Internet of Things
Everything you need to know about technology changing our lives!
When you think about the Internet of Things, what do you think? No, it’s not a network of computers taking over the world or a robot lamp that is watching your every move. In fact, you probably use a device that is a part of the internet of things every day!
Do you have an Alexa or a Nest Thermostat or a Ring doorbell? Every one of those things and more is an internet of things (IoT) device! An IoT device is simply a device with sensors to collect data and software to analyze that data to make actionable insights.
So I’m sure as much as you LOVE getting out of your warm bed in the morning to turn on the lights, you would much rather have IoT devices do it for you!
What Makes Up an IoT Device?
As I mentioned in the intro, an IoT device has two parts; software and hardware. Pretty simple, right? Well, there are a few more pieces that go into creating a good IoT device. Let’s dive into the parts within software and hardware that make up an IoT device!
Making Up the Software
Ok, so let’s say we have a device collecting the heartbeat of a patient. The first step is obviously to collect the data using sensors, which we will dive into more when we talk about hardware. Now that we have that data, what do we do?
Processing the data
The second component that makes up the software of IoT devices is processing the data. IoT devices generate a BUNCH of data, like zettabtyes, which are equivalent to one trillion gigabytes! That’s a lot of data!
So, before we can analyze the data, we need to process it so it is easier for the software to read. The first thing we need to do is to get rid of any bad data. Data is checked in order to pull out pieces that are outliers, incomplete, or incorrect.
Then, the data is converted to machine-readable information, like binary code, and fed into a machine learning algorithm. This algorithm takes the data and provides a desirable output that can be used in an analysis. This output could be a picture, word, graph, etc., and is consistent throughout the data collection.
Finally, the data will be stored within a computer or hard drive and backed up to make sure it is ready to use! Now, it is time to analyze the data!
Data Analysis
Data analysis is one of the most important parts of the software because it provides us with the insights the device needs to perform an action! There are three different ways we can analyze data; prescriptive, spatial, and streaming. We’ll discuss how each one works and why it would be used!
- Prescriptive analysis: used to determine the best solution for a situation
Let’s look at an example so we can understand in deeper. A hospital notices that when a patient on their ICU floor has a fever of 101 and is diagnosed with sepsis after 3 days, they respond best to a specific drug. Using prescriptive analysis, the patient’s data can be analyzed to find the best drug for their condition, saving their life.
On a basic level, prescriptive analysis is trained on a dataset of inputs and their resulting outcomes. Based on this, the prescriptive analysis model can take in a series of inputs, determine the outcome, and figure out which solutions provide the best outcome in the scenario.
How does this apply to IoT? IoT needs to be able to take input a make an action based on it. The prescriptive analysis allows for the device to take the data and decide what the best action would be for it to perform!
Want to check out a real-life example: IBM used prescriptive analytics to help a diabetes company keep costs low and treat their patients!
- Spatial Analytics: Finding relationships between the data collected from the IoT device and the data collected from other devices
Spatial Analytics is a perfect example of how the internet of things works because it takes data from one device, and compares it to others! Think of it as a bunch of students texting each other to figure out a math problem. Maybe one student knows how to start the problem and the other student knows what the answer should look like, so together they can complete the problem.
A good example of using spatial analytics in IoT is smart streetlights. Smart streetlights use motion cameras to detect movement on a street and turn on the lights when they detect a car.
But, once a light detects that car, it sends the information to other streetlights so they can turn it on too. By sharing information, the system is more efficient than both regular streetlights and streetlights that turn on only based on motion.
Want to check out a real-life example: Telensa is making the world’s first smart streetlights!
- Streaming Analytics: Using real-time data to make quick decisions
As great as the other methods are for analyzing data, if you need to make a decision in a split-second, streaming analytics is the best for the job! Streaming analytics is based on a concept: data streams, in which there is a constant flow of data.
Instead of processing data and then storing it for later analysis, data is processed and then analyzed in seconds. This is done using a device called event stream processors (ESP), which can take in and ingest data quickly without losing any of it.
