An Attempt of Automatic and Flexible Operation of Campus Equipment Using Bot Computing

An attempt of automatic and flexible operation of equipment in a campus is discussed. This operation was realized by Bot Computing, a framework for Internet of Things (IoT). Bot computing enables remote control of edge devices which are protected by NAT routers, from the Internet. Any electric appliance can be controlled using the combination of Bot Computing and an edge device with an Infra-Red (IR) transmitter, if the appliance has the IR remote controlled function. We can program the power-on time and the power-off time of any electric appliance, by writing a script on a Wiki page on the Internet, using the Bot Computing. We can change the program anytime, anywhere. We also can force turn on or force turn off the appliance anytime, anywhere. We have used this to realize a large digital signage system by using windows of a building at our university. The signage system displays university information at night. We could have planned operation of video projectors in a building. We could also have forced turn on video projectors and changed the plan of operation from the outside of the building, which is locked at night.