Top Internet of things (IoT) applications

Devices that have unique identifiers (UIDs) and the ability to transfer data over a network without requiring human-to-human or human-to-computer interaction come under IOT .This is a system where devices exchange data without any person involved. They can be the systems of company security, 'smart house' systems or an accounting system for a logistics company.

The extensive set of applications for IoT devices is often divided into consumer, commercial, industrial, and infrastructure spaces. The IoT's major significant trend in recent years is the explosive growth of devices connected and controlled by the Internet. The wide range of applications for IoT technology mean that the specifics can be very different from one device to the next but there are basic characteristics shared by most.

The IoT creates opportunities for more direct integration of the physical world into computer-based systems, resulting in efficiency improvements, economic benefits, and reduced human exertions. 

An IoT device is connected through an IP network to the internet. The devices connect to the net either through Ethernet — wired or wireless — or Bluetooth.

Here is the list of some best and most common applications of IoT -

• IoT Sensors-  IoT sensors used to detect and measure various physical phenomena such as heat and pressure as well as the five human senses: sight, hearing, touch, taste and smell. These devices “talk” to the cloud through some kind of connectivity. Once the data gets to the cloud, software processes it and then might decide to perform an action, such as sending an alert or automatically adjusting the sensors/devices without the need for the user.
• A sensor measures a physical quantity and converts it into a signal. Sensors translate measurements from the real world into data for the digital domain. 
•  Temperature Sensor, Pressure Sensor, Proximity Sensor, Accelerometer and Gyroscope Sensor, IR Sensor, Optical Sensor, Gas Sensor, Smoke Sensor are some most used sensors. 
• Sensors perform predefined functions upon detection of specific input and then process data before passing it on.

Some top sensor technology trend are- 

Mobile Biometric Sensor Technology -

Both governments and the private industry are turning to mobile biometrics to speed up handling of human identification. Mobile biometrics simply means attaining individual biometric identification on a mobile device with the handiness to be easily moved or shifted from one place to another. Biometric functionality can be attained on a mobile device through its built in biometric sensors. 

Global Wireless Sensor -

Wireless sensor networks are the network devices used to communicate information about physical or environmental conditions such as sound, pressure, and temperature from a monitored field to the main location. This information transformation is performed via a number of multiple nodes, base stations, and a gateway.

Underwater Acoustic Sensor Systems-

Underwater sensor networks are designed to enable applications for oceanographic statistics collection, pollution monitoring, offshore exploration, disaster prevention, assisted navigation and tactical surveillance applications. 

Gas Sensor –

Gas sensor is normally used to identify the gas quality in all kinds of environments. The future MEMS gas sensor is aiming at a small size, high sensitivity, low concentration sensing, and selectivity to different gases, sensors array, and multi-gas sensing. 

Fingerprint Sensors-

Fingerprint Sensors capture biological features of the fingerprints in the form of live scan and compare it with biometric templates stored in the database. They are used to provide authentication to the individual and are most commonly used biometric authentication systems for security in commercial spaces.

• Wearable-  Using a wearable device for complex tasks, such as managing finances or manipulating home appliances, requires intention from users and often additional integrations they’re unable or unwilling to complete.
• Wearable IoT devices generally rely on Bluetooth, WiFi, or cellular connectivity to be functional outside of legacy tasks. For example, simple voice commands, such as updates about the weather, require a device to be connected to a network. 
• Wearable in healthcare - The passive use of a wearable device can monitor vital signs and even save lives. There are multiple examples of people discovering an irregular heart rate or other serious health issues thanks to detection from a wearable device. Most popular fitness bands like Jawbone UP helps people to understand their sleep cycles, move and eat better. 
• NuMetrex Fabric Chest Strap-This is a heart rate monitoring chest strap with heart sensing fabric technology and second-skin fit. It consists of a soft band with heart rate sensors knitted into the fabric. The stretch fabric moves as one breathes. By this it keeps track of heart rate. 

•  Connected car- Connected car technology is a vast and extensive network of multiple sensors, antennas, embedded software, and technologies that assist in communication to navigate in our complex world. It has the responsibility of making decisions with consistency, accuracy, and speed. It also has to be reliable. These requirements will become even more critical when humans give up control of the steering wheel and brakes to the autonomous vehicles that are being tested on our highways right now.

• Smart agriculture-
•  It is a broad term that collects agriculture and food production practices powered by the Internet of Things, big data and advanced analytics technology. The most common IoT applications in smart agriculture are:
• Sensor-based systems for monitoring crops, soil, fields, livestock, storage facilities, or basically any important factor that influences the production.
• Smart agriculture vehicles, drones, autonomous robots and actuators.
• Connected agriculture spaces such as smart greenhouses or hydroponics.
• Data analytics, visualization and management systems.

• The industrial IoT-  
• This application area covers a wide range of connected “things” projects both inside and outside the factory. For example - many IoT-based factory automation and control projects include holistic smart factory solutions with numerous elements such as production floor monitoring, wearables and Augmented Reality on the shop-floor, remote PLC control, or automated quality control systems. Typical outside the factory projects include remote control of connected machinery, equipment monitoring, or management and control of entire remote industrial operations such as oil rigs. 

• IoT applications area in Transportation / Mobility- Typical applications within Transportation/Mobility include telematics and fleet management solutions that connect with the local operating system within the car for vehicle diagnostic/monitoring such as battery monitoring, tire pressure monitoring, driver monitoring or simply vehicle tracking.

The technologies of Internet of things make our life become better and more comfortable. The IoT has the potential to dramatically increase the availability

of information, and is likely to transform companies and organizations. 

The future of IoT has the potential to be limitless. Advances to the industrial internet will be accelerated through increased network agility, integrated artificial intelligence (AI) and the capacity to deploy, automate, orchestrate and secure diverse use cases at hyperscale.

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