By using an ESP, data can be immediately sent between the IoT device and the analytical platform, providing a response within seconds. A good example of when we would use streaming analytics is for crime response. An IoT device would collect data about suspicious movements, the ESP would process it and send it to be analyzed, and the software would decide if 911 needs to be called, or if it’s not a real threat.
Want a real-life example? Check out SimpliSafe!
Now we understand how the software works, let’s take a look at the hardware!
Breaking Down the Hardware
Obviously, in order for our software to work it needs data! So, how can we collect this data? Sensors!
Temperature Sensors
Temperature sensors are sensors used to detect changes in the amount of heat. If you have a smart thermostat, you might have used one before! There are a couple of different ways that sensors can detect changes in the heat:
- Thermocouple: Using voltage to measure temperature, the higher the temperature the more voltage
- Resistor temperature detectors (RTD): Using resistance to measure temperature, the higher the temperature the more positive resistance
- Infrared sensors: Using an object’s infrared energy to determine its temperature- objects emit infrared energy that can be intercepted to determine the temperature
Temperature sensors can be used for a variety of IoT devices, such as thermostats, measuring the temperature of manufacturing machines, monitoring cold chain goods (Aeris), and in the healthcare industry!
Proximity Sensors
Another important type of sensor used in IoT is the proximity sensor. Proximity sensors detect an object and its characteristics, which can then be used for identification. For example, proximity sensors can help detect whether or not there is a car on the street and decide to turn on the streetlights.
Types of proximity sensors:
- Inductive Sensors: Can detect metallic objects using an electromagnetic field or beam and operates at high speeds
- Capacitive Sensors: Works by creating an electric field and identifying where the field is interrupted, good for identifying really small objects
- Photoelectric Sensors: Uses a beam of light to detect the presence or absence of an object, used for distance scanning
Proximity sensors in IoT can be used to remotely monitor crime, traffic, and even predict what a customer will buy! For example, Microsoft used proximity sensors and IoT for easy device authentication.
Pressure Sensors
Pressure sensors can be used in IoT to measure the amount of stress being put on an object or device. Pressure sensors are especially helpful in manufacturing, making sure all machines are working in optimal condition!
Chemical Sensors
Chemical sensors have a variety of different uses within IoT, including water quality and detecting changes within certain materials.
- Conductivity Sensor: This can be used to measure the number of ions within a liquid and used to check the quality of water
- pH Sensor: Determine how acidic or basic a certain chemical is
- Hydrogen sulfide sensor: Detect the amount of hydrogen sulfide within a substance
These are only a few of the different sensors that can be used in IoT. Other sensors include; smoke, gas, infrared, motion detector, level, image, and accelerometer sensors. All of these sensors allow for the IoT device to collect the important data in need to make a decision and perform an action!
Microcontrollers
Another key portion of the IoT hardware is the microcontroller. A microcontroller is a small circuit that allows the IoT device to run programs and connect with other devices. Think of it like the brain of the device!
A microcontroller has 4 main parts; the RAM, ROM, CPU, and other peripheral circuits. So, what does that all mean?
The RAM stands for random access memory, and it allows for the microcontroller to temporarily store programs and data. It only works when there is power, so it needs to be backed up if you want to keep the information.
The ROM stands for read-only memory, and it permanently stores data on the microcontroller. This allows us to access this data, even if the microcontroller is no longer attached to the IoT device.
The CPU stands for central processing unit, and it carries out programs within the microcontroller. Another word you might hear a CPU in a microcontroller called is an arithmetic/logic unit (ALU), since that is what the CPU is primarily used in IoT devices.
Other peripheral circuits are kind of like the nerves of the body and connect various pieces together to allow the microcontroller to work.
So in short, the microcontroller is an electronic circuit that stores data and performs certain programs!
Other IoT Hardware
Finally, we have other IoT hardware that is specific to certain functions needed to be carried out. Examples of this include; wearable devices, speakers, waterproofing, etc.
