The IoT & You or The IoT VS You? How The Internet of Things Works

Unless you’ve been living in a cave, you’ll have heard about the Internet of Things. In this, the first of this week’s two parter, we will look at definitions, applications and what it means for you..The IoT is all around you: Your phone, laptop, fridge, thermostat: actually any device that can be connected to the internet or another device is a part of the IoT world.

In other words, the IoT is a giant network of connected devices that collect and share data about the way they are being used and the environment around them. In actual fact, we just started work on an incredibly interesting IoT/AI project — It’s actually the application for a sensor in an oil tank. In certain parts of the world, they’re not connected to mains gas or electric — heating is provided by means of an oil tank buried outside, filled regularly by a tanker.

In the future, these tanks will be fitted with computerised sensors. This one will be able to measure, average out, learn and predict how much you will use. Order the tanker to come and fill you up preemptively, and even monitor the weather reports for unexpected cold snaps or warm spells! Classic example of the Internet of Things, also mixed in with a bit of AI, to create one, super useful, highly imaginative, possibly even life-saving, piece of kit. That once we’ve finished, you’ll probably never even know existed.

That’s the point of the IoT, a lot of it is basically connecting up (with a platform that we will come to, later) a lot of things that already exist, simply to make your life a little easier, fixing problems you probably didn’t know you had, in ways you probably don’t understand!

How does IoT work?

Imagine how devices of all shapes and sizes from all over the world — starting from the multi-cookers that automatically cook food according to your favorite recipe right through to smart cars that select the route to avoid a traffic jam — are connected to the Internet of Things Platform. This platform collects the information from the devices, chooses the most valuable data, “analyzes it and creates an action” for a special need. Caroline Gorski, the head of IoT at Digital Catapult, explains the IoT the following way:

“The IoT brings those networks together. It gives the opportunity for devices to communicate not only within close silos but across different networking types and creates a much more connected world.”

Internet of Things in your life

IoT can be used in any field of our life. It’s a technology of the future and each day people and companies come up new ideas for its implementation. Here are a few creative ideas:

• Home automation. Imagine your home full of smart things, where your fridge can detect the location of the cheapest groceries. Don’t feel like cooking? it orders you a pizza. Look at your alarm clock: it’s not as simple as you think. Before waking you up, it synchronizes with your coffee machine, to ensure your morning caffeine shot is ready to go when you get up. If it’s raining cats and dogs outside, your alarm clock will take into account the factor of slower speed because of bad weather, and calculate when it needs to wake you up in order that you won’t be late!
• Building automation. What if security cameras were able to detect some extreme or hazardous situations. Imagine somebody covering his face and pulling a gun out of his pocket. The elevator closes its doors, automatic doors inside the building lock and and the security system calls the police. Or if a computer sees that you fall down and keep laying on the ground for a minute, it calls a doctor. You’d never have to worry about your older relatives again?
• Medical applications. One of the most promising possibilities of the IoT in healthcare is implant communication. In some experiments doctors placed implants into the brains of paralyzed monkeys. These implants send their brain signals to their lumbar spine. As a result, paralyzed monkeys were able to move. Of course, this method is still experimental and was tested only on animals. However, it could easily evolve into human experiments at any moment!

So, let’s summarize what we know. The Internet of Things is a giant network of connected devices that collect and share data about the way they are being used and the environment around them. All these devices are connected to the Internet of Things Platform and this platform, in its turn, collects all the necessary information for an action.

The IoT is very much a developing technology and potentially could be used within any field. However, the most promising ideas are coming forth in the smart home and the medical field. The IoT promises much. But in what time-frame, how secure it will be, and how much it will actually change our way of life remains to be seen!

In Friday’s article, I’ll take a look at IoT security, privacy concerns and crucially, who actually OWNS that platform? Where is it stored? Is it safe? Some of these questions may be answered in part two. Some may not, wait and see!

Please do comment below if you have any ideas for IoT applications, or any experiences of your own! Have a great week!