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The Internet of Things

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Written by Rodrigo Vargas

In collaboration with Bérnal Blanco

Abstract

The Internet of Things is a vision that is changing the world. Today its impact may not be evident in our lives, but that’s only a matter of time.

While current efforts made by companies and governments could be considered isolated, technological advances that we are experiencing will allow greater device integration soon and thereby creating applications that will significantly impact our daily lives.

This article attempts to bring the reader to the current state of the Internet of Things, possible implications in everyday life and what may be to come over soon.

Introduction

Imagine a world where everything is smart; biosensors would share real-time health information about people to their doctors and family members, and at the same time contribute to a large-scale information database where data analysis that was not even possible before can be carried on. The same scenario could be applied to animals in farms, forests, vehicles, cities; a connected world where every single byte of generated information is aggregated so new patterns and trends can emerge and help humans understand better the world we live in.

The Internet of Things (IoT) is a vision. In the large scheme of things we live nowadays everything plays an important role, the IoT vision enables all kind of connected devices to play a significant role in the way we live and perceive our world. If you can imagine a world where things, homes and cities become smart then IoT is what will make it happen. As Kevin Aston –known for inventing the term “the Internet of Things” in 1999– remarks:

“The Internet of Things has the potential to change the world, just as the Internet did. Maybe even more so.”

Fifteen years after the creation of the idea, a new era is being built. In the journey of our time we are traveling from the simply “connected computers world” to the “all kind of connected devices that can see, smell and hear the world”, and why not, act on it.

More than a trend, IoT is a reality and we at Avantica are closely following that reality and how this vision is shaping our world; we are working around that vision to make a positive impact in the way we do business and of course in the way we live.

Applications

The term IoT is generally used to describe devices that usually only collect information in settings ranging from natural ecosystems to buildings and factories. However, given the advance in technology, embeddable and small devices have increased their computational capabilities and therefore the future of connected ecosystems mean devices will not only “sense” their surroundings but they will also be able to perform actions. In essence, IoT has evolved from the convergence of wireless technologies, MEMS (Micro-Electromechanical Systems) and the Internet.

Applications can be divided in two very broad categories:

iot

  1. Information and analysis: Networks that link data from products, company assets, environmental information, the operating environment, and much more; generate better and more accurate information, that can then be used for analysis and ultimately to enhance decision making.
  2. Automation and control: Closing the loop on information networks is now possible because of the advances in technology that enable a bigger set of smart and smaller actuators. Automation is now not only part of industrial applications and factories were robots or smart machines were the norm.

Specific areas IoT is influencing are, including specific examples of real-world deployments:

  • Smart Cities: Smart Parking, Noise Urban Maps, Traffic Congestion, Smart Lighting, Waste Management and Smart Roads.
  • Smart Environment: Forest Fire Detection, Air Pollution, Landslide and Avalanche Prevention, and Earthquake Early Detection.
  • Smart Water: Chemical Leakage Detection in Rivers, Pollution Levels in the Sea, Water Leakages and River Floods.
  • Smart Metering: Smart Grid and Water Flow.
  • Security & Emergencies: Perimeter Access Control, Liquid Presence, Radiation Levels, Explosive and Hazardous Gases.
  • Retail: Supply Chain Control, NFC Payment and Intelligent Shopping Applications.
  • Logistics: Quality of Shipment Conditions, Item Location, Storage Incompatibility Detection and Fleet Tracking.
  • Industrial Control: Machine-to-Machine Applications, Indoor Air Quality, Temperature Monitoring and Vehicle Auto-diagnosis.
  • Home Automation: Energy and Water Use, Remote Control Appliances, Intrusion Detection Systems and Goods Preservation.
  • Health: Fall Detection and Patients Surveillance.

What’s next?

mobileEven though smart networks are being deployed every day throughout the world, most of them are still isolated from each other. Privacy and data confidentiality play an important role, and businesses are not willing to risk the leak of any kind of information that could be used by competitors, for example.

Additionally, governments need to create policies so companies use and share only the information they are allowed. For example, a company that creates biosensors could definitely gather all kind of information from patients in order to improve their products and at the same time contribute to public health; the key question is how can we be sure privacy is enforced?

And finally, cost is still a limitation that prevents such devices and networks to be widely spread. Nowadays the use of smart phones present the best worldwide deployed scenario, but we are still far from having a connected world where vehicles, biosensors and other devices really add up to a big pile of data that can be used appropriately.


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