When making an IoT device it is important to consider the function. For example, if we are making a smart streetlight, we may want to include hardware such as waterproof casing and lightbulbs.
We can also include hardware in our IoT device such as GPS that allows for easy connection with other devices to make a grid. This could be helpful if we want to create a network and need data from various places.
So now we know a lot about what makes up an IoT device, but how can we use it?
Applications
IoT has applications in virtually every field, from inside your home to revolutionizing healthcare! Let’s dive into some of these applications!
Healthcare
IoT has revolutionized healthcare, saving patients and money! There are many ways that IoT can apply to healthcare that makes it easier for the patient and the doctor, such as remote monitoring and data collecting, and ways that IoT makes healthcare more efficient, such as data tracking and smart devices! Let’s look at some examples:
- Activity trackers during cancer treatments: IoT devices that sense a cancer patient’s daily activity, movement, heart rate, respiratory rate, etc. and use that information to monitor safety during the treatment
- Ingestible Sensors: There are small IoT devices that can be swallowed and used to monitor whether or not a person is taking the correct dosage of their medication. This information can then be tracked by a doctor or provider
- Wireless Sensors: Sensors that can be attached to samples in the lab, such as blood work, to make sure that the samples are at the correct temperature and the right tests are being performed. $11 million of devices were lost at a hospital, and this isn’t a new thing. Using IoT we can change this.
Want a real-life example? Orbita is using wearable health monitoring IoT devices to make it easier for long-term care providers to optimize patient care at home!
Manufacturing
Manufacturing is another area that IoT is very beneficial! Currently, manufacturing is inefficient and problematic in terms of productivity. Using IoT we can change this and make products quicker and cheaper!
- Increasing safety: Using IoT, companies can get data about safety incidents much faster, and remotely monitor production lines to ensure safety protocols are being followed.
- Product Tracking and Inventory: IoT devices can be used to help track and monitor products from the time they are made, to the time they arrive at a customer’s house!
- Monitoring Machine Condition: IoT devices can be used to monitor machines, making sure that they are in optimal working condition and notifying managers whenever there is a need for maintenance.
Real-life example: Konux is a company using IoT devices to make railroads more efficient by monitoring the need for maintenance and repair!
Climate Tech
Finally, a great area that can benefit from IoT is the fight against climate change! Using IoT, we can collect data, reduce emissions, and potentially even perform carbon capture actions.
- Air pollution: IoT can be used to detect the quality of air and alert the surrounding population whether or not it is safe to go outside.
- Reducing Carbon Emissions: Using IoT, traffic can be monitored and the fastest route can be selected to reduce the number of emissions per travel.
- Reduce fertilizer pollution: IoT can be used to optimize timing for fertilizing crops, which not only increases the amount of food being grown but also can help decrease the amount of fertilizer run-off due to weather and watering.
Want to learn more? Check out my article on IoT and climate tech!
Creating an Interesting Future
So now we know all about IoT, but how can we leverage the technology to create an interesting future?
IoT is going to help us create a safer, healthier, and wealthier future. We will have the ability to remotely monitor people and things, reducing the amount of crime taking place.
Health will also improve as the healthcare system transitions to a proactive approach with monitoring activity levels and other important vital signs. People will be eating more nutritious foods as healthy foods become cheaper with increased yields.
In general, we will have wealthier countries. By reducing the number of errors and increasing the number of goods produced, production will be more efficient and bring more money in.
IoT is going to revolutionize the world as we know, creating a better future for everyone!
TL;DR
- An IoT device is a device connected to the internet and another network of devices called the internet of things
- The main components of IoT software are; data processing and data analytics
- The main components of IoT hardware are; sensors, microcontrollers, and other hardware, such as wearable devices
- The applications of IoT range across the fields of healthcare, manufacturing, climate tech, and more
If you’ve made it this far, thank you! I am a 15-year-old who is interested in regenerative medicine, biocomputing, and public health. If you want to see me continue to grow and 10X myself, sign up for my newsletter here!
