The Internet of Things (IOT)
Inter·net of things
The interconnection via the Internet of computing devices embedded in everyday objects, enabling them to send and receive data through wired and wireless means.
(Source: Online dictionary)
Introduction
It’s 6:30 am and the year is 2030 (or even earlier at the rate technology is evolving) and your smart home assistant reminds you of your itenary for the day. You have plans to go to the gym early before going to the mall so you decide to use the restroom and also brush your teeth. Your assistant informs you that it did a quick urine analysis and discovered some anomaly in your analysis. It requests that you submit a drop of blood in your home medical kit which you do and after taking your bath, the assistant suggests you skip the gym this morning and head to the emergency room instead because you may be about to suffer a stroke.
Granted, that’s a little extreme. But just imagine a world where our devices and even our home has been equipped with sensors that have become smart enough not just to help but to save our lives. Imagine sensors on the floor that warns you on slippery surfaces, or sensors that automatically changes the temperature of your room at night based on your body temperature.
History
The Internet of Things or IoT is an umbrella term for a broad range of underlying technologies and services, which depend on the use cases and in turn are part of a broader technology ecosystem which includes related technologies such as artificial intelligence, cloud computing, next-gen cybersecurity, advanced analytics, big data, various connectivity/communication technologies, digital twin simulation, augmented and virtual reality, blockchain and more. The IOT as a concept was coined in 1999 when Kevin Ashton coined it while working in Procter and Gamble. Even though the interconnectivity of devices has been around before 1999, IOT didn’t start becoming popular until 2010. (Source: https://iot-analytics.com/internet-of-things-definition/)
Simplified, the whole idea of the internet of things is that any device that has an on and off switch could potentially be a connected device. In the near future, it is possible to digitize a lot of things we currently use now with sensors that helps in collecting vital data on the long run.
But where did it all start?
The very first IOT device was a Coke machine in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania that could report its contents through a network. A graduate student who’s office was far away from the location of the vending machine wanted to know the state of the machine, if empty or recently stocked before he makes the journey all the way to the machine. Necessity, they say is the mother of invention.
Many more devices have been built with the singular goal of using the internet to make work faster or sometimes, less expensive.
IOT IN NUMBERS
In 2015, there were 15.41 billion connected devices. “This statistic shows the number of connected devices (Internet of Things; IoT) worldwide from 2015 to 2025. For 2020, the installed base of Internet of Things devices is forecast to grow to almost 31 billion worldwide. The overall Internet of Things market is projected to be worth more than one billion U.S. dollars annually from 2017 onwards.” (source: https://www.statista.com/statistics/471264/iot-number-of-connected-devices-worldwide/)
This is massive when compared to the 0.1 billion connected devices recorded in 1992. As more and more companies began to adopt the IOT, more devices became connected as well. Beyond adoption, other factors that has encouraged this increase include rapid development of faster and more efficient technology and also the reduction in prices of devices like the mobile phone.
Below are some expected benefits of IOT as listed by Forbes:
- Cost savings from operational efficiencies
- New/better streams of data to improve decision-making
- Staff productivity gains
- Better visibility/monitoring of assets throughout the organization
- New/better customer experiences.
Enabling Technology
Crucial to the advancement of IOT is the technology that drives them. As defined, IOT is all about how devices connect with each other, it therefore stands that the more advancement in communication technology, the bigger the IOT space becomes.
Connectivity can be broadly classed as follows:
- Short Range wireless eg blue tooth, wifi
- Medium Range wireless eg LTE-Advanced
- Long range wireless eg VSAT
- Wired eg Ethernet
Another major factor is the price and power of microprocessors. As these chips become smaller and more powerful, more powerful sensors and devices can be built upon them.
An article by Bill Chamberlin on IOT and enabling technologies gives some addtional insights. He stated that “as chip electronics continue to decline in size and cost and improve in performance, the economics of sensor-based applications improve. Analysts are forecasting the market for micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) chips will grow to over $22B by 2018. The following advancements are enabling new types of Internet of Things systems and applications.
- Smaller, more durable sensors. New sensors are so small they can be worn or even ingested, and others are so rugged that they can monitor the performance of high-speed rotating machinery such as jet engines and generator turbines.
- Multi-processor chips. Chip manufacturers, such as Intel (which recently unveiled Xeon processors) are manufacturing up to 15 processor cores per chip. These types of multi-processor chips are giving us more compute power and enabling many more capabilities in smaller form factors.
- Increasing Processor Performance/Efficiency. IBM is working on new technology called a SyNAPSE chip. At 5.4 billion transistors, this fully functional and production-scale chip is currently one of the largest CMOS chips ever built, yet, while running at biological real time, it consumes a minuscule 70 milliwatts — orders of magnitude less power than a modern microprocessor.
