IoT's impact on present and future tech: What it means for the common man
The word IoT has the world glued to it. Why not? Its capabilities are spoken in a curious manner as though it is the technology-changer of this era.
Come to think of it, the question that arises is: Can IoT change the way the world perceives smart technology? The answer is a definite yes. Given the latest IoT applications and continued research on it, IoT is sure to change the way we perceive technology and its applications.
You can apply IoT in every sphere of life. Science, education, banking, medicine, security, agriculture, space — the list goes on. The aspects where IoT can drastically improve output results are unlimited; it is beyond what we can perceive. And IoT doesn’t need much financial investment. It requires only the human brain to think of its places of application and to what extent.
The internet, APIs, hardware and software are the main components of IoT. IoT is used for data collection, analysis and the resulting applications. We use IoT in a driverless car the same way we use IoT in agriculture.
IoT is not meant only for advanced technology. It is beneficial when we integrate advanced technology in routine tasks so that the common man stands to gain.
Where IoT will be a game-changer
IoT in pollution control
We can use IoT to monitor air quality. Sensors are used to measure the presence and amount of harmful gases. IoT can also identify tiny particles and air pollutants in your locality at any time of the day.
IoT is also used to monitor the quality of water in rivers and local supplies. The data collected is sent to the cloud for further analysis and action.
Simple forms of IoT can detect the level of sound near schools and hospitals. This data can then be relayed to concerned authorities over cloud so that further action can be taken.
IoT in education
Chalkboards are passé. Smart boards are in.
IoT helps in interactive learning with live tutorials, coaching videos and demonstrations. Live bulletins, emergency messages and notifications can be relayed to an entire school campus at any point in time.
IoT also helps in study-material sharing. It is used for better collaboration between students and teachers. Admission records, online examinations, safer campus, smart lessons … the use cases are endless.
IoT in agriculture and farming
IoT finds its uses in poultry, fish, dairy, verticals and organic farming. Agriculture will immensely benefit from IoT. It helps farmers to track the soil quality and crop growth.
Weather conditions can be calculated so that farmers know about it beforehand and can have better crop harvests. Sensors for light, humidity and temperature collect the data which is then analyzed for crop growth. Irrigation can be better managed with IoT.
In dairy farming, IoT is used to manage the health of livestock.
Preservation of produce and its transportation and logistics to end markets through IoT make for better profits. The other advantage is that waste management becomes easier.
IoT in transportation
The first thing that comes to the mind when you think of IoT in transportation is Tesla’s driverless cars. This is a revolutionary concept in IoT.
IoT also has the ability to drastically improve routine operations of the transportation and logistics industry. End-to-end visibility, warehouse management and fleet management are all aggregated by IoT services, which help ensure the right product reaches the right place at the right time.
Other than logistics, IoT is utilized for effective public transit management and in traffic control; rerouting features help ease traffic.
The latest application of IoT is in Google Maps, where it predicts traffic in a particular area at any point in time. Google Maps not only indicates the traffic density on the road you want to take, but also suggests alternate routes with its time-estimate indicator.
IoT in healthcare
IoT in medicine is referred to as the internet of medical things (IoMT) or healthcare IoT. It has the ability to enhance medical services to a great extent.
IoMT helps in remote patient monitoring. The tracking of patients’ health through wearable devices and complete medication monitoring is the boon of IoMT. Portable diagnostic devices help find and analyze reports. The patient need not visit the doctor’s office; IoT helps doctors to gather data from device which improves diagnosis and treatment plans.
It also helps healthcare facilities manage their inventory, staff, doctors and patients better. Personalized healthcare for each individual has become easier. Healthcare IoT helps in the correct diagnosis, proper treatment and aftercare of the individual patient.
IoT in industry
Automation in industrial processes has eased the process of doing work. IoT is playing a significant role in improving automation, providing greater visibility into processes.
Industrial IoT assists in facility management, production flow management, inventory management, plant safety and security, quality control, packaging, transportation and supply chain optimization. It helps managers by providing the data they need to optimize processes.
IoT in the energy sector
On a large scale, IoT is used in building the energy grid that upgrades power quality and security. IoT sensors are also used in buildings and offices to, for example, save power when not in use. Renewable energy sources for buildings in combination with IoT help lower power bills, thus energy efficiency increases. In addition, smart metering helps customers track power consumption so that they can save energy.
Fire safety is also greatly improved with IoT by alerting people to reach the nearest exit.
Wrap up
Smart homes, smart hotels, smart offices, smart cities … the applications of IoT are limitless. IoT is all about collecting data and applying it in a smart way to solve challenges. IoT helps improve existing applications as much as does for new launches.
Indeed, IoT is proving to be a game-changer, and rightly so. What the future holds in IoT is simply beyond the comprehension of the human mind.
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