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The talk I prepared for the recent TSB Kickstarting the Internet of Things event, although in the end I didn't get to present it.Looking at some of the challenges and things I've learnt in building an Internet of Things product.
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Lessons Learnt From Building Bubblino
(a Thing on the Internet)
Adrian McEwen - www.mcqn.com
Who Am I?
Putting the Internet into things since 19951995: Cash registers1996: Joins STNC, embedded Internet startup1997: PDAs – Psion Series 51998: Built first web browser on a mobile
phone1999: STNC acquired by Microsoft
Adrian McEwen - www.mcqn.com
Who Am I?
2002: Left Microsoft, founded own company2006: Set-top boxes2008: ArduinoMCQN Ltd. builds Internet of Things products
for ourselves and for others.
Adrian McEwen - www.mcqn.comPhoto credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/heungsub/4876380962/
Bubblino
Adrian McEwen - www.mcqn.comPhoto credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nuttyxander/3206466676/
Challenges
• Prototyping• Design to be unobtrusive• Making it consumer-friendly• Scaling up production• Explaining the Internet of Things
Adrian McEwen - www.mcqn.com
Prototyping
• Not as tricky or expensive as it sounds• Hardware is pretty cheap these days• Build it yourself, or • Get someone to build it for you• Digital fabrication tools getting cheaper and
more widespread
Adrian McEwen - www.mcqn.comPhoto credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lucamascaro/2936920531/
Design for the Background
• The tyranny of the power LED• Design for humans, not factories• Degrade gracefully• Magic as metaphor
Adrian McEwen - www.mcqn.comPhoto credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mattymatt/3104387906/
Making it Consumer-friendly
• Needs to work seamlessly• How do you configure a device that doesn't
have a screen or a keyboard?• Getting connectivity: wired vs. wireless
Adrian McEwen - www.mcqn.comPhoto credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/heungsub/4876380962/
Scaling Up?
• Lots of lovely prototypes/one-offs, but lots of people stall at this step.
• A gulf between artwork and product• Outsource whole problem• Do it yourself
Adrian McEwen - www.mcqn.comPhoto credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ste3ve/521083310/
Explaining the Internet of Things
• Lots of competing terms• Don't worry about the tech, focus on
uses/benefits• Promotion from IBM, Cisco, et al a double-
edged sword
Adrian McEwen - www.mcqn.comPhoto credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/heungsub/4876380962/
Thank You. Any Questions?
MCQN Ltd website:http://www.mcqn.comOr email [email protected] Personal Blog: http://www.mcqn.net/mcfilter/Or on twitter I’m @amcewen
Adrian McEwen - www.mcqn.com
