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Exploring Smart Life

Elena Kornyshova, Rébecca Deneckère, Mustapha Kamal Benramdane, Sjaak

Brinkkemper

► To cite this version:

Elena Kornyshova, Rébecca Deneckère, Mustapha Kamal Benramdane, Sjaak Brinkkemper. Exploring Smart Life. Smart Life and Smart Life Engineering, Springer Nature Switzerland, pp.3-21, 2025, 10.1007/978-3-031-75887-4_1 . hal-04962592

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Chapter 1
Exploring Smart Life

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Elena Kornyshova, Rébecca Deneckère, Kamal Mustapha Benramdane, and Sjaak Brinkkemper

**Abstract** In the contemporary landscape of technological advancement, the concept of Smart Life has emerged as a multifaceted domain, encapsulating a myriad of interconnected elements that deeply influence our daily experience. A lot of research works are published on this topic each month, and new devices continue to appear. However, after examining the existing literature, we found out the need for a consistent definition of Smart Life. This chapter addresses this limitation by providing a more precise definition of the Smart Life concept. We present various terms related to “Smart,” characterize in detail the concept of Smart Life, present a systemic view on this topic, and, finally, introduce the basic elements for Smart Life governance.

**Keywords** Smart Life · Smart artifact · Smart application · Smart domain · Governance

**1.1 Introduction**

The term *Smart* has its roots in Old English, dating back to the thirteenth to fourteenth century, originally connoting quick, active, and clever in relation to sharp humor or words (Online Etymology Dictionary 2024). Over time, it evolved to become synonymous with intelligent, quick, and fashionable (Oxford Dictionary

<footnote>E. Kornyshova (✉) · K. M. Benramdane
Centre d'Etudes et de Recherche en Informatique et Communications, Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers, Paris, France
e-mail: elena.kornyshova@cnam.fr; mustapha-kamal.benramdane@lecnam.net</footnote>

<footnote>R. Deneckère
Centre de Recherche en Informatique, Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, Paris, France
e-mail: rebecca.deneckere@univ-paris1.fr</footnote>

<footnote>S. Brinkkemper
Department of Information and Computing Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
e-mail: s.brinkkemper@uu.nl</footnote>
2024). In the early 1970s, the term “Smart” took on a new dimension, referring to devices behaving as they were guided by intelligence. With the widespread adoption of Internet of Things (IoT), the concept of smartification arises in many domains (Schuh et al. 2019), where both devices and human activities incorporate computational and intelligent features. This is peculiar to a lot of areas, such as Smart cities, Smart energy, Smart homes, Smart manufacturing, etc.

Various Smart applications take more importance continuously. However, there is still a lack of understanding of what is Smart Life. Even the term “Smart” is to some extend ambiguous:

*   *Subjectivity of intelligence:* The term “Smart” can mean different things to different people. What one considers as Smart might not align with someone else’s perspective. This subjectivity can lead to debates and disagreements, particularly when applied to technologies and systems in different user circumstances.

*   *Ambiguity in technology:* In the context of technology, there might be ambiguity about what features or capabilities make a device or system truly “Smart.” This lack of clarity can lead to misunderstandings and misinterpretations.

*   *Rapid technological evolution:* As technology evolves rapidly, what was considered Smart yesterday might be outdated or commonplace today. This fast-paced evolution can make it challenging to establish a fixed definition.

*   *Overuse and marketing:* “Smart” has been widely used in marketing to promote various products and technologies, usually without a clear definition or standard. This overuse has diluted its meaning and contribute to skepticism or confusion about what truly qualifies as “Smart.”

In summary, the term “Smart” is controversial due to its subjective nature, ambiguity in technology, the rapid evolution of technology, and its overuse in marketing. It is therefore essential to lead scientific debates around “Smart” to establish a set of clear definitions, which will serve for a uniform understanding.

