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Internet Of things – IOT – Meaning , Examples and Applications

Introduction To IOT ?

The Internet of Things is the concept of everyday objects – from industrial machines to wearable devices – using built-in sensors to gather data and take action on that data across a network. So it’s a building that uses sensors to automatically adjust heating and lighting. Or production equipment alerting maintenance personnel to an impending failure. Simply put, the Internet of Things is the future of technology that can make our lives more efficient.

The Internet of Things (IoT) is the network of physical devices, vehicles, home appliances and other items embedded with electronics, software, sensors, actuators, and connectivity which enables these objects to connect and exchange data. Each thing is uniquely identifiable through its embedded computing system but is able to inter-operate within the existing Internet infrastructure.

What is IoT ?
Simply put, IoT is the concept of basically connecting any device with an on and off switch to the Internet (and/or to each other). This includes everything from cellphones, coffee makers, washing machines, headphones, lamps, wearable devices and almost anything else you can think of. This also applies to components of machines, for example, a jet engine of an airplane.

How does it work?

IoT enabled Big Data. The Internet of Things (IoT) 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 “connected” or “smart” devices, can sometimes talk to other related devices and act on the information they get from one another.

The concept of IoT says that “Every device has the ability to communicate with each other through networks and make smart decision based on data collected by each device”

Internet of things ( IOT ) Examples :

A smart home usually consists of a central control unit (maybe physical or on cloud) which reads information from every type of sensor spread throughout the home. Motion Sensors, Temperature Sensors etc generating information every second and sending it to the central unit. The central unit makes decision based on what information is sent to it by these sensors and hence the entire home is automated. Below given are some example of how sensors and central unit can be used to make a smart home:

Proximity sensor can be placed in refrigerators to sense the stock inside and send data to central unit. Now central unit can process this and order food online if the need comes.
Motion Sensors in entire house with facial recognition to recognize thieves and respond accordingly by sending message to authorities nearby
Temperature Sensors can be used to maintain the temperature of home as and when the need be according to the weather outside home.

Application Of IOT :

So here are possible applications for IoT solutions.

Smart Parking – Monitoring of parking spaces availability in the city.
Structural health – Monitoring of vibrations and material conditions in buildings, bridges and historical monuments.
Noise Urban Maps – Sound monitoring in bar areas and centric zones in real time.
Smartphone Detection – Detect iPhone and Android devices and in general any device which works with WiFi or Bluetooth interfaces.
Eletromagnetic Field Levels – Measurement of the energy radiated by cell stations and and WiFi routers.
Traffic Congestion – Monitoring of vehicles and pedestrian levels to optimize driving and walking routes.
Smart Lighting – Intelligent and weather adaptive lighting in street lights.
Waste Management – Detection of rubbish levels in containers to optimize the trash collection routes.
Smart Roads – Intelligent Highways with warning messages and diversions according to climate conditions and unexpected events like accidents or traffic jams.
Forest Fire Detection – Monitoring of combustion gases and preemptive fire conditions to define alert zones.
Air Pollution – Control of CO2 emissions of factories, pollution emitted by cars and toxic gases generated in farms.
Snow Level Monitoring – Snow level measurement to know in real time the quality of ski tracks and allow security corps avalanche prevention.
Landslide and Avalanche Prevention – Monitoring of soil moisture, vibrations and u density to detect dangerous patterns in land conditions.
Earthquake Early Detection – Distributed control in specific places of tremors.
Potable water monitoring – Monitor the quality of tap water in cities.
Chemical leakage detection in rivers – Detect leakages and wastes of factories in rivers.
Swimming pool remote measurement – Control remotely the swimming pool conditions