Internet of Things (IoT) Enabling Technologies


IoT(internet of things) enabling technologies are
1. Wireless Sensor Network
2. Cloud Computing
3. Big Data Analytics
4. Communications Protocols
5. Embedded System
1. Wireless Sensor Network(WSN) :
A WSN comprises distributed devices with sensors which are used to monitor the environmental
and physical conditions. A wireless sensor network consists of end nodes, routers and
coordinators. End nodes have several sensors attached to them where the data is passed to a
coordinator with the help of routers. The coordinator also acts as the gateway that connects WSN
to the internet.
Example –
 Weather monitoring system
 Indoor air quality monitoring system
 Soil moisture monitoring system
 Surveillance system
 Health monitoring system
2. Cloud Computing :
It provides us the means by which we can access applications as utilities over the internet. Cloud
means something which is present in remote locations.
With Cloud computing, users can access any resources from anywhere like databases,
webservers, storage, any device, and any software over the internet.
Characteristics –
1. Broad network access
2. On demand self-services
3. Rapid scalability
4. Measured service
5. Pay-per-use
Provides different services, such as –
 IaaS (Infrastructure as a service)
Infrastructure as a service provides online services such as physical machines, virtual
machines, servers, networking, storage and data center space on a pay per use basis. Major
IaaS providers are Google Compute Engine, Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure
etc.
Ex : Web Hosting, Virtual Machine etc.
 PaaS (Platform as a service)
Provides a cloud-based environment with a very thing required to support the complete life
cycle of building and delivering West web based (cloud) applications – without the cost and
complexity of buying and managing underlying hardware, software provisioning and
hosting. Computing platforms such as hardware, operating systems and libraries etc.
Basically, it
 provides a platform to develop applications.
Ex : App Cloud, Google app engine
 SaaS (Software as a service)
It is a way of delivering applications over the internet as a service. Instead of installing and
maintaining software, you simply access it via the internet, freeing yourself from complex
software and hardware management.
SaaS Applications are sometimes called web-based software on demand software or
hosted software.
SaaS applications run on a SaaS provider’s service and they manage security availability and
performance.
Ex : Google Docs, Gmail, office etc.
3. Big Data Analytics :
It refers to the method of studying massive volumes of data or big data. Collection of data whose
volume, velocity or variety is simply too massive and tough to store, control, process and
examine the data using traditional databases.
Big data is gathered from a variety of sources including social network videos, digital images,
sensors and sales transaction records.
Several steps involved in analyzing big data –
1. Data cleaning
2. Munging
3. Processing
4. Visualization
Examples –
 Bank transactions
 Data generated by IoT systems for location and tracking of vehicles
 E-commerce and in Big-Basket
 Health and fitness data generated by IoT system such as a fitness bands
4. Communications Protocols :
They are the backbone of IoT systems and enable network connectivity and linking to
applications. Communication protocols allow devices to exchange data over the network.
Multiple protocols often describe different aspects of a single communication. A group of
protocols designed to work together is known as a protocol suite; when implemented in software
they are a protocol stack.
They are used in
1. Data encoding
2. Addressing schemes

5. Embedded Systems :
It is a combination of hardware and software used to perform special tasks.
It includes microcontroller and microprocessor memory, networking units (Ethernet Wi-
Fi adapters), input output units (display keyword etc. ) and storage devices (flash
memory). It collects the data and sends it to the internet.
Embedded systems used in
Examples –
1. Digital camera
2. DVD player, music player
3. Industrial robots
4. Wireless Routers etc.
 Top Applications of IoT in the World

