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What is IoT? And how it works?

What is IoT? And how it works?

##internetofthings ##iot
Wed, 29 Sep 2021

IoT Topics

  • What is IoT?
  • Why is Internet of Things (IoT) so important?
  • What are IoT applications?

What is IoT?

The Internet of Things, or IoT, refers to the billions of physical devices around the world that are now connected to the internet, all collecting and sharing data. Thanks to the arrival of super-cheap computer chips and the ubiquity of wireless networks, it's possible to turn anything, from something as small as a pill to something as big as an aeroplane, into a part of the IoT. Connecting up all these different objects and adding sensors to them adds a level of digital intelligence to devices that would be otherwise dumb, enabling them to communicate real-time data without involving a human being. With more than 7 billion connected IoT devices today, experts are expecting this number to grow to 10 billion by 2020 and 22 billion by 2025. The Internet of Things is making the fabric of the world around us smarter and more responsive, merging the digital and physical universes.


Why is Internet of Things (IoT) so important?

Over the past few years, IoT has become one of the most important technologies of the 21st century. Now that we can connect everyday objects—kitchen appliances, cars, thermostats, baby monitors—to the internet via embedded devices, seamless communication is possible between people, processes, and things.

By means of low-cost computing, the cloud, big data, analytics, and mobile technologies, physical things can share and collect data with minimal human intervention. In this hyperconnected world, digital systems can record, monitor, and adjust each interaction between connected things. The physical world meets the digital world—and they cooperate.


What are IoT applications?

Nowadays, many companies from different sectors or sectors are adopting this technology to simplify, improve, automate and control different processes. Next, we show some of the surprising practical applications of the IoT.

  • Health

    Virtual glasses, fitness bands to monitor for example calorie expenditure and heartbeats, or GPS tracking belts, are just some examples of wearable devices that we have been using for some time now. Companies such as Google, Apple, Samsung, and others have developed and introduced the Internet of Things and the application thereof into our daily lives.

    These are small and energy-efficient devices, which are equipped with sensors, with the necessary hardware for measurements and readings, and with software to collect and organize data and information about users.

  • Health

    The use of wearables or sensors connected to patients, allows doctors to monitor a patient's condition outside the hospital and in real-time. Through continuously monitoring certain metrics and automatic alerts on their vital signs, the Internet of Things helps to improve the care for patients and the prevention of lethal events in high-risk patients.

    Another use is the integration of IoT technology into hospital beds, giving way to smart beds, equipped with special sensors to observe vital signs, blood pressure, oximeter and body temperature, among others.

  • Traffic Monitoring

    The Internet of things can be very useful in the management of vehicular traffic in large cities, contributing to the concept of smart cities.

    When we use our mobile phones as sensors, which collect and share data from our vehicles through applications such as Waze or Google Maps, we are using the Internet of Things to inform us and at the same time contribute to traffic monitoring, showing the conditions of the different routes, and feeding and improving the information on the different routes to the same destination, distance, estimated time of arrival.

  • Agriculture

    Smart farms are a fact. The quality of soil is crucial to produce good crops, and the Internet of Things offers farmers the possibility to access detailed knowledge and valuable information of their soil condition.

    Through the implementation of IoT sensors, a significant amount of data can be obtained on the state and stages of the soil. Information such as soil moisture, level of acidity, the presence of certain nutrients, temperature and many other chemical characteristics, helps farmers control irrigation, make water use more efficient, specify the best times to start sowing, and even discover the presence of diseases in plants and soil.

  • Hospitality

    The application of the IoT to the hotel industry brings with it interesting improvements in the quality of the service. With the implementation of electronic keys, which are sent directly to the mobile devices of each guest, it is possible to automate various interactions.

    Thus, the location of the guests, the sending of offers or information on activities of interest, the realization of orders to the room or room service , the automatic charge of accounts to the room or the request of personal hygiene supplies, are activities that can be easily managed through integrated applications using the Internet of Things technology.

    With the use of electronic keys, the check-out process is automated, disabling the operation of doors, offering information about the rooms immediately available, and even assigning housekeeping tasks to maintenance personnel.

    And more!

     

    Stay tuned for more tech news and updates!


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