Ensuring Universal Access in Digital Homes Makes for an Easier Life
From: Eureka - 05/12/2009

The Eureka ITEA software Cluster ANSO project is working to integrate
domestic networked multimedia, home control, and communications devices. The
digital home project wants to create intelligent sensors, actuators, wireless
networks, and terminal devices that will seamlessly blend into living spaces.
The researchers say it may be possible to incorporate all of the features of
a home's electronics into a single device that also can work with the
next-generation of smart appliances. "The main problem now lies in the
overabundant and overwhelming variety of incompatible standards and
technologies in home automation, communications, and multimedia systems,"
says project leader Tommi Aihkisalo, from the Finnish research institute VTT.
"There are dozens of home control and automation networks and protocols
available and even more in the field of multimedia and communications,"
Aihkisalo says. "All these technologies are competing with each other and are
incompatible--lacking intercommunications abilities." ANSO is promoting open
interfaces to replace proprietary and vendor-controlled systems and has
developed an applications platform and related software technologies that
permit access to applications that combine home automation, communications,
and multimedia. ANSO evaluated market and end-user needs and found that a
variety of standards would have to coexist, which is why the project focused
on a unified middleware solution for interoperability. 

Read the entire article at:
http://www.eureka.be/inaction/viewSuccessStory.do?docid=7238903

Link:
Tommi Aihkisalo
http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/istevent/koln2007/cf/people-detail.cfm?id=9842