The most important characteristic of humans is that we can work with each other as a
team and gain knowledge from each other. What if this was true for machines as
well? What if they could interact with each other and share information and data?
That would lead to a truly connected world! And that is the central concept of the
Internet of Things. This concept just means a connected network of various
devices that can collect data and share it with each other to obtain meaningful
insights from the data. There are various applications of IoT in the world and
these are so diverse that you cannot imagine.
Top Applications of IoT in the World
1. Smart Agriculture
Food is an integral part of life without which we cannot survive. However, it is an
unfortunate fact that a lot of food is wasted in developed countries like America
while people starve in poorer countries like Chad, Sudan, etc. One way to feed
everyone is through better agricultural practices which can be enhanced using IoT
applications. This can be done by first collecting data for a farm such as soil
quality, sunlight levels, seed type, and rainfall density from various sources like
farm sensors, satellites, local weather stations, etc. and then using this data with
Machine Learning and IoT to create custom recommendations for each farm that
will optimize the planting procedure, irrigation levels required, fertilizer amount,
etc. All this will result in better yield or crops with a focus on reducing world
hunger in the future. This is done very efficiently by SunCulture, a top IoT
application, which is an initiative by Microsoft AI for Earth.
2. Smart Vehicles
Smart vehicles or self-driving cars are Iot applications as they can be called are pretty
dependent on IoT. These cars have a lot of features that are integrated with
each other and need to
communicate such as the sensors that handle navigation, various antennas, controls
for speeding or slowing down, etc. Here the Internet of Things technology is
critical, especially in the sense that self-driving cars need to be extremely accurate
and all the parts need to communicate with each other in milliseconds on the road.
Tesla Cars are quite popular and working on their self- driving cars. Tesla
Motors’ cars use the latest advancements in Artificial Intelligence and the Internet
of Things. And they are quite popular as well!!! Tesla Model 3 was the most sold
plug- in electric car in the U.S. in 2018 with a total yearly sales of around 140,000
cars. This top IoT application has gained a lot of advancement in recent years
3. Smart Home
Maybe one of the most famous applications of IoT is in Smart Homes. After all, who
hasn’t heard about connecting all the home applications like lighting, air
conditioners, locks, thermostat, etc. into a single system that can be controlled
from your smartphone? These IoT devices are applications of IoT and becoming
more and more popular these days because they allow you complete freedom to
personalize your home as you want. In fact, these IoT devices are so popular that
 every second there are 127 new devices connected to the internet. Some popular
ones that you might have heard have, or even have in your home, include Google
Home, Amazon Echo Plus, Philips Hue Lighting System, etc. There are also all
sorts of other inventions that you can install in your home including Nest Smoke
Alarm and Thermostat, Foobot Air Quality Monitor, August Smart Lock, etc.
These applications of IoT are getting famous nowadays.
4. Smart Pollution Control
Pollution is one of the biggest problems in most of the cities in the world. Sometimes
it’s not clear if we are inhaling oxygen or smog! In such a situation, IoT
applications can be a big help in controlling pollution levels to more breathable
standards. This can be done by collecting data related to city pollution like
emissions from vehicles, pollen levels, airflow direction, weather, traffic levels,
etc using various sensors in combination with IoT. Using this data, Machine
Learning algorithms can calculate pollution forecasts in different areas of the city
that inform city officials beforehand where the problems are going to occur. Then
they can try to control the pollution levels till it’s much safer. An example of this
is the Green Horizons project created by IBM’s China Research Lab.
5. Smart Healthcare
There are many applications of IoT in the Healthcare Industry where doctors can
monitor patients remotely through a web of interconnected devices and machines
without needing to be in direct contact with them. This is very useful if the
patients don’t have any serious problems or if they have any infectious diseases
like COVID-19 these days. One of the most common uses of IoT applications in
healthcare is using robots. These include surgical robots that can help doctors in
performing surgeries more efficiently with higher precision and control. There are
also disinfectant robots that can clean surfaces quickly and thoroughly using high-
intensity ultraviolet light (which is pretty useful these days!) Other types of robots
also include nursing robots that can handle the monotonous tasks that nurses have
to perform for many patients day in and day out where there is little risk to the
patients.
6. Smart Cities
Cities can be made more efficient so that they require fewer resources and are more
energy- efficient. This can be done with a combination of sensors in different
capacities all over the city that can be used for various tasks ranging from
managing the traffic, controlling handling waste management, creating smart
buildings, optimizing streetlights, etc. There are many cities in the world that are
working on incorporating IoT applications and becoming smarter such as
Singapore, Geneva, Zurich, Oslo, etc. One example of creating smart cities is the
Smart Nation Sensor Platform used by Singapore which is believed to be the
smartest city in the world. Thisplatform integrates various facets of
transportation, streetlights, public safety, urban planning, etc. using sensors in
conjugation with IoT.
7. Smart Retail
There is a way to make shopping even more exciting for customers and that’s to use
the latest tech like IoT of course! Retail stores can make use of IoT applications in
a wide range of operations to make shopping a much smoother experience for
customers and also easier for employees. IoT can be used to handle inventory,
improve store operations, reduce shoplifting and theft, and prevent long queues at
the cashiers. A prime example of this application of IoT is the Amazon Go stores
which provide an IoT-enabled shopping experience. These stores monitor all their
products using IoT so that customers can pick up any products and just walk out
of the store without stopping at the cashier’s queue. The total bill amount is
automatically deducted from the card associated with the customer’s Amazon
account after they leave the store.
8. Smart Grid:

The deployment of a Smart Grid best demonstrates IoT's disruptive power in the
energy sector. The efficiency, dependability, and sustainability of electrical systems are
improved by smart grids, which connect power generation, distribution, and consumption
with sophisticated sensors and communication technology.

IoT-enabled devices can track energy usage in real-time, seamlessly integrating

Smart Grids are a prime example of the powerful synergy between IoT and the
quest for a brighter, greener future, as they help to shape a more robust and
environmentally friendly energy infrastructure.

9. Supply Chain Management:

When the Internet of Things (IoT) is integrated, supply chain management

Connected sensors and devices make real-time visibility across all supply chain
stages possible. IoT improves productivity, reduces risks, and optimizes operations in
various contexts, including logistics, transportation tracking, and warehouse inventory
monitoring.

IoT for supply chain management ensures that companies adapt to the changing
demands of a market by promoting openness and responsiveness. This benefits in terms
of simplifying and delaying procedures. It creates a more resilient, agile, and customer-
centric supply chain.