Introduction:

Before internet of things there just was the concept of ‘’internet of human’’, Humans could connect
their devices; Mobiles, Tablets and Computers with internet to communicate and be connected with the
whole world doing everything online; shopping, banking, music, mail and so on. After some
developments, ‘’Internet of things’’ also came to existence.
Actually, this was the result of this thought that whether we could connect things, objects with each
other by internet along with other connectivity networks such as WIFI and internet or just by other
connectivity networks such as Z-Wave and Zigbee as well.
e.g. car connected with our smart mobile or watch by internet along with other connectivity networks or
without internet, just with other simple connectivity networks in some exceptional cases to be aware of
its speed, fuel and location.

What is ‘’Internet of things’’?

Hence, The Internet of Things (IOT) refers to the interconnected network of physical devices, vehicles,
appliances that are embedded with sensors, software, and network connectivity which can be internet
along with other connectivity networks or just other connectivity networks without internet.

In the simplest words, ‘’Taking everyday things, embedding them with electronics, software, sensors
then connecting them with network connectivity to collect and exchange data without human
intervention is called IOT.’’

NOTE:

Internet is used in IOT is used frequently but it is not the necessary part of IOT devices for IOT devices
can function without internet using other connectivity networks without internet.

Brief History:

The history of IOT can be traced back to the 1982 when a coke vending machine in Carnegie Mellon
University was connected to the internet. This connected device allowed students to check availability
and status of the vending machine from their computers to know whether newly loaded drinks were
cold or not. In 1990 the first toaster was operated over the net, in 1999, Kevin Ashton from UK who was
working assistant brand manager at Proctor & Gamble (American Company for goods) presented the
term IOT to describe a system where objects could communicate with each other using the internet.
In 2000 LG Introduced first LG smart fridge, in 2000 first smart watch introduced, in 2007 Apple smart
iPhone and wearable Fitbit released, in 2009 Google started testing self-driven cars, in 2011 smart TV, in
2013 Google lens was introduced, in 2014 Echo was introduced, IN 2015 Tesla came out it auto pilot
drive for their cars.

How it works:

The Internet of Things (IOT) is a network of devices, vehicles, and home appliances that are capable of
collecting and transmitting data.
IOT works by using sensors, actuators, and a network infrastructure to connect these devices to the
internet.
Here is a detailed note on how IOT works:

1. Sensors: Sensors are embedded in devices and machines to detect and measure changes in the
environment, such as temperature, humidity, light, sound, and motion. These sensors can also
measure performance factors such as energy consumption.

2. Gateway: The gateway is a device that aggregates data from sensors and connects to the cloud
infrastructure. The gateway may also provide security and data filtering, connectivity, updating,
management and more. It enables communication between different technologies such as IOT
devices and external networks like cloud. After collecting data from sensors then translates
protocols and processes sensor data all at the edge of the network before sending it on to the
cloud. We can take ‘’router’’ as the example of Gateway.

3. Cloud Infrastructure: The cloud infrastructure consists of servers, databases, and application
programming interfaces (APIs) that enable devices to interact with one another and with
software applications. The cloud infrastructure stores and processes the data collected from
sensors and provides analysis, visualization, and decision-making capabilities.

4. Actuators: Actuators are devices that receive commands from the cloud infrastructure and take
action based on those commands.

For example, a thermostat can receive a command to increase the temperature, and the
actuator, in this case, the furnace, will turn on.

5. Network Connectivity: A reliable and secure network infrastructure connects these devices,
gateways, and cloud servers, allowing them to communicate effectively. This infrastructure may
use wired or wireless technologies, such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or cellular networks.

6. User Interface: Users interact with IOT devices and applications using a user interface. This
interface may take the form of a smartphone app, a web portal, or a touch screen display,
remote control etc.

Overall, IOT works by collecting data from sensors, processing and analyzing that data in the cloud
infrastructure, and taking action based on that data using actuators. The result is a connected ecosystem
of devices and machines that can work together to improve efficiency, productivity, and convenience in
our daily lives.
Example of Working of an IOT Based Kitchen:

• Monitor the Kitchen Temperature & Humidity using DHT11 Sensor on Blynk App
• Monitor the Air Quality Index (Gas) using MQ-135 Gas Sensor on Blynk App
• Displays the Kitchen Temperature, Humidity & Gas Level on ‘’0.96’’ OLED Display
• The exhaust fan turns ON & the Alarm activates, once Gas level exceeds
• Detects the presence or absence of a person in the Kitchen using a PIR sensor
• Sends Alarm Status, Exhaust Fan Status & Person in Room Status to Blynk App
• User can turn ON/OFF Fridge, Oven, Room Light Remotely from Blynk App

