Writer: Christian de Looper
Editor: Austin Lang
Reviewer: Christina Lewis
Gone are the days when only things like computers and phones were connected to the internet. These days, all kinds of different devices and items are network-connected — allowing them to be more easily controlled and work together within certain contexts.
By definition, the Internet of Things refers to computing and networking chips being embedded into everyday objects. This allows these interconnected devices to communicate with each other and with the cloud.
An obvious example of an Internet of Things device is a smart lightbulb, which adds networking and a small chip to a traditional lightbulb, allowing you to control it remotely.
Curious about the broader Internet of Things (IoT) and how it could impact your life and workflow? Here’s what you need to know.
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How IoT Works
IoT devices essentially use sensors or chips to gather data and transmit that data to the cloud through an IoT gateway, so that it can be analyzed and acted upon.
Some IoT devices are only designed to be controlled, and not to gather data beyond the state of the device itself, while others are mainly sensors, not built to be controlled.
Core Components
IoT devices are designed to communicate over the internet. Within an IoT ecosystem, there are sensors, designed to collect data about an environment, and other devices, which can analyze and act on that data.
All of these devices are interconnected and communicate with each other within a network.
While most IoT ecosystems have some kind of web connectivity, often, these ecosystems of products only communicate with the cloud through a gateway.
Typically, devices communicate with the gateway through another, lower-power standard, like Bluetooth, or an IoT-specific protocol, like the Zigbee smart home standard. Other devices, like internet-connected cars, communicate through a cellular connection.
Data Flow
The IoT involves the collection and transmission of large amounts of data, but IoT ecosystems employ a range of techniques to cut down on how much data has to be transmitted.
In an IoT environment, devices first use sensors to collect and perform some basic analysis on data, then transmit that data to a gateway, or at times, straight to the cloud.
Usually, these devices will analyze data locally in an effort to not have to transmit all the raw data, cutting down on the bandwidth needed for specific devices.
Once the data reaches the cloud, it’s processed accordingly, allowing other devices to act on it, or alerting users when necessary.
Role of Cloud and Edge Computing
Often, data in an IoT environment is stored and analyzed at the edge, rather than in the cloud. There are plenty of good reasons for this.
For starters, computing at the edge allows IoT environments to work better in the event of a cloud outage, collecting and analyzing data that’s processed locally instead of in the cloud. Local connectivity can allow you to control devices when nearby, even with a cloud outage.
The cloud still plays an important role in the IoT, though. Cloud connectivity allows for remote viewing and control of devices and wider environments, plus at times, larger amounts of data need to be processed and stored in the cloud.
IoT in Action
The IoT plays a role in all kinds of areas of our lives, and you might be using IoT devices without even knowing it. There are quite a few IoT consumer applications, not to mention the industrial applications of the IoT.
Consumer Applications
IoT devices have become increasingly popular among consumers — predominantly through the smart home.
There are many IoT smart home devices these days, including basic devices like smart lights and smart locks, larger smart appliances like connected washers and dryers, and even smart security systems.
There are other kinds of consumer-focused IoT devices too. For example, smartwatches could be considered IoT devices, as they collect data about a user’s activity, and transmit it to a device like a smartphone or straight to the cloud.
Industrial IoT (IIoT)
IoT devices can play a major role in industrial settings too — both saving time and saving money.
Factories with connected sensors can minimize any downtime, track operations over time, and detect ways to work more efficiently.
When combined with advanced data analytics, these systems can even predict when maintenance might be required, further minimizing downtime, and allowing for maintenance to be scheduled at a convenient time rather than on an as-needed basis.
Healthcare
Smart, connected health-monitoring devices can radically improve patient outcomes, helping track issues before they become critical, and leading to better preventative care rather than reactive care.
Patients in hospitals can be constantly tracked while they’re in care, with that data being transmitted to the edge or a cloud service, allowing that data to be analyzed more in-depth.
Combined with AI and predictive analytics, this could also help improve medical outcomes.
Lastly, patients could spend less time in clinics and the hospital, and more time living their lives, through using remote monitoring devices that track important metrics and transmit that data to a doctor’s office.
Transportation and Logistics
IoT devices can play a major role in transportation and logistics.
For starters, these devices can help more intelligently track the transportation of goods, using that data, combined with advanced weather data and traffic information, to better predict when goods might arrive.
IoT sensors can play a bigger role in inventory management, too, tracking how many products have been sold and how many are available, then using that data to better predict when a product might sell out.