In our previous works (Kornyshova et al. 2022a, b), we started to develop and formalize the concept of Smart Life. This chapter gives a more detailed vision by detailing the layers of Smart Life and its core components—Smart artifacts, Smart applications, Smart domains, Smart Life Engineering, and other related concepts—and unveiling the systemic nature that underpins this paradigm.

Section 1.2 overviews the concept “Smart” and other similar terms. Our detailed vision of the concept “Smart” is explained in Sect. 1.3. In Sect. 1.4, we present our systemic vision of Smart Life. We discuss the aspects related to Smart Life governance in Sect. 1.5. We conclude this chapter in Sect. 1.6.

## 1.2 Concept of “Smart”

The idea of Smart Life is often associated with the Internet of Things in the existing literature, especially within various Smart devices. IoT has brought significant changes in human life by enabling the exchange of information in various appli-
cations such as Smart cities, Smart homes, Smart health, Smart transport, etc. In Lee et al. (2021), the authors characterized Smart Life applications based on IoT as a new lifestyle. Smart Life connects all IoT microdevices and microsensors through wireless communication grids, as described in Cho et al. (2018). This concept of connecting all embedded devices to the Internet has the potential to change our lives and the world, making it possible for us to live a Smart Life in a Smart world, as stated in Mizintseva (2021). IoT is an essential technology to enhance the quality of human life (Ho et al. 2015; Sharma and Tayal 2019). IoT objects and devices collect user data, and their final goal is an intelligent use of these data to provide meaningful support to the user (Fu 2016). These intelligent devices are leading the way to Smart Life, pointing toward a fresh and innovative direction for the Internet (Gonzales Garcia et al. 2017).

However, Smart Life is not restricted to the concept of IoT. The main idea behind Smart Life is using and processing data to improve the conditions of our lives. Any artifact that processes data in an autonomous way can be considered as “Smart,” independently of its connectivity status. In addition, the understanding of the term “Smart” varies not only between sub-fields but also within specific fields. For example, Liu and Baiocchi (2016) and Thagard (1993) present different perspectives on the concept of Smart objects, but a unanimous agreement on the definition of a Smart object is absent.

Many terms exist that are closely related to this concept. Most notably, in scientific literature, this is the case for “intelligent,” “autonomous,” “stand-alone,” and “sentient.”

**Intelligent** Merriam-Webster (2024a) gives several definitions of the term “intelligent.” The definition, the most adapted to our context, is “something guided or controlled by a computer.” Morris and Langari (2016) propose to define the term “intelligent device” as “a package containing either a complete measurement system, or else a component within a measurement system, which incorporates a digital processor.”

**Autonomous** Merriam-Webster (2024b) defines autonomous as “(a) having the right or power of self-government (b) is undertaken or carried on without outside control (c) existing or capable of existing independently (d) responding, reacting, or developing independently of the whole.” An example of Smart systems that are defined as autonomous represents the autonomous vehicles. Faisal et al. (2019) propose a state of the art on autonomous vehicles, aka automated car, self-driving car, or driverless car (Spyropoulou et al. 2008; Chong et al. 2013; Olaverri-Monreal 2016).

**Stand-alone** Merriam-Webster (2024c) defines stand-alone as “intended, designed, or able to be used or to function alone or separately : not connected to or requiring connection to something else in order to be used or to function.” Nawandar et al. (2021) describe a stand-alone device as “having numerous capabilities: (i) interaction with user, (ii) required application selection, (iii) data sensing, (iv) data publish, and (v) decision making and actuation.”
**Sentient** Merriam-Webster (2024d) gives a definition of “sentient” as being “capable of sensing or feeling: conscious of or responsive to the sensations of seeing, hearing, feeling, tasting, or smelling.” Applied to the context of artificial intelligence (AI), A. Husain (2017) defines the term of “sentient machine.” He promotes sentience as the path from artificial narrow intelligence (e.g., drones) to artificial generalized intelligence (achievement of machine consciousness). In Kornyshova and Gressier-Soudan (2021), this term is used to introduce sentient requirements for ICT. These requirements aim to improve and protect the well-being of ICT users and to contribute to the maintenance of the human sovereignty with regard to digital technologies.

