Ever thought about living in a house where your appliances and devices do all your work? You wake up in the morning, and you see your blinds opening for you. Your coffee machine starts brewing your favorite coffee. Lights turn on and off as you enter or leave the room. Your phone or tablet reads out your messages and schedule to you, on your command. Your car drives you to work while you read the daily paper.
You must be thinking that all of this is only possible in science fiction. But what if we tell you that this is all possible in the near future? This is possible by the emergence of the Internet of Things or IoT.
The Internet of Things connects all the devices to the internet and the other connected device for sharing and collecting the data about their functionality. IoT is the evolution of the internet. You can connect your computer and smartphone to the internet. However, the Internet of Things uses technology to connect every machinery and device with the internet.
IoT can connect plants, animals, and humans too. IoT technology can measure your physical activity and tell you how fit and active you were throughout the day.
How IoT Works
We know that the Internet of Things communicates with connected devices. These devices have built-in sensors, connected to IoT programs or platforms. The selected data is processed, and the information is provided to the user end. To give you a clear picture of how IoT works, let’s understand its four main components:
- Sensor/Device: The most basic step for IoT is the collection of data. Sensors or devices collect information from the surrounding environment. The collected data can be as simple as measuring temperature, or as complex as the working of refinery equipment.A device can have multiple sensors clustered to do much more than just sense. They are similar to our phones which have multiple sensors for performing different functions, like GPS, fingerprint and face recognition, etc.
- Connectivity: The collected data has to be transferred to an infrastructure cloud. To connect the sensor or device with the internet a Wi-Fi, WAN, Bluetooth or any connecting network is required. Internet connections vary in speed, range, and consumption. So, it is important to choose the best connection.
- Data Processing: Once the data is collected and shared to the cloud, it needs processing. The software processes the necessary data. Data processing can be as simple as checking the temperature of a centralized heating or cooling system. On the other hand, it can be as complex as identifying objects, such as finding a default product in the packed goods or checking on intruders.
- User Interface: What to do if there’s an intruder in your place or malfunctioning products in your packed goods? This is where the user interface comes into action. User interface alerts the end user by sending them a notification or triggering an alarm. The user can set up the interface to monitor their IoT system.
IoT technology can also perform corrective actions. There is no need to notify the user. The user can establish their IoT system with some adjustments and predefined rules. The IoT system will work on its own without any human intervention.
IoT is the evolution of the internet. It is opening the doors to a smart way of life that we could only imagine before. Get in touch with us to learn more about how to leverage IoT technology.
