What is IoT?
To understand the concept of the IoT or Internet of Things, we must be clear about the two concepts that compose it. First is the “internet”, which consists in a system of interconnected networks using different protocols that offers a wide variety of services and resources, such as, access to hypertext files via the web. And “things” that are the physical objects that we have in our daily lives such as a clock, a coffee maker, a television, etc., but that unlike how we normally know them, these have built-in sensors and integrated circuits which allow them to collect and exchange data between them and the internet.
That means, that an object or a thing, can be crontolled and sensed remotely across an existing network infrastructure that allows the direct integration between physical world and computer-based systems, which improves their efficiency, accuracy and reducing human intervention.
These types of objects are normally known as IoT nodes or intelligent devices, and they must be able to fulfill at least one of the following functions:
- Monitoring: Is the process by which information is gathered, observed, studied and used so that a particular program or event can then be tracked, This means that through the sensors, smart devices can identify what is happening around them, such as speed, position or temperature.
- Control: Once the data is collected and analyzed after the monitoring stage, the smart device must be able to perform an action, which can be, for example, to turn on the lights, open a door or send a report.
- Optimization: Once the data is collected and analyzed, the smart device must know how to use the resources so that the result is the best possible
- Automation: execute and reschedule activities that are routine, reducing human intervention
Key concepts of IoT
There are a number of key concepts when talking about the Internet of Things, which go very hand in hand with the functions described above, which will be explained below.
Hardware
The IoT consist in many interconnected devices with sensors and actuators that monitor and control the physical world, transmiting the data they collect to a network infrastructure, these devices require some basic processing and storage capabilities, provided by a micro-controller or by an integrated circuit.
Embedded programming
IoT devices are embedded devices, and may be prototyped using commoditized micro-controller platforms, which requires circuit design skills, micro-controller programming, and a deep understanding of hardware communication protocols. The embedded programs for these patforms are often developed in C++ or C programming lenguages, but Python and JavaScript are a god choices too.
Networking and cloud integration
Due cloud infrastructure is used for data storage, processing and analysis, Network design and management are essential very important to IoT, because of the volume of connected devices and, the impact that network design decisions can have. Connectivity allow devices to communicate with other devices, applications and services that are running in the cloud. Real-time data streaming and cloud integration are crucial for the proper functioning of the IoT.
Data analytics and prediction
Because of the number of IoT devices transmitting data increases daily, the big data into huge data. It is necesary to have a secure and reliable ingest, store, and query of the huge quantities of data originated from these devices, which it is also necessary to be filter or discard in case of been irrelevant.
Machine Learning and AI
To be intelligent devices it is necesary to apply techniques about data mining, modeling, statistics, machine learnig, and AI. These techniques can be applied to sensor data streams for predictive analysis and to autonomously make decisions in response to incoming data.
Security
Due the large number of new devices connected every day, the potential points of attack grows daily. With so much at stake, security engineering skills, including threat assessment, ethical hacking, encryption to ensure data integrity, securing network architectures and applications, as well as event monitoring, activity logging, and threat intelligence, move to the foreground of the IoT development projects.
Challenges and threats
There are at least three challenges that the IoT must solve. the first one corresponds to electricity consumption, since smart devices will need batteries which cannot be recharged or changed daily, so it is necessary to develop more compact and longer-lasting batteries. the second is connectivity, because these devices are connected to the internet, the providers of this service must guarantee more and better links, since the enormous number of devices could cause it to collapse. the third is to improve the sensors, which despite the fact that a great advance has been achieved in recent years, it is necessary that them become more functional.
As for threats, being devices for specific use, flaws can take a long time to be detected and repaired. On the other hand, people’s privacy will be put at risk, because these devices will need information for their correct operation, which can often become personal and confidential, and because they are programmed by humans, they can become violated in the same way as traditional computer equipment.
Examples of inteligent Devices
Roomba
Roomba is a robotic vacuum cleaner manufactured and sold by iRobot. The Roomba was launched on the market in 2002, and it is estimated that in February 2014 more than 10 million units were sold worldwide.
The Roomba robot vacuum includes a series of sensors (tactile, optical and acoustic, depending on each series and model) that allows it, among other things, to detect obstacles, accumulations of debris on the floor and steep slopes such as stairs. It uses two independent drive wheels that allow it to make 360-degree turns.
Smart Sneakers
They measure every step you take, they tell you which way to go, they tie themselves and even collect themselves autonomously when you stop using them. They have an integrated chip that sends all the data of the activity that you have done with them to your mobile. Their goal, they say, is for athletes to improve their physical performance.
Smart refrigerators
Refrigerators have long since gone from being simple cabinets that kept food fresh or frozen to being devices with digitized control mechanisms included in their structure and controls that could be activated from the mobile, even to having elegant and neat designs as it is the element largest kitchen.
However, in the last decade they have evolved to become smart appliances, capable of interacting with the user even when is not at home, of drawing up shopping lists or sending a photo of the content to the user’s mobile phone to see what missing or what brand to buy.
Conclusion
During the last years the IoT has become a fast growing industry, in fact it is estimated that by this year 50 billion smart devices will be installed, which means that we will be able to find them everywhere, but despite the fact that these devices are designs to make our lives much more comfortable, present great risks and threats that must be resolved, in the coming years, to be able to be fully integrated into our daily lives
