The EVE Alpha project, which was launched on the Kickstarter a few days ago, aims to make a dream come true. The dream of having your wireless devices ‘talk to each other’, or in other words: your own personal ‘Internet of Things’.
The idea behind the EVE Alpha project is to develop one single platform that integrates all sorts of personal wireless devices operating at various radio protocols. The EVE Alpha is basically a plug-in wireless development board for the Raspberry Pi minicomputer. The hardware with the processing power of the Raspberry Pi acts as a server for connecting all of your wireless devices to each other and the web. The main board of the EVE Alpha is designed to support a range of radio communication protocols including; 868-915 Mhz SRF, Bluetooth, 802.15.4, Zigbee, LLAP, WiFi (RNXV) and RF Bee. The board also uses USB and Ethernet ports for extra connectivity.
The developers promise that the platform is capable of connecting a wide range of wireless devices including heating controllers, light controllers, wireless sensors, TV set, Xbox, garage door opener etc… This means that you can monitor and control all the activities in your home with your own personal Internet of Things. You can access EVE securely from your phone, PC or tablet via the internet. The devices you own can share digital data and information locally without using the Cloud. By avoiding the Cloud, you can keep your data safe without the risk of it being viewed or stolen by a third party.
The developers of the project are currently seeking contributors and funds to accelerate the development of downloadable software under an open source license. They plan to release the EVE Alpha eagle files and schematics once the project is fully funded. The ultimate goal of the developers is to provide a version of a consumer ready box that would be easily available for any home.
Overall, the EVE Alpha project sounds like a good idea - a portable, ‘one size fits all’ solution for providing the Internet of Things on a personal scale.
I hope the developers overcome the technical challenges of making full interoperability of interconnected devices possible while guaranteeing trust, privacy and security.