Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
10.0
4.6
Journals
Future Internet
Special Issues
Future and Smart Internet of Things
share announcement

Future and Smart Internet of Things

A special issue of Future Internet (ISSN 1999-5903). This special issue belongs to the section "Internet of Things".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 May 2027 | Viewed by 4803

Editors

Dr. Gayathri Karthick

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Data Science and Computer Science, York St John University, London E14 2BA, UK
Interests: secure cloud environments; data analytics; machine learning; intelligent media edge computing
Dr. Sahar Ahmadzadeh

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Data Science and Computer Science, York St John University, London E14 2BA, UK
Interests: Internet of Things; artificial intelligence; wireless sensor networks; data analysis; machine learning
Dr. Shamsuddeen Hassan Muhammad

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Computing, Imperial College London, Huxley Building, 180 Queen's Gate, South Kensington, London SW7 2RH, UK
Interests: machine learning; deep learning; natural language processing; artificial intelligence
Dr. Aminu Bello Usman

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Data Science and Computer Science, York St John University, London E14 2BA, UK
Interests: Internet of Things; secure packet-oriented network; data privacy; applied AI

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The Internet of Things (IoT) continues to evolve, reshaping the way we interact with physical environments and enabling intelligent automation across diverse domains. As we progress toward a more connected future, the development of smart, secure, and adaptive IoT solutions is becoming increasingly vital. The next generation of IoT, termed the Future and Smart Internet of Things (FSIoT), promises enhanced intelligence, interoperability, and sustainability, driving innovation in fields such as smart homes, smart healthcare, industry 5.0, environmental monitoring, transportation, and beyond.

This Special Issue on "Future and Smart Internet of Things" aims to explore cutting-edge research and practical developments that push the boundaries of IoT technologies. It particularly encourages original contributions focusing on the convergence of IoT with Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), Blockchain, edge cloud computing, fog cloud computing, cybersecurity, and digital twins, which, collectively, form the backbone of resilient and scalable smart systems.

We invite the submission of articles that delve into innovative architectures, frameworks, algorithms, and real-world applications, with a focus on sustainability, security, and human-centric design. This Special Issue also welcomes interdisciplinary research that addresses the socio-economic and environmental impacts of future IoT systems.

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Intelligent and adaptive IoT systems for smart environments;
  • AI and ML-driven data analytics in future IoT networks;
  • Secure and scalable architectures for next-generation IoT;
  • Blockchain and decentralized technologies for IoT trust management;
  • Integration of digital twins in IoT ecosystems;
  • Edge, fog, and cloud computing models in IoT deployments;
  • IoT-based solutions for sustainability of energy, agriculture, and the climate;
  • Smart sensing and communication protocols for future IoT;
  • Privacy-preserving data sharing and storage in IoT systems;
  • Human-centric and context-aware IoT applications;
  • IoT innovations in healthcare, education, industry, and smart governance;
  • Case studies, experimental results, and real-world deployments;
  • Challenges and opportunities in designing future IoT systems;
  • Policy and ethical considerations in smart IoT adoption.

This Special Issue will offer a platform for sharing high-quality research that shapes the vision of smart and sustainable IoT ecosystems. Both academic researchers and industry practitioners are encouraged to submit original manuscripts that contribute toward building a smarter and more interconnected world.

Dr. Gayathri Karthick
Dr. Sahar Ahmadzadeh
Dr. Shamsuddeen Hassan Muhammad
Dr. Aminu Bello Usman
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Future Internet is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • smart IoT systems
  • machine learning for IoT
  • AI-enabled IoT
  • blockchain in IoT
  • IoT security and privacy
  • edge and fog computing
  • sustainable IoT
  • digital twins
  • IoT data analytics
  • IoT in smart cities
  • intelligent sensing
  • human-centric IoT
  • cyber threat IoT
  • context-aware IoT
  • next-generation networks
  • decentralized IoT architectures
  • Industry 5.0
  • green IoT
  • IoT-based decision making

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (4 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Jump to: Review

