Lessons Learnt From Building Bubblino

(a Thing on the Internet)

Adrian McEwen - www.mcqn.com

Who Am I?

Putting the Internet into things since 19951995: Cash registers1996: Joins STNC, embedded Internet startup1997: PDAs – Psion Series 51998: Built first web browser on a mobile

phone1999: STNC acquired by Microsoft

Adrian McEwen - www.mcqn.com

Who Am I?

2002: Left Microsoft, founded own company2006: Set-top boxes2008: ArduinoMCQN Ltd. builds Internet of Things products

for ourselves and for others.

Adrian McEwen - www.mcqn.comPhoto credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/heungsub/4876380962/

Bubblino

Adrian McEwen - www.mcqn.comPhoto credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nuttyxander/3206466676/

Challenges

• Prototyping• Design to be unobtrusive• Making it consumer-friendly• Scaling up production• Explaining the Internet of Things

Adrian McEwen - www.mcqn.com

Prototyping

• Not as tricky or expensive as it sounds• Hardware is pretty cheap these days• Build it yourself, or • Get someone to build it for you• Digital fabrication tools getting cheaper and

more widespread

Adrian McEwen - www.mcqn.comPhoto credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lucamascaro/2936920531/

Design for the Background

• The tyranny of the power LED• Design for humans, not factories• Degrade gracefully• Magic as metaphor

Adrian McEwen - www.mcqn.comPhoto credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mattymatt/3104387906/

Making it Consumer-friendly

• Needs to work seamlessly• How do you configure a device that doesn't

have a screen or a keyboard?• Getting connectivity: wired vs. wireless

Adrian McEwen - www.mcqn.comPhoto credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/heungsub/4876380962/

Scaling Up?

• Lots of lovely prototypes/one-offs, but lots of people stall at this step.

• A gulf between artwork and product• Outsource whole problem• Do it yourself

Adrian McEwen - www.mcqn.comPhoto credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ste3ve/521083310/

Explaining the Internet of Things

• Lots of competing terms• Don't worry about the tech, focus on

uses/benefits• Promotion from IBM, Cisco, et al a double-

edged sword

Adrian McEwen - www.mcqn.comPhoto credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/heungsub/4876380962/

Thank You. Any Questions?

MCQN Ltd website:http://www.mcqn.comOr email adrianm@mcqn.comMy Personal Blog: http://www.mcqn.net/mcfilter/Or on twitter I’m @amcewen

Adrian McEwen - www.mcqn.com