Top 10 Internet of Things (IoT) Examples

While becoming a basic need in our day to day life, Internet of Things is shaping our lifestyle. Earlier, things like IoT were just hype but now it is real and its applications can be seen almost everywhere.

 

IoT has enabled us to connect our everyday objects such as kitchen appliances, cars, baby monitors to the internet via embedded devices by making the transmission seamless and feasible between people, procedures, and things.

 

We can simply define the Internet of Things, or IoT, as a system of equipment and things that are embedded with sensors, software, and electronics to begin the trade and assortment of information.

 

In 1999, IoT got recognition as a distinct technology. However, the concept of IoT was taken from the early 80s. The IoT technology has emerged as our back and has come in handy. We can look at the use of IoT in smart devices like smart cars, home appliances, hotel rooms, etc.

 

(Must read: Big Data Analytics with IoT)

 

Top Examples of IoT

 

1. Smart Agriculture

 

According to a BI Intelligence report, by 2021 the market of agriculture IoT device installation will expect to rise at the rate of 20 percent touching 75 million. Thus, for increasing food production, governments are helping farmers to use advanced techniques for farming.

 

Earlier, farmers were encountered numerous problems in farming but with the presence of smart devices, the whole process has become much easier and to some extent, the credit goes to IoT. Farming can now be done through smart IoT applications and these applications can help to raise the quality and quantity of agriculture production.

 

These IoT applications in agriculture can enhance a lot of activities. For instance, they will help in :

 

• Specifying the best time to harvest plants, 
• Developing fertilizer profiles based on the chemistry of soil, and 
• Grasping soil nutrients and moisture levels.

 

Smart farming is very much beneficial for the farmers as now they can do farming in less time, with less effort, get the idea of when to harvest, and how to advance their operations. 

 

IoT use cases in agriculture

 

• Some of the IoT devices can find the weather condition and environmental data with the help of farming IoT devices like AllMETOE, Smart Elements, and Pynco.

• For example, in IoT, there are weight sensors in silo stock that detect leaks and collect information on moisture, humidity, and temperature.

• Greenhouse automation is another use case of IoT in agriculture in which farmers use IoT sensors to get exact real-time information on greenhouse conditions. Farmaap, Growlink, GreenIQ are some of the products that use smart agriculture sensors.

• Also, there is crop management (Arable and Semios), and cattle monitoring and management (SCR by Allflex and Cowlar) devices that help in making farming more advanced.

 

2. Smart Cities

 

A smart city is one of the most influential applications of IoT, for which people are crazy. Everyone wants to live in a smart city where they can get smart surveillance, automated transportation, and many more smart facilities.

 

IoT will work out on several situations confronted by the people who live in cities like pollution, traffic congestion, a deficit of power supplies, and many more. To analyze and collect data, smart cities use IoT devices like connected sensors, meters, and lights.

 

For example, by using web applications or installing sensors you can easily find the free parking area which will be available at that time across the city. Smart transportation, energy, infrastructure, data, IoT devices, and mobility are some of the key technologies that make smart cities work.

 

Singapore and Dubai are the two examples of smart cities.

 

• In Dubai the Hyperloop, a planned transport system can take passengers from Dubai to Abu Dhabi in just 15 min. It is based on magnetic levitation that lowers the friction between the train and the rails and gives much faster speeds.

 

• Singapore is one of the safest cities and levels of urban safety and technological resiliency is a fit indicator of a smart city.

 

(Must read: What is Smart City?)

 

3. Automated Cars

 

Tesla and Ford are the two automotive companies that have already made smart cars possible. Earlier it was a very big deal to have a small car but now we are in a time where smart cars are available.

 

One of the biggest successes in this field is Tesla, (learn how Tesla uses AI)

 

• Tesla cars have amazed people with their fascinating features like a car that can automatically open the garage gate before arriving, you can also control the lights, temperature, charging of the car remotely.

 

Also, it has an App framework where you can create your own app to monitor the car and discern its location, speed, battery status from anywhere.

 

For instance, Tesla Model S has a persistent 3G cell connection to the internet and this makes it one of the “Internet of Things”. Also, it has Wifi, Bluetooth, a garage door opener built in, camera in the back.

 

• The Ford Figo comes with the latest innovations in technology that keep you informed and entertained as well. It has several features like in-built navigation, rain-sensing wipers, automatic headlamps, and push-button start.

 

So, we believe that we just need to modify the roads, rules, and regulations as the time is not so far when these big companies can announce the launching of driverless cars.

 

(Related blog: IoT in ridesharig industry)

 

4. Smart Homes

 

Isn’t it interesting, if you forget to turn off your room lights and can do it even after going out? Yes, IoT is making everything possible at your convenience.

 

Smart homes are a very important and strong example of IoT. Nest, Ecobee, Ring, and other smart home companies are planning to make something that has not been seen before. Even there is an expectation that smart homes will become as common as smartphones shortly.

 

Some smart home appliances are refrigerators, speakers, and lights. You can also turn on your AC even before entering the house when you are returning from your office for the perfect room temperature.

 

Smart lighting normally uses mesh networking, where each smart bulb wirelessly connects to its nearest neighbor. The perfect example of light is Philips lights, in which you can control the color of lightning and set different hues according to your preference.

 

(Must read: IoT in construction industry)

 

5. IoT Data Analytics

 

Nowadays, businesses are progressively using IoT data analytics and by analyzing huge and small data businesses decide trends and patterns.