All these definitions are tightly linked and represent nearly the same ideas. Our definition of Smart also introduces some different degrees, called “smartness degrees,” detailed in the following section.

## 1.3 Characterization of Smart Life

To gain a deeper understanding of the Smart Life domain, we established a two-dimensional framework that we explain through the notion of an artifact. The first dimension encompasses the different levels of smartness, and the second dimension considers the connectivity of devices.

We identify three degrees of smartness: *Smart*, *intelligent*, and *sentient*.

* *Degree 1 of Smartness—Smart:* is the ability of an artifact to process data and adapt its functioning accordingly. The device should be able to trigger further action depending on the context characteristics.

* *Degree 2 of Smartness—Intelligent:* is the ability of an artifact to process data and adapt its functioning using artificial intelligence. At this degree, AI algorithms are involved in deciding about the next action.

* *Degree 3 of Smartness—Sentient:* is the ability of an artifact to process data derived from users, about their feelings, emotions, physical state, etc., and adapt its functioning to enhance the well-being of users.

These three smartness degrees are orthogonal to the three different degrees of connectivity used.

* *Degree 1 of Connectivity—Stand-alone:* an artifact is working on its own, without the need to be connected to anything else.

* *Degree 2 of Connectivity—Connected:* an artifact is working on its own but is connected to the Internet to get and share data with other artifacts or applications.

* *Degree 3 of Connectivity—Federated:* an artifact is working on its own but also together with other artifacts or applications for a common goal.
<figure><img src="image_4.png" /><figcaption>**Fig. 1.1** Examples of the characterization of Smart Life</figcaption></figure>

The orthogonality of smartness and connectivity implies that we can characterize 3 × 3 = 9 types of Smart Life. This characterization with illustrative examples is shown in Fig. 1.1.

**Smart-Stand-alone** An artifact that is able to adapt its behavior without external data input and/or action. For instance, a Smart washing machine selects the program depending on the laundry weight, color, etc.

**Smart-Connected** A connected to a network artifact that can adapt its functioning. An example is the Smart refrigerator that can order grocery foods when it detects lack of certain goods.

**Smart-Federated** A set of connected Smart artifacts, working together for the same goal and defining together the next action. A Smart terrarium is a good example. It is composed of several sensors (temperature, humidity, etc.), and all the collected data helps define the terrarium parameters to offer optimal conditions to animals.

**Intelligent-Stand-alone** A Smart artifact that uses artificial intelligence tools to modify its behavior following the context. For instance, a Smart air conditioner can adapt the temperature of the room depending on the people inside and the
environment context (weather, outside temperature, etc.) using machine learning algorithms.

**Intelligent-Connected** An intelligent artifact connected to a network and adapting its functioning depending on the environment, for instance, a Smart home energy device connected to the distributed grid storing electricity, optimizing the consumption of the residents.

**Intelligent-Federated** A set of intelligent artifacts working together as a whole for a common goal. An autonomous greenhouse is a good example, as it includes a set of control devices (humidity, temperature, etc.), and it uses machine learning algorithms to interpret all the collected data to trigger automatic harvesting when plants are identified as mature enough.

**Sentient-Stand-alone** An independent Smart artifact dealing with well-being-oriented data of users, for example, a robot assisting elderly people, interpreting their needs and reacting accordingly.

**Sentient-Connected** A sentient device connected to a network, for instance, a Smart wearable device analyzing sleep quality coupled with a coaching application interpreting the gathered data to improve personal training.

**Sentient-Federated** A set of sentient artifacts able to work together and adapt themselves to provide well-being of users. We can cite a Smart home care application including wellness, safety, and emergency monitoring as an example.

## 1.4 Systemic Vision of Smart Life

We study Smart Life using the systemic approach (Nikolaev and Fortin 2020). At the heart of the Smart Life domain is a fundamental component that we call *Smart artifact*—a term deliberately chosen to avoid confusion with established terms like Smart object or Smart thing. As detailed above, Smart artifacts correspond to independent devices including the ability to capture, store, and process data to predict the next action.

