Building Computationally Intensive Internet-of-Everything through Synergy of Engineering and Computer Science

Abstract

An ad-hoc creation of situations where interconnected and movable devices, often empowered with computational capabilities, create instances of Internet-of-Everything, (IoE) has become common. The examples range from autonomous vehicles on our roads and unmanned movable objects, designed for a variety of tasks, to internet of biomedical devices, wearable robotics and digital therapeutics. In all these examples, we create computational models and solutions, which enable inter-operation between devices, and secure the accomplishment of various tasks. However, computational models in such environments are highly influenced by physical devices, which either generate data and feed our computations, or perform "action(s)" according to results of computing. Computations and devices do not exist in isolation; they are interwoven and influence each other, even if we see them as belonging to two different worlds. Design decision and manufacturing of a device may have implications on types of computing we could perform with them, and thus affect the performance of an instance of IoE, as a cyber-physical space. The same is true for software abstractions and models. We expect that data should be available or delivered by devices, and computations should be accommodated by at least partially, if not completely by these devices. In this study, we illustrate the interference or an impact of engineering practices and design of wearable devices, including wearable robotics, with/on computational power these devices may or should have. We debate the way of enhancing the both: device manufacturing and creation of software where these wearable devices perform a crucial role. The purpose of this study is to open discussions towards intelligent engineering, where the purpose and usefulness of devices are jointly decided, during their design, by both engineers and computer scientists. By understanding the impact of engineering design decisions to potential computational power of cyber physical spaces, such as IoE, we should be able to create more efficient operational IoE, which will be more manageable and might meet our expectations.