Internet of Things (IoT)

ABSTRACT

This article provides an overview of the Internet of Things (IoT) with emphasis on enabling technologies, protocols, and application issues. The IoT is enabled by the latest developments in RFID, smart sensors, communication technologies, and Internet protocols. The basic premise is to have smart sensors collaborate directly without human involvement to deliver a new class of applications. In the coming years, the IoT is expected to bridge diverse technologies to enable new applications by connecting physical objects together in support of intelligent decision making.

INTRODUCTION

The Internet of things (IoT) is the inter-networking of physical devices, vehicles (also referred to as "connected devices" and "smart devices"), buildings, and other items—embedded with electronics, software, sensors, actuators, and network connectivity that enable these objects to collect and exchange data.In 2013 the Global Standards Initiative on Internet of Things (IoT-GSI) defined the IoT as "the infrastructure of the information society." The IoT allows objects to be sensed or controlled remotely across existing network infrastructure, creating opportunities for more direct integration of the physical world into computer-based systems, and resulting in improved efficiency, accuracy and economic benefit in addition to reduced human intervention. When IoT is augmented with sensors and actuators, the technology becomes an instance of the more general class of cyber-physical systems, which also encompasses technologies such as smart grids, smart homes, intelligent transportation and smart cities. Each thing is uniquely identifiable through its embedded computing system but is able to interoperate within the existing Internet infrastructure. Experts estimate that the IoT will consist of almost 50 billion objects by 2020.

 

Why is the 

Internet of Things important ?

·         Intelligent transport solutions speed up traffic flows, reduce fuel consumption, prioritize vehicle repair schedules and save lives.

·         Smart electric grids more efficiently connect renewable resources, improve system reliability and charge customers based on smaller usage increments.

·         Machine monitoring sensors diagnose – and predict – pending maintenance issues, near-term part stockouts, and even prioritize maintenance crew schedules for repair equipment and regional needs.

·         Data-driven systems are being built into the infrastructure of "smart cities," making it easier for municipalities to run waste management, law enforcement and other programs more efficiently.

But, also consider the IoT on a more personal level. Connected devices are making their way from business and industry to the mass market. Consider these possibilities:

·         You’re low on milk. When you’re on your way home from work, you get an alert from your refrigerator reminding you to stop by the store.

·         Your home security system, which already enables you to remotely control your locks and thermostats, can cool down your home and open your windows, based on your preferences.

Enabling Technologies for IoT

There are many technologies that enable IoT. Crucial to the field is the network used to communicate between devices of an IoT installation, a role that several wireless or wired technologies may fulfill:

1.     Short-range wireless:

·         Bluetooth low energy (BLE) – 

     Specification providing a low power variant to classic Bluetooth with a comparable communication range.

·         Light-Fidelity (Li-Fi) – 

     Wireless communication technology similar to the Wi-Fi standard, but using visible light communication for increased bandwidth.

·         Near-field communication (NFC) – 

      Communication protocols enabling two electronic devices to communicate within a 4 cm range.

·         QR codes and barcodes –

      Machine-readable optical tags that store information about the item to which they are attached.

·         Radio-frequency identification (RFID) –

      Technology using electromagnetic fields to read data stored in tags embedded in other items.

·         Thread – 

      Network protocol based on the IEEE 802.15.4 standard, similar to ZigBee, providing IPv6 addressing.

·         Wi-Fi – 

     Widely used technology for local area networking based on the IEEE 802.11 standard, where devices may communicate through a shared access point.

·         Wi-Fi Direct – 

     Variant of the Wi-Fi standard for peer-to-peer communication, eliminating the need for an access point.

·         Z-Wave – 

     Communication protocol providing short-range, low-latency data transfer at rates and power consumption lower than Wi-Fi. Used primarily for home automation.

·         ZigBee –

     Communication protocols for personal area networking based on the IEEE 802.15.4 standard, providing low power consumption, low data rate, low cost, and high throughput.

 

2.     Medium-range wireless:

·         HaLow – 

     Variant of the Wi-Fi standard providing extended range for low-power communication at a lower data rate.

·         LTE-Advanced –

      High-speed communication specification for mobile networks. Provides enhancements to the LTE standard with extended coverage, higher throughput, and lower latency.

3.     Long-range wireless:

·         Low-power wide-area networking (LPWAN) – 

    Wireless networks designed to allow long-range communication at a low data rate, reducing power and cost for transmission. 

·         Very small aperture terminal (VSAT) – 

      Satellite communication technology using small dish antennas for narrowband and broadband data.

4.     Wired:

·         Ethernet –

     General purpose networking standard using twisted pair and fiber optic links in conjunction with hubs or switches.

·         Multimedia over Coax Alliance (MoCA) – 

     Specification enabling whole-home distribution of high definition video and content over existing coaxial cabling.

·         Power-line communication (PLC) – 

     Communication technology using electrical wiring to carry power and data. Specifications such as HomePlug utilize PLC for networking IoT devices.

APPLICATIONS OF IoT

·        According to Gartner, Inc. (a technology research and advisory corporation), there will be nearly 20.8 billion devices on the Internet of things by 2020. 

·        ABI Research estimates that more than 30 billion devices will be wirelessly connected to the Internet of things by 2020. 

·        As per a 2014 survey and study done by Pew Research Internet Project, a large majority of the technology experts and engaged Internet users who responded—83 percent—agreed with the notion that the Internet/Cloud of Things, embedded and wearable computing (and the corresponding dynamic systems) will have widespread and beneficial effects by 2025. As such, it is clear that the IoT will consist of a very large number of devices being connected to the Internet.

·        In an active move to accommodate new and emerging technological innovation, the UK Government, in their 2015 budget, allocated £40,000,000 towards research into the Internet of things. The former British Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne, posited that the Internet of things is the next stage of the information revolution and referenced the inter-connectivity of everything from urban transport to medical devices to household appliances.

·        The ability to network embedded devices with limited CPU, memory and power resources means that IoT finds applications in nearly every field.Such systems could be in charge of collecting information in settings ranging from natural ecosystems to buildings and factories, thereby finding applications in fields of environmental sensing and urban planning.

·        On the other hand, IoT systems could also be responsible for performing actions, not just sensing things. Intelligent shopping systems, for example, could monitor specific users' purchasing habits in a store by tracking their specific mobile phones. These users could then be provided with special offers on their favorite products, or even location of items that they need, which their fridge has automatically conveyed to the phone. Additional examples of sensing and actuating are reflected in applications that deal with heat, water, electricity and energy management, as well as cruise-assisting transportation systems. 

·        Other applications that the Internet of things can provide is enabling extended home security features and home automation. 

·        The concept of an "Internet of living things" has been proposed to describe networks of biological sensors that could use cloud-based analyses to allow users to study DNA or other molecules.

·         However, the application of the IoT is not only restricted to these areas. Other specialized use cases of the IoT may also exist. An overview of some of the most prominent application areas is provided here. Based on the application domain, IoT products can be classified broadly into five different categories: smart wearable, smart home, smart city, smart environment, and smart enterprise. The IoT products and solutions in each of these markets have different characteristics.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, the Internet of Things is closer to being implemented than the average person would think. Most of the necessary technological advances needed for it have already been made, and some manufacturers and agencies have already begun implementing a small-scale version of it. The main reasons why it has not truly been implemented is the impact it will have on the legal, ethical, security and social fields. Workers could potentially abuse it, hackers could potentially access it, corporations may not want to share their data, and individual people may not like the complete absence of privacy. For these reasons, the Internet of Things may very well be pushed back longer than it truly needs to be.