INTERNET OF THINGS: A SIMPLE EXPLANATION

The internet isn’t just about computers or cell phones anymore. Now a days, all kinds of everyday objects can connect to the internet including cars, air conditioners, microwave and even your shoes. This is called as the Internet of Things.

One might wonder why we need to connect our shoes to the internet. Well the answer is that shoes when connected to the internet have the ability to collect the number steps you took while jogging this morning or while going for work and can send the data to another internet connected device like cell phone, tablet or laptops. All the data gathered from your shoes can tell you how many calories you burnt, provide personalized fitness advice and a lot more. Now all this is done using sensors, which are embedded in all the devices ranging from mobile devices, cars, cameras to even traffic lights you come across every day. These sensors constantly emit data about the working condition of the devices. But does it all happen?

Well IoT provides a common bin where all the other devices can unload their data and a common language, which helps all the connected devices communicate with each other.

Another advantage of Internet of Things is that its usage isn’t just limited to consumer products. For instance, there are a trash cans around a city can send alerts when they need to be emptied, when connected to the Internet of Things. There are bridges that need to sendsignals if there is a possibility of damage to their structure and just in case if you meet with an accident, your car has to send an alert to your nearest police station. Plus, there are many more examples ranging from healthcare, agriculture, aviation, home security, infrastructure etc.

However, Internet of Things, also comes with a serious challenge as well, as the data collected from your everyday device like your personal security lock, the CCTV camera installed in your home is recorded, which can tell all your whereabouts that can pose some serious threats, the personal data you have on your smartphone can be hacked.

According to an estimate, around 50 billion devices connected to the Internet by the year 2020 and The Internet of Things is bound to grow at an exponential rate bringing with it a series of benefits and challenges.

Related posts

Leave a Comment