IOT: A Dawn of a New Era

Mr. Swagat Karve, Asst. Professor,

smkarve@coe.sveri.ac.in,

SVERI’s College of Engineering, Pandharpur

 

What is the Internet of Things?

The Internet of Things, or IoT, refers to the billions of physical devices around the world that are now connected to the internet, all collecting and sharing data. Thanks to the arrival of super-cheap computer chips and the ubiquity of wireless networks, it's possible to turn anything, from something as small as a pill to something as big as an aero plane, into a part of the IoT. Connecting up all these different objects and adding sensors to them adds a level of digital intelligence to devices that would be otherwise dumb, enabling them to communicate real-time data without involving a human being. The Internet of Things is making the fabric of the world around us smarter and more responsive, merging the digital and physical universes.It's really a giant robot and we don't know how to fix it.The idea of adding sensors and intelligence to basic objects was discussed throughout the 1980s and 1990s (and there are arguably some much earlier ancestors), but aside from some early projects including an internet connected vending machine progress was slow just because the technology wasn't ready.

Chips were too big and hulking and there was no way for objects to communicate effectively.Processors that were cheap and power frugal enough to be about disposable were needed before it finally became cost-effective to connect up billions of devices.

The adoption of RFID tag slow-power chips which will communicate wirelessly solved a number of this issue, along side the increasing availability of broadband internet and cellular and wireless networking. The adoption of IPv6 which, among other things, should provide enough IP (Internet Protocol) addresses for each device the globe is ever likely to wish was also a necessary step for the IoT to scale.

What is an example of an Internet of Things?

Pretty much any objects are often transformed into an IoT device if it is often connected to the web to be controlled or communicate information. A light bulb which will be switched on employing a smartphone app is an IoT device, as may be a motion sensor or a smart thermostat in your office or a connected streetlight. An IoT device might be as fluffy as a child's toy or as serious as a driverless truck. Some larger objects may themselves be crammed with many smaller IoT components, like a reaction-propulsion engine that's now stuffed with thousands of sensors collecting and transmitting data back to form sure it's operating efficiently. At a fair bigger scale, smart cities projects are filling entire regions with sensors to assist us understand and control the environment.

The term IoT is mainly used for devices that wouldn't usually be generally expected to have an internet connection, and that can communicate with the network independently of human action. For this reason, a PC isn't generally considered an IoT device and neither is a smart phone even though the latter is crammed with sensors. A smartwatch or a fitness band or other wearable device might be counted as an IoT device, however. Some of the futuristic applications of IoT are discussed below:

Smart Home

Whenever we think of IoT systems, the most important and efficient application that stands out is the smart home, ranking the highest IoT application on all channels. The number of people searching for smart homes increases every month by about 60,000 people. Another interesting thing is that the database of smart homes for IoT analytics includes 256 companies and startups. More companies are now actively involved in smart homes, as well as similar applications in the field. The list of startups includes prominent startup company names, such as Alert Me or Nest, as well as a number of multinational corporations, like Philips, Haier, or Belkin.

Wearable’s

Just like smart homes, wearables remain a hot topic among potential IoT. Every year, consumers all across the globe await the release of the latest Apple smart watch. Apart from this, there are plenty of other wearable devices that make our life easy, such as the Sony Smart B Trainer, Look See bracelet, or the Myo gesture control.

Smart City

Smart cities, like its name suggests, is a big innovation and spans a wide variety of use cases, from water distribution and traffic management to waste management and environmental monitoring. The reason why it is so popular is that it tries to remove the discomfort and problems of people who live in cities. IoT solutions offered in the smart city sector solve various city-related problems, comprising of traffic, reducing air and noise pollution, and helping to make cities safer.

 Smart Grids

Smart grids are another area of IoT technology that stands out. A smart grid basically promises to extract information on the behaviors of consumers and electricity suppliers in an automated fashion to improve the efficiency, economics, and reliability of electricity distribution. 41,000 monthly Google searches is a testament to this concept’s popularity.

Industrial Internet

One way to think of the Industrial Internet is by looking at connected machines and devices in industries such as power generation, oil, gas, and healthcare. It also makes use of situations where unplanned downtime and system failures can result in life-threatening situations. A system embedded with the IoT tends to include devices such as fitness bands for heart monitoring or smart home appliances. These systems are functional and can provide ease of use but are not reliable because they do not typically create emergency situations if a downtime was to occur.

Connected Car

Connected car technology is a vast and an extensive network of multiple sensors, antennas, embedded software, and technologies that assist in communication to navigate in our complex world. It has the responsibility of making decisions with consistency, accuracy, and speed. It also has to be reliable. These requirements will become even more critical when humans give up control of the steering wheel and brakes to the autonomous vehicles that are being tested on our highways right now.

Connected Health (Digital Health/Telehealth/Telemedicine)

IoT has various applications in healthcare, which are from remote monitoring equipment to advance and smart sensors to equipment integration. It has the potential to improve how physicians deliver care and also keep patients safe and healthy. Healthcare IoT can allow patients to spend more time interacting with their doctors, which can boost patient engagement and satisfaction. From personal fitness sensors to surgical robots, IoT in healthcare brings new tools updated with the latest technology in the ecosystem that helps in developing better healthcare. IoT helps to revolutionize healthcare and provide pocket-friendly solutions for both the patient and healthcare professional.

 Smart Retail

Retailers have started adopting IoT solutions and using IoT embedded systems across a number of applications that improve store operations, increasing purchases, reducing theft, enabling inventory management, and enhancing the consumer’s shopping experience. Through IoT physical retailers can compete against online challengers more strongly. They can regain their lost market share and attract consumers into the store, thus making it easier for them to buy more while saving money.

Smart Supply Chain

Supply chains have already been getting smarter for a couple of years. Offering solutions to problems like tracking of goods while they are on the road or in transit or helping suppliers exchange inventory information are some of the popular offerings. With an IoT enabled system, factory equipment that contains embedded sensors communicate data about different parameters, such as pressure, temperature, and utilization of the machine. The IoT system can also process workflow and change equipment settings to optimize performance.

Smart Farming

Smart farming is an often overlooked in IoT applications. However, because the number of farming operations is usually remote and the large number of livestock that farmers work on, all of this can be monitored by the Internet of Things and can revolutionize the way farmers operate day to day. But, this idea is yet to reach a large-scale attention. Nevertheless, it still remains one of the IoT applications that should not be underestimated. Smart farming has the potential to become an important application field, specifically in the agricultural-product exporting countries.

What are the benefits of the Internet of Things for business?

 The benefits of the IoT for business depend upon the actual implementation; agility and efficiency are usually top considerations. The thought is that enterprises should have access to more data about their own products and their own internal systems, and a greater ability to form changes as a result.

 References:

1) https://dzone.com/articles/top-10-uses-of-the-internet-of-things

2) https://beyondstandards.ieee.org/iot/internet-of-things-the-dawn-of-a-new-technology-era/

3) https://geti.mobi/industry-4-0-the-dawn-of-a-new-era/

4) https://www.ndot.in/blog/dawn-cybersecurity-era-age-iot.html