A Connected Dream

IoT

The internet, they say owns the world. But its application in a frequent routine is somewhat diversified. 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. It’s a concept that not only has the potential to impact how we live but also how we work. Here the word ‘Things’ refers to more of an ecosystem rather than a particular node.

These gadgets communicate with each other using what is called Machine-to-Machine (M2M) communication. Using this very process a virtual assistant is able to switch on or off your appliances.

IoT finds its usage in a lot of sectors such as Smart Homes, Self-driven Cars, Farming, Wearables, Health, Factories and the list goes on. Many people mistakenly think of IoT as an independent technology. Interestingly internet of things is being enabled by the presence of other independent technologies which make fundamental components of IoT. First on the list is:

1. Sensors/Devices First, sensors or devices collect data from their environment. This data could be as simple as a temperature reading or as complex as a full video feed. For example, your phone is a device that has multiple sensors (camera, fitness trackers, GPS, etc), but your phone is not just a sensor since it can also perform many actions. second, we have:
2. Connectivity Next, that data is sent to the cloud, but it needs a way to get there! The sensors can be connected to the cloud through a variety of methods including cellular, satellite, WiFi, Bluetooth, Long Term Evolution (LTE) and the recent promising technology of Li-Fi ), connecting via a router or connecting directly to the internet via ethernet. The Third component is;
3. Data Processing Once the data gets to the cloud, the software performs some kind of processing on it. This could be very simple, such as checking that the temperature reading is within an acceptable range. Or it could also be very complex, such as using computer vision on the video to identify objects. But what happens when the temperature is too high or if there is an intruder on the property? That’s where the user comes in. So, the next component is the:
4. User Interface Next, the information is made useful to the end-user in some way. This could be via an alert to the user like an email, text or notification. For example, a text alert when the temperature is too high in the company’s cold storage. A user might have an interface that allows them to proactively check in on the system. For example, a user might want to check the video feeds on various properties via a phone app or a web browser.

Now you might be thinking about the need for this trend. But as the saying goes ‘Necessity is the mother of invention’, and IoT has a plethora of use cases. Kevin Ashton coined the phrase ‘Internet of Things’ in 1999, although it took at least another decade for the technology to catch up with the vision. By 2008, there were more devices connected to the Internet than people inhabiting the Earth.

When something is connected to the internet, that means that it can send information or receive information, or both. This ability to send and/or receive information makes things smart, and smart is good. After all EV behemoths such as Tesla are all powered up by IoT and it is the very same thing that allows Alexa, Siri, and Bixby to set up your smart home.

The point to remember here is that not all connected devices are IoT-connected devices but all IoT-connected devices are connected devices. Moreover, in the Internet of Things, we use the Internet Protocol (IP), more specifically IPv6. So, we only speak about the Internet of Things when ‘things’ generally mean endpoints are uniquely addressable, using an IP address or Uniform Resource Identifier.

One of the challenges that IoT faces is securing the data. The quantity of data collected worldwide is skyrocketing: Whereas 16.1 zettabytes were generated in 2016, that figure is expected to be 163 zettabytes — ten times higher — in 2025. Devices in the Internet of Things will account for a large slice of that. They collect vast quantities of data. And that creates challenges when it comes to protecting and securing data. The reality is that the IoT allows for virtually endless opportunities and connections to take place, many of which we can’t even think of or fully understand the impact of today. Consequently, IoT has and will continue to impact our lives in the foreseeable future.