Applications of IOT:

The IOT finds application in various private and public aspects of life such as;

1. Innovating Agriculture: There are lot of challenges in the agriculture and farming industry to
produce more crops and vegetable to feed increasing human population. Internet of Things can
assists farmers and researchers in this area to find more optimized and cost effective ways to
increase production.
In developed countries, young generation is not attracted to conventional farming and agriculture.
Lack of support staff could lead to productivity; authorities have to find alternative ways to overcome
this issue.
Internet of Things is one of the promising solutions to make entire agriculture and farming industry
more efficient with less number of workers. Smart sensor technology will help improve each stages of
agriculture and automation helps to reduce manual labor.
 In a smart agriculture system sensors are used to provide details of soil chemistry and
fertilizer profiles. CO2 levels, moisture, temperature, level of acidity, and the presence of
appropriate nutrients all contribute to how good a harvest turns out to be.
 Smart irrigation is an IOT application to regulate and efficiently use water for farming.
The IOT system only initiates the water flow when the soil reaches a certain dryness level.
It also stops the supply once a certain level of moisture is reached. This reduces wastage
caused by human errors.
 Livestock tracking involves the use of RFID chips to keep track of an animal’s vitals,
vaccination details, and location.
  A smart greenhouse uses microclimate to raise crops instead of relying on changing
weather patterns. Sensors monitor and control all parameters and have automated
systems for light and water.
 Predication farming is the practice of using information collected over time to hone and
implement agricultural practices. The data provided by these sensors allow farmers to
decide on the ideal growth parameters and suitable fertilizers.

2. Transforming Healthcare: Wearable IOT devices provide a range of benefits to patients and
healthcare providers alike. By extension, IOT enables healthcare professionals to monitor
patients remotely. The devices can automatically collect patients’ health vitals like blood
pressure, heart rate, temperature, and more.

 Attaching sensors to a patient at home allows doctors to monitor them remotely.

Continuous abnormality of parameters immediately alerts the doctor, creating
preemptive action. Doctors can use this to monitor at-risk patients such as the elderly and
those suffering from chronic diseases.

3. Transportation: IOT applications integrate personal and commercial vehicles by improving

communication and information distribution. Besides connecting consumers and goods, it offers
benefits such as route optimization, automobile tracking, weather monitoring, distance
coverage, and more.
4. Building Smart Cities: A smart city is an urban city that uses sensors and wireless technology
placed very common places such as lamp posts and antennae.

Benefits we can get in a smart city:

 Traffic management: Sensors on roads and traffic signals send data to the IOT systems.
This data, accumulated over time, allows officials to analyze traffic patterns and peak
hours. It also helps create solutions for bottlenecks.
Commuters can use this information to determine which areas are congested and what
alternate routes can be used. A version of this already exists in third-party map services
such as Google Maps.
 Pollution monitoring: A pressing problem faced by every country in the world is air
pollution. With existing sensors, one can easily measure parameters such as temperature,
CO2 levels, smoke, and humidity. Smart cities leverage this to gather data about air
quality and develop mitigation methods.
 Resource management: The biggest factors in deciding a city’s livability are waste, water,
and electricity management.
With water management, sensors are attached internally or externally to water meters.
These sensors provide information to understand consumption patterns. They detect
faults in supply and automatically begin the necessary course of action. Trends in water
wastage can be used to develop an efficient water recycling system.
IOT-enabled waste management systems produce a geographical mapping of waste
production. These systems trigger the clearance process themselves; for example, by
generating alerts when a trash bin is full. They also provide more insights into waste
 segregation and how people can improve waste processing.
Electricity management comes in the form of a smart grid, covered in detail in this article.
 Infrastructure management: Public infrastructure such as street lamps, roads, parks, and
gas supply lines cost a lot to maintain. Repair work in any of these causes disruptions to
everyday functioning. IOT-based maintenance and monitoring systems lookout for signs
of wear and tear while analyzing patterns which can save city from a lot of costs.
 Disaster management: The Internet of Things can be used to hook up disaster-prone
areas to a notification system. A forest fire, for example, can be detected and curbed
before it grows beyond control.

5. Reshaping Hospitality: Many hotels allow guests to control air conditioning, heating, or
ventilation from a central location. Television control and greeting devices are also common.

For example:

 Mobile electronic keys are used which eliminate the need to personally check into a
hotel. Using electronic keys keeps hotel management informed of a guest’s location
within the hotel.
 Room service and housekeeping requests can be made through a mobile phone.
 Smart lighting and appliances make for a good customer experience.

6. Smart homes: The most visible application of the Internet of Things is a smart home. A smart
home uses sensors to control and maintain lighting, resource management, and security
systems. A smart home is a smaller, independent version of a smart city.

