The world is moving towards becoming intelligent, and the Internet has moved away from its simple and wired state, and day by day it affects our lives in a new and wider way. One of the new forms is the Internet of Things. Stay with us and know what the Internet of Things is and get more information about it.
What is IOT or Internet of Things?
The concept of Internet of Things means connecting billions of physical devices that collect and share information all over the world. Thanks to technological advancements and cheap chip manufacturing and the ubiquity of wireless internet, everything, even the size of an airplane, can be made part of the Internet of Things.
In short, the answer to the question of what is the Internet of Things is that, The Internet of Things or IOT, by integrating the digital and physical world, makes the world around us smarter and more responsive. In fact, connecting all devices to each other and adding sensors makes these devices acquire a kind of digital intelligence and communicate real-time data without human intervention. But the second question after answering what is IOT, is what devices are included in IOT? IOT is used for devices that would not normally be expected to have an Internet connection, so a computer and smartphone are generally not considered an Internet of Things device; However, a smart watch, mobile-controlled light bulb, smart thermostat, or other similar equipment may be considered as IOT devices.
History of the Internet of Things
IOT and the addition of digital intelligence began in earnest in the 1980s and 1990s, however, the history of the Internet of Things in the early years and due to large chips, lack of technological advancements, and the lack of a way to effectively communicate objects It is not available for supply, and only in this period can we refer to the vending machine.
But with the introduction of RFID tags, which were chips with low power consumption and wireless connectivity, along with Internet access and wider bandwidth, as well as the introduction of IPv6 addresses, a fundamental step was taken for the advancement of the Internet of Things (IOT).
However, the definition of Internet of Things as well as its term was presented for the first time in 1999 by Kevin Ashto.
A brief history of the Internet of Things
Before the 1980s
- Making the first electromagnetic telegraph in 1832 and presenting the concept of connected devices
- The true beginning of the history of IOT in 1960 and after the invention of the Internet
1980s
- The invention of vending machine by Coca Cola company
1990s
- Connecting the toaster to the Internet by John Romkey in 1990
- The creation of a program to check the presence of coffee in a coffee maker, by Cambridge University scientists in 1991
- In 1999, Kevin Ashton proposed the term IOT by combining human culture and the Internet.
2000s
- Further spread of the concept of Internet of Things by the media
- The creation of an Internet-connected refrigerator by LG in 2000, which was capable of online shopping and making video calls.
- The creation of Nabaztag rabbit robot in 2005, which was able to predict weather and stock market changes.
In 2008, the first international conference on the Internet of Things was held in Switzerland.
2010s
- The introduction of IPv6 addresses in 2011 and the efforts of famous companies such as Apple and Samsung to produce different sensors
nowadays
- By reducing the cost of producing sensors, the Internet of Things has made its way into industries such as automobiles, security systems, and smart homes, and it is predicted that this technology will reach its peak in a period of 5 to 10 years.
What is the use of Internet of Things?
IOT has users in almost all industries and for the purpose of intelligence, but the use of the Internet of Things can be divided into two parts:
- industry-specific offerings such as sensors in a manufacturing plant or real-time location devices for healthcare
- IOT devices that can be used in all industries or security systems.
Meanwhile, another use of these sensors is that they make companies gain more information about their products and use them to make more efficient equipment.
Another application of IOT is to provide a more interactive environment with more controllability, smart thermostats, home lighting system, security systems and many other features allow us to control many activities without physical presence.
In the previous titles, we answered the question of what is the internet of things; The way it works will be explained below.
How does the Internet of Things work?
Four main components play a major role in an IoT system:
- Sensors/devices
- Connectivity
- Interface
- Data processing
The way it works is that, in an IOT system, sensors/devices are connected to the cloud through a connectivity. Once this data is transferred to the cloud, the data is processed and then a decision is made such as sending an alert or other things. If any of the warnings or actions require user action, the received information is sent to the cloud through a graphical interface, and the results are reprocessed and changed if needed.
How is the security of the Internet of Things?
In short, IOT security is very weak. Although sensors connected to various equipment collect important data, such as what you do at home or what you say, and it is very important to keep them secure, security is not defined. Software bugs are discovered on a regular basis and are regularly attacked by hackers due to lack of security. For example, some smart watches allow hackers to track the user’s location, listen to his calls, or even communicate with him.
But companies and governments have also provided their own security measures, to report potential problems, companies have defined a common way to communicate and provide security updates for different devices. Meanwhile, countries such as the UK have announced that all devices are expected to have their own unique passwords.
The truth is that any device that is connected to the Internet is vulnerable to hackers, but for IoT it is very different, the current state of technology, the lack of continuous planning in the field of security, along with the low cost of building smart objects, make IOT very vulnerable. One thing to note is that hacking devices can have dangerous consequences in the real world. Hacking temperature control sensors in a power plant or driverless car control can end in disaster.
The same is true of privacy. Think the house you live in is smart and everything from the doorbell to your oven is controlled by various sensors. Although many companies are loyal to the privacy of their customers, some of them also make a large amount of their income from the sale of this information. This means that nothing will be personal to you and your information is at risk.
Advantages of the Internet of Things
Fast access to data
which facilitates the decision-making process and easier management of life.
Automation
Automation brings uniformity and control of daily activities without human intervention. Like smart traffic lights that adjust their time based on traffic.
Increase Productivity
IOT allows people to focus on other tasks and allows the machine to perform better.
lower cost
More efficient use of energy and resources, as well as reducing system failures and problems are other advantages of IOT.
More communication
Connecting the equipment to a suitable platform makes more control over their quality available.
Disadvantages of the Internet of Things
Poor privacy and security
which was discussed in detail.
There is no international compatibility standard
A standard that fully monitors the connection of devices from different manufacturers.
Complexity
In such a way that in the event of an error in the software or hardware of the unit, unfortunate consequences will occur.
Fewer jobs
Some activities will be removed due to automation.
More dependence on technology
which causes our basic interaction skills to decrease.
In this article, we answered the question of what is the IOT project and examined the advantages and disadvantages and the application of the Internet of Things, but with all the said conditions, it seems that IOT will have a much greater impact on our lives in the future.
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