‘Q-PLUS’
Controlling Household
Appliances from
Outside the House

Home Server Based on Local Embedded OS 'Qplus'

What would it be like if we could watch our neighbor’s DVD from our house, and listen to music playing from inside the house using our mobile phone? What if we could check whether our gas valve is on while we’re away on a business trip? You may soon experience these movie-like scenes in reality through ETRI’s home server. The Qplus-based home server, developed in 2000, utilizes Korea’s ultra-high speed information and communications infrastructure. It was expected to lay the foundation for the creation of new information services.

01

Supporting Local
Embedded
System
Companies

Computers are embedded in digital products such as PDAs, smartphones, set-top boxes, white goods, robots, telematics, and military equipment. These products embedded with computers are also known as embedded systems. With the development of the IT industry, almost all digital products are operated as embedded systems.
ETRI developed a new embedded operating system, featuring graphic libraries and applications based on Linux. The system was named Qplus, and has been used to support local embedded system companies.
In the past, most local companies relied on foreign products due to the lack of a local embedded operating system. As such, they were unable to enjoy access to immediate support despite paying high fees. These issues have been resolved with the release of Qplus.

02

Bringing More
Convenience to Daily Life

The name Qplus originates from the word “cue,” commonly used when shooting films. A cue is a sign given to actors before their performance, and the character Q was used to mean “to begin technology.” The word “plus” means “to add.” The name Qplus means to add more value to existing technology, reflecting ETRI’s determination to enhance the quality of life for Korean citizens.
The Qplus project was planned in 1997 and started in 1998. The project led to the development of the DTV set-top box—an essential technology for the home network. In 2003, the institute exerted efforts to integrate Linux in embedded systems. The research motto at that time was “Embedded Everywhere,” and this concept was later applied to wearable devices and ubiquitous computing.
That is, users can check their home temperature and gas valves, and listen to music from outside the house.

03

Faster
and More Stable

There are largely three types of home servers: home control servers, home multimedia servers, and home information servers. Microsoft’s Media Center has launched the PC-based home server, and Sony has integrated a home server function in PlayStation. These trends show that major companies are introducing the home server in their representative products. While each of these competitor products has a different focus, ETRI maximized the possible applications by integrating separate functions into a single home server.
This enabled the establishment of wired/wireless integrated home service infrastructure. ETRI’s model was described by experts as “a new model of the home entertainment hub amidst the growing international competition.” It also holds significance in providing a framework for the further development of information electronic appliances.

04

World Impressed
by Korea’s Research

Qplus provides TV broadcasting, movies, and other home entertainment services by combining digital TV, DVD, and e-books into a unified home server. Data stored in your home computer is backed up based on middleware, and digital devices connected to the home network are automatically configured. Furthermore, devices can be managed from remote locations.
Many industries expect Qplus to create a paradigm shift in the digital appliances market.
Given the nature of research, the development process involved many challenges. The researchers at ETRI had to work day and night to produce meaningful results in the ever-changing IT environment. They aim to have a 10% global market share, and hope to bring more convenience to everyday life. Their ultimate goal is to become leaders of IT-based living in Korea and around the world.