 

Different electronic devices are connected to the internet and they share data through sensors every day and this data is of no worth without analysis.

 

• Nevertheless, with the help of IoT analytics, the organization collects and stores data which gives the outcomes of maximizing their operations at all levels. Therefore, IoT data analytics apps can examine structured, unstructured, and semi-structured data to pull out significant knowledge.

 

• If IoT is the backbone of an IT infrastructure then IoT Analytics plays the major role that will support you in building meaningful information from the big plethora of data that comes in every day.

 

For instance, we can understand that companies can derive a number of advantages from it such as optimize operations, control processes automatically, engage more customers, and authorize employees.

 

• IoT analytics helps in improving the marketing and sales of a company by anticipating customers' needs by analyzing their information and with the collection of the correct data from numerous sources, it is possible to plan result-based pricing and subscription models.

 

 (Also read: How AI is integrated with IoT?)

 

6. Barcode Readers

 

• IoT barcode readers are very beneficial for retailers as it helps in inventory management.

 

• IoT-based bar card readers emphasize cloud data connections to connect with other systems. Therefore, using the connected bar code reader will relieve the procedure of governing inventory.

 

• IoT barcode readers can possibly be introduced into shopping carts so that the readers can detect products whenever kept or removed from the cart. Thus, this saves a lot of time and makes it easier for the customers and retailers as well.

 

• The sensor in the barcode scanner detects the reflected red light from the illumination system and gives an analog signal that is sent to the decoder. The decoder understands that signal and by using the check digit it validates the barcode and then converts it into text.

 

Here is a quick overview video for IoT Bar Code Reader in SuperMarket

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7. Wearables

 

Wearables demand is very high in the market and big companies are also investing massively in making these devices.

 

• You may also use some of these products in your daily lives like smartwatches. The devices whether smartwatch or Fitbit which are connected to the internet is a part of IoT.

 

• Some representatives of wearable technology are smart jewelry, AI hearing aids, fitness trackers, and body-mounted sensors that monitor and transmit biological data for the purpose of healthcare analytics. 

 

These devices have sensors and software which can track information about the users. These devices mainly comprise fitness, health, and entertainment requirements. Thus, these devices can convey data to provide you most detailed information on your desires.

 

• In a fitness tracker, IoT helps in continuously sensing the movements of the body on a 3 axis accelerometer and the data is recorded whenever you worn and powered up, which helps the tracker to trace if the person is running fast, walking forward, or even standing.

 

( Recommended blog: How is IoT influencing the Human Body?)

 

8. Connected Healthcare System

 

Connected healthcare system and smart medical devices are very much beneficial for companies as well as general people and these IoT medical devices can assist in real-time monitoring of patients remotely.

 

Even this device can directly report an emergency to the physicians and this will save the lives of many people. IoT, in the healthcare sector, has several applications and this technology can help in making clinical decisions. Such as;

 

• These IoT devices can collect your data like blood pressure, weight, height, sugar level, and store it online so that doctors can access it anytime.

 

• Remote patient monitoring, glucose monitoring, hand hygiene monitoring, patient handling in an emergency, medication and routine health checkup reminders, and searches for the nearest health resources to the patient, like doctors, medicines, ambulance services, and several other health aids are some of the examples of healthcare monitoring devices.

 

Thus, this can make the workflow of the healthcare industry more smooth. Here is a short video for shaping the connected healthcare system.

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9. Microchips

 

Microchips are a very known term and it is used for several purposes in dangerous as well as sensitive fields like defense. Normally, microchips are used to track something or detect any data. But now, you can use it to track your pets' activity.

 

Moreover, IoT devices are tiny in size that conduct on a low power supply and have limited processing capacity, for example, 

 

• You can either attach a tiny IoT-based microchip to your pet or fit it on the collar of your pet so that you don't need to look physically for them and you can easily keep a track of their movement. Thus, in this way, your pet will feel free and you can also track their health record.

 

• Microcontrollers with 8-bit and 16-bit processors are well-known examples in the market that use microchips.

 

• A group of engineers from Singapore formulated a smart microchip called BATLESS  that can self-start and continue to work even when the battery drains.

 

(Read also: What is Tiny AI?)

 

10. Supply Chain Management

 

IoT makes it easier for supply managers to anticipate better with smart routing and rerouting algorithms.

 

Smart IoT devices are very helpful for supply chain management as when these devices are connected to a package then they enable supply chain managers to get the exact location and several details about it via GPS that further helps in decision-making.

 

This helps in reducing the risk in supply chain management. For reducing clashes, deducting expenses, and enhancing profitability supply chain managers can make use of the smart chain management programs.

 

Examples of IoT in transforming supply chain

 

• Amazon- Earlier, Amazon employees used to roam warehouse floors to scan for each product, but now they use Wi-Fi-connected robots which were provided by Kiva Systems. So, with the help of IoT, workers can now focus on packaging order and other supply chain works while robots can perform other tasks.

 

• Volvo- Volvo is trying cloud-based services and IoT technologies to benefit the logistics side of its supply chain in ordering components from various nations to shipping vehicles to suppliers across the nation.

 

Hence, it is quite simple to discern that IoT is being used by almost every business. It is also giving lots of opportunities to them. This makes IoT the leading technology that is anticipated to infer the future of several industries and bring a macro shift in our day-to-day life.

 

(Recommended blog: Robotics with IoT)