6lowpan: the ip-domestics/embedded standard? (Score 1)

Hello, 6lowpan is the proposed/open ip-standard for microcontrollers (for e.g. domotics, streetlighting, "smart powergrids", ...). Vint Cerf's whine-cellar is already controlled by it - it uses products from Arch Rock, which was bought by Cisco - and google will probably launch a lightbulb based on it by the end of the year, which can then be controlled by an android-phone. It is based on ipv6 so that it can form the internet of things. I've split it up in multiple small questions: * Will it have enough support to take off? (biggest competitor is Zigbee, which also is going towards ip) * When will it probably take off? (next year?) ,* Will the lack of support for ipv6 (in Western countries) not slow down the take up? * Will it be standardized/open enough for an opensource community? There is a mesh-header in the protocol, which isn't used by open implementations like those in Contiki because it there are drawbacks to it. The routing-protocol RPL was developed to work on the ip-layer and which is standardized. However, implementations like those of NXP (the google light-bulb uses their hardware at least) use their own stack (jennet-ip), which uses this mesh-header, which causes routing at layer 2. The stack will be opensourced at the end of this year - the time at which google will "launch" the lightbulb -, but I would rather use an open implementation like that one contiki. It also doesn't use the mesh-header, but that is a personal preference. * Will it be cheaper then current home-automation-systems as it is more open? * Will people/companies be cautious enough regarding the security-aspects of 6lowpan (and similar technologies). What about a virus causing havoc in your home - lights don't go on, temperature goes up and up, ...? I'm quite interested into this myself as I would like to use 6lowpan myself and even develop for it (if it is open enough). References: * Arch Rock - Cisco: http://newsroom.cisco.com/dlls/2010/corp_092010.html * wine cellar/internet of smart objects: http://www.ipforsmartobjects.org/2010/07/video-vint-cerf-smart-grid-talk.html * google light bulb: http://www.sunwavelighting.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=171&Itemid=9 Michel Brabants Belgium