If you’ve heard the term “internet of things” from a colleague, an article, or an ad and you’re wondering what it means, then you’re not alone. This term is quite broad, so capturing its idea from the get-go can be difficult.
In this article, we’re simplifying the concept of the internet of things to help you achieve a better understanding of how it works and how it affects our everyday life.
What is the Internet of Things and How does it Work?
The internet of things, or IoT for short, is a term used to describe a system in which physical “things” such as computing devices, mechanical and digital machines, items, animals, or people are interrelated and provided with unique identifiers (UIDs) such as sensors and software for the purpose of connecting and transferring data over a network.
This exchange of data doesn’t need human-to-computer or human-to-human interaction to happen.
A thing in the internet of things can be any natural or man-made object that meets the two following requirements:
- It can be assigned an IP (Internet Protocol) address.
- It can transfer data over a network.
As such, examples of a thing in the network of things include:
- A person with a heart monitor implant.
- A farm animal with a biochip transponder.
- A vehicle with built-in sensors that warn the driver if the tire pressure gets too low.
The internet of things is a game-changer, consequently, more organizations in different industries are employing IoT to achieve a more efficient operation, a better understanding of customer needs for improved customer service, as well as enhance decision-making and boost the value of the business.
This brings us to the question: how exactly does the internet of things work?
By now you know that an IoT system is made up of web-enabled smart objects that are either natural or man-made. These objects use embedded systems such as sensors, processors, and communication hardware to gather, transfer, and act on data from their environments.
To transfer or share said data, IoT objects must connect to an IoT gateway where data is either analyzed locally or sent to the cloud for analysis.
From there, these smart objects can communicate with other related “things” and act on the shared information. Keep in mind, however, that the protocols used for connectivity, networking, and communication depend mainly on the specific IoT application we’re talking about.
Even though people can interact with the devices to set them up, give them instructions, or access their data, the smart objects don’t need human intervention to do most of the work. To make the process even easier and more dynamic, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning can be applied in the internet of things.
History of the Internet of Things
Kevin Ashton was the first to coin the term “Internet of things” in 1999 during a presentation at Procter & Gamble. In an attempt to get the attention of P&G’s senior management, Ashton called his presentation “Internet of Things” as a way to link it to the fresh trend of 1999: the internet.
At that point, Ashton believed that radio-frequency identification (RFID) is essential to the Internet of things — a concept that would allow computers to observe, identify, and manage information without the restrictions of human-entered data.
That being said, the first time the idea of a network of smart devices was discussed can be traced to the early 1980s, when a modified vending machine of Coca-Cola set at Carnegie Mellon University became the first Internet appliance.
This Coke machine could report its inventory status and whether or not newly loaded drinks were cold.
Later on, the Cisco Internet Business Solutions Group (IBSG) defined the Internet of things as “simply the point in time when more ‘things or objects’ were connected to the Internet than people”. Cisco IBSG estimates that sometime between 2008 and 2009 was when IoT was “born”, with the ratio of connected devices/people increasing from 0.08 in 2003 to 1.84 in 2010.
Applications and Examples of the Internet of Things
To better explain how the internet of things works, we’ve put together a breakdown of some IoT applications along with examples of specific devices related to each one.
1. Smart Homes
This is probably the most popular application for the internet of things nowadays and not only because it’s rather affordable, but also because it’s readily available. There are hundreds of products on the market that consumers can control with their voices, making their lives easier and more connected than ever.
Among the examples of this application are Amazon Echo and Google Home. These are basically AI voice assistants and they’re two of the most common connected objects in consumer IoT.
You can order voice assistants to perform various functions such as playing music, ordering an Uber, presenting a weather report, getting sports scores, and more. In addition, a diverse array of household items, ranging from your thermostat to your bathroom scale, can now connect to your wifi network in order to be controlled remotely through an app as well as learn, adapt, and communicate with you in exciting new ways.
2. Wearables
Watches have come a long way since being able to just tell time. They’re now smart, which means you can use them to send texts, make phone calls, and much more. And devices such as Fitbit and Jawbone have helped revolutionize the fitness world by giving people more data about their workouts.
The Fitbit Charge 3 is an example of a smartwatch that helped reenvision the fitness world. It can track your steps, floors climbed, calories burned, and sleep quality to give you detailed data about your workouts and lifestyle.
Through WiFi, this IoT device syncs with smartphones and computers to display your fitness data in charts to help you monitor your progress.
3. Smart Cities
Internet of things can even transform whole cities by solving real problems that citizens deal with daily using connections and data. These issues include traffic congestion, noise, crime, and pollution.
The example here has to be Barcelona. The Spanish city implemented several IoT actions that have notably improved smart parking and the environment.
Wrap Up
There you have it, a simple breakdown of the internet of things so you’re not totally in the dark the next time this term comes up.
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