really no reason for closing the system design into a proprietary protection.

In addition, the Open Source nature of this project will be an opportunity for many to get in direct contact with IoT systems and build up a personal experience about it. Therefore ClEnSensors has also the wish to make something useful for all the people, by spreading knowledge to those who may be interested in it, even only in a limited part of it.


Copyright owner: Alberto Trentadue - 2016

"ClEnSensors" is Free Software Licensed GPLv3


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