BOTSH: Towards aligning semantic web of things with building ontologies

Abstract

The W3C linked building data group is working on modeling the information for integrating building information with building life cycle data using Semantic Web technologies. The community has proposed a set of semantic models such as ifcOWL and Building Topology Ontology (BOT), to model various applications across Architecture, Engineering, Construction, and Operation (AECO) domain. On the other hand, the Semantic Web of Things (SWoT) group proposed standard semantic models such as M3-lite and BOSH ontologies for describing the sensor networks, observations, and sensor measurements. Both the aforementioned domains have their own siloed applications and with the evolution of the smart home domain, there is a need to combine the knowledge of building information with the sensor knowledge to develop cross-domain applications. However, in order to develop such downstream applications leveraging advantages from both domains requires interoperable knowledge. This paper proposes an interoperable ontology, Building Topology Ontology for Smart Homes (BOTSH), with the aim of aligning the building domain with sensors domain semantic models. The BOTSH ontology facilitates capturing knowledge from both domains and helps in developing cross-domain applications. The potential of the proposed model was demonstrated using a real-life building model based on the competency questions framed by the domain experts.