With IoT solutions becoming more and more important in product design, DMC has been very interested in the viability of wireless devices as tools to solve new problems.
LoRa, is one of the new solutions that provide viable results for use cases that weren’t possible before. The Things Network is one of the prominent public examples of this technology that promises to enable a variety of new use cases. Naturally, we wanted to get more experience with this up-and-coming LoRa tech, by establishing a gateway in the DMC headquarters office.
What is the Things Network?
The Things Network allows connection of sensors and other devices to the internet without direct connection via ethernet or WiFi. Devices, through the Things Network, use the gateways to connect to the network and the internet. Through companies and individuals establishing and registering gateways, the network grows and becomes more expansive (and effective).
Gateway to IoT
To begin our work with the IoT, DMC, obtained a gateway and registered it on the Things Network. Then, after deploying it in the Chicago office, we started testing out our new gateway with a handful of LoRa devices—including one sensor that we mounted to a balloon and sent towards Indiana.
Our engineers have been experimenting with sending signals back and forth between the devices and are proud of DMC’s new status as the location for one of only four gateways in the Chicago area. Since the first step in playing around with the Things Network is having an accessible gateway, DMC’s new office addition is a big step in allowing us to start using and developing interesting sensors and applications for LoRa.
Once registered with the Things Network, all gateways are viewable online and can be used by anyone. So, when the little dot on the Things Network map is pressed, DMC’s office pops up as the owner—which is pretty darn cool!
Learn more about DMC's IoT solutions.