Hydra Project (EU Project)
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The Hydra project is co-funded by the European Commission within the Sixth Framework Programme under contract IST-2005-034891. The Hydra project develops in a cooperation of 14 partners middleware for networked embedded systems.
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[edit] Background
Producers of devices and components are increasingly facing the need for networking their own and complementary products in order to provide higher value-added solutions for their customers or because citizen-centred demands require much more focus on intelligent solutions where the complexity is hidden behind user-friendly interfaces in order to promote inclusion.
Given the enormous amount of heterogeneous devices, sensors, and actuators with embedded systems already existing in the market, the diversity of the producers and manufactures, the different clock speed of technology deployment (from several decades to some months), there is a need for technologies and tools that easily can add, implement and exploit the intelligence embedded in the devices.
[edit] Vision
The HYDRA project aims to research, develop, and validate middleware for networked embedded systems that allows developers to develop intelligent applications for heterogeneous physical devices. The first objective is to develop middleware based on a Service-oriented Architecture, to which the underlying communication layer is transparent. The middleware will include support for distributed as well as centralised architectures, security and trust, reflective properties and model-driven development of applications.
[edit] Technical Information
The objectives of the Hydra project are to research, develop and validate technologies and tools for building applications for networked embedded systems supporting ambient intelligence in a reliable, trusted, and thus secure way.
The objectives of work is to develop a middleware based on the Service-oriented Architecture paradigm, to which the underlying communication layer is transparent. The middleware will consist of:
- Support for distributed as well as centralised ambient intelligent architectures
- Support for reflective properties of components of the middleware
- Support for security and trust enabling components
- A generic semantic model-based architecture supporting model-driven development of applications
- Toolkits that will allow developers to support and develop applications on the middleware.
- A business modelling framework for analysing the business sustainability of the developed applications.
Further, the validation of the middleware, toolkit and business models will be performed in real end-user scenarios in three user domains:
- Facility management, smart homes
- Healthcare
- Agriculture
The project results will thus consist of the following end products:
- The Hydra middleware for networked embedded systems adds AmI applications to new and existing embedded systems and components. The middleware will support cost-effective and innovative embedded systems applications for new and already existing devices, which operate with limited resources in terms of computer power, energy and memory usage.
- The Hydra tools (SDK, DDK, IDE) will allow developers to develop applications on the middleware. The SDK will allow developers to develop innovative software applications with embedded ambient intelligence computing using the middleware, while the DDK will allow device
developers to enable their devices to participate in a Hydra network. The IDE will provide solution developers with a high-level interface for developing networked embedded AmI applications.
[edit] Numbers, Data, Facts
The Hydra project has the following characteristics:
- A four year European research project started in 2006 and will be finished in 2009
- 14 partners from universities and industry across Europe
- Project budget approx. 15 m€ with co-funded by the EU Commission with approx. 8 m€
[edit] Benefits
Producers of devices and components are increasingly facing the need for networking their own and complementary products in order to provide higher value-added solutions for their customers or because citizen-centred demands require much more focus on intelligent solutions where the complexity is hidden behind user-friendly interfaces in order to promote inclusion.
Given the enormous amount of heterogeneous devices, sensors, and actuators with embedded systems already existing in the market, the diversity of the producers and manufactures, the different clock speed of technology deployment (from several decades to some months), there is a very large need for technologies and tools that easily can add, implement and exploit the intelligence embedded in the devices. The goal for the producers is to be able to build cost-efficient Ambient Intelligence (AmI) systems with high performance, high reliability, reduced time to market, and faster deployment and still build on the assets of the installed base.
[edit] Scenarios
Scenario Thinking
This task was carried out using the IDON methodology for scenario thinking. The scenarios were constructed from a varied background of knowledge and guesswork about the relevant environment and the trends and discontinuities likely to happen in the future and affecting the users operations and way of work. The scenarios draw on both available research and application knowledge in the consortium and on the opinion of a diverse set of people form different parts of involved organizations, including line and staff workers. The results of these activities have been documented in a full set of complementary scenarios for each domain.
