The IoT in Every Industry: How Connectivity is Revolutionizing the Future

In recent years, we’ve seen the integration of the Internet of Things (IoT) in our lives through nearly everything we touch. Screens, buttons, and apps at our fingertips can provide us with troves of helpful information and optimize our homes, buildings, offices, and communities. We’re in a period of device connectivity that is only accelerating. In fact, as of 2021, there are over 21.7 billion active connected devices worldwide—and over 54% of those devices (11.7 billion) are IoT compatible, according to IoT Analytics . Thankfully, a lot of this technological advancement is being harnessed for good and aiding critical global sectors like energy, sustainability, healthcare, social services, and more. So, how exactly can the IoT be used for good? This question, among others, was explored in-depth at Silicon Labs’ Works With 2023 developer conference.?

How are IoT Innovations Making the Home an Oasis?

Energy Efficiency

The home is one of the first places where we can improve our daily lives since it’s one of the places we spend the most time, which is why the smart home market has continued to gain momentum. The appliances that fill our homes—dishwashers, light bulbs, security systems—are constantly in use, so it’s only wise that they enhance our comfort and safety while consuming power efficiently. Connectivity in our home devices enables energy settings to be adjusted automatically based on usage patterns. Data collected by smart home devices can provide homeowners with the valuable insights they need to reduce their footprint.

Smart LED lights, for example, create ambient, automated living environments while reducing energy consumption. IoT solutions make it possible for smart lights to turn off when wireless sensors no longer detect human presence. IoT providers like Silicon Labs are helping device makers advance smart home device features with sustainability in mind. Silicon Labs’ optimized smart lighting wireless development solutions include wireless SoCs and RF-certified modules with built-in antennas that optimize for bulb form factor, high-temperature rating, and energy regulations.

Air Quality

The home is our true domain, a mecca of activity for people and our devices, especially as remote work and other lifestyle changes have led to people spending more time at home. According to the American Time Use Survey by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics , Americans spent nearly ten waking hours per day at home in 2020, compared with less than eight hours per day in 2019. Since we spend so much time at home, creating clean and healthy home environments is important, with air quality being a key factor.

?Inadequate air quality ventilation in the home can increase indoor pollutant levels, leading to long-term health risks. High-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters can remove up to 99.97% of airborne bacteria, dust, mold, and pollen particles as small as 0.3 microns, according to the EPA .

Companies like Woosh Air use the IoT to create an integrated connected system for the home. Smart thermostats measure air quality, and then smart air filters clean the air when the quality is suboptimal. This creates a more efficient energy system and provides real-time alerts on HVAC usage, benefiting consumers and global climate goals. Smart energy management systems like this revolutionize our ability to identify and mitigate airborne health dangers we would otherwise be unaware of.

Security and Safety

Homeowners often worry about their homes' function, safety, and security, even when they are not present. Have you ever experienced the anxiety of being unsure whether you closed the garage door or left any appliances on before leaving? Pet owners may even feel concerned about their furry friend's well-being while away from home. By connecting door openers, garage systems, indoor and outdoor cameras, and video doorbells to the smart home network, it becomes possible to do things like securely receive deliveries such as packages and groceries inside the home, with video evidence of the delivery, or monitor activity around the home through live streaming. Cloud services organizations such as the Chamberlain Group have partnerships with companies like Amazon and Walmart that make this extra level of convenience and security possible.

Other ways homeowners improve security is through keypads. Some homeowners install keypads to generate personalized key codes for family members, neighbors, and service providers. These key codes can be configured to allow access to your home only during specific times and days of the week. Furthermore, using the key codes, you can set up your smartphone to receive notifications when someone enters or exits your home.

IoT devices can track people and objects over long distances, making them useful for keeping loved ones and valuables safe. Companies of all sizes are trying to find ways to make communication and tracking easier inside and outside the home. For example, parents can use IoT devices like T Mobile’s SyncUP Kids Watch to track their children's location and receive alerts if they leave a designated safe zone. T-Mobile also released a DevEdge Devkit + Dev Edge IoT Connectivity Kit to help smaller, new developers design useful IoT devices, like bike trackers, that don’t necessarily require Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, or cellular connectivity.

We can easily be inspired by the brilliant minds collaborating to find IoT solutions that can effortlessly improve our daily lives while ensuring our homes, valuables, and neighbors remain secure and functional.

