Internet of Things

IoT stands for Internet of Things, which means accessing and controlling daily usable
equipments and devices using Internet.
Let's us look closely at our mobile device which contains GPS Tracking, Mobile Gyroscope,
Adaptive brightness, Voice detection, Face detection etc. These components have their own
individual features, but what about if these all communicate with each other to provide a
better environment? For example, the phone brightness is adjusted based on my GPS location
or my direction.

Connecting everyday things embedded with electronics, software, and sensors to internet
enabling to collect and exchange data without human interaction called as the Internet of
Things (IoT).

The term "Things" in the Internet of Things refers to anything and everything in day to day
life which is accessed or connected through the internet.

IoT is an advanced automation and analytics system which deals with artificial intelligence,
sensor, networking, electronic, cloud messaging etc. to deliver complete systems for the
product or services. The system created by IoT has greater transparency, control, and
performance.

As we have a platform such as a cloud that contains all the data through which we connect all
the things around us. For example, a house, where we can connect our home appliances such
as air conditioner, light, etc. through each other and all these things are managed at the same
platform. Since we have a platform, we can connect our car, track its fuel meter, speed level,
and also track the location of the car.
If there is a common platform where all these things can connect to each other would be great
because based on my preference, I can set the room temperature. For example, if I love the
room temperature to to be set at 25 or 26-degree Celsius when I reach back home from my
office, then according to my car location, my AC would start before 10 minutes I arrive at
home. This can be done through the Internet of Things (IoT).

Features of IOT

The most important features of IoT on which it works are connectivity, analyzing,
integrating, active engagement, and many more. Some of them are listed below:

Connectivity: Connectivity refers to establish a proper connection between all the things of
IoT to IoT platform it may be server or cloud. After connecting the IoT devices, it needs a
high speed messaging between the devices and cloud to enable reliable, secure and bi-
directional communication.

Analyzing: After connecting all the relevant things, it comes to real-time analyzing the data
collected and use them to build effective business intelligence. If we have a good insight into
data gathered from all these things, then we call our system has a smart system.

Integrating: IoT integrating the various models to improve the user experience as well.

Artificial Intelligence: IoT makes things smart and enhances life through the use of data. For
example, if we have a coffee machine whose beans have going to end, then the coffee
machine itself order the coffee beans of your choice from the retailer.

Sensing: The sensor devices used in IoT technologies detect and measure any change in the
environment and report on their status. IoT technology brings passive networks to active
networks. Without sensors, there could not hold an effective or true IoT environment.

Active Engagement: IoT makes the connected technology, product, or services to active
engagement between each other.

Endpoint Management: It is important to be the endpoint management of all the IoT system
otherwise, it makes the complete failure of the system. For example, if a coffee machine itself
order the coffee beans when it goes to end but what happens when it orders the beans from a
retailer and we are not present at home for a few days, it leads to the failure of the IoT
system. So, there must be a need for endpoint management.

IoT − Advantages
The advantages of IoT span across every area of lifestyle and business. Here is a list of some
of the advantages that IoT has to offer −
 Improved Customer Engagement − Current analytics suffer from blind-spots
and significant flaws in accuracy; and as noted, engagement remains passive.
IoT completely transforms this to achieve richer and more effective
engagement with audiences.
 Technology Optimization − The same technologies and data which improve
the customer experience also improve device use, and aid in more potent
improvements to technology. IoT unlocks a world of critical functional and
field data.
 Reduced Waste − IoT makes areas of improvement clear. Current analytics
give us superficial insight, but IoT provides real-world information leading to
more effective management of resources.
 Enhanced Data Collection − Modern data collection suffers from its
limitations and its design for passive use. IoT breaks it out of those spaces, and
places it exactly where humans really want to go to analyze our world. It
allows an accurate picture of everything.

IoT − Disadvantages

Though IoT delivers an impressive set of benefits, it also presents a significant set of
challenges. Here is a list of some its major issues −
 Security − IoT creates an ecosystem of constantly connected devices
communicating over networks. The system offers little control despite any
security measures. This leaves users exposed to various kinds of attackers.
 Privacy − The sophistication of IoT provides substantial personal data in
extreme detail without the user's active participation.
 Complexity − Some find IoT systems complicated in terms of design,
deployment, and maintenance given their use of multiple technologies and a
large set of new enabling technologies.
 Flexibility − Many are concerned about the flexibility of an IoT system to
integrate easily with another. They worry about finding themselves with
several conflicting or locked systems.
 Compliance − IoT, like any other technology in the realm of business, must
comply with regulations. Its complexity makes the issue of compliance seem
incredibly challenging when many consider standard software compliance a
battle.

