What is the Internet of Things(IoT)? A simple explanation.
Everything you need to know about IoT
The Internet of Things (IoT), in short, is a way of extending the power of the internet beyond computers and smartphones. It is the process of connecting an environment or a process to the Internet. The internet of Things is making the world more smarter and digital.
The primary use of the internet is communication. People communicate with multiple users across the globe. People also retrieve information from the Internet. The IoT extends this purpose — connection- to nonhuman things. The same technology that uses packets to send information from one IP to another, allowing users to communicate, can be used for non-human things t collect and send information.
In simple words, IoT aims at connecting all things to the Internet. The term IoT is mainly used for devices that wouldn’t usually be generally expected to have an internet connection, and that can communicate with the network independently of human action.
Why does IoT matter?
When something is connected to the internet, it becomes smart. To be smart, a thing doesn’t need to have super storage or a supercomputer inside of it. All a thing has to do is connect to super storage or to a supercomputer, which is provided by the internet. For example, let us take a smart home. When the appliances of a house are connected to the internet, they can be programmed to be switched off automatically upon staying idle for some amount of time. You can operate appliances without moving using devices such as smartphones. Energy is saved by ensuring lights and electronics are turned off or by making the residents in the home aware of usage.
Types of IoT:
In the Internet of Things, all the things can be put into three categories:
Sensors that collect information and then send it.
Computers receive information and then act on it.
Things that do both.
A sensor that collects information: The sensor can be used to collect some important information like temperature or humidity. For instance, On a farm, automatically getting information about soil moisture can tell farmers exactly when crops need to be watered. Instead of watering too much or too little (either of which can lead to bad outcomes), the farmer can ensure that crops get exactly the right amount of water.
Receive information and then act on it: With the help of IoT, we can make machines listen to wireless commands. For instance, a light can be switched on/off by using wireless signals.
Things that do both: What's cooler than things that get information on their own and act on it? Nothing right? Yes, IoT can make this happen. Let us take a scenario where you need to off the water motor when the tank is full. Without IoT, you need to constantly monitor the water level. But with the IoT, you can have a sensor that sends the signal to the motor, which in turn switches off automatically.
In summary, Computation remains fairly expensive. But IoT devices with stronger computers can be the answer to cheaper computation. As better and better computers get placed on IoT, distributed computing systems can be utilized.
