Mozilla presents renewed Raspberry Pi gateway for iot applications

Mozilla has presented a new version of its so-called Things Gateway, which is equipped with additional functionality. The software, best suited for a Raspberry Pi, is part of Mozilla’s iot project called Project Things.

Mozilla reports that the open source Things Gateway software introduces a number of new features, such as voice control, an overview of all iot devices in the home, support for more devices, a new add-on system for protocols and an authorization system based on oauth. In addition, the organization has published a manual for installing the software on a Raspberry Pi 3. This gateway can be used to control smart devices via the internet. According to Mozilla, the software also works with other development boards, but possibly less well.

The gateway is part of a larger plan from Mozilla entitled Project Things. The organization announced this plan in the summer of last year. It focuses on “security, privacy and interoperability,” Mozilla said. According to the organization, the initiative is necessary because each manufacturer introduces its own standard and builds applications that only work within its own ecosystem. As a result, the market remains fragmented. The company writes in its current announcement that “the future of connected devices should be more like the open web.” By using their own gateway, people would no longer be dependent on other parties.

Mozilla’s Project Things consists of other components, such as a Mozilla-hosted Things Cloud and a Things Framework that consists of reusable software components. The organization is also working on a so-called Web Thing API, which is currently in draft status and has not yet been submitted to the W3C. Mozilla has published a list of supported devices, including lamps from Ikea and Philips Hue.