As the subject around the Internet of Things (IoT) slowly starts to be recognized by the non-technical and average person it is time to analyze what we are dealing with. Even though this blog already shared some new devices (such as a fridge) that were linked to the Internet, it is time to give you the big picture.
The concept of the Internet of Things is that more and more devices are connected to the internet enabling us to derive data from them and to communicate them. At present, 4.5 billion devices are connected to the internet which is expecting to rise up to 50 billion by 2050, making machine to machine technologies a key focus across sectors.
In order to turn the IoT space into an increasing success, areas of technology, security, business models, consumer psychology, leadership and regulation will all have to be addressed and will require support from the government, industry and academia to collaborate. Consequently, scalable solutions can be developed establishing a market in this new sector.
If we add sensors to devices, the applications of this seemingly simple technological change are universal.
Road will divert traffic when sensors detect an accident, fire fighters notified automatically when there is a forest fire, foods will remind us when they are about to expire, bathtubs call an ambulance when someone slips and entire cities adapt and respond dynamically to the needs of the environment. The Internet of
Things has the ability to impact every corner of our planet. Collecting data is a vital part within the Internet
of Things. The DIKW triangle (Data, Information, Knowledge and Wisdom), suggests it is important to collect data to be able to apply intelligence to it and to transform it into usable information. Hence, this could be transformed into knowledge leading to improved wisdom. Such things as sensors that are installed in our water systems to register blockages, or sensors that tell us exactly when our bus will arrive are both examples of collecting data and turning this into usable knowledge. This will eventually make the planet talk, smarter and will make the physical world itself a type of information system. This will
foster resource efficiency.
All together, a big and innovative space with loads of potential. Make sure you stay on top of it, as it will drastically improve your quality of life in the near future.
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