Just like some of the other recent technologies that have become the talk of the world, the Internet of Things (IoT) has emerged as one of the greatest technologies that is believed to have the potential to transform the way we live. But what is IoT and how exactly can it impact your life?
Understanding the Internet of Things
At its simplest form, the IoT is basically a giant network of devices that are all connected to the internet, and/or one another. These devices function in a different way than they would if they were not connected to this network. This is because this connection helps them be “digitally intelligent,” meaning that they could operate on their own to a great extent without relying on the actions of a human.
What Can be a Part of the IoT?
Honestly speaking, there are probably few things that cannot be turned into a part of the IoT. Nowadays, everything ranging from a pill to an aeroplane is being made a “thing” of the Internet of Things.
This has primarily been made possible by the widely available internet at cheap prices, as well as the cheap processors. This allows companies to put sensors into pretty much everything these days, which, in turn, allows them to connect to the IoT and communicate with the other devices by receiving and sharing data over the network they are connected to.
The things that can be connected to the IoT can be as insignificant as a child’s toy to something as massive as a driverless truck. Even components of an aeroplace can be made part of the IoT; for example, the jet engine can have thousands of sensors that would allow it to communicate with other devices, paving the way for a process that lets it function much more efficiently.
What Can We Expect from It?
If IoT does deliver what it promises, then it could very well change the way we live and work. It aims to connect as many things as possible to the internet, and make them a part of its giant network.
How this would impact your everyday life? Well, say you’re driving a car that’s connected with your calendar. Your car can then find where you need to be at that particularly time (say, in a meeting), and figure out the best route to get you there.
However, if you find unusually high traffic on the way, it could also make your smartphone send a message to the other party that you will be late to the meeting.
Another example can be where you set an alarm for 6 am, and your alarm, after waking you up, quickly notifies your coffee maker to make you a hot cup of coffee as you get out of your bed.
Of course, these are just some general examples about how it could simplify your life. On a broader level, the impact can be much more significant, and impact pretty much all the major industries in the world, especially the ones like transportation.
It could also make the concept of “smart cities” a much more advanced and practical one, as it may be used to lower the wastage resources and improve the overall efficiency of things or devices connected to it.