Smart artifacts with comparable functional purposes within a certain scope constitute a *Smart application*. Smart applications can be identified at various levels of granularity, ranging from specific and detailed instances (e.g., a Smart lighting system incorporating multiple sensors for home and occupant monitoring) to broader applications (like a Smart home system encompassing diverse functions such as lighting, heating, and window management). Smart artifacts may be part of several Smart applications; for instance, Smart lighting systems could be present in Smart homes, Smart factories, or Smart cities. Each Smart application functions as a system composed of Smart artifacts, implying that it should have at least one emergent property. Emergent properties are features inherent to the entire
<figure><img src="image_5.png" /><figcaption>**Fig. 1.2** System-oriented vision of Smart Life</figcaption></figure>

system that individual elements lack. For example, all components of a car must be assembled in a specific way for the car to function.

Similarly, *Smart Life* is composed of various Smart applications, making it a system of systems. At its most basic level, Smart Life is a combination of at least two Smart applications, necessitating coordination based on the input and analysis of emergent properties. This system-oriented perspective of Smart Life is shown in Fig. 1.2. The corresponding concepts are detailed in this section, but, before that, we present a scenario to illustrate the systemic vision of Smart Life. This scenario describes the case of a citizen living in a Smart environment.

**Illustrative Scenario: “A Citizen Living in a Smart Environment”**

Diana, a modern urban dweller, begins her day in her Smart apartment. As she finishes the last drop of fresh milk, her Smart refrigerator detects the need for replenishment and automatically places an order at the local grocery store for a delivery within the hour.

While waiting for the delivery, Diana gets ready for the day. She checks her health app on her connected Smartphone to review her vital signs and adjust her dietary plan. The Smart thermostat automatically adjusts the temperature in her apartment according to her preferences.

Once ready, Diana heads to the parking lot of her building where she finds her electric car. Using her Smartphone, she unlocks the vehicle and starts the engine. The integrated navigation system guides her to the hospital for her medical checkup. During the journey, the car communicates with the network of Smart traffic lights to optimize her route.

At the hospital, Diana picks up her new insulin pen connected to an app on her Smartphone. This Smart device analyzes her blood composition in real time and
administers the appropriate dose of insulin automatically, providing better control of her blood sugar levels.

Next, Diana heads to her Smart factory workplace. She plugs her electric car into the factory parking, ensuring optimal charging. At work, she uses various Smart devices to monitor and control production processes. Connected sensors and cameras provide real-time information on the status of machines and production lines.

At the end of the afternoon, Diana reunites with her dog Bob, equipped with a Smart collar. They set off for a bike ride using her Smart bike. During the ride, Bob's collar transmits data on his physical activity and health status to Diana's app, ensuring the well-being of her loyal companion.

As the day draws to a close, Diana returns to her Smart apartment with fresh groceries. The Smart kitchen appliances recognize the new items and suggest recipes based on the available ingredients. Diana selects a recipe using her Smart kitchen assistant, and the appliances guide her through the cooking process, ensuring a delicious and healthy dinner.

After dinner, Diana engages in some leisure time. Her Smart TV recommends personalized shows based on her preferences, and she uses voice commands to control the entertainment system. Meanwhile, the Smart lighting system adjusts the ambiance to create a relaxing atmosphere.

Before bedtime is a special time for Diana, who, as an avid bird enthusiast, installed a connected bird feeder on her balcony. She enjoys scrolling through photos taken by the feeder's camera, which automatically uploads images of visiting birds to the Internet but also to a real-time urban bird-tracking association.

Before heading to bed, Diana checks her sleep tracker app, which is synced with her Smartwatch. The app provides insights into her sleep patterns and suggests adjustments for better sleep quality. The Smart thermostat ensures the bedroom temperature is optimal for a restful night.

