A large number of EU funded projects have decided to use the LinkSmart Open Source middleware in their development work.

We have collected a page with the EU funded projects that we are aware and you can see it here.

We just want to inform all of you interested in the Hydra middleware that we are working hard to finish the project and provide the Open Source reference implementation on SourceForge. The project has been prolonged to the end of 2010 in order to develop a set of templates and projects for demonstration of the Hydra middleware. We expect to be able to release the results of the project by middle of January 2011 so please come back to get the latest information here on our website. Regards the Hydra team.

The REACTION project (Remote Accessibility to Diabetes Management and Therapy in Operational Healthcare Networks) seeks to use the significant potential of new technologies to help cope with diabetes.
 
The REACTION platform will apply a service-oriented architecture, taking advantage of the LinkSmart middleware developed in the Hydra project for detection of devices and creation of web service interfaces, thus building on and adding to the progress already made in the Hydra project.

The Cluster of European Research Projects on the Internet of Things (CERP-IoT) has published a book called Vision and Challenges for Realising the Internet of Things (March 2010). Hydra partners have contributed to this book with the article Open Source Middleware for Networked Embedded Systems towards Future Internet of Things: ASPIRE & HYDRA PROJECT.

 

The Clusterbook gives the reader an insight into the research and initiatives related to the Internet of Things (IoT). Several initiatives and research projects, Hydra included, have contributed to the Clusterbook by reporting on their experiences, approaches and perspectives on the IoT. The Clusterbook plays an important part in promoting Europe’s strong position in development of a future Internet of Things.

The Clusterbook Vision and Challenges for Realising the Internet of Things can be downloaded here.

A new course material for training in ethical considerations in the design of HYDRA enabled services and applications is now available for download. The training document will give the reader an overview of what ethics are and why ethics in ICT are important. Moreover, it defines the main ethical problems related to ICT development (especially in relation to healthcare and assistive ICTs), and provides the reader with a method of to identify ethical issues.

The course material is aimed at software developers who will gain an insight into the potential ethical dilemmas embedded in the design of ICT services and applications. However, anyone with an interest in the ethics of ICT may benefit from this course material. 

As the Hydra project is coming to an end the project’s aims and objectives are being realised. Demonstrating the applicability and functionalities of the Hydra middleware is of high priority and the project has therefore participated in various workshops, conferences and other events across the world. But now it is also possible to watch a demonstration of the Hydra middleware on YouTube.

Last Friday (30/4/2010) the German Television channel, ZDF, broadcasted a news spot on the Hydra project in the programme Drehscheibe. The programme features the new Hydra energy efficiency demonstrator which, enabled by the Hydra middleware, allows the consumer to control and see how much energy any given domestic appliance uses. The information can be sent to either a PC or to a smart phone. The really unique feature is that it is possible to view the real time power consumption of the specific electric appliance by simply pointing the smart phone’s camera at it.

To watch the broadcast (in German) click here

The iX-Journal - a magazine for professional information technology – has published an article on Hydra. The headline section of the article reads: "Hydra: Universal middleware for networked systems. Developers of applications for connected life are faced with a heterogeneous landscape of devices which makes connected life difficult. Researchers from the EU project Hydra have developed a middleware that can connect all IP-enabled devices." The article (in German) can be accessed at Heise Online

The fifth Hydra newsletter gives the reader an insight into Hydra’s achievements to date as well as a look into the future. The Hydra project is in its final year but plans are already in store to ensure that the results of the project are put to use after the project ends.

The Hydra middleware for networked embedded systems allows developers to rapidly develop agricultural applications that integrate farm ICT systems, farm equipment, RFID tags, and various logistics devices into a fully interoperable application for e.g. food traceability, farm management, herd monitoring, etc.

In order to explore new market opportunities based on Hydra middleware, the project is hosting a workshop on sustainable business models in for ICTs in agriculture on 27 January 2010 in Rome. The workshop will allow various stakeholders and experts from different EU countries to discuss and identify sustainable business models for the Hydra middleware in the agricultural domain.

If you are interested in participating please send a brief biography specifying your interest in the workshop to Alessio Gugliotta: a.gugliotta@innova-eu.net or Trine F. Sørensen: tfs@in-jet.dk
Please note that there are a limited number of spaces available.

Hydra continues to attract attention and a recent feature on ICT Results (ICT Results) highlights some of the innovative functions made possible by the Hydra middleware. A real advantage of the Hydra middleware is that it allows different devices – both new and existing – to be networked, thus taking us a step closer towards the future “Internet of Things”. Validation of the Hydra middleware is being carried out in three different domains: healthcare, building automation and agriculture, which gives one an idea of the wide-ranging possibilities and functions that Hydra offers.

The feature article is available here: ICT Results - Features