The Internet of Things is the next stage of the internet’s evolution. At first, we only connected computers and then smartphones to the internet. Now, we’re connecting a whole range of objects, devices, processes and “things” to the internet so that we can interact with them from afar at scale while gathering up useful data from them. The Internet of Things frees up humans for higher-level and more important tasks.

What is the Internet of Things?

Internet of Things (IoT) is a network of physical objects or people called “things” that are embedded with software, electronics, network, and sensors that allows these objects to collect and exchange data.

Basically, IoT is a network in which all physical objects are connected to the internet through network devices or routers and exchange data. IoT allows objects to be controlled remotely across existing network infrastructure. IoT is a very good and intelligent technique which reduces human effort as well as easy access to physical devices. This technique also has autonomous control feature by which any device can control without any human interaction.

What are some examples of IoT devices?

The Internet of Things is designed to make our lives more convenient. Here are a few examples:

• Smart bathroom scales working in tandem with your treadmill, delivering food preparation ideas to your laptop or smartphone, so you stay healthy.
• Security devices monitoring your home, turning lights on and off as you enter and exit rooms, and streaming video so you can check in while you’re away.
• Smart voice assistants placing your usual takeout order on command, making it a breeze to get fresh food delivered to your door.

How IoT Works?

When talking about how does IoT works, the process begins with devices that have built-in sensors. These devices are connected to IoT platforms which store data from all the connected devices. The important data is then used to perform tasks that fulfil the needs of people.

When we say the data is stored in the IoT platforms, it doesn’t mean that all the data is useful. Devices carefully select only particular data that is relevant to execute an action. These pieces of information can detect patterns, recommendations and problems before they occur.

This is how an IoT application works with smart systems that automate tasks to address specific needs.

There are four fundamental components of an IoT system:

1.Sensors/Devices:

Sensors or devices are a key component that helps you to collect live data from the surrounding environment. All this data may have various levels of complexities. It could be a simple temperature monitoring sensor, or it may be in the form of the video feed.

A device may have various types of sensors which performs multiple tasks apart from sensing. Example, A mobile phone is a device which has multiple sensors like GPS, camera but your smartphone is not able to sense these things.

2.Connectivity

Once the data is collected it is transferred to the cloud infrastructure (also known as IoT platforms). But to transfer the data, the devices will need a medium. That’s when connections like Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, WAN, cellular networks, etc come into play. These mediums are all different and must be chosen wisely for best results.

The effectiveness of IoT security highly depends on the speed and availability of these mediums.

3.Data Processing

After data successfully uploads to the cloud, computing software, and big-data analytics process it to render it comprehensive and insightful for the end-user. For instance, night vision and motion sensors can detect unauthorized activity within a defined parameter. Still, the signals get sent to the user via an alert or video footage.

4.User Interface

The information needs to be available to the end-user in some way which can be achieved by triggering alarms on their phones or sending them notification through email or text message. The user sometimes might need an interface which actively checks their IoT system. This could be via an alert to the user (email, text, notification, etc). For example, a text alert when the temperature is too high in the company’s cold storage.

Conclusion

The future of Internet of Things is bright ahead. It has a wider scope in almost every business vertical. The IoT ecosystem connects vendors and companies and makes solution planning simple for an efficient, reliable, and secure IoT system. But, if you still have any doubt related to how does IoT work, what is IoT devices, or wish to design an IoT-based solution for your business, connect Agilis World Inc.’s IoT mobility experts today.