As Diana settles into bed, she instructs her Smart home assistant to enter "night mode," which dims the lights, locks the doors, and adjusts other settings to enhance security and conserve energy overnight. Throughout the night, various Smart devices continue to monitor and optimize her home environment, contributing to a seamless and technology-enhanced daily routine.

This illustrative day shows how Diana interacts with a multitude of Smart devices, simplifying her daily life and enhancing her management of health, mobility, and domestic affairs.

### 1.4.1 Smart Artifact

A *Smart artifact* is defined as any autonomous and stand-alone artifact equipped with a data processor, connected or not, that obtains, stores, processes, and utilizes
data to initiate actions within its environment. Examples of Smart artifacts can be a
Smart watch, Smart window, Smart toy, Smart antenna, and so on.

Referring to our ongoing example, Diana is using a lot of Smart artifacts:

- A Smart insulin pen to regulate her blood sugar levels. This Smart device operates autonomously, without requiring any user input. Once the blood sugar level falls below the set limit, the pen delivers precisely what is needed for Diana.

- A Smart fridge. It features internal cameras for automated inventory management and temperature control settings that can be adjusted remotely. The refrigerator is intelligent enough to automatically place grocery orders when items are running low.

- A Smart TV. It is a television with integrated Internet connectivity and interactive features. It allows users to access online content, streaming services, apps, and other interactive features directly through the television, often eliminating the need for external devices like streaming boxes or game consoles.

1.4.2 Smart Application

A *Smart application* is defined as a network of interconnected Smart artifacts,
potentially including other Smart applications working together toward a shared
goal. For instance, a Smart city application may consist of individual components
such as a Smart parking application, a Smart energy application, and so on.
Similarly, a Smart home can be composed of a Smart TV, a Smart fridge, a Smart
assistant, and more. It's a requirement for a Smart application to encompass a
minimum of two Smart artifacts.

Diana uses also several Smart applications.

- Smart home. She is living in a Smart apartment. It refers to a residence equipped with various devices and systems that are connected to the Internet, allowing for remote monitoring and control. These interconnected devices enhance the automation, efficiency, and convenience of daily tasks. Examples of Smart devices within a Smart home include Smart fridges, Smart thermostats, Smart security systems, Smart home assistants, Smart TV, and so on. The goal of a Smart home is to enhance comfort, energy efficiency, and security while providing users with greater control over their living environment.

- Smart factory. She is working in a Smart factory. Within a Smart factory, various Smart devices and systems work together to optimize production processes. Examples of Smart applications within a Smart factory include predictive maintenance systems, Smart energy management systems, Smart parking, and so on. The aim of a Smart factory is to increase productivity, reduce costs, and improve flexibility in responding to market demands. By leveraging interconnected technologies, Smart factories transform traditional manufacturing processes into more agile, efficient, and data-driven operations.
<figure><img src="image_6.png" /><figcaption>**Fig. 1.3** Domains of Smart applications (Clip arts used in this figure were designed by Freepik)</figcaption></figure>

- *Smart hospital.* She regularly goes to a Smart hospital. It uses interconnected systems to enhance patient care. Within a Smart hospital, various Smart devices and systems work together to create a connected and intelligent healthcare environment. Examples of Smart things within a Smart hospital include Smart patient rooms, Smart medication management, Smart wearable health technologies, and so on. The goal of a Smart hospital is to improve patient outcomes, enhance the patient experience, and streamline healthcare operations through the integration of cutting-edge technologies.

**1.4.3 Smart Domain**

Smart applications are grouped into four domains (cf. Fig. 1.3), which are explained in detail in Chap. 2.

**Smart Applications for Persons** This domain unifies various applications that concern people's personal life, such as Smart home, Smart healthcare, Smart welfare, etc.

