First of all, let me give you a definition of the Internet of Things. Wikipedia describes it thus: “The Internet of Things (IoT) is a system of interrelated computing devices, mechanical and digital machines, objects, animals or people that are provided with unique identifiers (UIDs) and the ability to transfer data over a network without requiring human-to-human or human-to-computer interaction.”
The IoT has a lot of applications, including the smart home and care of the elderly, as well as in healthcare, transport, manufacturing and agriculture, as well as on military battlefields. The ‘smart city’ is another IoT driven creation. Drones are an IoT baby, as are some of the latest artificial organs. The possibilities are seemingly endless, but let’s take a look at some of the areas where it has already had an impact.
Healthcare
The Proteus Pill tracks the influence of each pill taken: the time, the content, and a body’s specific reaction. It allows doctors to discover which medications work, or don’t, with individual patients, making for more accurate prescribing.
Logistics
International courier company DHL uses IoT tools to track and monitor deliveries. It uses sensors to track shipment containers, protect them, and collect data on workers and the adopted tools. In return, the company is more efficient and costs are reduced.
Transport
Virgin Atlantic launched and IoT connection with its Boeing 787 plane to predict possible health and equipment problems and improve flight safety. It shouldn’t be too long before other airlines adopt it.
Agriculture
Drones have great potential in agriculture, and they are the most multifunctional and reliable Internet of Things technologies. In particular, they are capable of taking pictures of huge areas of land, and can analyse soil composition and watering problems, as well as detecting plant diseases. Some believe that the use of IoT in agriculture will be one of its most important uses.
Education
Smart learning is on its way thanks to IoT. From adjusting the space within a university campus to creating a personalized study plan, IoT in combination with AI and machine learning changes the level of satisfaction with learning significantly.
Wildlife Conservation
LionGuardians is an example of IoT at work in nature. Its technology is an open source wildlife tracking collar system designed specifically for saving animals threatened with extinction. Currently being used in southern Kenya, it is hoping to protect and save 2,000 lions left in the area — by tracking their location and sending notifications to coordinators via SMS in case assistance is needed.
Cities
The Smart City is another fascinating use of IoT. Barcelona is already on board with it and has 500 km of optical fibre network, Wi-Fi routed in street lighting, air quality monitoring and water consumption sensors, smart parking and smart waste management. It makes life more comfortable for citizens and more cost effective as well.
The IoT is already changing our world, and it has much further to go.