Samsung debuts ARTIK family to propel IoT development

Imagine a car that knows how to adjust to your preferences before you’re in it, or a home that can create the environment you require before you even open the door. The internet of things (IoT) sometimes feels like an abstract idea, but Samsung is moving the dial closer to making a world of connected devices, like the above, a reality.

The intent behind the electronics company’s new open platform, ARTIK, is to accelerate the development of smart devices and it’s comprised of a family of three modules optimized for IoT. Each ARTIK module fits a powerful processor within a small form factor, but important to the wearable tech industry will be the smallest member of the ARTIK trio, called ARTIK 1.

ARTIK 1 is the size of a skittle (12mm by 12mm) and earns the bragging rights for qualifying as the world’s smallest IoT module. It includes a 9-axis motion sensor and Bluetooth low energy connectivity.

Now, recall for a moment that most smartwatches on the market — save for the lofty promises coming from Swatch’s headquarters — can only hold a charge from around 18 hours (Apple Watch) to an approximate 10 days (Pebble Time). With ARTIK 1, a smartwatch could last three weeks on a single charge — even while being kept in on-mode and paired to a smartphone.

Samsung says the next module in line, ARTIK 5, “has the best performance and storage for its size,” featuring a 1 gigahertz dual-core processor and on-board storage. They envision it will be used in “smart home hubs that need streaming video or high computation.” And finally, the ARTIK 10 is powered by an octa-core processor and is “as powerful as a smartphone and renders high-resolution video.” Point being, it could drive a home server or personal cloud.

Samsung will sell ARTIK to other companies in hopes of raising its earnings and, of course, spurring more IoT development. It will also now require that Samsung product divisions use ARTIK technology, which could give a helpful nudge to improve its smartphone business which has been somewhat cannibalized by competitors like Xiaomi.

ARTIK 1, 5, and 10 address security starting at the hardware level with Samsung’s exclusive Secure Element. To “nurture a vibrant community that values rapid innovation,” ARTIK has opened the Alpha Developer Program where a limited group of developers who want to test new ideas for IoT alongside the ARTIK product team. Applications are now being accepted. 

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