Over the past few years, the Internet of Things (IoT) has become one of the most important technologies of the 21st century, due to the fact that it is making the world around us smarter and more responsive, merging the digital world and physical world. Geoff Mulgan, a professor of Collective Intelligence at University of London (UCL) once said “as the internet of things advances, the very notion of a clear dividing line between reality and virtual reality becomes blurred, sometimes in creative ways.”
What then Is The Internet Of Things?
In simple term, the Internet of Things is the concept of basically connecting any device with the Internet (and/or to each other). IoT is a term that describes the growing number of electronics including everything from cellphones, coffee makers, washing machines, headphones, lamps, wearable devices and almost anything else that aren’t traditional computing devices, but are connected to the internet to send data, receive instructions or both.
Coined in 1999 by British technologist Kevin Ashton, the IoT brings the power of the internet, data processing and analytics to the real world of physical objects. By means of low-cost computing, the cloud, big data, analytics, and mobile technologies, physical things can now share and collect data with minimal human intervention, making IoT possible.
How does IoT Works
IoT are devices that gather data through the internet, so they each have an IP address the same protocol that identifies computers over the World Wide Web and allows them to communicate with one another. They are as complex as autonomous vehicles that haul products around factory floors and as simple as sensors that monitor the temperature in buildings. They also include personal devices like fitness trackers that monitor the number of steps individuals take each day. There is a need to collect, process, filter and analyze the data in order for it to be useful.
Collecting the data is done by transmitting it from the devices to a gathering point, processing can take place in data centers, cloud or through edge computing, then it can be filtered and analyzed for use.
Benefits of IoT
The benefits of the IoT depend on the particular implementation. The idea is that enterprises can have access to more data about their own products and their own internal systems, and a greater ability to make changes as a result. Different fields can apply IoT including:
- Urban planning: A “smart cities” can help us reduce waste and improve efficiency for things such as energy use – helping us understands and improves how we work and live. Also when sensors that have an IP address are placed under a busy street, it can alert drivers about upcoming delays or accidents.
- Manufacturing: IoT enable proactive maintenance on equipment when sensors detect an impending failure, measure when production output is compromised, check equipment for accuracy, reduce operating costs, get better uptime, and improve asset performance management.
- Automotive: sensors can detect impending equipment failure in vehicles already on the road and can alert the driver with details and recommendations.
- Healthcare: helps in monitoring of chronic conditions and tracking hospital assets.
- Business: Business uses for IoT include keeping track of customers, inventory, and the status of important components.
There are still many privacy concerns that are yet to be addressed concerning the Internet of Things. Though the technology has advanced, this is much faster than the regulatory environment which birth potential regulatory risks for companies that are expanding their range of Internet-connected devices.
Katika miaka ya hivi karibuni, mtandao wa vitu (IoT) umekuwa moja ya teknolojia muhimu zaidi za karne ya 21, kwa sababu inafanya ulimwengu unaotuzunguka kuwa smart na zaidi ya kujibu, kuunganisha ulimwengu wa dijiti na ulimwengu wa kimwili. "Jeff Mulligan, profesa wa akili ya pamoja katika Chuo Kikuu cha London (UCL), alisema: ""Kama mtandao wa vitu unaendelea, wazo la mstari wa wazi wa mgawanyiko kati ya ukweli na ukweli wa kweli huwa blurred, wakati mwingine kwa njia za ubunifu." Kwa maneno rahisi, mtandao wa vitu ni dhana ya kuunganisha kifaa chochote na mtandao (na au kwa kila mmoja). IoT ni neno linaloelezea idadi inayoongezeka ya vifaa vya elektroniki, ikiwa ni pamoja na kila kitu kutoka kwa simu za rununu, mashine za kahawa, mashine za kuosha, vichwa vya sauti, taa, vifaa vinavyoweza kuvaliwa na karibu kila kitu kingine ambacho sio vifaa vya kawaida vya kompyuta, lakini vimeunganishwa kwenye mtandao kutuma data, kupokea maagizo au zote mbili. IOT, iliyoanzishwa na Kevin Ashton mnamo 1999, inatoa nguvu ya mtandao, usindikaji wa data na uchambuzi wa ulimwengu halisi wa vitu vya kimwili. Kwa kutumia kompyuta ya bei nafuu, wingu, data kubwa, uchambuzi, na teknolojia za rununu, vitu vya kimwili sasa vinaweza kushiriki na kukusanya data na uingiliaji mdogo wa binadamu, na kufanya IoT iwezekanavyo. Vifaa vya Internet ya Vitu (IoT) ni vifaa vya kompyuta ambavyo hukusanya data kupitia mtandao, kila kimoja kina anwani ya IP, ambayo ni itifaki inayoweza kutambua kompyuta kwenye mtandao wa mtandao na kuwezesha mawasiliano kati yao. Vifaa hivyo ni tata kama magari yanayoendesha magari ambayo husafirisha bidhaa kwenye viwanda na ni sahili kama sensorer zinazochunguza halijoto katika majengo. Pia zinatia ndani vifaa vya kibinafsi kama vile vifaa vya kufuatilia mazoezi ya mwili vinavyofuatilia idadi ya hatua ambazo watu huchukua kila siku. Kuna haja ya kukusanya, kusindika, kuchuja na kuchambua data ili iwe na manufaa. Data ni kukusanywa na kusambazwa kutoka vifaa kwa hatua ya kukusanya, usindikaji inaweza kuchukua nafasi katika vituo vya data, wingu au kupitia edge computing, kisha inaweza kuchujwa na kuchambuliwa kwa ajili ya matumizi. Faida za IoT: Faida za IoT zinategemea utekelezaji maalum. Wazo ni kwamba makampuni yanaweza kuwa na upatikanaji wa data zaidi kuhusu bidhaa zao wenyewe na mifumo yao ya ndani, na uwezo mkubwa wa kufanya mabadiliko kama matokeo. "Kama vile, ""Uramizi wa mijini"" unaweza kutusaidia kupunguza taka na kuboresha ufanisi wa mambo kama vile matumizi ya nishati, kutusaidia kuelewa na kuboresha jinsi tunavyofanya kazi na kuishi." Vifaa vya kugundua na kugundua IP vinavyoweza kuelekezwa kwenye barabara, vinaweza kuwaonya madereva juu ya ajali au kuchelewa. - Utengenezaji: IoT kuwezesha matengenezo proactive juu ya vifaa wakati sensorer kugundua kushindwa imminent, kupima wakati uzalishaji pato ni kuathiriwa, kuangalia vifaa kwa usahihi, kupunguza gharama za uendeshaji, kupata bora uptime, na kuboresha usimamizi wa utendaji wa mali. - Magari: sensorer inaweza kugundua karibu vifaa kushindwa katika magari tayari juu ya barabara na inaweza kuonya dereva na maelezo na mapendekezo. - Huduma za afya: husaidia katika ufuatiliaji wa hali ya muda mrefu na kufuatilia mali za hospitali. - Biashara: Biashara hutumia kwa IoT ni pamoja na kufuatilia wateja, hesabu, na hali ya vipengele muhimu. Bado kuna wasiwasi mwingi wa faragha ambao bado haujashughulikiwa kuhusu Mtandao wa Vitu. Ingawa teknolojia imeendelea, hii ni haraka zaidi kuliko mazingira ya udhibiti ambayo huzaa hatari za udhibiti wa uwezekano kwa makampuni ambayo yanaongeza aina yao ya vifaa vya mtandao.