IoT and its World
“The Internet of Things is not a concept; it is a network, the true technology-enabled Network of all networks.”
According to the definition Internet of things (IoT), is a system of interrelated computing devices, mechanical and digital machines provided with unique identifiers (UIDs) and the ability to transfer data over a network without requiring human-to-human or human-to-computer interaction.
In layman terms — We take the thing, put some computation intelligence in there, and you put some network connectivity. And we get an IoT device without increasing its complexity. And having a simple user interface.
History Behind IoT
The term Internet of Things is 16 years old. But the actual idea of connected devices had been around longer, at least since the 70s. Back then, the idea was often called “embedded internet” or “pervasive computing”. But the actual term
“Internet of Things” was coined by Kevin Ashton in 1999 during his work at Procter Gamble. Ashton who was working in supply chain optimization wanted to attract senior management’s attention to a new exciting technology called RFID. Because the internet was the hottest new trend in 1999 and because it somehow made sense, he called his presentation “Internet of Things”.
Since then “Internet of Things” has outgrown all other related concepts in popularity.
IoT in Today’s World
The Internet of Things has had significant effects on our world.
Today, we’re living in a world where there are more IoT connected devices than humans. These IoT connected devices and machines range from wearables like smartwatches to RFID inventory tracking chips. IoT connected devices communicate via networks or cloud-based platforms connected to the Internet of Things. The real-time insights gleaned from this IoT collected data to fuel digital transformation. The Internet of Things promises many positive changes for health and safety, business operations, industrial performance, and global environmental and humanitarian issues.
Some of the applications of IoT in today’s world are listed below:
1. Wearable
Wearable technology is a hallmark of IoT applications and probably is one of the earliest industries to have deployed the IoT at its service. We happen to see Fit Bits, heart rate monitors and smartwatches everywhere these days.
One of the lesser-known wearable includes the Guardian glucose monitoring device. The device is developed to aid people suffering from diabetes. It detects glucose levels in the body, using a tiny electrode called glucose sensor placed under the skin and relays the information via Radio Frequency to a monitoring device.
2.Smart Home
When we talk about IoT Applications, Smart Homes are probably the first thing that we think of. Who won’t love if he could switch on air conditioning before reaching home or switch off lights even after he has left home? Or unlock the doors to friends for temporary access even not at home. Don’t be surprised with IoT taking shape companies are building products to make your life simpler and convenient.Best example I can think of here is Jarvis, the AI home automation employed by Mark Zuckerberg. There is also Allen Pan’s Home Automation System where functions in the house are actuated by use of a string of musical notes.
3.Healthcare
IoT applications can turn reactive medical-based systems into proactive wellness-based systems.
The resources that current medical research uses, lack critical real-world information. It mostly uses leftover data, controlled environments, and volunteers for medical examination. IoT opens ways to a sea of valuable data through analysis, real-time field data, and testing.
The Internet of Things also improves the current devices in power, precision, and availability. IoT focuses on creating systems rather than just equipment.
4. Smart Cities
By now I assume, most of you must have heard about the term Smart City.Technologies like the optimized traffic system is one of the many aspects that constitute a smart city.
The thing about the smart city concept is that it’s very specific to a city. The problems faced in Mumbai are very different than those in Delhi. The problems in Hong Kong are different from New York. Even global issues, like finite clean drinking water, deteriorating air quality and increasing urban density, occur in different intensities across cities. Hence, they affect each city differently.
The Government and engineers can use IoT to analyze the often-complex factors of town planning specific to each city.
5.Industrial Internet
One way to think of the Industrial Internet is, as connecting machines and devices in industries such as power generation, oil, gas, and healthcare. It is also made use of in 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 very well provide ease of use but are not reliable because they do not typically create emergency situations if a downtime was to occur.
There are many more areas where IoT is applicable and is making the work more easy and efficient like smart farming or smart supply chain system and many more.
Future of IoT-
“Internet of Things is transforming the everyday physical objects that surround us into an ecosystem of information that will enrich our lives. From refrigerators to parking spaces to houses, the Internet of Things is bringing more and more things into the digital fold every day, which will likely make the Internet of Things a multi-trillion-dollar industry in the near future.” — PricewaterhouseCoopers report
The internet of things is growing fast and in future people’s daily needs going to depend on the internet. It’s not just connecting computers and smartphones anymore. Multiple devices that we use daily life need the internet to serve people.
1. Internet of Things by 2025:
The IoT devices such as machines and sensors are expected to generate 79.4 Zettabytes of data in 2025 which is predicted by IDC (International Data Corporation). Also, IoT will grow at a compound annual growth rate of 28.7% over 2020 to 2025.
According to the projection of the Statista Research Department, 75.44 billion devices will be connected with the IoT worldwide by 2025. IoT technology is the next major step in making the world a connected place.
2. The Internet of Things Grows Artificial Intelligence:
We know IoT refers to the device that transfer data over a network that generate unimaginable amounts of data and many organizations are clueless about how to manage this amount of data. Also, no organization will ignore this data if it is related to customers and their personal information.
Machine Learning is a type of AI (Artificial Intelligence) that helps computers to learn without programming them. The computers are programmed in a way to focus on data they receive from the device and learn with the received data to understand the customer’s preference and adjust itself accordingly.
To solve this amount of customer data, IoT allows data flow between the device and AI can help to manage this data without any human errors. Also, AI is considered the key propellant to the growth of the IoT revolution.
3. 5G: The Fuel That IoT Needs: -
5G is central to the IoT or single network for billions of applications. In a span of ten years, from 2020 to 2030, IoT devices will grow from 75 billion to more than 100 billion, and the improvement from 4G to 5G in terms to grow IoT is most important. Today’s 4G network can support up to 5500 to 6000 NB-IoT devices on a single cell. With a 5G network, up to one million devices can be handled by a single cell.
4. Routers will become more Secure to block unwanted access: -
The IoT makes your home smarter and more efficient when it secured from cyber criminals. Your home devices are connected with the internet like smart TV, security cameras, door locks and more can add a level of luxury and comfort in your life, but also, they can make your home unsafe. Here the router will play an important role by securing the entry point of the internet into your home. While your smart IoT device cannot be protected, the router will protect the entry point of the internet by password production, firewalls, and configure them to allow the only certain device on your network.
In just a few years internet connected devices went from 5 million to a few billions. Business Insider Intelligence estimates that more and more IoT devices would be installed by the year 2030, generating a revenue of over 300 billion.
To summarize, IoT iterates, improves, keeps building and growing. Its networks are not pre-assembled, but they grow over time. The Internet of Things (IoT) has amalgamated hardware and software to the internet to create a smarter world. It has been growing at a significant pace and offers a multitude of opportunities for government and business. In fact, the number of openings for IoT professionals is at an all-time high. So, it is the best time to begin exploring the true potential of this technology.