Flavors of IoT
The two most important flavors of IoT are sensing and mobile.
Examples are:
 My Train-Schedule Alarm Clock
 Umbrella with Weather-Forecasting Handle
The Internet of flying stuff: Connected “things” that move above the earth’s surface. The
most recent move in developing the vision or the reality of the Internet of flying stuff was of
course Amazon’s unveiling of its experimental Prime Air and its delivery drones. Google
unveiled Project Loon, “balloon-powered Internet for everyone.” It’s Google’s vision for
extending the Internet to remote and rural areas. Adding a public sector dimension to this
vision, the Brazilian government followed a few months later with its own version of a
balloon-based Internet of flying stuff, Project Connect.

The Internet of moving stuff: Connected “things” that move on and below the earth’s
surface. There’s emerging interest in the potential benefits of connecting to underground
systems. The newly redesigned Ford Fusion has 74 sensors, including radar, sonar, cameras,
accelerometers, temperature gauges and rain sensors, soon to substitute for drivers.

Internet of social stuff: Connected content in context or making sense of the quintillions of
bytes connected people create every day. Facebook recently announced the formation of a
working group that will “use new approaches in AI to help make sense of all the content that
people share so we can generate new insights about the world to answer people’s questions.”
Amazon acquired social reading site Goodreads; and, not to be outdone on its own turf,
Google launched its “Knowledge Graph,” demonstrating its growing understanding of the
relationships between people, places, and things.

Internet of talking stuff: Connecting moving and stationary “things” that communicate. It
uses automatic speech recognition (ASR), natural language understanding (NLU), and audio
signal processing

The Technology of IoT

IoT technology stack can be broken down into four basic technology layers which is
involved in making the Internet of Things work. These are the following:
Device Hardware: Devices are objects which actually constitute the ‘things’ within the
Internet of Things. Acting as an interface between the real and the digital worlds, they may
take different sizes, shapes and levels of technological complexity depending on the task
they are required to perform within the specific IoT deployment. Whether pinhead sized
microphones or heavy construction machines, practically every material object (even the
animate ones, like animals or humans) can be turned into a connected device by the
addition of necessary instrumentation (by adding sensors or actuators along with the
appropriate software) to measure and collect the necessary data. Obviously, sensors,
actuators or other telemetry gear can also constitute standalone smart devices by
themselves.

Device Software: This is what actually makes the connected devices ‘smart’. Software is
responsible for implementing the communication with the Cloud, collecting data,
integrating devices as well as performing real-time data analysis within the IoT network.
What is more, it is device software that also caters for application-level capabilities for
users to visualize data and interact with the IoT system.
Communications: Having the device hardware and software in place, there must be
another layer which will provide the smart objects with ways and means of exchanging
information with the rest of the IoT world. While it is true that communications
mechanisms are strongly tied to device hardware and software, it is vital to consider them
as a separate layer. Communication layer includes both physical connectivity solutions
(cellular, satellite, LAN) and specific protocols used in varying IoT environments (ZigBee,
Thread, Z-Wave, MQTT, LwM2M). Choosing the relevant communications solution is one
of the vital parts in constructing every IoT technology stack. The technology chosen will
determine not only the ways in which data is sent to/received from the Cloud, but also how
the devices are managed and how they communicate with third party devices.

Platform: An IoT platform is the place where all of these data is gathered, managed,
processed, analysed and presented in a user-friendly way. Thus, what makes such a solution
especially valuable is not merely its data collection and IoT device
management capabilities, but rather its ability to analyse and find useful insights from the
portions of data provided by the devices via the communications layer.
IoT primarily exploits standard protocols and networking technologies. However, the major
enabling technologies and protocols of IoT are RFID, NFC, low-energy Bluetooth, low-
energy wireless, low-energy radio protocols, LTE-A, and WiFi-Direct. These technologies
support the specific networking functionality needed in an IoT system in contrast to a
standard uniform network of common systems.

Technology Enablers and Protocols

NFC and RFID

RFID (radio-frequency identification) and NFC (near-field communication) provide simple,

lowenergy, and versatile options for identity and access tokens, connection bootstrapping,
and payments.
 RFID technology employs 2-way radio transmitter-receivers to identify and
track tags associated with objects.
 NFC consists of communication protocols for electronic devices, typically a
mobile device and a standard device.

Low-Energy Bluetooth

This technology supports the low-power, long-use need of IoT function while exploiting a
standard technology with native support across systems.

Low-Energy Wireless

This technology replaces the most power hungry aspect of an IoT system. Though sensors
and other elements can power down over long periods, communication links (i.e., wireless)
must remain in listening mode. Low-energy wireless not only reduces consumption, but also
extends the life of the device through less use.
Radio Protocols

ZigBee, Z-Wave, and Thread are radio protocols for creating low-rate private area networks.
These technologies are low-power, but offer high throughput unlike many similar options.
This increases the power of small local device networks without the typical costs.