- Lower costs. Economies of scale are enabling a rapid decline in price of all types of electronic components, reducing the cost to embed sensors & microprocessors into physical objects.”
IOT barriers
There are many barriers to IOT as we currently know it, chief of which is Security/Data Privacy. According to the Business Insider Intelligence Survey conducted in the last quarter of 2014, 39% of the respondents said that security is the biggest concern in adopting Internet of things technology[1]. More data privacy legislation could be coming as nations across the globe create new laws to keep up with connected technologies at large. According to Deloitte, there were only about 20 privacy laws globally in the 1990s. Now, there are more than 100. With great power comes great responsibility, with much data comes an even greater responsibility which tech companies are just waking up to.
Cambrige Analytica was recently in the news about data “bought” from Facebook but this is just one of many that currently takes place globally without the knowledge of the person whose data is being traded with. A report published by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in January 2015 made the following three recommendations:[2]
- Data security — At the time of designing IoT companies should ensure that data collection, storage and processing would be secure at all times. Companies should adopt a “defence in depth” approach and encrypt data at each stage.[3]
- Data consent — users should have a choice as to what data they share with IoT companies and the users must be informed if their data gets exposed.
- Data minimization — IoT companies should collect only the data they need and retain the collected information only for a limited time.
Security Concerns
“ Because of the sheer scope of the IoT industry, there is a risk of a Wild West–like atmosphere for companies that rush products to market without thoroughly weighing security concerns. It is alarming that in the consumer space, there are cases of connected refrigerators and even the Hello Barbie doll being hacked. Perhaps more troubling was a report of two automotive hackers who took control over a jeep going down the highway at 70 miles per hour.” Brian Buntz
The threat of Data breach is one that can’t be overlooked. An IOT device/service can be a tool for getting the job done faster, but a backdoor that might have accidentally created is an avenue to greater risks to the company than the profits the IOT device/service can provide. The have been recent occurences of cases involving ransomeware (Ransomware is a type of malicious software from cryptovirology that threatens to publish the victim’s data or perpetually block access to it unless a ransom is paid.)
Controversies:
Other than the factors mentioned in the barriers above, there are some other key controversies that trail the development and expansion of IOT. One of which is job security.
This issue is actually two folds as improvement in tech will mean part of the labour workforce will be transeffered to devices/bots that can do them better and faster. People will lose their jobs but there will also be the bigger need for more people to work in tech fields. The challenge here is that not everyone is interested in working in tech, and there are not nearly enough people who meet the qualifications that some tech industries require. Colleges are not graduating students fast enough to fill the opportunities being created by the vast growth of IOT in all industries.
Google recently unveiled its AI which can now Ask for information and even make appointments for humans. As technology develops and the AI becomes much better, the google assistant or even any other AI assistants may soon become Customer support assistants.
Bots can be designed to provide a cheaper alternative to repetitive tasks that humans currently do on a daily basis. Industries will eventually shift from customer service to self service where a program will be fully smart enough to assist customer get their issues resolved. It is not a hidden fear that the more IOT improves, the more jobs may become obsolete as Bots will be able to do them better. There are countries like India and the Philippines that depend heavily on outsourced jobs which may eventually become affected in humans are no longer needed to handle those jobs.
Future of IOT
So back to where this article started from, the future of the IOT. Despite the many concerns of privacy and controversies, the future of Smart cities and the likes are inevitable. Movies like Minority Report, Total Recall are but a few examples of how technology will readily interact with us in more meaningful ways. The focus of the future will not just be about the availablity of information because there would an over abundance of information available to everyone. Big DATA would become META or even GIGA Data at the rate advancements are taking place daily.
What designers would however focus on is personalizing information to be tailored to current requirements. I stated with a story about how IOT integrates with medicine, there is therefore the possibility that sensors around us can give us up to date information of exactly what we need to eat or not eat in order to prevent a visit to the doctor. Sensors in and aound us can be early trigger warnings of an onset of Stroke/heart attack where medicine is concerned. Smart cities will have less congestion and traffic as sensors will help control the flow not just by timed intervals. As connectivity improves, less and less people will need to travel far in order to get their job done, Smart cars will replace drives and Road Traffic accidents will reduce by at least 90%.
Cited References:
- Mohammadi, Mehdi; Al-Fuqaha, Ala (2018). “Enabling cognitive smart cities using big data and machine learning: Approaches and challenges”. IEEE Communications Magazine. 56 (2): 94–101. doi:10.1109/MCOM.2018.1700298.
- Lopez, Javier; Rios, Ruben; Bao, Feng; Wang, Guilin (2017). “Evolving privacy: From sensors to the Internet of Things”. Future Generation Computer Systems. 75: 46–57. doi:10.1016/j.future.2017.04.045.
- “The ‘Internet of Things’: Legal Challenges in an Ultra-connected World”. Mason Hayes & Curran. 22 January 2016. Retrieved 23 October 2016.
