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Proximity Services
Framework

A software-intensive system to support the development,
deployment and execution of proximity services.

Project description

The goal of the ProSe project is the design of a software-intensive system to support the development, deployment and execution of proximity services, which are applications that allow users to intuitively interact with the surrounding IoT enabled environment. Proximity services are automatically deployed when the user is at a specific location. Services are deployed and executed on a generic proximity app without the need for an additional explicit download. Proximity services adapt their behaviour to the surrounding context and interact with the IoT devices in proximity.

Adressing the challenge

IoT is changing our everyday lives rapidly. 50 billion IoT devices will exist by 2020, with the current system based around a wide variety of different apps. This represents an enormous barrier to the creation of smart spaces, as users cannot be expected to download an app to interact with IoT in every place they visit. Due to the transient nature of visitors, public environments such as hospitals, government offices or cultural centres will only benefit from IoT if a homogenous system for IoT environments is developed 

Proposed solutions

ProSe (Proximity Services Framework) proposes the creation of proximity services: user-facing applications that are developed and configured for a specific location. These are automatically installed on user devices when they enter the area. The project’s goal is the realisation of a software system that will include a client-side platform, installed on a user’s smartphone for proximity detection and the execution of services, and a server-side platform that uses algorithms to provide the right service at the right time. In terms of privacy protection, only trusted services may be executed and there will be no centralised tracking of end users. Proximity services will be based on standard Hybrid-App technology (HTML 5, Javascript) and combine existing proximity detection technologies (BLE beacons, NFC, Ultra-sound). 

Prose Project has been co-financed by Ministry of Energy, Tourism and the Digital Agenda inside National Plan for Scientific Research, Development and Technological innovation 2013-2016 of Spain.