Towards Real-time Smart Road Construction: Efficient Process Management through the Implementation of Internet of Things

The introduction of the internet had a significant impact on people's lives. The next generation internet, also called the Internet of Things (IoT), takes automation to a whole new level. Currently, IoT is still in its infancy. Still, IoT architectures are being implemented for specific applications and/or use-cases. However, as the number of applications and IoT frameworks increases, so does the number of interfaces, protocols and standards. As a result, interoperability between different platforms has become significantly more complex. In road construction and logistical processes, analysis of collected data and real-time communication between the various actors (e.g. paver, contractor, transporter) allows them to operate their machines more effectively, which significantly improves road quality. However, the significant differences in communication protocols and data storage prevent a straightforward interconnection and interoperability between the various applications involved. This paper introduces a middleware that allows on-demand communication, authentication and information exchange in such heterogeneous environments. We demonstrate and validate this middleware with a use-case and field test in road construction in the context of the RoadIT Technology Transformation (TETRA) project.