Table of Contents
Introduction
An internet connection gives us wonderful benefits which were impossible earlier than. The main primary goal of devices connected to the internet has been communication of human beings with each other and online access to data and processes. Connecting things via the internet provide us excellent benefits. Those benefits have seen by means of us with our smart phones, laptops and tablets. However IOT gives those benefits from whole lot in our everyday lifestyles. IOT is connecting all physical places and things in the world through internet. “The emerging Internet of Things (IOT) is all about connecting machines and systems together via sensors and actuators, so that meaningful information from these systems can be accumulated and actions taken to enhance human productivity and efficiency”.
A Super computer or super storage is not needed to have inside a thing to be a smart device. But all the objects have to be connected to a super computer or super storage. All the things that connect to the internet can be categorized into three parts as things which gather and send information, things that receive information and act on it and things that do both.
The IOT technology is an embedded in the object and helps to interact with internal states and the external environment. In turn, it helps in decision-making process. IOT connects devices which assist us in day to day life to the internet and allows those devices to communicate with each other over the internet. It’s a network of connected devices which collect and share data of their usage and their operational environment. Therefore, each device in the network learns from other devices in the network about their experience as the learning process of human.
IOT has been led us to occur an environmentally cleaner productive and better quality in our life. It is driving more than billion on today and over 50 billion to next decade. The main purpose of IOT is generating real time data which can be analyzed and used to generate required business outcomes. IOT has already changed the time and the place of work in every industry. It is currently transforming physical objects into an ecosystem of information which is rapidly changing our lives being portable, wearable and implantable.
Implications of IOT
Increase efficiency
Data has been become the object which brings more advantages of IOT. Big Data refers to the high amount of information collected and stored by connected devices. The growth of big data is more contributed by sensors that make up much of the internet of things. Today many companies utilize sensors and devices to collect huge amount of data, and they cause to be increase efficiency in industries. Let’s consider several examples of how the IOT increases the efficiency across industries.
Equipment maintenance cannot avoid in doing business. If the maintenance does not have enough, the downtime would increase. For example in transportation industry, IOT and Big Data are used in smart ways to control maintenance needs and take care of issues in more efficient ways. The target of this is addressing problems before they make costly problems.
Collection and analysis of public safety data is another phase which IOT increases the efficiency. Time is the critical matter in this area. Collecting and accessing information is a duty which waste time. This can cause to be injured someone or damaged something due to a disaster like fire, storm or avalanche. But by using IOT to collection and analysis public safety data, we can do it real time and avoid that kind of disasters.
Another aspect that IOT has caused to improve efficiency is to streamline and automate manufacturing. Especially asset tracking, maintenance and control room function consolidation are common functions which Internet of things are used in manufacturing process using streamlining and automating. It helps manufacturers to keeping and maintaining redundant equipment as backup in case of failure. Therefore, manufacturers are able to reserve expenditures and time due to utilizing their manufacturing using IOT.
More Accurate Statistics
The human errors gives huge damages to small and large businesses worldwide and therefore, the human errors must be minimized. Barclays Digital Eagle’s online fraud prevention expert Joe Cooksey has confirmed that the largest percentage of cyber security breaches happen due to human error. As a result these security breaches waste large expenditure every year. IOT has the ability to greatly mitigate human error and it helps for businesses to enhance processes and save money.
For instance, human employees commit all kind of mistakes due to exhaustion. There can have issues such as typographical errors and inputting data incorrectly which can be eliminated through automation. Proper programming and coding causes to avoid repeatedly happening of those mistakes because those machines are not get tired and not prone to be carelessness due to general reasons.
“In instances where the IOT cannot mitigate human error, it can be used to monitor operations to enable people to supervise instances where mistakes could happen”. For example, Fleetmatics log book app which provides real time logs for drivers in USA enables vehicle owners and operational staff to monitor each vehicle in their fleet, ” including identifying possible system errors, so that they can be duly corrected.” Although IOT cannot prevent the accidents from happening, it can provide mechanics information on why the accident happened and therefore IOT has the ability to make correction for reducing repeated incidents.
Big Data
The IOT gives a chain which includes connected people, objects, applications, and data over the internet for remote control, interactive, service integration and management. Since this chain is overgrowing, the data generated by IOT devices must be collected and stored in proper platform. Some advanced IOT services need a solution to collect, analyze and process raw data generated by sensors to be utilized as operational information. There can have very high volumes of sensor data because large number of sensors are used in IOT ecosystems. Therefore, we can see a flood of data coming from these devices, and we must search new technologies or architectural patterns for data collection, storage, processing and retrieval.
