IoT and BLE Beacons: Demand, Challenges, Requirements, and Research Opportunities- Planning-Strategy

Abstract

The Internet of Things (IoT) has various technologies that improve the functionalities of IoT devices to make them capable to connect and communicate with each other. The IoT with various advanced technologies and devices performing a rapid transformation of current society towards easier and smarter. As the use of IoT increases, the new challenges, requirements, and research/ innovation need have arisen to fulfill the demands. Wireless devices with low power and high data security are the most viable demand for diverse IoT applications. In an IoT environment, various nodes/ sensors are used to collect the data and different wireless communication technologies like Infrared, Bluetooth, Li-Fi, WI-Fi, Zigbee, etc. are used to transceive the data. As per the survey, among all other available wireless technologies, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacons have proved as most promising short-range wireless communication technology due to the fact of appearing everywhere or of being very common of Bluetooth-compatible technology. However, for better performance and efficiency of BLE beacons in the IoT ecosystem, regular research has needed to ensure seamless integration. For such research here we have combined the literature of IoT with Beacons. This paper consolidates: an introduction of IoT with its current market demand, challenges and five essential requirements observed. We have also discussed the research planning and strategy to discover the solutions. It also consolidates an introduction of BLE Beacon with its market demand, a survey of existing/ proposed solutions are reviewed to identify the current problem statements for research opportunities in the future.