Why you should back the new MIPS IoT Kickstarter

Posted Tuesday, December 22nd, 2015 

development

Disclaimer: I am not affiliated to Imagination Technologies. They didn’t contact me. They didn’t asked me to do this piece. I really like this kit and want to have it too

Link to kickstarter: Creator Ci40 Kit

Internet of Things is cool

The Internet of Things is many things and basically every group of people has a different definition of it but there is one point they all agree which is that the Internet of Things is coming and it is cool.

Analysis predicts that more IoT enabled devices will ship in the next years than the combined smartphones and PCs markets but I am not here to tell you that betting in IoT is a sound business decision, I am here to tell you that hacking IoT stuff is really cool.

Web of Things is cooler

The main bad trend I see forming with IoT stuff is the attempt by large stakeholders to establish vertical domination of the market where the IoT board comes from them and the smartphone device to talk to that board also comes from them and they require their app because it is using their proprietary protocol.

This would be like buying a General Motors car and only being allowed to drive in GM roads and having to fill the tank with GM Gas. Thats not really how we want this new born ecosystem to work.

Now imagine if Smart/Connected devices all played by the rules of the Web. When you arrive at someones house and want to interact with their connected device may it be a TV, garden, lights, whatever, you’d just need to fire up a Web Browser and point it to the correct address and a rich web interface would be provided. This system would be agnostic of Operating Systems, it would not require an app installation. It would just work.

How many times you’ve installed an app on your phone to use just once? For example, you go to a friends house and want to fling some content at his Chromecast. You will need to install the Chromecast app. Even if you don’t have one at your own home and will never use it again. This is not good UX.

What you want is to have your phone, laptop, smart thingy, discover devices around you and talk to them using HTTP. Just firing up a web page and playing with it. This is the Web of Things. A Web that is personal, physical and works the way you want it to work.

The Creator Ci40 Kit looks awesome!

This kit by Imagination Technologies looks awesome to play with the Web of Things for the following reasons: * It has a powerful MIPS CPU and it runs Linux, so it can serve a Web interface pretty easily. * You have Bluetooth (and BLE), WIFI and 6LoWPAN, so you’re extremely connected. * You have so many pins and ports and interfaces that makes it easy to interface with basically anything * Imagination is already doing the Web thing with their software stack.

Bonus point that the kit comes with some clicker boards that can help you interface with the physical world. If you check the price and the potential of that kit then it becomes really easy. Assembling a collection of Raspberry Pis, shields, arduinos, and the necessary connectivity adapters will quickly sum up to similar prices. I am not trying to place this kit agains Pis or start a flamewar, I am saying that this kit alone, when you check how much you are paying and the potential you have to start your own Web of Things projects is really good.

The board will connect to basically anything and has enough power to serve smart web interfaces. You can create lots of cool personal projects with it. From automated watering of your home garden to the first connected laundry machine. This is a very good opportunity.

You still have 23 hours to back up this kit, you may need to hurry.

Link to kickstarter: Creator Ci40 Kit