WeAreDevelopers LIVE • Apr 18, 2023

IoT: The road to sustainability

Philipp-Alexander Blum

Is planned obsolescence destroying the Internet of Things? Discover how developers can eliminate e-waste using open-source hardware and the W3C Web of Things standard.

Pause
Mute Enter Fullscreen
#1 about 4 min

Impact of unsustainable hardware on end users and industry

Real world examples demonstrate the consequences of abandoning support for older hardware and actively preventing right to repair.

#2 about 4 min

Adopting open source hardware to promote device repairability

Engineers must take responsibility by supporting right to repair policies and leveraging open source circuit designs to extend product lifespan.

#3 about 4 min

Using the web of things standard for device interoperability

Connecting constrained devices through standard web protocols bridges existing communication gaps in the internet of things ecosystem.

#4 about 6 min

Defining device capabilities with the web of things description

Abstracting hardware into digital twins via standardized JSON descriptions enables future-proof integration with legacy and constrained devices.

#5 about 6 min

Demonstrating device interaction using standardized api implementations

A node.js and typescript application queries device descriptions to run a bandwidth test and display results on an external screen.

#6 about 9 min

Transitioning from web development to constrained hardware engineering

Bringing familiar web development workflows to internet of things environments improves efficiency compared to traditional embedded toolchains.

#7 about 6 min

Persuading product leadership to prioritize hardware sustainability metrics

Framing repairability as a marketing advantage and highlighting long-term cost benefits helps shift organizational mindsets toward greener engineering practices.

#8 about 9 min

Navigating legacy systems and unconventional software testing practices

Implementing live platform tests on banking infrastructure reveals the persistence of outdated practices and undocumented technical debt.

#9 about 4 min

Exploring microcontrollers and communication protocols for amateur hardware

Utilizing affordable microcontrollers with built-in networking enables sophisticated personal projects by running complex communication stacks directly on wearable devices.

#10 about 2 min

Contributing to open standards and open source operations

Focusing on widespread adoption of universal specifications requires contributing standardized platform integrations into open source operating systems.

#11 about 5 min

Predicting technological convergence across edge devices and artificial intelligence

Combining autonomous internet of things networks with artificial intelligence sets up a future of advanced automation and decentralized finance.

#12 about 4 min

Evaluating the environmental impact of blockchain consensus algorithms

The severe computational waste generated by proof of work calculations necessitates a shift to more sustainable ledger technologies.

#13 about 2 min

Developing specialized hardware kits for web of things integration

Building an accessible hardware development platform encourages mainstream adoption of normalized internet of things protocols.

Matching moments

4:17 min

Complexities of hardware prototyping and compliance in IoT

Pawel Skiba Pawel Skiba · WWC 2024

2:06 min

Mitigating the unreliability of connected hardware endpoints

Tom George · LIVE

7:04 min

Questions on protocol performance, security, and industrial adoption

Richard Bieck · LIVE

3:11 min

Summarizing key takeaways for scaling hardware prototypes rapidly

Developersteve · LIVE

1:57 min

Connecting web performance optimization to ecological sustainability

Andreas Taranetz Andreas Taranetz · WWC 2024

5:59 min

Examining connectivity concerns in modern consumer hardware ecosystems

Chris Heilmann +2 · LIVE

Upcoming sessions on this topic

Open session

World Congress 2026 North America

Offloading IoT State: Solving the Memory Crisis on Legacy Hardware

Pravin Nagare

Senior Software Engineer, Roku

Pravin Nagare
Open session

World Congress 2026 North America

From Software Agents to Physical Devices: Inside the Agentic Hardware Stack

Vivian Hu, Michael Yuan

Vivian Hu
Michael Yuan
Open session

World Congress 2026 North America

When Humans Stop Writing Code: Rethinking Languages, Compilers, and Responsibility

Simon Auer

Organizer of flutter vienna meetup and CEO of marqably

Simon Auer
Open session

World Congress 2026 North America

The Broken Rung: How AI is Rebuilding Software Development from the Ground Up

Tomislav Tipurić

Chief Technology Officer, Nephos

Tomislav Tipurić
Open session

World Congress 2026 North America

On the Public Clock: Open-Source Defense When You're Not in the Club

Nicholas Muy

VP Engineering Platform and Security at Scrut.io

Nicholas Muy
Open session

World Congress 2026 North America

Building AI Products That Preserve Choice

Ajit Varma

Head of Firefox at Mozilla

Ajit Varma