The IoT Transforms Businesses and Cities

We’ve seen the IoT improve energy conservation on an individual level, and this quest for efficiency is also taking place on a wider scale for businesses and cities with multiple energy outputs. As populations increase and more technology inundates our lives, global energy demand is also expected to increase dramatically. To meet these pressures, we’ll need to be more innovative and strategic with our current energy sources, explore alternatives, and promote efficiency—and many companies have turned to the IoT as a hero to help transform the energy industry.

Companies like Landis+Gyr use IoT technology to aid large energy management systems. Together, they work to provide large-scale visibility to smart city management so that possible threats and incidents are addressed promptly—or are solved even before they occur. When devices and equipment are tampered with (solar energy, EV chargers), smart sensors can send signals to alarm utility personnel, ultimately protecting a city’s sustainability investments.

IoT Benefits Agriculture and Farms

Beyond the city and in our farmlands, IoT technology is transforming agriculture, bringing increased efficiency, productivity, and sustainability. By leveraging technology, farmers can produce more food with less water and fewer pesticides, monitor crops and livestock in real time, and make informed decisions. IoT sensors, for instance, monitor soil moisture levels, crop growth, and livestock health, automating tasks such as irrigation, fertilization, and pest control. To support this connectivity, Wi-SUN , an open-source protocol that simplifies wireless infrastructure for industrial applications, is an ideal solution for smart agriculture due to its strong range and reliability in outdoor settings. These IoT innovations not only benefit farmers but also have a positive impact on society by protecting the environment, improving food security, and boosting the economy.

IoT Addresses Reliability to Better Connect Communities

We’re fortunate enough to witness how smart devices have revolutionized our daily routines and powered our homes and cities more efficiently. However, the benefits of these devices can only be fully realized through proper connectivity. Networks like Amazon Sidewalk , for example, are designed to enhance IoT device connectivity, especially in areas with poor coverage. It is a low-bandwidth, long-range wireless shared network that operates on the 900 MHz spectrum, relies on contributions from participating devices to provide coverage and connectivity, and offers cost savings for developers while fostering innovation.

Amazon Sidewalk expands IoT capabilities for smart cities, public safety, and environmental monitoring. By enabling innovations in applications like smart parking, traffic, air quality, safety, alerts, and disaster response systems, networks like Amazon Sidewalk can lead us toward a more seamless, sustainable future by ensuring devices are reliably connected.

Looking Inward: IoT Improves Healthcare

Beyond our physical environments, the Internet of Things (IoT) has also enabled us to make remarkable strides in healthcare. Patient research is advancing unprecedentedly, and our accumulated knowledge has led to more effective treatments for a broader range of people. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought public health to the forefront of media attention, raising awareness of the industry's importance. However, despite these advances, healthcare is still an unpleasant experience for many. The struggle to secure timely appointments, prolonged wait times, and delayed delivery of test results and insights, coupled with a scarcity of easily accessible and understandable information regarding personal health and the burden of high costs, make it clear that we need more efficient services.

This is where IoT comes into play: IoT’s integration into healthcare began with telehealth appointments and has since evolved into greater benefits, like accessibility to health records from other practitioners a patient may have visited, creating a more streamlined process. For example, the Digital Medicine Society (DiMe) , a global nonprofit organization focused on ethical healthcare tech solutions, reports that IoT tech has assisted in tracking numbers during the COVID-19 pandemic and sharing those with hospitals. These advances bring the healthcare world into a more organized, streamlined system.

Technological wearables can allow patients and healthcare providers to track real-time updates to avoid unnecessary trips to the doctor’s office. Imagine all your current health statistics accessible in real time through an app. That’s why Lura Health used the IoT to create the world’s first Continual Saliva Diagnostics Wearable, a retainer that allows for continual care throughout the day. Each retainer comes with a portable charging case and can be connected to a smartphone app that measures pH levels of the mouth via Bluetooth, with a chip barely visible—yet incredibly powerful- to fit on such a small surface area.

In terms of other connected health advances, aging-in-place IoT applications can help seniors stay in their homes longer by providing reminders, monitoring their health, and coordinating tasks, which reduces the burden on healthcare systems and families. In the future, AI-powered digital assistants, smart ecosystems, and robots could provide even more comprehensive support, enabling seniors to live independently and safely for longer.

The IoT Continues to be a Hero

From conserving energy usage to streamlining medical care, connectivity can provide opportunities for more efficient, optimal, and healthier ways of life. Together, companies can make positive changes through the development of advanced technology and inspire one another to help each other in many different industries, from retail to security to healthcare and more.