Internet of Things: Evolution or Revolution of Technology?

The “Internet of things” (‘IoT’) is becoming an increasingly growing topic of conversation both in the workplace and outside of it. It’s a great concept that that has a huge potential to impact how we live and how we work. There are a lot of complexities surrounding ‘‘IOT’’ but I prefer to stick to the basics. To put in simple words, ‘‘IoT’’ is the concept of connecting any device with an on and off switch to the internet. This includes a vast array of devices like cell phones, coffee vending machine, washing machines, wearable devices and anything you can think of. Well known analyst firm Gartner, states that by the end of year 2020, the world would have at least 26 billion ‘IoT’ enabled devices. The future would be “all the devices talking to each other”. For example, you wake up at 6 am and your coffee maker starts to make coffee for you automatically. Suppose you are out of your home and you have forgot to switch off T.V. and A.C. The devices sense it and they go to sleep mode automatically. All these examples are applications of ‘IoT’.

 Let’s see which sectors have embraced ‘IoT’ with open arms

 Agriculture:

Gone are the days when agriculture had nothing to do with technology. Companies like John Deere provides farmers with a measurement tool that captures important information about crop health, while making it easily viewable in the cloud from a computer or mobile device. Farmers can monitor the growth through charts and reports in a web browser from even a remote location. This company includes sensors for soil moisture at different depths and temperature. This data helps farmers to plan protection in cold weather. With the application of ‘IoT, farming is moving towards a huge innovation.

Healthcare

With the growing use of wearable devices, there is a technology boom in healthcare industry as well. There are certain wearable devices that are tied to a patient’s wrist and transfer the data like heart rate, blood pressure and other stats to the doctor sitting somewhere else. Taking ahead this trend, a U.S based company Preventice has come up with bodyguardian heart monitoring system that is designed to record important cardiac info like average heart rate and cardiac rhythm throughout the day. These measurements are used by healthcare professionals to learn analyzes and diagnose heart-related health concerns.

Automobile

Automobile industry too has embraced ‘IoT’ with open arms. Rolls-Royce, the well known car and aero engine manufacturing company have adopted a process named as “engine health monitoring”. The company uses a number of sensors on aero engines that measure the temperature, pressure, engine oil debris, fan blade speeds for smooth functioning of flight and the best part is, entire function is automatic and doesn’t require any human involvement. The info is then sent to data systems on the ground with the help of satellites. This technology helps the engineers to repair or replace parts before they become real problems.

Other than the fields mentioned above, there are many other applications of ‘IoT’ as , you can place wireless sensors at home that would send you notifications in the case of any concern. This would ensure that your loved ones are safe. Elderly people face the toughest time visiting a doctor. With the advent of ‘IoT’ enabled devices, your doctor could diagnose your parents at your residence itself. The biggest benefit of using ‘IoT’ enabled devices is, you can monitor your movements and workouts throughout the day.

It won’t be wrong to say that the future belongs to wearable tech and ‘IoT’. By the end of 2020, you will witness each and every electronic device talking to each other and make your life much easier.

  A version of this article was also posted @ Apptechnews.