LTE-A

LTE-A, or LTE Advanced, delivers an important upgrade to LTE technology by increasing

not only its coverage, but also reducing its latency and raising its throughput. It gives IoT a
tremendous power through expanding its range, with its most significant applications being
vehicle, UAV, and similar communication.

WiFi-Direct

WiFi-Direct eliminates the need for an access point. It allows P2P (peer-to-peer) connections
with the speed of WiFi, but with lower latency. WiFi-Direct eliminates an element of a
network that often bogs it down, and it does not compromise on speed or throughput.

Enchanted Objects
Inventor and M.I.T. Media Lab researcher David Rose coined the term "enchanted objects" to
describe ordinary objects with extraordinary functions.
These objects are not only fun but also may hold the key to a better way for humans to use
new technology.
“Enchanted objects start as ordinary things – a pen, a wallet, a shoe, a lightbulb, a table.
The ordinary thing is then augmented and enhanced through the use of emerging
technologies – sensors, actuators, wireless connection, and embedded processing – so that it
becomes extraordinary..”
Technology should not be too far from an experience that we already know to be adopted
(concept of familiarity). The enchanted objects have precisely the advantage, by being
originally ordinary objects already integrated into our daily lives, to provide markers that we
already know. For example, everyone knows what is a watch and how to use it: a smart
watch is adopted through the metaphor of “watch”. We must still be careful not to alter
the primary functions of the object. Thus, a connected watch should always be able to give
time to its owner whatever the context.
Essential ingredients to design a successful Enchanted Object:

According to David Rose, to succeed to create an enchanted object its designer must follow
this recipe:
1. Take an ordinary object that you enhance its functionalities and you connect to the
Cloud.
2. The end user should not need to register anything manually. Data capture must be
passive.
 3. It must be impossible to avoid this enchanted object. In order to do this, he must
deliver ambient manner information or make recurring returns to its owner.
4. The enchanted object must create emotional engagement and / or social motivations.

Examples of Enchanted Objects:

1 The Enchanted Jacket

– Melissa Chow‘s design
inflates a little to
replicate the sensation of a
hug when someone likes you
on Facebook

2 The Enchanted Sweater

– GER mood garments that
change colour based on
mood of wearer

3 The Enchanted Dress – gaze

activated, this dress by Ying
Gao has patterns that move
when you stare

4 The Enchanted Umbrella –

handle glows when the
weather forecast warns of
rain

5 The Enchanted Tattoo

(temporary tattoo/plaster)
from L’Oreal warns of UV
exposure

6 The enchanted onesie

from Mimobaby monitors an
 infant’s respiration,
movement, and temperature.

7 The Enchanted Orb glows to

whatever matters most to
you (e.g. snow/surf reports)

Who is making Internet of Things?

Many people involve and give their contribution to develop an IOT platform are follows:
 Crafts Person
 Artist
 Designer
 Engineer
 Hacker
 Developer

 Artists may collaborate with designers on installations or with traditional craftspeople on

printmaking.
 The Internet of Things straddles all these disciplines: a hacker might tinker at the
prototype for a Thing;
 A software developer might write the online component;
 A designer might turn the ugly prototype into a thing of beauty, possibly invoking the
skills of a craftsperson
 An engineer might be required to solve difficult technical challenges, especially in scaling
up to production.
 In conclusion, Internet of Things is the concept in which the virtual world of
information technology connected to the real world of things.

Calm technology
Calm Technology is focused around using technology to support a user in their daily life, not
interrupt them from it.

“Calm Technology” and “Calm Computing” are terms that were first used by Mark Weiser
and John Seely Brown in 1995. They introduced it as a phrase in addition to the term
“Ubiquitous Computing” in their article “Designing Calm Technology”. According to Mark
Weiser the goal of computing systems was to simplify complexities, not to introduce new
ones.

Our current form of technology

In this era, we experience a world of information that is constantly competing for our
attention, we call this Interruptive Technology. This form of Tech consists of two key
elements;

The first element is the current way new technology is developed. It’s created fast and
insufficient. Systems only work in perfect scenarios and reality is often forgotten. User-tests
are skipped because companies want to be the first to launch new innovations. But when they
finally do, errors occur and their design doesn’t turn out to work very well in the real world.
Users can’t complete their tasks and experience uncomfortable user interfaces that don’t guide
them where necessary.

The second element of interruptive tech are the notifications, not from humans, but from
computers. Big corporates want their interfaces to generate as much clicks, likes and active
users as possible. They want to constantly grasp the attention of their users by sending them
push-notifications, reminders and messages. Everything is done to trigger a users dopamine
and stop them from doing whatever they are currently doing to open the application. Too
many design decisions are made based upon what will make a user actively participate on a
system.

