Get to know about Internet of Things

 

What is Internet of things?

The Internet of things (IoT) is the network of physical objects or “things” embedded with electronics, software, sensors, and network connectivity, which enables these objects to collect and exchange data.

A “Thing” in the context of the Internet of things (IoT), is an entity or physical object that has a unique identifier, an embedded system, and the ability to transfer data over a network.

• Heart monitoring implants
• Biochip transponders
• Automobiles with built-in sensors
• DNA analysis devices and other wearables etc.

These devices collect useful data with the help of various existing technologies and then autonomously flow the data between other devices.

How IoT works?

The Internet of Things (IoT), also sometimes referred to as the Internet of Everything (IoE), consists of all the web-enabled devices that collect, send and act on data they acquire from their surrounding environments using embedded sensors, processors, and communication hardware. These devices, often called "connected" or "smart" devices, can something talk to other related devices, a process called machine-to-machine (M2M) communication, and act on the information they get from one another. Humans can interact with the gadgets to set them up, give them instructions or access the data, but the devices do most of the work on their own without human interaction. Their existence has been made possible by all the tiny mobile components that are available these days, as well as the always-online nature of our home and business networks.

The Internet of Things lifecycle

1. Collect
2. Communicate
3. Analyze
4. Act

1. COLLECTION

Devices and Sensors are collecting data everywhere.

• At your home
• In your car
• At the office
• In the manufacturing plant

2. COMMUNICATION

Sending data and events through networks to some destination.

• A cloud platform
• Private data center
• Home network

3. ANALYSIS

Creating information from the data.

• Visualizing the data
• Building reports
• Filtering data (paring it down)

4. ACTION

Taking action based on the information and data.

• Communicate with another machine (M2M)
• Send a notification (SMS, email, text)
• Talk to another system
  
  

How IoT works?

RFID:

To identify and track the data of things.

Sensor:

To collect and process the data to detect the changes in the physical status of things.

Smart Tech: 

To enhance the power of the network by developing processing capabilities for a different parts of the network.

Nano Tech:

To make the smaller and smaller things have the ability to connect and interact.

The structure of IoT

The IoT can be viewed as a gigantic network consisting of networks of devices and computers connected through a series of intermediate technologies where numerous technology like RFIDs, a wireless connection may act as enables of this connectivity.

• Tagging Things: Real-time item traceability and addressability by RFIDs.
• Feeling Things: Sensors act as primary devices to collect data from the environment.
• Shrinking Things: Miniaturisation and Nanotechnology have provoked the ability of smaller things to interact and connect within the "things" or "smart devices".
• Thinking Things: Embedded intelligence in devices through sensors has formed the network connection to the internet. It can make the "things" realizing the intelligent control.

Application of IoT

IoT applications are expected to equip billions of everyday objects with connectivity and intelligence. It is already being deployed extensively in various domains, namely:

1. Wearables
2. Smart home applications
3. Health care
4. Smart cities
5. Agriculture
6. Industrial automation

Current status and future prospect of IoT