*Diana lives in a Smart home. In addition, she deals with several other applications: Diana uses a Smart home temperature management system (a Smart home application), a Smart drug delivery system (her insulin pen, from a Smart healthcare application), and a Smart training application for her dog Bob (Smart welfare of animals).*

**Smart Applications for Society** We put in this domain all the Smart applications that are related to the society itself, like Smart city, Smart education, Smart social media, etc.
<figure><img src="image_7.png" /><figcaption>**Fig. 1.4** Conceptual model of Smart Life with links between Smart concepts</figcaption></figure>

Diana uses a Smart parking application in the building where she lives to charge her electric car.

**Smart Applications for Environment** All applications dealing with the natural environment are grouped into this domain, like Smart natural resource management, Smart disaster management systems, Smart earth, etc.

Diana uses a Smart bird feeder to help track urban birds for an ornithological association.

**Smart Applications for Enterprises** This domain groups all Smart applications useful for companies, like Smart industry applications, Smart transportation, Smart agriculture, etc.

Diana works in a Smart factory (a Smart industry application) and uses a Smart driving tool in her car (a Smart transportation application).

### 1.4.4 Smart Life

Smart Life is defined as the overall domain comprising all Smart domains, Smart applications, and Smart artifacts (as shown in the Fig. 1.4), aimed at enhancing experiences from personal, societal, environmental, and enterprise perspectives (Kornyshova et al. 2022b). It can be viewed as the societal domain that consolidates all initiatives involving the application of Smart artifacts and applications in diverse settings. Additionally, we also propose to use the term Smart Life as a comprehensive scientific research domain that encompasses all research areas exploring Smart technology, artifacts, and applications. Under this umbrella term, representatives from academia, society, and industry can convene and plan activities to promote all forms of Smart concepts.

The conceptual model of Smart Life shows a set of links between the three main elements composing Smart life: Smart domain, Smart application, and Smart artifact. We use our running example to illustrate these links.

- A Smart domain groups Smart applications and Smart artifacts within the same category.
Diana uses several Smart applications for people domain: a Smart home application, a Smart welfare application (for her dog and its training system), etc.

- Smart applications are composed of Smart artifacts.

Diana's Smart home groups Smart artifacts, like her Smart refrigerator and her Smart assistant.

- Smart applications can be composed of other applications.

Diana's Smart home groups other Smart applications, for instance, a Smart temperature management system.

- Smart artifacts can be composed of Smart artifacts.

Diana's Smart bird feeder is a Smart artifact that is composed of several other artifacts: a weight sensor (to detect when a bird lands in front of the bird feeder), a camera (triggered by the weight sensor), etc.

### 1.4.5 Actors in Smart Life

We use the term actor for any kind of user, group, or organization that is involved in the usage and functioning of a Smart Life experience. We can observe that the actor is at the core of the Smart Life concept, itself linked to all the concepts described above, as shown in Fig. 1.5.

<figure><img src="image_8.png" /><figcaption>**Fig. 1.5** Central role of actors</figcaption></figure>
Actors can have various roles:

- **Consumer/user.** A consumer is a person who buys goods or services for their own use; in the same way, a user is someone who uses a product, machine, or service (Online Cambridge dictionary 2024b).

Diana uses her Smart assistant to trigger some answers from her Smart home (for instance, dimming the lights at bedtime).

- **Supplier.** A supplier is a company, or a person, that provides things that people want or need (Online Cambridge Dictionary 2024a).

All the artifacts used by Diana keep, manage, and interpret a lot of her data. To give some examples, her Smart refrigerator analyzes the presence of food to make orders to the grocery store; her driving assistant analyzes her GPS data to guide her in her way; her insulin pen manages her blood sugar level to trigger shoots of insulin; and so on. She can be considered as the supplier of all these data.

- **Designer.** A designer is a person who imagines how something could be made and draws plans for it (Online Cambridge dictionary 2024c).

Diana had the opportunity to choose between several designs for some of her Smart artifacts. For instance, she chose the color, size, and functionalities of her Smart fridge.

- **Deployment participant.** A deployment can be defined as the movement of equipment to a place where they can be used when they are needed (Online Cambridge dictionary 2024d). A deployment participant is then a person who participates to this movement by putting a specific equipment at a certain place where it can be used effectively.

