Chapter 29 - Beacons and the City: Smart Internet of Things

Abstract

The interconnectedness of all things is continuously expanding. One of the main goals driving this growth is to improve the quality of life for its users. The aim is to have every individual interconnected with their surroundings and make it possible to interact with them whether it be at home, at work, or in public spaces through smart devices. Bluetooth low energy (BLE) beacons are wireless radio transmitters that can send an identifier to nearby receivers and trigger a number of applications, from proximity marketing to indoor localization and navigation. BLE beacons are small, low cost, and with minimum energy requirements. However, they do pose security and privacy challenges due to the broadcast nature of wireless communications. In this chapter, an introduction to BLE beacons is presented, along with their design approaches and limitations. Three smart city applications that can take advantage of BLE beacons are also discussed. Experiments are presented to examine the performance of three popular BLE beacons in an indoor proximity estimation application. The experimental results show that BLE beacons have great potential for smart city applications.