Internet of Things. Webservices. Modbus, BACnet, MQTT, AMQP, MTConnect, Sunspec.

Discussion of Internet of Things often brings up protocols and APIs. Will there be universal ones? Many go down a line of reasoning that major users of transaction systems will define the APIs (like Google, Amazon and Apple). Others simply say - RESTful, AMQP, MQTT and CoAP. The former means waiting for everything to settle. The latter are more "Platonic ideals" than things one can actually use or learn from by example. And if one is thinking about actual object and property definitions for actual modeled things or systems, then all above are really at a different level of consideration.

Where is the center? Are there any modeled constructs (for want of a better name) actually in deployment? Such things would have properties of objects like units, types/casts, locations, enumerations, language, etc.
Concept of objects with properties and univeral meta-data related to an interesting piece at Data Central recently about "codes".

Will submit the following for consideration as potentially having modeled constructs:

Modbus (general automation).  Not self describing - properties of objects must be discerned from documentation.

BACnet (building automation).  Watch for new BACnet/IT and related meetings and discussion.

Sunspec (renewables). Note Sunspec has a Modbus and XML form. Both are at least somewhat self describing.

MTConnect (machine tools).

OPC (general automation)  and OPC UA. Somewhat self describing, but overtly general.

NMEA-2000 (and 0183). Imagine Modbus, but with all the interpretation problems for "registers" recast as "strings" problems.

CAN and ODBII (auto). There are standard profiles and methods... and not so.

Then again one can say that structure plus documentation has context with almost all field buses. (Especially in factory/manufacturing, building/structure and energy/flow automation)

Profinet, EthernetIP, EtherCat,...

And then there is protocol and API at other end... IoT platform: ThingWorx, Xively, BlueMix, AT&T.... And the extent to which they provide actual object and property definitions for actual modeled things or systems.

[Why is my location pin at Iskilip, Turkey?]

Sixth Sense. Polarization. Discover Magazine. Haidinger Brushes.

Impressive gem of article/research/knowledge. Gave a "Wow!" moment. The Sixth Sense You Didn’t Know You Had, Discover Magazine. Juliette McGregor, University of Leicester, July 1, 2015 12:59 pm. Easy to describe. Easy to demonstrate. Relatively easy to replicate experiments. Centers around Haidinger’s brushes.

There are some practical medical applications with respect to Strabismus. [One of our little ones was though to have Strabismus... but not.  Also have old friend who works with such eye conditions.] Brought it up to others and they wondered if there might be other applications?