An Open Semantic Framework for the Industrial Internet of Things

This article introduces the Open Semantic Framework (OSF), a one-stop shop for creating and deploying semantic applications as well as their lifecycle management. The authors discuss how the OSF supports knowledge acquisition into semantic knowledge models via novel interface technologies, manages these models internally within core ontologies and pluggable knowledge packs, and provides moderated access to them via a REST API and prefabricated SPARQL queries. As an example of OSF's usage in a practical scenario, the authors show how it can increase worker safety in industrial settings by mitigating workplace safety hazards through the automatic insertion of safety-relevant actions directly in the workflow, based on a model of applicable workplace safety law and regulation. By facilitating the creation, integration, and provisioning of knowledge, the OSF represents an important step on the way to integrating knowledge models worldwide, enabling semantic applications globally to 'stand on the shoulders of giants. © 2001-2011 IEEE.