Companies that are adopting Internet of Things (IoT) to their existing infrastructure, which gap they are looking to fill? Why most of the industries see their future in the ease with the Internet of Things? What is the Internet of Things?
Internet of Things if been said from a perspective of a non-tech guy, it the intelligence of device to a device connected to the Internet as a medium. To elaborate, it’s a 4-layer process which involves Sensor/Device, Connectivity, Data processing, and User Interface as follows-
Sensor/Device– It’s used to collect real-time data from the environment, ranging from a motion sensor in a room to a basic temperature sensor
Connectivity– The collected data is sent to the cloud for further processing, through the Bluetooth, Wi-fi, Satellite, or simply connecting internet via ethernet
Data Processing– Specialist software process the data recorded in the cloud. Example: Checking the presence of someone in a room via a camera or Sensor
User Interface– Now the processed information is passed on to the user using an email, push notification or even a text message. Users have the facility to make any sort of adjustment or take actions if required as the user information follows the opposite cycle using the same system
Applications of IoT
Anything that touches our lives and can sense a trigger, can be automated using the Internet of Things and it’s infrastructure. It is the Internet of pretty much everything. The scope and its application can be tremendous considering the gap in our manual day to day tasks but here we have enlisted some major areas where IoT has proven itself successful and areas with future applications.
Smart Cities– Increase in the urban population growth is already putting a lot of stress on the current infrastructure and in the next few years, it’s only going to get worse. Gartner has predicted that by 2050, 70 per cent of the population is going to live in cities. To meet the rising demand for infrastructure, Smart cities based on the Internet of Things is the solution going forward. Smart cities shall cater to key human needs such as Water Supply management, traffic congestions, reliable public transportation, energy-efficient buildings, public safety and so on.
Smart Logistics – As more and more devices are getting connected via the Internet, IoT will lead to an increase in Supply chain performance and delivery. Warehouse Management: IoT has made warehousing more secure, automated, and optimized. Examples include theft detection, Automatic Door Locking, equipment failure prediction, and more. Delivery: One of the key areas where IoT has managed to bridge the gap is with vehicles and fleet management. IoT has standardized the infrastructure in tracking, delivery, and analytics using RFID tags.
Smart Healthcare: IoT has brought significant development in medical and healthcare domain, especially in tracking real-time activities. One of the real-time applications of IoT in hospitals and pharmaceuticals is inventory management. Integrated with the current ERP infrastructure this will bring about lots of advantages like manpower reduction, efficient tracking, and promising results.