Diana's bird feeder is deployed at her home, and the results are automatically sent to an ornithologist association for urban bird tracking.

- **Sponsor.** A sponsor can be defined as a person, or company, that supports a person, organization, or activity by giving money (Online Cambridge dictionary 2024e).

Diana is sponsored by an urban bird-tracking association to deploy her bird feeder at her home. She paid only half of the device's price, allowing her to directly benefit from all the bird pictures and observe the birds feeding on her balcony, while the association covered the remaining cost.

### 1.4.6 Smart Life Engineering

Smart Life Engineering involves the application of scientific principles on the design, construction, implementation, and evolution of Smart Life applications. This is a concept that needs for a lot of elaboration on it. We highlight the importance of the progress in this field. While Smart Life Engineering shares common ground with information systems engineering, it also establishes extensive connections with
research domains such as wireless network technology, artificial intelligence, urban
geography, logistics, medical technology, and more.

1.5 Smart Life Governance

In the context of Smart Life, the management of artifacts is done at the level of applications (Smart home, Smart city, etc.). Smart applications, especially in the domain of Smart applications for society, imply interactions between numerous actors. In this case, it is important to define how different actors (users, designers, sponsors, etc.) participate and contribute to the whole functioning.

To understand better the various roles and interactions, we consider Smart applications as ecosystems. In this section, we introduce an organizational model, function distribution within Smart application ecosystems, and a governance matrix.

1.5.1 Organizational Model of Smart Application Ecosystem

We define a high-level organizational model for a Smart application ecosystem, detailing the different functions and requirements. The organizational model of Smart application ecosystems consists of three main components: Smart application, Smart artifacts, and actors (see Fig. 1.6).

A *Smart application* can be viewed as an ecosystem; thus, it is a network of interconnected actors and eventually other Smart applications through Smart artifacts. A Smart application can be a system of other Smart applications. For instance, Smart home application can be composed of Smart lightning application and a Smart energy heating application.

<figure><img src="image_9.png" /><figcaption>**Fig. 1.6** Organization model of a Smart application ecosystem</figcaption></figure>
*Smart artifacts* can represent various tools, such as sensors, detectors, processors, measuring tools, Smartwatches, etc. Smart artifacts, with different functions, are used by the actors to achieve their purposes. They allow applications to interact with actors. They are connected to a main Smart application that defines the collaboration rules.

*Actors* can have different roles including designer, developer, sponsor, or user and may assume multiple roles also simultaneously, such as consumer and supplier. Actors have goals contributing to the overall Smart application objectives. Data generation and sharing by these actors are regulated in the basis of a set of rules defined by a given actor. These actors engage in both competition and cooperation within a shared, multi-layered space encompassing products and services, processes, data, and other resources as depicted in Fig. 1.6.

**1.5.2 Function Distribution in Smart Application Ecosystems**

In each Smart application ecosystem, functions could be viewed at three levels: for the actors, applications, and artifacts.

**Actor Functions** An actor can take on several roles, and these roles give it different functions depending on its degree of involvement in the ecosystem and the level of detailed data they intend to share. Each actor occupies a portion of the multi-layered space, according to their involvement within the Smart application ecosystem. We define the following functions for actors:

* Actors define the goals of Smart applications.

* Actors have goals and contribute to the goals achievement of Smart applications.

* Actors define and set rules within the Smart application.

* Actors follow the rules established within Smart applications.

* Actors perform and prioritize their activities depending on their goals.

* Actors manage, manipulate, and share their data.

* Actors participate in both producing and consuming products and services.

**Smart Application Functions** In order to function correctly, within the framework of established rules, Smart applications must enable the following functions:

* Smart applications align the goals of the corresponding ecosystem to the goals of the involved actors.

* Smart applications broadcast the defined rules throughout the network.

* Smart applications check whether the actors adhere to the established rules.

* Smart applications handle the synchronization and integration of processes.

