The Internet of Things (IoT)

Technology Trends

The Internet of Things (IoT) is a state of affairs in which things are provided with distinctive identifiers and do have the capability to sense activities and transmit data via the internet or secured network without the aid of human interaction with either a computer or human.

A thing can be goods, objects, machines, appliances, buildings, plants, animals, human, vehicles, etc. and these things come with implant for monitoring.

This drive for IoT is to reduce the dependencies on human for information. The norm has always been human-to-computer interaction where the data available on the internet or other source will be captured by typing on a PC, taking or scanning pictures and barcodes. This has lead to inaccurate or incomplete information because of the lack of attention when entering this information. The drive is to get all required information from objects (things) which can be tracked and used for decisions that would let us know when things needs replacement, repair, or recalling which will help reduce waste and drive down cost.

Scenario: A rechargeable fan/device with built-in sensors to notify the owner on the state of the battery.

To achieve the aim of IoT, these things will be assigned a unique identifier (internet address using IPV6) equipped with the ability to transmit this data over a network. This things will have senses (touch, smell, taste, sight, etc) using sensors; telling us something about the environment or activities around it. In addition, these things can be controlled from any location in the world.

The IoT is being demonstrated using Machine-to-Machine communication (M2M) in manufacturing industries as well as energy and utilities.

In applying the concept of IoT, we can achieve the following:

• Hook up to any thing: with  IoT, you can know more about any thing
• Monitor things: With the use of IoT, you can monitor things and know the current state.
• Explore things:  Because things have chips implanted, you can search and know the location of it.
• Manage things: If you know the state of the thing you are responsible for, you can manage it and IoT gives you that ability.
• Control things

This blog's content is intended solely for informational purposes. While every effort is made to ensure accuracy, completeness, and relevance, the information may not be current or applicable in all situations. The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not reflect the views of any organization they may be affiliated with.