3D visualisation of the Internet of things

FI-WARE is the core component of The Future Internet Public-Private Partnership. It supports hundreds of developers and their companies to implement innovative ideas. ‘Thanks to our involvement with FI-WARE, and by developing core components and applications with FI-WARE technology, today we are recognized as the leading industrial Internet company in Finland,’ explains Ville Mickelsson, CEO of CyberLightning, a spin-off from the University of Oulu. ‘The EU funding enabled us to build a team to work on the project and these people have stayed with us to take the company forward.’

CyberLightning is now a company making headway with its pioneering 3D visualization techniques connecting the industrial Internet of Things – and has created 14 full-time jobs in the process.

VISUALIZING THE INDUSTRIAL INTERNET OF THINGS

CyberVille® software platform is based on FI-WARE and was launched in May this year. It combines data collection and big data processing with 3D modelling in a powerful platform to monitor and control industrial networks made up of the Internet of Things (IoT). These include energy networks (smart grids) and smart city infrastructure.

The resulting visualisation tool, based on geographic information system (GIS) data sets and real-time data feeds from IoT sensors, provides companies and organisations with a strategic tool. It enables the company’s corporate customers to control sensor and machine networks using a simple point-and-tap interface on any mobile device.

CyberVille's core engine is the CyberVille™ Mind which collects and elaborates big data and prepares data representation in 3D for the user interface (Cyberville™ UI), which displays in all types of tablet and smartphone browsers.

APPLICATIONS IN THE ENERGY AND PROPERTY SECTORS

To demonstrate its energy applications, CyberLightning has built a 3D model of an operating wind farm, with sample data sets reporting on the status of individual wind turbines and control points in the system. Viewed on a tablet, the visualization is so richly detailed that different rotation speeds of fan blades can be seen.

In a smart city application such as facility management, GIS data is merged with Computer Aided Design (CAD) models of a building and its internal smart networks, such as lighting, air conditioning control, occupancy sensors, and security. On a city-wide scale, visualization of intelligent street lighting, or the operation of public transit systems based on real-time data, will benefit operations, maintenance and customer service.

Two of CyberLightning’s important customers are the Finnish electric utility Fortum and the state real estate company, Senate Properties, both of which are already using CyberVille to develop their Internet of Things smart grid and real estate interfaces. CyberLightning is also talking to industrial original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), system integrators and other companies in the energy sector about implementing its solutions.

‘Network operations and control rooms for infrastructure systems today are typically populated with dozens of displays. It’s a major challenge for skilled staff and managers alike to view the big picture,’ said Ville.

‘The complexity of these types of networks will grow exponentially in the Internet of Things era. With CyberVille, we are presenting the first solution addressing the challenges of systems management in incredibly complex network environments,’ he added.

CYBERLIGHTNING received 1 million euros of funding from FI-WARE from April 2013 to September 2014. FI-WARE’s third funding phase launched in September this year with a budget of more than 100 million euros, 80 million of which is destined to SMEs and entrepreneurs.

Link to project's website