THE INTERNET OF THINGS

THE INTERNET OF THINGS

Digital computers were big when they arrived in the mid 80's, wireless communication was even bigger with the advent of cell technology but the Internet was the biggest yet.  The next next big thing, is the Internet of Things. The Internet of Things is currently buzzing  and the general expectations by industry is extremely high. Hence, the year 2015 has been dubbed the year of the Internet of Things.

WHAT IS IoT?

The Internet of Things is essentially a collective of internet savvy consumer devices, networked business software tools, customer service appliances, agricultural sensors, security surveillance systems, medical monitoring equipment, weather platforms, satellite systems, etc.   In fact  The Internet of Things is much, much more.  Its about the alternate possibilities for ubiquitous computing and monitoring worldwide. Cloud computing has made The Internet of Things possible which has subsequently become easily accessible, is completely scalable and also relatively cheap. This has given rise to smart cities all over the world, teaming with wi-fi enabled hotspots and networks of data-gathering sensors, amongst them CCTV, audio monitoring and electronic information billboards on busy routes, informing motorists about road accidents and detours.

City buses are even equipt with wi-fi for tourists to upload to facebook, twitter and instagram, ipage,
stickit and others directly from their video cameras, and smart phones in real time. But once  ZigBee 3.0 is standardised, it  will provide interoperability for the widest range of smart devices, cars and homes, as such developers are lining up to embrace the new  ZigBee PRO-based standards. The Internet of Things is currently at the peak of its ‘Hype Cycle’and it is estimated to have  more than 50 billion devices
interconnected by 2050. Java is currently running on more than 3 billion devices and the Android operating system are powering most mobile devices.

The World speeding down the digital highway.

DATA OVERLOAD

Digital Dashboards need data and there is no shortage thereof from temperature and air pressure sensors, water quality sensors, rain sensors, smog sensors, mobile terminals, actuators, cameras, etc, etc, etc... all of which are becoming smaller, faster and cheaper. Cars noise level and CO2 concentration are urgently monitored on-board which will soon interface  with network server through the ZigBee protocol, uploading data to Environmental agencies databases.  Tracking vehicles would be easy and booking themselves in for a service whenever necessary will become standard as would predicting repairs.

IoT IN MOTION

Pacemakers with GMS modules will upload data to a medical server databases, Weather barometers and wind-speed monitors will do the same, in fact all service Platforms will go this route, even Smart Homes will interface with service delivery platforms. Smart devices in our household will  grow exponentially in the future to the point that your fridge will order milk online when you run low, or you home or businesses could alert  the fire-station in the event that is detects a fire, without your intervention, prior to the fire actually erupting.

Currently you can remotely unlock your house, open the garage door and you driveway gates as you turn into your street in which you live by ultrasonic sound or infrared digitally encrypted wireless signal. You can also remotely turn on your lights at home via GSM if you going to get home after sunset. You can even  remotely control your garden sprinkler system via GSM from your favorite holiday destination. Likewise, by a press of a button you can switch on the coffee percolator or hot water geyser or heater remotely so that it's nice and coast before you step in the door knowing that you just need to pour the coffee. Proponents of the Internet for Things claim that cyber-physical system  will make everything in our lives ‘smart’ and thereby making our lives easier.