32 pages, 6300 KB  
Article
Multi-Protocol IoT Gateway Architecture: A Unified Approach to Smart-Home Connectivity
by Vasilios A. Orfanos, Stavros D. Kaminaris, Panagiotis Papageorgas, Dimitrios Piromalis and Dionisis Kandris
Future Internet 2026, 18(5), 255; https://doi.org/10.3390/fi18050255 - 11 May 2026
Viewed by 1231
Abstract
The Internet of Things (IoT) has a decentralized smart home ecosystem, as each protocol has its own gateway infrastructure needs. This study advances gateway convergence by proposing and rigorously evaluating a scalable architectural framework for future smart-home infrastructure. Specifically, this paper provides a [...] Read more.
The Internet of Things (IoT) has a decentralized smart home ecosystem, as each protocol has its own gateway infrastructure needs. This study advances gateway convergence by proposing and rigorously evaluating a scalable architectural framework for future smart-home infrastructure. Specifically, this paper provides a detailed analysis of a proposed integrated multi-protocol gateway design that supports 18 of the most widely used IoT communication protocols simultaneously. It is a one-device implementation combining wireless technologies, including short-range radios (Sub-1 GHz, 2.4 GHz), LPWANs (Long Power Wide Area Networks), cellular (LTE, Long-Term Evolution), and wired (Ethernet, KNX). Using the ns-3 network simulator, this paper shows that this architecture is practical in a simulated smart-home environment with a large number of interconnected devices distributed across various zones. The results demonstrate substantial reductions in energy consumption and operational complexity, without compromising quality of service across heterogeneous communication technologies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Future and Smart Internet of Things)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

25 pages, 3620 KB  
Article
Machine Learning for Assessing Vital Signs in Humans in Smart Cities Based on a Multi-Agent System
by Nejood Faisal Abdulsattar, Hassan Khotanlou and Hatam Abdoli
Future Internet 2026, 18(1), 27; https://doi.org/10.3390/fi18010027 - 2 Jan 2026
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1442
Abstract
Healthcare professionals face numerous challenges when analyzing data and providing treatment, including determining which parameters to measure, the frequency of measurement, i.e., how frequently to measure them, and the responsibility for monitoring patient health with new medical devices. Machine learning (ML) techniques are [...] Read more.
Healthcare professionals face numerous challenges when analyzing data and providing treatment, including determining which parameters to measure, the frequency of measurement, i.e., how frequently to measure them, and the responsibility for monitoring patient health with new medical devices. Machine learning (ML) techniques are efficient predictive models used to improve early prediction of patient care and reduce the cost of implementing healthcare systems. This study proposes a new model (data prediction and labeling using a negative feature based on a multi-agent system (PLPF-MAS)) that provides a smart city-based healthcare system for the continuous monitoring of patients’ vital signs, such as heart rate, blood pressure, respiratory rate, and blood oxygen saturation. It also predicts future states and provides suitable recommendations based on clinical events. The MIMIC-II database of the MIT physio bank archive is used, which contains 1023 patient records. Additionally, the EHR dataset is used, which contains 10,000 patient records. The models were trained and evaluated for six bio-signals. The PLPF-MAS model is distinguished from traditional methods in its advanced system, which combines the activities of several agents and the intelligent distribution of responsibilities among them. The LR agent measures the model’s reliability in parallel with the AE-HMM agent to predict the Prisk; it then sends the data to a coordinator and a supervisory agent to monitor and manage the model. Our model is characterized by strong flexibility and reliability, the ability to deal with large datasets, and a short response time. It provides recommendations and warnings about risks, and it can predict clinical states with high accuracy. The new model achieved an accuracy of 98.4%, a precision of 95.3%, a sensitivity of 99.2%, a specificity of 99.1%, an F1-Score of 97.1%, and an R2 of 98%, when the MIMIC-II dataset was used. Conversely, it achieved an accuracy of 93%, a precision of 92%, a recall of 94%, an F1-Score of 93%, an AUC-ROC of 94%, and an AUC-PR of 89% when the EHR dataset was used. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Future and Smart Internet of Things)
►▼ Show Figures

