Searching the Internet of Things

In this chapter, we describe how real-world information needs can be better addressed by search engines through harnessing sensing infrastructures, including those from the Internet of Things (IoT). Indeed, the introduction of IoT sensors within the search engine provides more responsive/timely information than existing evidence sources, such as Web or social streams. For instance, by considering IoT sensor outputs such as real-time rain levels, a search engine can produce a more customised answer to queries such as "what is the current weather at JFK airport?". Furthermore, information needs such as "what is happenning near me?" (local event retrieval) can be better answered by fusing social media trend data (also known as social sensing) with physical sensor observations. For example, a party in the town square might be detected through a combination of people posting about it on Twitter, with crowd density analysis over CCTV camera feeds from the square. It is also possible to provide recommendations (e.g. for tourists) about points-of-interest to visit, that are appropriate to particular personalised interests of the users and their current contextual situation (time, location, travelling with friends, etc.). In doing so, search engines can satisfy new and evolving information needs that help users with information needs centred on real-world events.