IoT (Internet of Things) refers to a network of physical devices that are connected with sensors, software, and other technologies to exchange real-time data with other devices and systems over the internet. From ordinary household objects to sophisticated industrial tools, IoT enables us to communicate real-time data without human involvement. A lightbulb or an AC that can be switched on and off using a smartphone application is an IoT device.
An IoT ecosystem consists of web-enabled smart devices that use embedded systems, such as processors, sensors, and communication hardware, to collect, send, and act on data they acquire from their environments. IoT devices share the sensor data they collect by connecting to an IoT gateway or other edge device where data is either sent to the cloud to be analyzed or analyzed locally. Sometimes, these devices communicate with other related devices and act on the information they get from one another. The devices do most of the work without human intervention, although people can interact with the devices. For instance, to set them up, give them instructions, or access the data.
The connectivity, networking, and communication protocols used with these web-enabled devices largely depend on the specific IoT applications deployed. Internet of Things can also make use of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning to aid in making data collecting processes easier and more dynamic.
Gartner calculates that the usage of IoT devices will likely reach 20.4 billion by 2020.
This advancement of technology has made things very transparent in the physical world and corporates are making money out of this in less investment. The IoT allows to automate and control in day to day works avoiding human intervention, brings transparency in the processes by providing a quality service. It is qualified to take the required action in emergencies. M2M (Machine to Machine) interactions provide much better accuracy and efficiency. It saves time, energy, and cost.
This technology is useful to identify health problems like patterns of heart rate, pulse, digestive system, and blood pressure can be monitored and can be sent to the hospital in case of emergencies. The continuous processes under surveillance ensure security and increase the quality of life by comfort, convenience, better management.