© Stiftung Jugend forscht

How practical would it be to connect everyday appliances such as heaters, fridges or alarm systems via the internet so that they can be controlled remotely using a tablet or smartphone? The "Internet of Things" makes this possible. Paul Brachmann (15) from Berlin has developed software that makes it relatively easy for anyone to create their own Internet of Things: With the web-based program 'DEploy', the user specifies which devices are part of the network and how they should communicate with each other. This makes it possible, for example, to combine all household controls - from lighting and temperature control to kitchen appliances - into a single central system.