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World's Smallest IPv6 Stack By Cisco, Atmel, SICS
B Rog writes "Cisco, Atmel, and the Swedish Institute of Computer Science have released uIPv6, the world's smallest IPv6 compliant IPv6 stack, as open source for the Contiki embedded operating system. The intent is to bring IP addresses to the masses by giving devices such as thermometers or lightbulbs an IPv6 stack. With a code size of 11 kilobytes and a dynamic memory usage of less than 2 kilobytes (yes, kilobytes!), it certainly fits the bill of the ultra-low-power microcontrollers typically used in such devices. When every lightbulb has an IP address, the vast address range of IPv6 sounds like a pretty good idea."
Why would anyone want to have a light bulb with a data connection?
Car manufactures want this. Have you ever seen the wire bundles in cars? If the lights had network address all you'd need one just ONE wire ad the switch on the dash would broadcast the "turn on" command. Every light bulb and every switch could have just one wire.
In your house it is the same. Light switches would simply issue commands and the light woould wait for a command to turn off/on. Housewiring would be hugely simplifed. and then automation would be easy. Room sensors could detect if people were there and kill the lights. All of this without mods to existing building.
Think of how much you could save if a 20 story building used network lights? Millions.