The Internet of Things connects the physical world to the digital world, over wireless networks, without human to human interaction. Smart home security systems, Wearable health monitors, ultra-high speed wireless internet, Radio frequency identification tag are some of the common IoT we see in our day-to-day lives. Now, How does IoT work? And why is it influencing our world. The physical devices such as Air conditioner, traffic lights are contained with sensors. These sensors continuously emit data about the working state of the devices. IoT provides a common platform for these devices to dump their data. In a common language these devices communicate with each other. Data is emitted from various sensors and sent to the IoT platform. Now with this data one can perform or use data to understand the users of the devices. With user’s information, IoT helps these devices to serve their users better. Fun Fact: The IoT devices can share their information with other IoT devices in order to improve efficiency of user experience. Let me give you an example: In a library there are barcodes and RFID tags attached to every book. Every time a student borrows and returns the books with the help of sensors, the data are collected, and evaluation & analytics are conducted with this data. The librarian can make very important decision with these data, such as: what is the highest number book borrowed, which book users keep longest with them, book that are not borrowed in the library, and user’s behavior pattern, such as which user return book in poor condition, how many users delay in submitting the book and many more. Now you might think one can do this with hand as well. However, in a library where there are 6 lakhs books and 4 thousands users, collecting apt information and performing analytics on them is quite laborious . IoT eases the data collection and performs analytics on them and provides valuable information to enrich the Library and its user experience. Easy collection and analysis on the data aids the library management to make better decisions about the library. According to research, every person will use on average six IoT devices on a daily basis, in the near future. Below are some of the most popular advancements in IoT:
Edge Computing:
It allows data to be stored in micro-centers, providing many new options for the IoT. It stores data locally. Offers a much more economical, speedy and efficient way to data processing. This way, data can be made immediately accessible to a corresponding IoT device. Edge computing harnesses growing in-device computing capability to provide deep insights
and predictive analysis in near-real time. This ability to do analytics by itself motivates the edge devices to innovate better experience and thus, increasing the value. Edge computing helps one use the potential of the vast untapped data which are collected or created by connected devices. One can discover many opportunities and answers to increase the operational efficiency, it also provides reliable and faster information. The edge computing models help one accelerate performance by analyzing the data locally. A thoughtful way to approach edge computing can keep tasks up-to-date, help maintain
security to data, and also, stick to data residency laws and regulations.
Wearable technology:
Now, people can wear clothes and items which can tell about their body in detail. We are not just talking about blood pressure, pulse rate, or oxygen rate, but a glucose tracker, wearables for heart attack, a mood meter for patients who can’t speak, artificial kidney and many more. Wearable technology is breaking the path to function in many domains and encouraging them to increase efficiency and productivity. Company Fitbit and Germin came up with fitness trackers which can evaluate and come with deep & valuable health insights and can also create custom fitness solutions. Some everyday common benefits of wearable tech are the help with location, map, and most common is the aid to enable us to look at important texts or notification on-the-go, handsfree, control air conditioner or home locks with phone
without actually being present with in home. The devices such as air conditioner, home lock, fridge, lights are connected through the internet and one can oversee and control them through wearable technology. Wearable technologies are opening possibilities like never before. How does it work? The wearables are connected to smart devices such as phones, home security devices. These devices communicate data’s with each other constantly through which we get information in real time.
Image credits to: dribbble
Sensors generating their own power:
A California based startup is making different types of sensors, in which they are revolutionizing its model, which can generate its own power from a mix of resources, such as heat, vibrations, solar, etc. They also claim that such a sensor can live up to 20 years. Now, imagine all the sensors in the world without batteries without replacing them or needing routine maintenance.
Image credits to:GIPHY
Voice stimulated IoT:
Some of the most common Voice stimulated IoT used are Siri, Amazon Echo, Google assistant. Voice user interface has changed the game in the financial institutions & Fintech institutions. According to them, accounts are more proof to its owner’s voice biometric than compared to the traditional methods.
In India there is a huge chunk of society which still don’t know how to type or to read voice stimulated IoT help them learn and give commands with ease. Not having to pick up the phone or control home security with touching any device brings a lot of convenience. Products like Alexa and Echo are broadening their features and abilities. They are just not used to give commands, but also provide value statistics for their owners such as if there is a thief break the devices calls nearby police station and alarms them about the same; in the case of fire breakout or smoke breakout it alarms its owners and starts all water sprinkler system instantly; in case of missing out the date of the rent or missing on some maintenance requirement it informs its owners, which in then saves owners from a wide variety of hassles; a parent can know what their kids are
doing by asking alexa from an another country, this gives them assurance and sense of safety. Alexa or Echo are easy to control and easy to adapt to products, have variants from costing little to cheap, are sure to be in trend with millennials and have potential to grow among people from other generations.
Image credits to:Gipher
TinyML:
Tiny Machine learning is where the worlds of IoT and machine learning meet. Earlier, the IoT device shared the data through the cloud where the hosted machine learning models manipulated the data. However, now with TinyML, data can be shared in a tiny chip inside of the IoT. One can run machine learning algorithms on small, low- power devices like microcontrollers.
Tiny machine learning (TinyML) is an emerging subject that targets to reduce machine learning algorithms to a size where it can be embedded in the IoT devices. TinyML can help reduce financial, environmental and security burdens associated with ML. IoT also provides data privacy as data usually travel in networks, however with IoT data travel to limited areas which
provides security and enable them to refrain themselves from being exposed to outsiders. Giving IoT devices the processing and analysis power through TinyML limits the data to be between cloud applications and IoT devices. Getting empowered through TinymL and IoT devices is a cost-efficient way to secure thyself. It also reduces carbon in the environment as TinyML exhibits less carbon.
Image credits to:TensorFlow Blog