Advantages and Disadvantages of IOT:

Advantages of IOT:

Internet of things facilitates several advantages in our daily lives, some of its advantages are given
below:

1. Minimize human effort: As IOT devices interact and communicate with each other, they can
automate the tasks helping to improve the quality of a business’s services and reducing the need for
human intervention.

2. Save time: By reducing the human effort, it saves a lot of our time. Saving time is one of the primary
advantages of using the IOT platform.

3. Enhanced data collection: Information is easily accessible, even if we are far away from our actual
location, and it is updated frequently in real-time. Hence these devices can access information from
anywhere at any time on any device.

4. Improved security: If we have an interconnected system, it can assist in the smarter control of homes
and cities through mobile phones. It enhances security and offers personal protection.
5. Efficient resource utilization: We can increase resource utilization and monitor natural resources by
knowing the functionality and how each device works.

6. Reduced use of other electronic equipment: Electric devices are directly connected and can
communicate with a controller computer, such as a mobile phone, resulting in efficient electricity use.
Hence, there will be no unnecessary use of electrical equipment.

7. Use in traffic systems: Asset tracking, delivery, surveillance, traffic or transportation tracking,
inventory control, individual order tracking, and customer management can be more cost effective with
the right tracking system using IOT technology.

8. Useful for safety concerns: It is helpful for safety because it senses any potential danger and warns
users. For example, GM OnStar is an integrated device that identifies a car crash or accident on the road.
It immediately makes a call if an accident or crash is found.

9. Useful in the healthcare industry: Patient care can be performed more effectively in real-time
without needing a doctor’s visit. It gives them the ability to make choices as well as provide evidence-
based care.

Disadvantages of IOT:

As the Internet of things facilitates advantages, it also creates a significant set of drawbacks. Some of the
IOT disadvantages are given below:

1. Security issues: IOT systems are interconnected and communicate over networks. So, the system
offers little control despite any security measures, and it can lead to various kinds of network attacks.

2. Privacy concern: The IOT system provides critical personal data in full detail without the user’s active
participation.

3. Increased unemployment: Unskilled workers or even the skilled ones are at a high risk of losing their
jobs, leading to high unemployment rates. Smart surveillance cameras, robots, smart ironing systems,
smart washing machines, and other facilities are replacing the humans who would earlier do these
works.

4. The complexity of the system: The designing, developing, maintaining, and enabling the extensive
technology to IOT system is quite complicated.

5. High chances of the entire system getting corrupted: If there is a bug in the system, it is possible that
every connected device will become corrupted.

6. Lack of international standardizations: As there is no international standard of compatibility for IOT,

it is problematic for devices from different manufacturers to communicate with each other.

7. High dependency on the internet: They rely heavily on the internet and cannot function effectively
without it.

8. Reduced mental and physical activity: Overuse of the internet and technology makes people ignorant
because they rely on smart devices instead of doing physical work, causing them to become lethargic
and inactive.
After this study of Application, advantages and disadvantages of IOT we can say that its role is hidden in
making our life easier than previous times, it has made our lives most comfortable.

Conclusion:

The internet of things has become a popular topic in recent years due to its potential to revolutionize
the way we live and work, it has several applications, advantages and disadvantages as we have
discussed above.
Now here is the question that what is the future of IOT?

The answer of this question is that here are some potential developments and trends that we can expect
to see in the future of IOT:

1. Increased Connectivity: With the advent of 5G networks, IOT devices will become even
more connected, enabling faster and more reliable communication.

2. Edge Computing: Edge computing, which involves processing data locally on IOT devices
rather than sending it to a central server, is expected to become more widespread.
This will reduce latency and improve data security and privacy.
3. Artificial Intelligence (AI) Integration: The integration of AI with IOT devices will enable
them to learn and adapt, improving their functionality and usefulness.

4. Smart Cities: IOT will play a significant role in the development of smart cities, enabling
more efficient transportation, energy management, and public services.
5. Healthcare: IOT will continue to revolutionize healthcare, enabling remote monitoring
and personalized care, as well as improving patient outcomes and reducing costs.

Overall, the future of IOT looks bright, with continued growth and innovation expected in the years to
come.

Reference:

1. Internet of things
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_of_things
Jacob Morgan ‘’A Simple explanation of the internet of things’’
http://www.forbes.com
IEEE Internet of things Journal
http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/7544470
2. Intro to Internet of things
Ferrovial.com, Biz4intellia.com, Leverage.com
3. Applications of IOT
Spicework.com, Simplilearn.com, Rfpage.com, Javapoint.com
4. Advantages and disadvantages of IOT
Aplustopper.com, Techvidvan.com, Linkedin.com