What is IoT or Internet of Things

The concept of “Internet of Things” is becoming more and more popular every year, but many people still understand it as the replacement of familiar stores with online shopping, which is far from the truth. On the contrary, the Internet of Things (IoT) is able to return “in reality” purchases to their former positions. But first, let's understand what the Internet of Things is.

The Internet of Things (IoT) is... ?

The Internet of Things is a concept of the future, which humanity is just starting to realize. This is an idea of ​​an environment where all processes are fully automated without any human intervention, where all objects are interconnected in a single network. Many films about the future, trying to depict the life of a person of the 22nd century, create an environment based on these views.

An objection may be born: but even now a lot is happening without human participation, is this already the Internet of things? No, it is not him. You and I are still on the Internet of people and are accustomed to calling automation something that is not fully automated. Many processes still require human intervention and control. The alarm clock does not select the time to wake up by itself - you set certain parameters for it. You can turn on and turn off the stereo system through your smartphone, but you do it specifically, albeit through indirect influence. The program is able to display traffic data on your device and recommend a route, but it is not able to regulate the situation on the road, and the final decision on where to go still remains with the person.

The Internet of Things is:

• When the alarm clock, based on the analysis of your habits and rhythms, selects the time of awakening.
• When the refrigerator warns of imminent spoilage of milk and independently orders the delivery of products.
• When the system, analyzing the situation on the road, makes the green light at a certain traffic light longer, thereby completely getting rid of traffic jams.
• When the light in the room turns off automatically after you leave it, without having to press the switch.
• And much more.

The main essence of the concept is the interaction of things of different levels among themselves in the network. Those. Internet things in your home interact with each other, forming a single network called "smart home". It, in turn, communicates with things at your work. Home and work send information to city systems, and then to the level of regulation on a planetary scale is not far away. Global communication is born, automating and controlling any process.

Basically, the Internet of Things is a network of networks.

History of the concept

Surprisingly, the essence of the Internet of Things was described back in 1926 by the famous inventor in the field of electrical engineering - Nikola Tesla. In an interview, he described a future where radio would become a "big brain" that pulls together information from different things - together they form a single network. Of course, contemporaries did not understand the idea.

In 1990, John Romkey demonstrated the world's first internet thing. It was a toaster that he was able to turn on and off remotely over the network. But the true beginning of the development of the IoT concept should be called 1999, when Kevin Ashton, at the presentation of Procter & Gamble, described the scheme of the business of the future. Before the managers of the mega corporation, he painted a picture of smart warehouses and transport, which themselves analyze the amount of loaded goods, automatically accept applications from customers and, if necessary, send requests to other systems. The idea seemed extremely promising to businessmen. The very term Internet of Things was formulated at the same presentation.

Principle of operation

Some aspects of the Internet of things have already been implemented today. Among the basic components:

Sensors or gauges are an element of an Internet thing that reads information from the environment. Figuratively speaking, these are the eyes, ears, nose and skin of an object connected to the network. They can respond to temperature, pressure, fill level, light and more.

Actuators are performers. The way in which a thing affects the environment. For example, in the case of controlling electricity in a smart home, the actuator will be a light bulb.

Gates are information processors. Receiving information from sensors, gates process it according to a given algorithm and instruct the actuators to perform an action. In simple situations (like turning on the light when a motion sensor in the room is triggered), the processing power of the gate is enough. In more complex ones (for example, managing the city's transport system), you will need a separate server.

A simplified scheme of the Internet thing will look like this:

Sensor -> Gate -> Server (for complex tasks) -> Actuator

Or, translating into the language of concrete examples:

The sensor detects movement in the room -> Gate receives information, confirms it -> Light turns on

The Internet of Things involves the use of neural networks that will self-learn based on the information received daily. For example, a coffee maker in the IoT era will eventually learn on its own that the owner of a smart home drinks coffee 10 minutes after waking up (which an alarm clock connected to the network will inform her about), prefers exclusively medium roast beans, and on weekends instead of americano you need to make latte.

Although individual Internet things already exist today, and the largest companies create smart homes piece by piece, an integrated IoT system does not yet exist. There are no single servers that would collect and analyze all incoming information. However, every year humanity is approaching this at an accelerating pace. 

Bringing together all the information received, the Internet of Things is designed to make our lives easier.

IoT platforms

In any business involving many participants, a manager is needed, a kind of single center that receives information from all participants, stores it and analyzes it. The Internet of Things is the same system in this respect. A coffee maker and an alarm clock need a common space for communication and communication between each other - an IoT platform.

At the very beginning, it should be said that modern “smart home control systems” from Yandex, Amazon, Google and others are not full-fledged IoT platforms, they are only some kind of intermediate solution. When using, for example, a smart speaker from Yandex with Alice inside, a person still has to “give commands” to turn on a light bulb or boil a kettle. This is remote home control, but not a smart home within the concept of the Internet of things.

There is currently no generally accepted definition of an IoT platform. There is only a general understanding that the architecture of this technology should contain the following components:

• Data storage for further analysis and reporting.
• Analytics - based on its results, various operations are performed.
• Direct device management.
• Providing communication between devices - the platform acts as a "space for communication" between things.
• Data visualization, interface - a person should be able to look at the available indicators and, if desired, make changes.
• Scalability - In the world of the future, IoT platforms must meet the same standards so that any kettle can be integrated into any platform.

