internet-of-thing

[internet-of-thing]

Internet of Things (IoT)

What is an IoT?

This is a system of inter-connecting computing devices and digital machines. It can be any object, animal, technology or person marked with unique identifiers (UIDs) to identify only those objects with a specific purpose. These IoTs are able to transfer data through a network without the assistance of human-to-human or human-to-computer reciprocity. 

Examples of IoTs

High-tech Farming

IoT powered farming techniques to monitor weather, soil composition, soil moisture levels, crop health and growth, and livestock activity. Examples include a farm animal with a biochip transponder, drones to take aerial pictures and analyse when the best time for harvest is. 

Motion Detection

To detect even the slightest vibrations or movements in areas such as dams, factories, power plants, bridges or skyscrapers can be very helpful to prevent any destruction especially in areas prone to floods, earthquakes or avalanches. E.g an automobile with built-in sensors to alert the driver when the tyre pressure is low.

Activity Sensing Devices

These trackers are worn throughout the day to measure heart rate, blood pressure, physical activity, oxygen levels and more health related measurements to reduce the need for emergency visits to hospitals. 

Edible Sensing Devices

These ingestors can be administered into the body to detect any internal bleeding or pharmaceutical absorption. They have a power source and sensors attached so that after being swallowed they can transmit information about any disease immediately from the gastrointestinal tract. AbilifyMyCite was the first pill approved by U.S. Food and Drug Administration. 

Home Security 

For more secure homes IoT connects alarms, lights, cameras and sensors to one’s smartphone for a 24 hour survey. Such as the ring doorbell camera security system allows users to see, hear and converse with visitors through a phone or tablet. eg. a lightbulb or a smart thermostat can be switched on using a phone app. 

Self-Healing Machines

Many artificial intelligence, sensors and manufacturing machines have the capability to check in their own errors and repair them before this turns into a more time0consuming maintenance problem. Hence saving extra expenses for companies to employ workers to keep in check the equipment.

Digital Twins

It is the identical digital version of a similar physical object. Utilizing artificial intelligence, IoT and machine learning, the digital twin can alter itself according to the changes that occur in its physical counterpart based on the latter’s environment. 

AR Glasses

To promote hands-free work, Google glasses have wearable computers installed in them. These are lightweight and portable and the lenses show information such as accessing Google Maps or even Gmail. These can be handy in viewing blueprints or product details by workers.

Smart Contact Lenses

These are being developed to collect health information or treat certain eye conditions. A Swedish Company has invented an eye contact lens called Triggerfish which measures fluctuations in eye volume to detect glaucoma. 

Industrial Safety

They can detect activity of controlled areas or observe trespassers in prohibited areas. The small leaks of harmful chemicals or poisonous gases along with pressure build ups can be immediately noticed before some catastrophic failure occurs. These IoT-enabled devices can be installed in nuclear plants or mining operations. 

The Benefits of IoTs

Smart Homes

Smart speakers like Amazaon’s Echo and Google Home make it convenient to listen to music or set timers. Home security allows seeing and even talking to strangers without attending the doorbell. Such progress helps make older people independent without a caretaker being in their presence 24/7. 

Smart Cities

By fitting in sensors in large cities, planners can get a good idea of what is happening anywhere. Through cameras and sensors cities produce large amounts of data and there are multiple connected networks such as those operating traffic lights. IoT projects along with artificial intelligence work to integrate all these systems together. Infrastructure monitors can be used through LTE-enabled sensors to detect cracks or tilts. This can help in city planning and improve the residents’ lives.

Artificial Intelligence

An IoT device collects large amounts of data which needs to be analysed and stored. Companies can utilize all this data by feeding it to artificial intelligence to make further predictions. Google has put an AI incharge of its data centre cooling system which will receive data from multiple IoT sensors and feed it to neural networks to predict the choices that will affect future energy consumption. 

The Evolution of IoT

As prices of sensors and communications drop, it is economical to add more devices to IoT. Most companies engaging with IoT are at their early stages of trial because technologies like 5G technology, machine powered analytics are at an early stage of development themselves. But with the absence of correct standards and ongoing security issues it seems that IoT security mishaps in the near future are inevitable. The number of interconnected devices is rising so much that our personal and public lives will become so influenced by smart gadgets that privacy and security will have to be sacrificed as a compensation.