[edit] Building Automation
A major challenge for existing intelligent building systems is that they are not wireless. Consequently they are primarily installed in new buildings. Specialists must do all configurations and systems cannot be remotely controlled. Many users do not find that these systems give sufficient value for money. Consequently, the market today is quite limited, but with a great potential in existing buildings, once the proper products are introduced. By installing a company-wide Hydra middleware, all products can be service-enabled and made interoperable with just a few device drivers and supporting models for interoperable functions.
[edit] Healthcare
The Hydra middleware can be used in healthcare applications e.g. for enabling horizontal collaboration and client-centred responsibility in health risk management, self-management, homecare, and assisted living. National health-grids enable ambient intelligent services based on distributed computer- and human resources. Healthcare is thus a complicated but highly relevant area for the development and validation of Hydra applications.
[edit] Agriculture
[edit] Events
Hydra at CeBIT 2008
Fraunhofer FIT and SIT will show a pure HYDRA exhibit during the CeBIT exhibition from 4th - 9th March 2008 in Hannover, Germany. The exhibit will demonstrate security and context related issues from the Building Automation domain. A press released in German has been issued.
[edit] Project partners
| Partner | Description |
|---|---|
| C International, Ltd. | Established in 1987, C International has developed to become one of the leading European ICT and management consultancies in the field of business improvement. |
| CNet Svenska AB | CNet is a leading-edge software house specialising in semantic-based knowledge and content systems |
| Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Information Technology | The Fraunhofer Gesellschaft zur Förderung der angewandten Forschung e.V. (FhG) is the leading organisation of institutes of applied research and development in Europe with about 12.500 employees and a budget of around 1.3 Billion Euros |
| Fraunhofer Institute for Secure Information Technology | The Fraunhofer Institute SIT is one of the pioneers within the field of IT-Security in Germany and Europe and has experience in development and promotion of security technologies and in embedding of security technologies into already established applications to make them trustworthy |
| In-JeT ApS | In-JeT ApS was established in 1997 and has become a renowned software firm in the field of technology development and business planning |
| Priway | PRIWAY is providing Trust & Security communication products and managed security services based on Empowerment of the Individual and Security in Context design principles |
| T-Connect S.r.l. | T-Connect is engaged in research and development of wireless applications on third generation platforms (UMTS/WLAN) for mobile communications services |
| Telefonica I+D SA | Telefónica I+D was formed in 1988 to contribute to the technological innovation of its parent company, by performing research and development activities |
| University of Aarhus | The first chapter of the University of Aarhus' history began with the inauguration of "University studies in Jutland" in Aarhus Technical College's ceremonial hall on the 11th of September 1928 |
| Innova S.p.A. | Francesco Niglia: Head of ICT Unit, has a degree in Aeronautical Engineering Polytechnic of Torino. Participation at EUROMECH 360 “MECHANICS OF SANDWICH STRUCTURES: Modelling, Numerical Simulation, Experimental Identification” - Ecole des Mines de Saint Etienne |
| University of Reading | Intelligent Media Systems and Services Laboratory (imss) is a multi-disciplinary research laboratory, part of the Computer Science Department, School of Systems Engineering |
| MESH-Technologies A/S | With a strong background in High Performance Computing, MESH-Technologies focus on developing grid based solutions that enable the optimal utilization of computing resources, giving customers a significantly better price/performance ratio |
| Siemens IT Solutions and Services | Since its foundation in 1995, Siemens IT Solutions and Services has expanded to a global end-to-end provider of solutions and services in information and communications technology with about 39.000 worldwide working employees |
| University of Paderborn | The University of Paderborn is guided by a central principle: "University for the Information Society". The strong field of computer science, information systems and computer applications plus the interdisciplinary presence of IT in many of our subject areas establish an outstanding foundation for our pursuit of this principle |
| Technical University of Kosice | (Faculty of Economics, Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Informatics)
The Technical University of Kosice was established in 1952 and at present it is the second largest technical university in Slovakia with about 15,000 BSc, MSc and PhD students |
[edit] Related projects
[edit] Additional project information
- Project website: www.hydra.eu.com
- Newslettler: The Hydra consortium has released its first official newsletter about the project on 4th March 2008. If you are interested in reading new information about the progress of the project, project results and important Hydra events you can donwload the newsletter http://www.hydra.eu.com/downloads.php?cat_id=3 here]. Interested people can also subscribe to the newsletter after they have registered themselves on the Website. The next newsletter will be published in September/ October 2008.
- Project information in German can be found here.
