What is Internet of Things (IoT)
To understand what the Internet of Things (IoT) is, we need to understand its primary goal, which is to “connect the unconnected”. The IoT is a network of physical objects (‘Things’) that are embedded with sensors and have the ability to transfer data over the Internet. ‘Things’ in IoT can be any physical object; it can be a heart transponder, automobile, house, machinery etc. This network of interconnected ‘Things’ primarily serves to gather data from its various sensors, communicate and exchange data with other interconnected devices and can make a decision on their own without any human intervention.
The development and fusion of numerous technologies, including real-time analytics, sensors, embedded systems, wireless systems, automation, control systems, and machine learning, have made the Internet of Things viable and practical. They provide us with enormous opportunities to gather data, communicate and make logical decisions from our everyday objects. They create an ultimate convenience for us as they have a tendency to act on and learn from data automatically. The Internet of Things (IoT) relies on sensors and other items with built-in sensors that connect to the Internet, share data with a platform, apply analytics, and distribute the data to apps created to answer particular needs. The current advancement in IoT is accelerated through the increase in Network Agility, integrated Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the capacity to deploy, automate, orchestrate and secure diverse use cases at hyper-scale. As of 2030, the global connected IoT devices are expected to grow by over 29.4 billion (Global IoT Forecast Report, 2021).
Usage of IoT
In the business, industrial and household spheres, the IoT is already assisting in automating and simplifying numerous daily operations. The IoT may assist us in making better decisions by reducing costs, boosting productivity and safety, improving customer experience, and creating new revenue sources.
Business-related advantages of the IoT include accessing and analysing data, which eliminates the need for outside data analysts or market researchers. The IoT can handle extensive data analytics in real time, showing how goods and services are and fostering an environment where changes can be made quickly. With a greater understanding of client behaviour, firms may better serve their requirements and cut operating costs by controlling resource and energy use. Finally, the Internet of Things can also aid in remote working by collecting and exchanging data with all employees, regardless of where they are.
Application areas of IoT
The IoT has immensely diverse and large application areas as it intends to create ‘smart’ things from day-to-day objects, but the primary application domains are as follows:
Practical example of automated drone using IoT
If we take the example of flying a Drone (UAV- Unmanned Aerial Vehicle), it requires specific skills to manoeuvre the aircraft. It is challenging and requires much practice to master flying a drone. As it is a manual task, it can be automated using the Internet of Things with various sensors and communication channels. Drones usually have a theoretical range of more than 20 Km from their ground stations. This can be helpful in humanitarian responses. If there is a natural disaster like an earthquake or flood, a fleet of automated drones can cover all the affected areas; it can collect data on the effect of the disaster. And with the help of a thermal camera, it can even locate people and notify the Emergency responder team about their whereabouts, which increases efficiency in the rescue operation.
In the context of Information Technology, similar automated drones can eliminate various manual labour work. An automated drone can survey a telephone mast and create an accurate 3D model. And with the implementation of AI, we can also check the status of components and electrical cabling of the equipment connected to the mast. They would be able to notify the ground station if something out of place is seen, and it would be helpful to reduce the time and operational costs for the surveys. Automated drones can also identify incidents, if any occur within their coverage area and notify the ground station about the incident in real time. Furthermore, they can also be used to automate the validation and verification of the work done by the technicians when resolving incidents. Here, the automated drones act as a medium that can provide real-time validation of the work performed and also supervise the entire network infrastructure.
Conclusion
In conclusion, everyday residential usage, industrial monitoring, manufacturing, and even applications for entire smart cities can all benefit from the Internet of Things. The IoT’s big data promises to help companies understand customer needs, market dynamics, and strategic issues with unmatched precision. Some of these advantages include increased security, productivity, and time management, while there are still questions about IoT device security. Despite this, as connectivity increases, it appears that the IoT will permeate our daily lives more and more.
Net Reply is a company that has experience in DAAS (Drone as a service) solution engineering and delivery. Please contact Arun Acharya for more information.