In this course, you will perform experiments and will derive insights on your own on the Internet of Things. You will use several sensors like Temperature sensor, Weather monitoring, Water Level, Motion Detection and Image Capture etc. You will use both Arduino Uno and Raspberry Pi to perform experiments. The outcomes of this course include a practical understanding of how Arduino Uno & Raspberry Pi work and thorough clarity on the Internet of Things.

Internet of Things:

The Internet of Things (IoT) is the network of physical devices, vehicles, home appliances, and other items embedded with electronics, software, sensors, actuators, and connectivity which enables these things to connect and exchange data, creating opportunities for more direct integration of the physical world into computer-based systems, resulting in efficiency improvements, economic benefits, and reduced human exertions.

The number of IoT devices increased 31% year-over-year to 8.4 billion in 2017 and it is estimated that there will be 30 billion devices by 2020. The global market value of IoT is projected to reach $7.1 trillion by 2020.

IoT involves extending Internet connectivity beyond standard devices, such as desktops, laptops, smartphones, and tablets, to any range of traditionally dumb or non-internet-enabled physical devices and everyday objects. Embedded with technology, these devices can communicate and interact over the Internet, and they can be remotely monitored and controlled.

Sensors:

Sensors are sophisticated devices that are frequently used to detect and respond to electrical or optical signals. A Sensor converts the physical parameter (for example temperature, blood pressure, humidity, speed, etc.) into a signal which can be measured electrically.

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

The versatility of IoT has become very popular in recent years. There are many advantages to having a device based on IoT. Mckinsey Global Institute reports that IoT business will reach 6.2 trillion in revenue by 2025. There are lots of applications that are available in the market in different areas.

1) Personal Home Automation System: Home Automation system is the major example in this area.

Wemo Switch Smart Plug: It is the most useful device which connected home devices in the Switch, a smart plug. It plugs into a regular outlet, accepts the power cable from any device, and can be used to turn it on and off on hit a button on your smartphone.

2) Enterprise: In the enterprise area many applications are there Like environmental monitoring system, smart environment etc.

Nest Smart Thermostat: It is connected to the internet. The Nest learns automatically your family’s routines and will automatically adjust the temperature based on your activities, to make your house more efficient. There is also a mobile app that allows the user to edit temperature and schedules.

3) Utilities: smart metering, smart grid, and water monitoring system are the most useful applications in the various utility area.

4) Energy Management: Advanced Metering Infrastructure is a major example in this area.

5) Medical and Health Care: Remote health monitoring and emergency notification system are examples of IOT in the medical field.

Health patch Health Monitor: It can be used for the patient who can’t go to doctors, letting them get ECG, heart rate, respiratory rate, skin temperature, body posture, fall detection, and activity readings remotely.

6) Transportation: The electronic toll collection system is the most useful example in this area.

7) Large scale deployment: There are various large projects ongoing in the world. Songdo (South Korea), the first of its kind fully wired Smart City, is near completion. Everything in this city is planned to be wired, connected, and turned into a data stream that would be monitored by an array of computers without any human interaction.

Another example is the Sino-Singapore Guangzhou Knowledge City work on improving air and water quality. French company Sigfox commenced building an ultra-narrowband wireless data network in the San Francisco Bay area in 2014.

Another example is the one completed by New York Waterways in New York City to connect all their vessels and being able to monitor them 24/7.

So these are large applications that are present in the market which is based on IoT. This world is going to become a better place to live with more communication with everyone. In the near future a large number of devices connected to the internet and provide great facilities to the world.

FUTURE SCOPE OF IOT

According to Gartner (an information technology research and advisory firm), consumer applications will drive the number of connected things, while Enterprise will account for most of the revenue. Gartner estimated that 2.9 billion connected things are in use in the consumer sector in 2015 and would increase to over 13 billion by 2020.

The UK Government allocated £40,000,000 towards research into the Internet of Things in their 2015 budget. The British Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne posited that the Internet of Things is the next stage of the information revolution and referenced the interconnectivity of everything from civil transport to healing devices to home appliances.

IOT - the new revolution

When we look at today’s state of technologies, we get a clear indication of how IoT will be implemented on a global level in the near future. The use of the internet is increasing day-by-day. Commute and connectivity became easier in the present scenario. In the near future, the number of internet-connected devices would increase exponentially.

Although there are some issues in IoT. These issues can be removed in the near future. With such rapid growth, the day is not too far that we can decide our dinner even before reaching home on the way.