There are currently over 450 different platforms and the number continues to grow.

An example of data visualization in the IoT platform.

IoT Use Cases 

Some technologies of the Internet of Things are already actively used now, others are about to appear, while experts are only fantasizing about the third ones. The concept is applicable in any area of ​​human life and can make life easier.

Smart House

A home where all processes are automated and adjusted to your habits. 10 minutes before the alarm goes off, the blinds move back, allowing sunlight to fill the room and make it easy for you to wake up. The floors in the bathroom warm up and by the time you enter it will be the ideal temperature. You bring your hands to the faucet sensor and water is automatically supplied. The coffee maker brewed your favorite coffee in advance, and itself tracked that the grains were running out and it would be necessary to buy new ones in your favorite store - all that remains is to confirm the purchase by clicking "ok". The fridge is waiting for fresh food, which he ordered yesterday. The light turns on and off everywhere by itself, and the security system recognizes the owner by his face, automatically locking the door when he leaves.

Transport

Your smart home, like the home of thousands of other people going to work, sends information to the server of the city transport system that in 10 minutes an additional car will join the traffic. After analyzing the typical routes of road users, the system predicts the situation on the road in different parts. Having received data on possible traffic jams, the system changes the operation of traffic lights, redirects traffic to different streets, thereby making the movement around the city as comfortable as possible for all participants.

AI-driven cars are also part of the Internet of Things concept. Public transport running in dedicated lanes with sensors at the doors that determine when they can be closed so as not to crush anyone.

Safety

Security systems with recognition by faces, fingerprints. Automaticallysend notifications of suspicious behavior to the owner of the house or company. Pressure sensors in pipes, which will detect a leak in the early stages and notify the plumber. Sensors that respond to vibration in technology, which will also allow you to notice technical problems in time.

A real-life example of the use of IoT technologies in the field of security: in Sweden, infrared sensors are installed around the perimeter of forests, instantly alerting firefighters to fires.

The medicine

The Internet of Things has the potential to completely change the healthcare system. Smart bracelets, sensors embedded in the body, fixing the main vital signs and notifying your attending physician about dangerous changes. As a result, you will not be sent to the hospital if there are complaints, but you will be invited for examination if there are pathological changes in vital signs.

The last word in medicine: subcutaneous chips that monitor the level of sugar and oxygen in the blood, pressure every minute. However, the most difficult thing is yet to come - to integrate the technology into a single healthcare network.  

Industry

The introduction of IoT will make any production much more efficient. Sensors will be able to fix problems before the devices fail, reducing repair costs and losses from downtime. All this can contribute to a new industrial revolution.

It is also possible to automate cargo transportation. Warehouses, reading information on a barcode, automatically send requests for the purchase of missing goods. 

Agriculture

Scheduled watering of crops is ineffective. With the introduction of the Internet of Things, it will be possible to install sensors in the soil, thanks to which watering will turn on automatically in case of a decrease in soil moisture. In addition to being able to increase yields, this approach also saves water.

Trade and business

Experts are convinced that IoT will bring competition between online and offline stores to a new level. Smart speakers, data on the server about the preferences of the buyer, the size of the clothes worn, will provide a personalized service. Imagine that you come to the store for a jacket - sensors recognize your face, data about your size and past purchases is loaded, after which the store's assortment is adjusted on the go according to your wishes. The business will get new opportunities, as will the buyer.

Cryptocurrencies

With the transition to the rails of the Internet of things, the modern concept of money may completely lose its relevance. The reason is the rotation of the entire cash flow exclusively in the virtual space. Cryptocurrencies that already exist today are likely to replace today's money. The most famous representative today is bitcoin.

Risks and challenges of the Internet of Things

The main problem associated with the introduction of IoT into our lives is security. On the one hand, if all the information and regulation of the lives of millions is online, then this is an extremely tasty morsel for cyberattacks. The protection of personal data is a big question, too big a risk. It is also easy to predict a new type of terrorist attacks, when criminals gain access to the system of an entire city and completely destroy its functioning. Largely due to unresolved security issues, the Internet of Things has not yet been implemented in every area of ​​​​life.

On the other hand, although the automation of processes and their “smart” regulation can potentially save millions on electricity, water and more efficient use of resources, the implementation of the Internet of Things, especially on a human scale, is extremely expensive.

But the main reason for the slowdown in the development of the concept is the lack of uniform standards and protocols for IoT platforms and Internet things themselves.

The unresolved issue of security is the main obstacle to the implementation of IoT.

Future of the Internet of Things

Today, the Internet of Things is not yet a completed puzzle. Individual pieces are already found in everyday life, others have not yet gone beyond the developers' offices, but the promising concept is still far from being fully realized.

Platform issues on the integration of the Internet of things have not been resolved, there is no single server. Some solutions are implemented only on paper. Implementation requires large sums of money, and the main problem - security - leads many people to oppose the concept as such.

But humanity continues to fantasize and tries to minimize all the risks that stand in the way of a dream. According to experts, by 2020 more than 26 billion devices will be connected to the Internet, and every year this number will increase. Perhaps in a few years the first affordable smart homes integrated into city systems will appear.