What Is the Internet of Things and How Is It Used?

Today, the topic of our discussion is the Internet of Things (IoT), where we are going to explore a few things such as: What is IoT, how does IoT work, how is IoT used, Benefits and limitations of IoT, and the key takeaway. So, without taking even a second of your precious time, let us jump right into it!

What is the Internet of Things (IoT)?

Internet of Things includes any physical appliances that get connected to the internet, monitor their surroundings, and give us information about the surroundings as they function according to the needs of the surroundings. One thing to note here is that IoT devices, in most cases, are built for a single purpose, and they work around things that are linked to that single job, like an AC, Washing Machine, etc.

Meanwhile, devices such as phones and laptops cannot be considered IoT devices because they are general-purpose devices. Now, what does that mean? A laptop, a phone, or a mobile they don’t focus on a singular job; it gets connected to the internet and monitors and shares the necessary information about the surroundings, But their way of doing that is completely different from the normal Internet of Things devices. So the bottom line is that general computing devices (laptops, phones, computers, iPhones, or tablets) are not Internet of Things devices. So now we know what exactly an Internet of Things device is, but how do these devices work? Well, let’s look into how they work.

How Does IoT Work?

Collecting Information: An IoT device has some kind of sensor that records or, shall we say, monitors the surroundings; it could be the temperature of the room, the movement of anything, moisture, or any other physical condition present in its surroundings. So these sensors, after detecting these, send them over to the system as information that the device can use.

Let us understand this with an example: a smart AC detects the room’s temperature using its very own sensor, which tells it how warm or how cold the room is.

Sharing and Processing Information: Sometimes, some IoT devices, after measuring the surroundings with these sensors and receiving the necessary information, share this information with any connected apps or the control unit.

So if we take the same AC example, we can understand this a little better: a smart AC’s sensor sends it the necessary information about the room temperature, which the AC then uses this information of the measured room temperature and compares it with the standard temperature set by the user, and according to that standard room temperature, the smart AC then cools or warms the room.

Responding to the Information: So now, because of the sensor, the device has the necessary information about the surroundings. Now what it does next is that it takes that information and responds to it either by some kind of feedback or by some kind of action. Sometimes some devices act automatically after receiving the information, while others send an alert to the user.

With the same AC example, let us understand that, after receiving the information about the room’s temperature, it either cools the room or warms it. Now that we have understood the basics of how IoT works, understand this: not every IoT device can follow these exact steps in the exact same way. We know how an IoT device usually works, but do you know how an IoT device is used? Well, let’s discuss that and understand,

How is IoT Used?

Smart Homes: IoT devices are now used in our everyday lives, making our lives easier. These devices sometimes work with each other, communicating, or sometimes getting controlled by the user through a remote or app. Many times, users, when they are out of their houses, can control these devices through the apps on their phone.

For example, imagine that you are in a hurry (Maybe you are getting late for work, or a party, anything), and while leaving the house, you forgot to switch off your smart light, and when you are midway to the location, you remember, “Man, I forgot to turn off my lights!” What to do in such a situation? Go to the app for this smart light and turn off the lights through that app, remotely. So simple.

Healthcare: IoT devices also help in healthcare, where the devices can measure the health problems of the patient, but instead of noting it down and saving it for later, they send the measurement directly to the mobile app or any other connected system.

For example, a blood pressure measuring device measures a person’s pressure and sends it to the mobile app.

Agriculture: Farmers also use IoT devices that help them understand what their crops need. To understand this a little better, let us look at it this way: a farmer uses an IoT device that tells them if the crop needs more water or less water. It checks the soil to see if it’s wet or dry and shares this information with the app, which explains to the farmer how they should proceed. Many times, these devices are connected to watering devices, and if the machine measures that the soil is in need of water, then it automates the watering machine to water the soil, without the need for the farmer to turn the machine on manually.

Transportation and Smart Cities: IoT devices play a crucial role in transportation and running smart cities. They help people understand what is going on in parking, on the road, or how much traffic there is on a particular route. Let us understand this with an example: a sensor that measures parking helps guide drivers to find a parking space in their desired location.

Manufacturing and Industrial Operation: IoT devices are also used in Manufacturing and industrial operations, where they help workers in a factory to keep track of how exactly the machines are operating. But this can sometimes create some problems, like running into an issue and stopping work, and the worker only gets to know about it after the machine has stopped working. So with a connected system, the workers can find out about the problems long before the machine stops working, to help them prepare accordingly.

But as we already know, every machine has its very own benefits and limitations, so it’s natural that even IoT devices must have both benefits and limitations, so let us look at both the benefits and limitations of IoT.

What Are The Benefits of IoT?

Automation: An IoT device is often automated and doesn’t require the human effort of controlling it manually, like many other devices demand the humans to turn on and off; IoT has no such demands, and they work as an automated entity,

Remote Monitoring and Control: IoT devices are automated entities, but if you are someone who doesn’t believe in this automated entity and for you devices are something that needs to be in the control of a human at all times, then you don’t need to worry; IoT devices often have remote monitoring and control, where you can use a mobile app to check the information it is measuring and control its actions even when you are out of your home.

Improved Efficiency: Many times, IoT devices help humans use time, energy, and other resources in the best way possible by providing them with useful and advanced information. For example, in irrigation, it can measure if the soil needs water and share this information with the farmer through a mobile app or with the watering machine, which then waters the soil (even without the involvement of the farmer).

So, these were the benefits, but with benefits come limitations, so there are a few limitations to IoT; below, we have discussed some of them.

The Limitations of IoT

Security Risks: IoT devices are now a very common and regular use in almost all aspects of one’s life. So, naturally, it demands a good security system, like a strong password. If your password is weak, any unauthorized person can easily hack into your device and steal your private information. For example, with your smart home camera, if the security is weak, anyone can hack it and see your camera recordings.

Privacy Concerns: As we already know, IoT connects to the internet and measures the information around it and shares this information with other connected apps or systems, but it could be a huge concern because then this private information is stored by the IoT device or the apps; this naturally raises concerns about how are these information used and who all are allowed to view it.

Dependence on Connectivity: One of the important features of the IoT device is connecting and sharing information with other connected device/machines or apps, but the key to this feature is a good internet connection. So, if the connection gets lost (it could be for any reason), then this feature cannot be used.

Now that you know the basics of the Internet of Things (IoT), you know what it is, how it works, how to use it, and the benefits & limitations of the IoT. You can figure out for yourself if these devices are something you would like to implement more in your life or less, based on their benefits and limitations.

You have to be very careful while using these devices. Yes, these devices make our lives a lot easier, but we should never hand all the responsibilities present in our surroundings to these devices.