Dr. Shintaro Mori’s official website

Ⅰ. Introduction

Research and development of smart-city applications aiming for a sustainable society attract attention. The number of Internet-of-things (IoT) devices supporting smart-city applications is increasing explosively; hence, the evolution of wireless sensor network (WSN) technology is also necessary. Information-centric networking (ICN), as a future Internet technology, is attracting attention as it can achieve efficient and reliable data retrieval and distribution under an autonomous-distributed network environment. We have been studying an information-centric wireless sensor network (ICWSN) for integrating ICN into WSNs. At the same time, when considering smart city application services, the existence of actuators (actors) that control and operate devices based on sensing data cannot be ignored in the IoT platform. The communication protocols for existing actuator control were developed in previous generations, i.e., the attacks on these infrastructures were not seriously considered; thus, these implementations were simple procedures. In addition, due to the difficulty of replacing systems that are already in service, the system is actually built on legacy protocols. These are the issues that need to be overcome when future smart city applications are replaced.

The key academic question of this study is to establish the elemental technology to develop a wireless sensor and actuator (actor) network (WSAN) underpinning smart-city deployment. Specifically, we will enhance the ICWSN system to realize a reliable information-centric wireless sensor and actuator (actor) network (ICWSAN). In addition, we will demonstrate the feasibility of the ICWSAN framework based on the development of the proof-of-concept and the experiment.

This study aims to achieve a reliable ICWSAN based on the introduction of ICN into WSAN. We will establish the elemental technologies from the perspectives of reliability, interoperability, and self-organization (zero-touch design) to address the technical issues associated with the addition of actuators to the ICWSN system Specifically, there are ⑴ high-reliability design of the system based on ICWSANs, ⑵ interoperability between the various devices, and ⑶ self-organizing (zero-touch design)-support system for the introduction, initialization, and automatic operation phases of the node device, focusing on its deployment in an actual situation.

The background behind this study is that we have been conducting research and development to improve the efficiency and reliability of ICWSNs, such as secure caching schemes. In addition, we developed them as a smart-city-as-a-service ecosystem, such as disaster-resistant smart cities. Through these research activities, we found that it is necessary to consider not only the data collection and distribution in the ICWSN but also the operation and control of the actuators in the ICWSAN, which is the starting point of this study. In the research topic of this study, we identified the need to extend ⑴ network reliability and ⑶ self-organizing (zero-touch design) technology to ICWSANs. On the other hand, during our previous green-ICWSN research activities toward a future zero-carbon society, we found that we also need to consider how to ensure interoperability among the various devices that comprise the network.

The academic originality and creativity of this study is that the ICN technology is adapted to the wireless section of the edge-side IoT framework (WSAN), and the data collection, distribution, and control are integrated into the wireless communication and network system. Since wireless networks are characterized by dynamic, autonomous, distributed environments in which the nodes frequently enter and leave the network due to node movement, wireless link disconnections caused by poor communication conditions, dead batteries, and hardware failures, the ICWSAN is made sense but has significant challenges. In addition, this study includes the development of the test devices and demonstration of the experiment in the actual environment; this is beneficial for the future development of industrial technology and the collaboration between industry, academia, and public sectors. It is also meaningful in terms of identifying issues and for future knowledge.

Ⅱ. Related Work and Positioning of This Study

In the development of IoT frameworks, the design of centralizing and managing large amounts of sensing data in the cloud reaches its limits. Thus, some functions and data are gradually shifting to the edge-side network. There have been some investigations to introduce ICN into edge networks, but most of these have focused on caching technology in wireline network (not wireless). In addition, an IoT platform with actuators is designed to be directly connected from the application via a wired/wireless interface or via a network based on TCP/IP based on REST/API. In the ICN-based design proposed in this study, the focus on the development of ICN abstraction technology has originality. At the same time, we emphasize the novelty of our trial to improve interoperability through the use of blockchain as reliable ICWSANs.

The technologies covered by this study are essential elements underpinning smart-city applications, including industry, agriculture, and medicine, and have the potential to drive global research trends. ICN is a promising technology as a new Internet technology, and our attempt to integrate ICN and WSN has novelty and is globally competitive. In the previous keynote speeches regarding ICWSN at international conferences, the audience accepted this approach with high interest. Pioneering the field of ICWASN, which includes actuators, is a valuable contribution to the development of global academia. In this study, the ICN platform uses Cefore, which is a domestic platform based on the CCNx standard. This work will contribute to creating a unique Japanese technology by promoting the results of the results.

Ⅲ. Research and Development Items

As mentioned above, this study and development aim to establish the elemental technologies: reliability, interoperability, and self-organization (zero-touch design). As a research process, we will not only conduct computer simulations but also develop and evaluate testbeds, providing the knowledge required for another related study. We use only the equipment with the technical standards specified in the regulations regarding wireless communications. The results and outcomes of this study will be published in academic journals, international conferences, and other academic papers as soon as possible. The detailed plans are as follows.

Ⅲ.B. (ⅱ) Protocol design with interoperability (in FY2027–2028)

In order to develop the ICWSAN system, it is necessary to construct a network that involves actuator control, and it must overcome the situation where various control protocols coexist and ensure interoperability. Through the experience of testbed implementation, serial communication-based communication protocols were widely used in IoT devices. Specifically, UART (RS-232C/422) and the Modbus (RS-485) protocol, which is an extension of UART, are used as de facto standards. In this study, we achieve interoperability with actuators by combining the well-established Modbus/TCP with the ICN platform (Cefore) as Modbus/ICN. In particular, we will implement the fundamental design of the Modbus/ICN. On the basis of the above design, we make up a prototype device and investigate the network system that supports the application services in actual smart cities. These applications are assumed to be network-scale, supporting automatic control applications in the fields of agriculture and industry. Through feasibility evaluation, we will examine the scalability of the network to be deployed in a particular region.

Ⅳ. Results