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The CCI Smart Home Lab is for UNC Charlotte students and faculty who intend to conduct research in an exciting new space. This is facilitated with the hardware and software in the lab that emulates a smarthome environment. A variety of research topics can be pursued with the resources the IoT lab provides; this ranges from hardware security to usability studies for IoT devices.

The lab is split up into two sections. It contains a traditional lab environment that holds workstations and space for collaboration. The rest of the lab has been configured to represent a real, functioning living room in a typical smart home. This area contains many of the WiFi-connected devices that have become commonplace in households.


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Lab Facilities and Offerings

Explore our lab’s array of cutting-edge equipment and resources, tailored to support research, education, and innovation in IoT technology. Delve into our state-of-the-art facilities, fostering hands-on learning and experimentation in smart home technology.


LAB EQUIPMENT & DEVICES

Explore the forefront of IoT innovation at our Smart Home IoT Lab. Equipped with advanced devices, it offers hands-on research opportunities and serves as a platform for community engagement. Join us in shaping the future of smart home technology.


Phase 1: Internet connectivity within the IoT SmartHome Lab (WH 308)

An internet connection on a network separate from the school network, with an access point to connect all the devices to, so that they can communicate amongst themselves. The access point will be connected to a fully controlled firewall.

Phase 2: Ability to take SmartHome devices to classrooms on campus, and get connectivity

We would like to take the devices to classrooms on campus and be able to connect the devices to the internet, to perform in-class activities and projects.

Phase 3: Ability to remotely access the devices and the access-point in WH 308

Remote access allows experimentation and adjustments on IoT devices, ensuring research continuity and flexibility, even without physical presence in the lab.

Phase 4: Setting up medium-interaction Honeypots to attract attackers and collect real-time data and malware

Unlike a production honeypot, this will be a medium-interaction research honeypot that will emulate IoT devices to attract attackers. The purpose would be to observe attack techniques in real-time, collect data that includes malware samples. Ideally, we imagine the honeypot to be implemented on the UNCC Research VRF (or a different isolated network) to keep the main network away from any threat.