Collection, preparation and analysis of big data is not easy due to its large volume. These data often includes large number of pseudo-structured or unstructured formations. In order to get clear understanding of this kind of data, it should be able to analyze and manage every structured and unstructured data. There are limitations and stock of traditional enterprise data and design of current intelligence software. Organizational data ware-houses are impossible to focus on unstructured data. Therefore, looking for solutions to store and analyze unstructured data is a must. As a solution if we tabulate unstructured data into specific structure using data bases, much time will be lost.
Various structures have been proposed for big data analysis. The first proposed structure consists three components named big data management, IOT sensor, and data analysis. That framework mainly use in IOT applications like real time management of oxygen level, dangerous gases and amount of ambient light in smart buildings. In smart city management, big data are received from various sensors like water sensors, transportation network sensors, monitoring devices, smart home sensors and smart car park sensors. A multi stage model is used to generate and process these data and steps include data production, data collection, data integration, data categorization, data processing and decision making.
Various protocols have been created to collect big data from IOT devices, especially at lower levels. Regardless the connection type like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Cellular or a connection with hardware, those protocols are enough to send messages of big data. XMTT is considered as most popular protocol for this but there are other alternative protocols like limited application protocol and XMPP.
Security
Security can be considered as a main problem of the IOT. The sensors which are used in IOT often have important sensitive data. For example our discussions and activities in the own home can be considered. IOT security is still in a very poor track record. Most IOT devices give little thought in terms of security. “A recent study from Hewlett Packard concluded that 70 percent of IoT devices contain serious vulnerabilities’.
Even though Software flows are discovered regularly, Most IOT instruments lack the capability to be patched. Therefore, they are in a permanent risk. As a result hackers have been able to target IOT instruments like routers and web cameras since “their inherent lack of security makes them easy to compromise and roll up into giant botnets”. When industrial instruments are connected with IOT networks, the possibility of discovering and attacking them would increase. As a result, potential attacks like industrial espionage or destructive attacks and that can be occurred in critical infrastructure. Networks should be isolated and data should be encrypted at sensors, gateways and other components in order to avoid these attacks.
Due to these heavy security issues a new concept must be created for solving this problem. Currently the area of solving security issues in IOT is on the stage of ongoing development. “The IOT bridges the gap between the physical world and digital world”. Therefore, the hacking can be occurred in the devices and that causes to dangerous real world consequences.
How the Human Life Has Been Changed With IOT?
Various devices and appliances have been turned into smart devices very fast. The invention of gadgets which utilize in human life are already controlled or completely affected with the technological advances. The start of the day to end of the day, we use various smart devices because they have changed our lives more comfortably and conveniently. “IOT has completely changed everything”. Although, all of us have come to the new world of connectivity IOT has lost the human intelligence and labor. A new generation has created with the ability to do complex tasks with one click in a user interface. However, “human dependence on this advancement, in some areas, can replace the human mind”.
There are various objectives which enable IT equipment such as vehicles, home apparatuses, and different things inserted with hardware, programming, sensors and other networks, which empowers these things to interact , collect and trade information at anywhere anytime and it includes broadening internet availability through past standard gadgets such as work areas, work stations, tablets and smart phones. These gadgets can convey and connect over the internet, and they can remotely observed and controlled.
On the brighter side that IOT affects human life, data, tracking, time and money can be identified as the key areas. The more information IOT gives more than traditional manual systems or human beings cause to make right decision easily. For example knowing what to get from the grocery while you are out, without having to check on your own, not only saves time but is convenient as well. When we consider about tracking in IOT equipment, the computers in IOT system have the ability to save and retrieve all the essential information relevant to the system. For an example, computers can track on the quality and viability of things at home. “Knowing the expiration date of products before one consumes them improves safety and quality of life”. As a result of tracking you never have to follow up anything when you need it at the last moment. IOT also save the time that spend for monitoring and doing number of trips for each task. IOT could replace the charge which spent in monitoring and maintaining supplies, and financial aspect is the best advantage.
Conclusion
On the disadvantages of IOT for human life, privacy and security may be at a risk. In order to protect privacy you need to encrypt all data. Otherwise important personal information can release to the outside. For an example, your financial status can be known by others in your work place, if there are unencrypted information of a financially relevant IOT application. There is a chance for hacking the software and user’s personal data to be misused.
References
- What is the Internet of Things?
- Intel: Internet of Things
- A Simple Explanation Of ‘The Internet Of Things’
- Internet of things (IoT): Definition, Examples, and Applications
- IBM: What is the Internet of Things (IoT)?
- The ultimate guide to understand the internet of things (IoT)
- Internet of Things Agenda
- Wikipedia: Internet of Things