A toaster was connected to the internet in 1990. The next year, the system was fully automated to offer a taste of how the internet of things could make work easier in homes.
Since then other applications have been fitted with smart capabilities and connected to the internet in what is known today as the internet of things
What Is the Internet of Things?
internet of things is changing the way we live and work
The internet of things refers to the connection of things to the internet. Anything that can be made smart can be in the IoT. Smart things are identifiable, controllable, able to communicate and equipped with sensors in a network.
The internet of things allows people to connect, control and manage things better. IoT works closely with artificial intelligence since things communicate with each other, collect data and learn about their environments.
How IoT impact us?
The IoT is already affecting how people work and live at home. Consider smart air conditioning systems, they can tell when you are away and regulate energy use. By recording daily movements and communicating with other things like your smartphone, such systems can ‘know’ when to start heating or cooling according to your schedule.
The efficiency demonstrated above is also applicable to business. A prime example is in fleet monitoring where tracking devices on vehicles transmit data about location, speed, fuel quantity, tire inflation pressure, cargo weight and other relevant data. This helps cut down on the cost of operating fleet support while improving the overall control over the fleets.
In healthcare, the IoT has many potential applications. For instance, it can improve response to emergencies. Consider smart bracelets that can monitor sleep patterns, heart rate, breathing rate and even blood pressure. These can transmit the data to smartphones and healthcare providers. Such bracelets can warn of impending danger, maybe asthma attacks, rising blood sugar levels or heart attacks. In such cases, the devices can also ask for an ambulance, and in a short time, help arrives.
What Is Next?
Security is a significant concern. Hackers have used the IoT to propagate DDoS attacks, and they will exploit other vulnerabilities that come with IoT. A likely remedy will be the widespread production of secure routers. Very few industry players have started making routers with advanced security measures. As IoT becomes common, such routers will be in high demand.
The IoT will catch on. Its development will borrow a lot from machine learning to ensure optimal use of collected data. Expect to see more companies investing in IoT because of its unlimited potential in various spheres of life.
And if you want to know more about smart home, IoT and big data, save the date of the Big data Toronto 2018 (June 12-13).