This limits how long a product might be out of stock.
Agriculture
IoT sensors and devices are even increasingly being used in farming and agriculture.
Sensors, for example, can collect data about rainfall, soil quality, and more, allowing farmers to better track how much water they need to use, especially when combined with smart irrigation systems.
Health trackers can be used on livestock to help farmers ensure that their animals are healthy and progressing as expected.
With so many applications, IoT devices have enormous potential in the agriculture industry.
Benefits of IoT
There are countless benefits to using IoT devices — whether you use them for industrial or consumer applications. IoT devices can make data-tracking easier, then combine that data with analytics and other readily available information, for a smoother and more reliable workflow. Here’s a more in-depth look.
Cost Savings
Because ecosystems are so much more efficient, they can maximize cost savings. IoT devices in a factory that detect and predict the need for maintenance will help limit any downtime.
Even beyond limiting downtime in an environment, IoT devices can help limit water usage on a farm, for example, when it has been a particularly rainy season. This helps reduce any costs of operation.
Efficiency
IoT devices make it a lot easier to automate all kinds of different processes, ensuring that they work more efficiently, and with as little human interaction as possible.
IoT devices can track changes to whatever they’re monitoring in real time, and then pass that data along to an analytics or automation platform to allow for immediate changes.
For example, in a smart home, they can use movement being detected to turn off a security system. In a hospital, health monitors can alert medical staff to any changes without the latency of having to wait for staff to come and conduct tests.
Improved Decision-Making
It suddenly gets much easier to make difficult decisions when you have access to months of data, and any real-time data.
With access to real-time information, you can make informed decisions while ensuring that operations are running as smoothly as possible, even while working remotely. This data can even be analyzed to predict outcomes before you make big decisions.
Enhanced Quality of Life
Quality of life can be improved in a variety of ways with IoT devices and sensors. Health-tracking sensors, for example, can help ensure that a user or patient is hitting their health goals.
Smart home devices can help make owning and managing all the different appliances in a home a lot more convenient. Similarly, connected cars will likely end up being safer as they gain advanced self-driving tech.
Challenges and Risks
Of course, connecting everything comes with a unique set of risks and challenges. Being able to access everything from the web means that it’s more accessible by not just you, but others too.
Plus, while IoT devices could end up dramatically saving money, they come with a larger up-front cost. Here’s a look at some major challenges associated with IoT devices.
Security Concerns
When all of your devices are connected, it’s possible that a bad actor could gain access to them. This could be a major problem in industrial applications — for example, if someone can shut down a factory or take control of a connected car.
Generally, IoT devices leverage heightened security protocols to ensure they’re safer than they otherwise would be, but the risks associated with connected devices are still there.
Data Privacy
Even if someone isn’t able to gain access to control devices, they could still gain access to the data that sensors collect.
In the case of an industrial application, this could mean someone gaining access to trade secrets. In the case of a consumer-focused application, like health tracking, it could mean bad actors accessing highly sensitive information about a person’s health and fitness.
Interoperability Issues
Connecting devices together means that you suddenly inherit all the problems associated with computers. The biggest issue could come out of a lack of interoperability.
Interoperability issues could be a major issue if, for example, you want to upgrade some devices in an ecosystem, only to find that they don’t support your existing ecosystem.
It’s a good idea to make use of standardized protocols where possible, and otherwise look for protocols that seem to work with the most different kinds of devices.
Scalability
Large IoT networks can be tricky to manage, especially as they grow.
More and more devices require more advanced analytics, especially as you add new types of sensors and devices, which could radically change how your devices all work together.
This is an issue that likely wouldn’t arise if devices weren’t internet connected.
Energy Consumption
While IoT devices could help you save money in some ways, they’ll cost you money in other ways. Notable, IoT devices consume more power to work, meaning that your electricity bill is likely to be higher than it would be without connected devices.
Thankfully, processors and radios have gotten pretty efficient — but they still use power, and it could add up if you use a lot of them.
How IoT Devices are Shaping the Future of Technology
IoT devices aren’t without their issues, but in the long run, the way they work together and the data they collect could save you both time and money, not to mention being more convenient.
This is true of both consumer and industrial applications, and over time, it’s expected that IoT devices will become increasingly common.
Not only that, but they’re likely to get much more advanced, especially as AI starts to be used for the data analytics associated with IoT devices.