* Smart applications handle the synchronization and integration of data.

* Smart applications ensure the availability and compliance of products and services for all actors.
**Smart Artifact Functions** Smart artifacts are mandatory present in any Smart application. Their main contribution is that they support the whole operational functioning of Smart applications. We will not talk here about technical aspects. With regard to the functions of Smart artifacts in Smart applications, we identified the following:

* Smart artifacts support the functioning of Smart applications for the goals of the actors and are designed to satisfy this criterion.

* Smart artifacts are designed to respect various rules (security and privacy related, and so on).

* Smart artifacts participate in processes by supporting actors' activities.

* Smart artifacts collect, store, process, and report data.

* Smart artifacts constitute products and support services of Smart applications.

### 1.5.3 Governance Matrix

To provide additional insights for characterizing the relationships between actors, Smart applications, and Smart artifacts, we grouped the identified functions in a governance matrix (illustrated in Fig. 1.7, cf. the comment below). We grouped

<table><caption>Fig. 1.7 Governance matrix for Smart application ecosystems</caption><thead><tr><th></th><th>Actor</th><th>Smart Application</th><th>Smart Artefact</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><th>Goals</th><td>- Actors define the goals of Smart applications.<br/>- Actors have goals and contribute to the goals achievement of Smart applications.</td><td>Smart applications align the goals of the corresponding ecosystem to the goals of the involved actors.</td><td>Smart artefacts support the functioning of Smart applications for the goals of the actors and are designed to satisfy this criterion.</td></tr><tr><th>Rules</th><td>- Actors define and set rules within the Smart application.<br/>- Actors follow the rules established within Smart applications.</td><td>- Smart applications broadcast the defined rules throughout the network.<br/>- Smart applications check whether the actors adhere to the established rules.</td><td>Smart artefacts are designed to respect various rules (security-, privacy-related, and so on).</td></tr><tr><th>Processes</th><td>Actors perform and prioritize their activities depending on their goals.</td><td>Smart applications handle the synchronization and integration of processes.</td><td>Smart artefacts participate in processes by supporting actors' activities.</td></tr><tr><th>Data</th><td>Actors manage, manipulate, and share their data.</td><td>Smart applications handle the synchronization and integration of data.</td><td>Smart artefacts collect, store, process, and report data.</td></tr><tr><th>Product and Services</th><td>Actors participate in both producing and consuming products and services.</td><td>Smart applications ensure the availability and compliance of products and services for all actors.</td><td>Smart artefacts constitute products and support services of Smart applications.</td></tr></tbody></table>
the functions depending on the main elements related to the organizational model: goals, rules, processes, data, and products and services.

An actor can have multiple roles and be involved in different ways in a Smart application ecosystem. Since actors interact with each other, the interactions between customer and supplier within a Smart application are recursive, with each participant potentially assuming both roles according to use case. Actors create, share, and consume resources while adhering to established rules and striving to achieve the goals of Smart applications.

Smart application ecosystems represent an intricate topic that should be studied in more detail. We tried to give some preliminary ideas to develop how its governance should be done. From these functions, there are several important requirements that a Smart application ecosystem must meet:

* Goals should be analyzed at two levels, actors and Smart applications, and both should be aligned to each other.

* All relevant actors should communicate data management rules, including compliance with the Smart application ecosystem rules.

* Each actor should focus on his/her activities depending on goals.

* Smart application ecosystems should support the integration and synchronization of processes among actors.

* Data should be managed and manipulated by their respective owners.

* Smart application ecosystems should allow the integration and synchronization of data among actors.

* Smart applications should consider the new requirements of personas representing actors.

## 1.6 Conclusion

In this chapter, we presented a detailed vision of the concept “Smart” and its application to various domains existing in the current landscape of digital technologies. We improved the notion of Smart Life as an umbrella concept unifying the whole spectrum of initiatives of Smart artifacts and Smart applications. We state that such a vision is important to provide more sustainable, green, human-aware, and efficient development of digital technologies.

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