Graphical abstract

Review

Jump to: Research

23 pages, 953 KB  
Review
Large Language Models for Future Internet Ecosystems: A Taxonomy-Based Review of Smart IoT, Edge Intelligence, and Autonomous AI
by Sahar Ahmadzadeh, Gayathri Karthick and Tariq Alsafi
Future Internet 2026, 18(8), 393; https://doi.org/10.3390/fi18080393 (registering DOI) - 26 Jul 2026
Abstract
Large Language Models (LLMs) are emerging as key enablers of Future Internet ecosystems, supporting intelligent, adaptive, and context-aware services across distributed cyber-physical environments. Beyond traditional natural language processing, LLMs are increasingly integrated into Smart Internet of Things (SIoT) systems to enable semantic interoperability, [...] Read more.
Large Language Models (LLMs) are emerging as key enablers of Future Internet ecosystems, supporting intelligent, adaptive, and context-aware services across distributed cyber-physical environments. Beyond traditional natural language processing, LLMs are increasingly integrated into Smart Internet of Things (SIoT) systems to enable semantic interoperability, edge intelligence, multimodal interaction, and autonomous service orchestration. This paper presents a taxonomy-based review of LLM architectures, training paradigms, deployment strategies, and emerging applications within Future Internet infrastructures. The review classifies existing studies by deployment environment, architecture, training strategy, accessibility, and application scope, and analyses the role of LLMs in intelligent IoT environments, with emphasis on edge-based reasoning, agentic AI, human-centric automation, and context-aware decision-making. Key challenges are examined, including scalability, inference latency, privacy, trustworthiness, security, hallucination, and energy efficiency in resource-constrained environments. A comparative analysis of representative LLMs is presented, based on deployment feasibility, multimodal capability, accessibility, and suitability for distributed intelligent services. The originality of the review lies in conceptualizing LLMs as cognitive middleware that provides semantic, reasoning, and coordination capabilities across Smart IoT infrastructures. Finally, future research directions are highlighted, including decentralized AI architectures, digital twins, the Model Context Protocol, retrieval-augmented generation, multimodal sensing, and autonomous agent-based ecosystems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Future and Smart Internet of Things)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

31 pages, 11663 KB  
Review
IoT Security: A Comprehensive Review of Architectures, Threat Models, Detection Methods, and Countermeasures
by Mehdi Moucharraf, Mohammed Ridouani, Fatima Salahdine and Naima Kaabouch
Future Internet 2026, 18(5), 266; https://doi.org/10.3390/fi18050266 - 18 May 2026
Viewed by 1385
Abstract
By allowing continuous connectivity, automation, and data-driven decision-making across these areas, Internet of Things (IoT) has transformed certain facets of daily life, including home automation and healthcare, as well as business operations like supply chain management and smart manufacturing. IoT systems are susceptible [...] Read more.
By allowing continuous connectivity, automation, and data-driven decision-making across these areas, Internet of Things (IoT) has transformed certain facets of daily life, including home automation and healthcare, as well as business operations like supply chain management and smart manufacturing. IoT systems are susceptible to different cyberattacks, though, because of different designs, lack of funds, and inadequate security policies, which creates major security issues given their fast growth. Covering important topics including protocols, architectures, attack classification, detection methods, countermeasures, and research issues, this paper offers a thorough study of IoT security. Emphasizing their relevance in enhancing the security of IoTs, the article offers a thorough analysis of machine and deep learning-based detection techniques. It also offers recommendations for future paths to handle changing risks by means of particular proposals and provides tools and datasets required for IoT security studies. When considering recent progress, however, there are still some major limitations in scaling, real-time detection, dataset availability, and versatility of current solutions. We identified these issues and provided guidance on future research; we also offered a selected set of tools and datasets for further research. Additionally, this paper provides an overview of the most important issues related to IoT security as documented in the current literature, providing a framework for developing resilient and adaptable IoT security solutions in the future. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Future and Smart Internet of Things)
►▼ Show Figures

Graphical abstract

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-4
Back to TopTop