Introduction to Physical Web

Presentation enabled by Physical-Web.

Look for "Physical Web by Amey Inamdar"

Who am I

Amey Inamdar

• Working at Marvell Semiconductor in IoT Platforms Group

• Experience of architecting and delivering Wi-Fi and BLE based consumer IoT devices

So you know what to ask

amey.inamdar@gmail.com

@iamey

The Web as it is

• World Wide Web is an interconnect of computers that facilitate communication and information exchange
• Current web ends at the client like computer or mobile phone in the user's hand

QR Codes - Connection between Physical world and Web

Does it really work?

What if things could talk and provide information about them?

What is Physical Web

• ​An initiative to create an open standard that extends the web we know today into the physical world
• The initiative is started by Google but is open to everyone

Traditional Web

Why Physical Web

• The number of smart devices is going to explode
• Assumption that each device will have its own app is not realistic
• There are several use-cases which don't require native app
• Physical Web is not about replacing native apps; it's about enabling interaction where native apps are not practical

Some Examples

• A cat collar would let you call to find the owner
• A bus tells you its next stop
• Parking meters can pay in the cloud using the phone’s internet connection
• Any store, no matter how small, can offer an online experience when you walk in
• A self-drive rental car broadcasts a signup page, allowing you to immediately drive away
• Industrial equipment can offer diagnostics

Ain't it interesting?

Technology behind it - BLE

• Based on Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) protocol
• • More protocols can be supported in future
• Physical Web devices send out beacon information periodically
  • Beacons contain URL for the device
• Devices can run for multiple years on battery with low power consumption of BLE and low beaconing rate
• BLE technology allows small size and low cost (<1$ in volume)

Device tells you about itself

• Device transmits a URL in the BLE beacon that contains info about the device
• URLs are well-understood and flexible
• They can point to informative HTML page, a web app or a deep link to native app on the phone
• URLs can be static or dynamically changing
  • For example changing sensor value or authentication token

On the Phone Side

• The phone can scan for available devices and it understands the beacon format
• Both iOS and Android platforms are supported using "Physical Web" Application
  • Native support at platform level or at browser level is not far away
• The user sees notifications in the notification area

What about Security

• On-demand notifications - Phone does not get buzzed every time a device is found
• Google has ability to filter the devices that get displayed on the phone - this can filter out spam
• Only HTTPS URLs are allowed
• The results are sorted by the priority

Technology Friends

• Web-Bluetooth - Javascript library that provides ability to interact with BLE devices from web browser itself
• Web-notifications - Javascript library that provides ability to generate system level notifications based on user opt-in

Demo

Q&A