The OGC IoT RESTful API is an OGC candidate standard providing an open and unified framework to interconnect IoT devices, data, and applications over the Web. It is non-proprietary, platform-independent, and perpetual royalty-free. The OGC IoT RESTful API significantly simplifies and accelerates the development of IoT applications. Application developers can connect to various IoT devices and create innovative applications without worrying the daunting heterogeneous protocols of the different IoT devices. The OGC IoT RESTful API can also be embedded within various IoT hardware and software platforms, so that the various IoT devices can effortlessly connect with the OGC standard-compliant servers around the world.
In today's world, most sensors have proprietary software interfaces defined by their manufacturers and used selectively. New APIs are requested and developed on an as needed basis, considering resource limitations and risk. This situation requires significant investment on the part of developers with each new sensor or project involving multiple systems and on the part of the providers of sensors, gateways and portals or services where observations are used. Standardized interfaces for sensors in the Web of Things (WoT) and Internet of Things (IoT), two terms that are frequently used interchangeably, will permit the proliferation of new high value services with lower overhead of development and wider reach. It will also lower the cost for sensor and gateway providers.
The OGC IoT RESTful API is currently a standard candidate developed by the OGC Sensor Web for IoT Standards Working Group (SW-IoT SWG). The API documents on this site is a web version of the standard draft. And at the moment the SWE-IoT SWG is seeking public comments and will consider all comments when preparing a final draft of the candidate standard. All comments are welcome!! The SW-IoT SWG will consider all comments when preparing a final draft of the candidate standard. We hope to submit the final draft to the OGC Technical Committee for approval by the end of 2013.
Yes and No. The answer can be yes, because it is a new standard designed specifically for IoT devices and applications. The answer can also be no, because the OGC IoT RESTful API is developed based on the existing OGC Sensor Web Enablement (SWE) standards. The OGC SWE standards enable all types of sensors and actuators discoverable, accessible and re-useable via the Web. These standards have been widely implemented around the world. SWE standards, however, are as complex as necessary to support tasks such as controlling Earth imaging satellites and archiving national libraries of geological observation data, and thus are, too "heavyweight" for the resource-constrained IoT applications. The OGC IoT RESTful API can be considered as a lightweight SWE profile suited particularly for IoT applications. As a result, the OGC IoT RESTful API is a new and efficient API based on the proven and widely implemented SWE standard framework.
Transform numerous disjointed systems into a fully connected environment where complex tasks are synchronized and performed by a unified platform.