Calm Tech is the exact opposite of Interruptive Technology. Designing according to the
principles of Calm Technology shows your understanding of the fact that the value of your
product doesn’t rely on it being released as the first, but on it working properly in all
situations. You take responsibility for the fact that designers are supposed to determine when
enough is enough. They should know what amount of notifications are necessary and how
these should be displayed to generate a comfortable and proper experience for the user.

Calm Tech is technology that doesn’t scream for a users attention, it’s created with care and a
lot of thought. Calm Technology’s allows people to achieve their goals with a low mental cost.
So their primary focus can be on being human, not computing.

Principles of Calm Technology

 Technology should require the smallest possible amount of attention
 Technology should inform and create calm
 Technology should make use of the periphery
 Technology should amplify the best of technology and the best of humanity
 Technology can communicate, but doesn’t need to speak
 Technology should work even when it fails
 The right amount of technology is the minimum needed to solve the problem
 Technology should respect social norms
Ambient Technology

Ambient computing, also commonly referred to as ubiquitous computing, is the concept of

blending computing power into our everyday lives in a way that is embedded into our
surroundings - invisible but useful.

The goal is to reduce the friction involved in utilizing tech, making it easier for users to take
full advantage of technology without having to worry about keyboards and screens. Instead of
having to directly interact with different computing devices to get desired results – for
example, using your phone to make a phone call and your remote to turn on a TV– ambient
computing allows all of your devices to work together seamlessly to fulfill your needs.

Five characteristics of ambient computing

Among several characteristics of ambient computing, here are five to note.
Invisible: Foremost, ambient computing is behind the scenes. For instance, in a business
conference room environment, an AI system can gather information and take notes on a
conversation without employees realizing. At the same time, the camera and speaker system
can adjust to improve image quality, focus on the person talking in the discussion, and block
unnecessary noise.
Data-centric: Data centers are at the heart of ambient computing. The more data-intelligent
systems, the better their ability is to use context to understand certain situations. In remote
contact centers, customer data can support virtual assistants as they make suggestions on how
to improve a conversation.
Embedded: Ambient computing embeds technology into the workplace environment. For
instance, in the communication environment, intelligent assistants embedded into
collaboration tools can help users find information and set reminders that enhance
productivity.
Familiar: Ambient computing is simple and easy to adopt. In the communication
environment, intelligent tools are becoming more natural. Now that users can communicate
via voice or text, they can choose the experience that works best for them.
Inclusive: Ambient computing integrates tools seamlessly. For instance, an AI bot can bring
information from CRM systems and help desks into collaboration tools, which is far more
useful than nonintegrated systems.
What drives ambient computing?
A cluster of technologies is enabling the move toward ambient intelligence.
Zero UI (user interface) – The replacement of a computer screen and keyboard with
machines that respond to voice, touch, movement, and biometrics (for instance, fingerprint
and retina recognition).
Artificial intelligence – The emergence of computer systems that can perform tasks that a
human would generally do, such as reading documents, data analysis, decision-making, and
language translation.
Machine learning – The ability of computerized devices to build skills and improve
performance of various tasks without being explicitly programmed to do so.
Natural language processing – Enables computers to listen to people asking questions,
understand their words, and reply.
Edge computing – Improves responsiveness and turnaround time by moving processing
from a “centralized” processing center (most likely in the cloud) to smaller processing centers
close to where the information is being created or delivered.
Mesh networks – Provide continuous connectivity as computerized device users move from
space to space. Mesh networks can encompass seamless movement among a multitude of
devices, applications, locations, and individual networks.

Web Thinking for Connected Devices

Web thinking for connected devices in IoT refers to the concept of designing and building
Internet of Things (IoT) devices that can seamlessly connect to and interact with the web.

 This includes designing devices that can easily connect to the internet, use web
protocols for communication, and integrate with web-based applications and services.
 One key aspect of web thinking for connected devices is using web protocols, such as
HTTP and MQTT, for communication between devices.
 This allows devices to easily connect to the internet and communicate with other
devices and web-based services.
 Additionally, web thinking for connected devices also involves designing devices that
can be controlled and accessed through web-based interfaces, rather than requiring
specialized software or apps.
 Another important aspect is the use of web standards and technologies, such as
HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, to build user interfaces for connected devices.
 This allows developers to leverage existing web development skills and tools to build
interfaces for IoT devices.
 By adopting web thinking for connected devices, IoT devices can be more easily
integrated into existing web ecosystems, making it easier for users to access and
control them, and for developers to build and deploy new applications and services.