The year 2014 was dedicated to (i) business development, (ii) product development using “fragmented” resources. A summary is offered below:
R&D Portfolio and Projects
The company focuses on two industry-level projects, wireless sensor networks and visible light communication, and one forward-looking research line on energy-efficient resource allocation. Details are shown as follows:
1. Wireless Sensor Networks
Internet of Things and Machine-to-Machine communication have been regarded as a key technology for future intelligent networks in our daily life. Many countries have already laid down strategic planning for this for the coming years and CTTC-HK aims at capitalizing on this movement with our technical competence in the core technology, wireless sensor network, and innovations in applications.
This project is built upon the “rSense project” at CTTC headquarters, and aims at further improving the performance and features so as to address application-specific requirements.
Line 1 – Performance and Reliability Improvement
- Milestone 1: Hardware Reliability
Improved Sensor adaptation circuitry, e.g., on timing requirement.
Improved Power circuitry, e.g., on handling low-voltage protection, timing requirement of various components, noise decoupling, charging circuitries.
- Milestone 2: Energy Efficiency
Improved Protocol and Hardware implementation, reducing >50% average power consumption at sensor node.
- Milestone 3: Sensors Design
Improved Sensor designs (luminosity, humidity and temperature) for outdoor use.
Improved Sensor communication protocol, e.g., setting appropriate UART baud rate to accommodate hardware component imperfections.
- Milestone 4: Server Architecture
Introduced cloud server to the system.
- Milestone 5: Pending
Robust design of unicast and multihop protocol using IEEE 802.15.4.
Line 2 – IoT Feature Enhancement
- Milestone 1: Added support of Water Quality Sensors
(Salinity, Dissolved Oxygen)
- Milestone 2: Pending
Two-way transmission and Control support.
Extend the supported sets of sensors in different categories.
Line 3 – Business Development
- Milestone 1: Serving Smart Plant Business Project
- Milestone 2: Engaged collaboration parties to try out, market, and distribute our IoT system:
3 pilot projects in discussion: Smart Grid, Smart Farm, and Water Monitoring.
- Milestone 3: Pending
Formal partnership for the 3 pilot projects.
Industry-level product development.
Design for Production and Production Capability.
Testing Market Acceptability of Price and Product Features.
2. Visible Light Communications (VLC)
VLC is a signature project of CTTC-HK where innovations meet practical business. The project has been launched under a collaborative framework with partners from Stanford University, University of British Columbia, and Waseda University, with CTTC-HK taking a leading role.
In 2014, the VLC algorithm development faced a financial challenge and was on hold. Yet, industry-grade VLC transmitter prototype was built for a better demo targeting at a better chance of attracting potential investors.
Line 1 – Smartphone-based VLC for Flashing Light
- Flashing-light VLC system is on hold.
- Pending:
Android Version.
Data Rate and Robustness Improvement.
VLC System hardware.
Line 2 – Smartphone-based VLC for Illumination Lighting (non-flickering)
- Milestone 1: Improved Transmitter Hardware
Designed by LED panel design expert from the SDU team for better demo.
- Algorithm Development is on hold due to financial status.
- Pending:
Android Version.
Data Rate and Robustness Improvement.
Support of Multiple IDs.
Line 3 – Business Cases Development
- Milestone 1:
Pilot projects in discussion with 2 companies: iMusic and KOT, using VLC for museum-type application using VLC to broadcast product information.
Snapshots of our VLC System Demo:
2. Visible Light Communications (VLC)