[6lowapp] Really we need for HTTP on smart devices?

["Adriano Pezzuto (apezzuto)" <[e-mail]>]

Hello,
there is a lot effort to push HTTP and REST interfaces on smart objects
assuming that smart devices (sensor/actuators/readers) should act as Web
providers. On the other side, 6lowpan and other wireless sensor networks
are made by resource-constrained embedded devices so HTTP looks like too
resource expensive.

We are seeing a lot of proxying and gatewaying solutions to bring HTTP
and REST on the 6lowpan devices. But working with gateways and proxies
are always struggling especially at application level. My question here
is why we need to bring HTTP on smart objects?

Smart objects interact with the Internet as they like (and can) as
humans do. Humans type on a computer keyboard or play in front of the
iPhone camera while Things send sensing data or get commands to act on
the real world. Humans do not have an embedded HTTP server even if the
results of their actions (i.e. typing on a keyboard and playing in front
of a camera) are available as Web resources. In the same way, Things do
not need for an embedded HTTP server. Things interact with the Internet
using a lightweight protocol while the results of their interaction are
available on the Web as resources. It is a sort of "information shadow"
data that Things have on the Web. This data will be collected in a
suitable manner for the resource-constrained embedded devices and make
available as Web resource with HTTP and REST interfaces.

What do you think about it?

Regards,
Adriano