Remote monitoring system development for a Fortune 500 company

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Location: Canada
Industry: IoT

Node JS

React

AWS

Remote monitoring system development for a Fortune 500 company

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Client & product

Our client is a Canadian-based company that offers research and development (R&D) services for third parties. As an R&D company, they strive to solve real-world needs through innovative tech solutions, particularly next-generation AI. One of their noteworthy products is a new kind of robotic system that contributes to people’s well-being. The aim of this social robot with the capacity for empathy is to create meaningful connections with people and become a reliable 24/7 companion for people in different everyday situations.

This product is multifaceted and involves multiple disciplines, along with hardware and software components. Among these, the company sought the expertise of Relevant Software to improve the Unibot web app. Part of the robotic system, it’s a platform for creating, editing, and managing the content for a robot to play. The app is designed to work in tandem with the Remote Monitoring System (RMS), which distributes the content to the appropriate devices registered and connected within the ecosystem.

Challenges

The company reached out to us to develop a system that could remotely monitor devices (their CPU, RAM, disk, locations, different motors, etc.) and install software, drivers, and others. They were looking for a user-friendly platform to manage system and content packages (files) efficiently. Additionally, the client wanted a platform to connect remote devices and to access the device system console directly from the app. This would allow for quick issue fixes and troubleshooting through a secure tunnel.

Role of PMO

Our PMO was responsible for managing the full project's lifecycle, defining the scope, budget, and timelines to provide a clear roadmap for the project's execution. The project manager also oversaw the project's delivery, coordinating with teams, managing resources, and maintaining open lines of communication with all stakeholders.

Job done

Our main objective was to create a software platform that specializes in monitoring systems for EM devices during real-world deployments, pilot studies, and evaluations. We addressed three key aspects: 1) provided technical support to the EM devices and their end-users, 2) facilitated component updates for EM devices, 3) ensured the displayed device information is privacy-preserving.

On the backend side, we implemented device discovery logic for wired Haru devices, which enables direct device registration through a mobile app. Device discovery (device server) is another feature that allows connecting to the EM device not yet cloud-connected. It collects necessary networking and authentication details from the EM device and, through a WI-FI-connected mobile app, communicates with and configures the device for cloud integration. We also created secure tunnel functionality that enables SSH-like terminal interactions with the device, which is useful for conflict resolution, log checks, and system resource monitoring.

Implemented features

Device Logger

We developed two types of loggers for the app running on the device for reading system information and sensor data: the first one reads basic system information; the second offers the same functionality but includes the support of a Robot Operating System (ROS).

Device Data Databases and APIs

It stores EM Device data, the relationships between different types of information, and user actions that reflect the changes made on the devices. We developed an API that allows client applications to store, edit, and access all this information inside the database.

Cloud Backend (Cloud Storage)

Amazon Web Services (AWS), used for this purpose, performs two functions: firstly, it stores device state data collected from remote EM Devices. Secondly, it acts as a repository and delivery system for system applications and app-content packages and files.

Cloud Device Management Services

This feature manages packages, including installation and uninstallation, as well as device maintenance tasks. A "package" is an application or content (images, audio files, etc), installable on a device remotely in Debian package format, categorized by device type.

Installation Manager and Commands Handler Component

This special component operates through AWS IoT Jobs, a system that defines remote operations that can be run on one or more devices. So, whenever a new job is published, an appropriate topic component picks it up and executes.

Device Initialization Procedure

Device Initialization Procedure This function prepares EM devices for the RMS ecosystem, pre-loading a set of essential software applications, Linux processes, certificates, and environments that are necessary for its operation.

Mobile App

The mobile app discovers EM devices in a local network and performs any necessary device configuration for communication with Cloud Services. It simplifies the device discovery that has not yet been integrated with the cloud.

Tasks

The Tasks functionality allows for remote operations to be executed on the device, providing a convenient way to manage it from afar. Currently, there are four types of tasks available: Reboot, Shutdown, Install package, and Uninstall package.

Notifications and Errors

The system can receive notifications about errors that occurred on the device, which contributes to faster issue resolution. There are four categories of errors: Hardware, External Hardware, OS, and Software.

Outcomes

Our team successfully developed a platform for managing devices remotely, which is easy to use and secure. The monitoring system streamlines the process of updating and maintaining devices from any location with minimal effort for users. A user-friendly interface, combined with robust security measures, makes it easy for technical and non-technical users to use the system confidently and safely.

Client’s feedback

Yurii Vasylkiv

President, Representative Director at Eleteria Inc.

Working with Relevant Software on the project has been a pleasant experience from start to finish. Their team delivered a platform that fully meets our expectations in terms of usability and security. Their professionalism, expertise, and dedication to understanding our needs made the collaboration seamless. We're genuinely impressed by the outcome of this project and look forward to future collaborations with the Relevant Software team.